Traveling can be wonderful, and it can also be a gargantuan pain in the neck – schlepping through airports, battling change in sleep cycles, trying to find your way in a strange place. Generally, the wonder of being in a new place outweighs the stress and the hassle, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t complain about it
This week the media focused on easing those frustrations. Let’s start with something just about everyone has interest in – controlling how much you spend while traveling. At USA Today, Caroline Morse offered advice on how to control your budget while traveling by avoiding those fees that seem to sneak up on you. And at CNN, Maureen Jenkins has more advice on how to satisfy your Veuve Clicquot taste on a Bud Light budget, including this nugget – consider tipping people to be an investment in a better vacation.
Keeping expenses under control is certainly one way to reduce the stress of travel. Another way to keep your blood pressure moderated is just make things simpler. And the tools available to travelers are emerging from all across the globe.
At Travel Daily News, Vicky Karantzavelou reports on a new survey that shows that more than two-thirds of travelers have smart phones, and they want to use them more. The survey shows that passengers are more attuned to social media than the general population, and they want to use these new tools to have more self-service options while traveling. CNNGO offers up some of the latest apps for those smartphone devotees, including one that will help you figure out just how comfortable you’ll be on your flight. And the New York Times’ Seth Kugel reports on ten websites that can assist you in planning your travel agenda, finding flights and meals, and uncovering some truly unique experiences.
Here’s some good news for those of us committed to healthy travel – USA Today’s Nancy Trejos reports that hotels have committed to making it easier for their guests to exercise. She reports that the percentage of hotels that offer fitness facilities has risen by 21 percent over the last eight years.
And, finally, if you’re committed to finding your inner-Psy and getting hip to Gangnam style the next time you head to Korea,The Wall Street Journal’s Min-Jeong Lee offers you a guide to the upscale Seoul neighborhood that the whole world is talking about. But hurry – I’m guessing this fad won’t last forever.
Photo by KOREA.NET.
