Time for a #crowdsource question! What is your favorite snack to pack for a road trip?
Comment below with your favorites! We are excited to hear what our @leadtravelpray followers recommend.
Category: MicroBlog
Tip 44: Hotel apps are becoming more useful
Recently I had an overnight flight and arrived at the hotel many hours before the typical check-in time. I had assumed I would have to check my luggage with the hotel desk and walk around town sightseeing for a few hours before I would be able to access my room, however I had “checked in” to my hotel via the mobile app which I can only believe is what led to me being so lucky as to have priority to a ready room.
Just has checking in to planes as soon as possible allows you to pick good seats, it appears hotel app Check-in also has advantages. In addition, you can use these apps to order room service, request items you forgot, or ask for more towels, etc. We also enjoy having a “mobile key” where our phone serves as a replacement (or backup) to a physical key.
In essence, hotels are becoming more “digital” so you just may want to take advantage of that on your next stay!
Tip 43: Motels vs Hotels in the US
I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel completely safe when people can access the door to your room without another layer of security. For this reason, I almost never stay in anything labeled a “motel” in the US as they are more often configured like the picture above.
We also never book a hotel without taking a detailed look at the photos on the hotel or booking website.
Reviews from past customers are also really helpful to give you a sense of the hotel security and safety of the surrounding area.
More on the definitions of hotel and motel here: http://traveltips.usatoday.com/difference-between-hotels-motels-2976.html
Tip 42: Toddler travel tips
Years ago my 3 year old refused to go the bathroom for more than 7 hours at Disney World because the automatic flushing toilet terrified her. Eventually a seasoned Mom suggested I put my purse in front of the toilet sensor to keep it from triggering the flush and that did the trick!
The other good trip I remember is to being zip lock bags to hold partially eaten meals. Especially on vacation, kids are often too excited to sit for a meal so they leave too much food behind and then are hungry a couple hours later.
Here is some other good advice we found:
https://lifehacker.com/eight-expert-tips-for-traveling-with-your-toddler-1724779450
Tip 41: Research your visa requirements
Recently I have learned I need a visa to travel to Australia and Cuba. While I expected the visa I needed for China last year, these came as more of a surprise. Fortunately, however, I found out about them ahead of time and they can both be processed rather quickly.
How do you know if you need a visa for your travels? Here are a few sites that can help you figure that out:
Lead. Travel. Pray. 