Spring Travel Woes: Lessons Learned

When traveling in Western states in the springtime, you never really know what type of weather you might encounter.  Last week, I traveled from Colorado to Montana for my spring break.  My flight there was great.  No delays.  No hiccups.  The weather was nice and slightly warm (for Montana in March).  However, the very next day presented a winter storm....and the next day and the next day...pretty much the entire week.  

I regret to say that I was not completely prepared for my trip (gasp)!  My fiance (a Montana native) told me that it would be warm and I really did not need to bother with much cool weather stuff.  I only partly heeded his advice, bringing my ski attire but leaving the winter boots behind.  Luckily, my mother had an extra pair of boots in storage that I could wear because when the inches of snow started piling up, my flats were not going to cut it.  Lesson learned: always be prepared for all types of weather when traveling to the Rockies.  Do not rely on the weather forecasters.  Bring your boots, a warm coat and gloves because chances are you are going to be scraping snow off of your car!   

The travel day back was somewhat of a nightmare, but it could have been a lot worse.  Fearing the worst for my drive and the weather, I left northern Montana with 2.5 hours of extra time.  Good decision!  The roads were terrible and I encountered many whiteouts.  I arrived at the airport with just over an hour to spare.  Our plane was delayed by 30 minutes because of the weather.  At about the 30 minute mark, I received a call from United telling me that my plane had been cancelled!  Having heard that "if you don't get out today, you are stuck here until Wednesday" from the ticket agent, I promptly called United back to rebook.  I was one of the first (if not the first) to do so, since all of the other passengers were crowded at the desk trying to figure out what was going on.  It was a great feeling to be ahead of the game...until I walk to the ticket counter to retrieve the bag I had checked....and the nice lady told me there is no way I was going to get on a new flight because ALL of the flights were sold out.  I did not take the "confrontational cues" that I have seen my dad present all too often when encountering such travel mishaps.  I did, however, flash my brightest smile and tried to be understanding.  In return, the ticket lady ran over to the Frontier counter and got me on their next flight the very same night.  It was probably the most turbulent flight I have ever been on, but I was grateful just to be on it.  After 15 hours of traveling, I made it home and went to bed at 1:30 AM.   As tired as I was, I learned a few more lessons: 

1. Always sign up for the airlines telephone updates.  I was one of the first to receive the call to inform me that my flight was cancelled and was also the first to react.  
2. Be nice to the ticket agents!  They can really help you if you in desperate times.  

Adapters, Converters, Transformers, Oh My!

When I started traveling overseas, no one bothered to tell me much about the differences (or potential dangers for that matter) with using electronic appliances and conversions, so it is a complete wonder that I never blew up anything, burned it out, or caught it on fire.  Those are a few of the "horror stories" that I typically hear now that I work at Changes In Latitude. So, in an effort to prevent any of you from experiencing these electrical fiascos, I have opted to write this entry on dealing with your appliances overseas.

Adapters

Let me first start by emphasizing that an adapter does not convert electricity.  An adapter simply gets you into the wall.  A converter actually converts the electricity, but I will get to that in the next section.  The wall sockets of most countries are not like ours in the U.S.  That being said, you cannot plug in appliances with two flat pins (like ours) directly to say a two round pin socket as found in most of Europe.  To correct this problem, you need to have an adapter.  There are adapters available for most any type of wall socket that you can easily purchase before you leave.  Check out this link for information on the type of adapter plug you might need for your next overseas adventure. 

Converters

Generally, most of the world (outside the U.S.) runs on 220/240 voltage.  Our lovely country, the never conforming U.S. of A., runs on about 110/120 voltage.  So, what does this mean for you?  Well, if you want to use your favorite appliance from here, you better make sure you can convert the 220/240 voltage to the 110/120 volts that your appliance requires.  

If you were to plug in an appliance that uses 120 volts into a 220 volt socket, bad things happen (like the examples I mentioned above).  So, if you absolutely must bring your super duper hair dryer, then you best pack a converter.  A 2000 watt solid state converter is going to do just that.  It will convert non-electronic heating appliances up to 2000 watts, like hair dryers, beverage heaters and hot rolling sets.  Of course, you will need an adapter as well to get into the wall, but you probably realize that from reading above!

Transformers

Transformers are similar to converters in that they can alter the voltage, but they are designed to be used with electronic, motorized heating appliances.  Use the 50 watt transformer for appliances that are less than 5o watts, like battery chargers, curling irons, and electric shavers.  

Some Good News

The good news is that a lot of things these days are already designed for both 110 and 200 volts. Examples include ipods, laptops, and some battery chargers for cameras and phones.  This means that all you need is the right adapter to get into the wall – no converters or transformers. 

Please note that I said most things can handle both.  You absolutely need to check all of your appliances to make sure they can handle both.  To do this, check on the charger if it has one.  If it says "110/200 VAC" (i.e., it has a "100" and "200" number listed), then it will handle both. If it only says "125 VAC," then you will need a converter or transformer.  To determine which one you need, a lower wattage transformer or higher wattage converter, you will have to know the wattage of the item.  

For more information

If you are still confused, give the knowledgeable staff at Changes In Latitude travel store a call.  We will make sure you get the right stuff!

A few of my favorite travel sites

Below are just a few of my favorite Web sites that I like to use when planning and booking my adventures.  I have many more favorites that I use as references, but I probably use these the most.  Please feel free to add to this list by entering your favorites in the comment section.

Lonely Planet Web site

When I travel, I never leave home without a Lonely Planet guidebook.  The guidebooks are incredibly comprehensive for all types of travel to places all over the world and they are imperative for trip-planning as well.  So, it is only natural that I often refer to the LP Web site for additional, up-to-date information. You can find updates for guidebooks, get the scoop on hotels and hostels, and read interesting front page features on destinations.  LP's Thorn Tree Forum is great reference section for all things travel.  It allows you to search by region, country, and topic. Plus, you can post specific questions or simply search for answers.  

Hotels.com

If I don't have a Lonely Planet or I'm just looking for a place to stay, I tend to look at hotels.com.  The site generally offers even lower rates than posted on the hotel's home page. Additionally, I was able to book a room $40 cheaper on hotels.com even though the hotel's home page said no rooms were available.  It is easy to navigate - simply type in the city where you want to stay and a slew of options pop up.  

Orbitz.com

Although I typically book flights straight with Air Tran or Frontier (Web sites), I always check out orbitz.com to make sure I am receiving the best deal.  For the most part, Orbitz offers the lowest prices compared with its counterparts like Expedia.  Plus, the matrix comparing prices over several day options is also helpful if you are flexible with your days.  

Smartertravel.com

Taking the flight/hotel search a step further, Smarter Travel's Web site compiles airfares and hotel prices from major travel search engines like Orbitz, Expedia and Cheap Tickets.  It will also send you email updates based on your destination.  

iexplore.com

This site lets you search for adventure and experiential tours to meet your specific criteria from over 130 tour operators.  Enter in as much information a you want for region, country, type of activity, length and price range, and you will get a list of tours to choose from.  It was rated the top Web site for Adventure Travel by a slew of popular magazines. 

Welcome!

As most of you know or will come to know, I love to travel.  I grew up on the red banks of the Oostanaula River in Rome, Georgia - that's where the name of this blog originated.  My mom has said that I was born with wanderlust.  And, well, I would have to agree.  Since I can remember, I have felt an uncontrollable need to see just what else is out there.  That "need" has led me to places all over the world.  I currently work at Changes In Latitude Travel Store in Boulder, Colorado and will begin guiding trips for Georgia-based Southern Treks, an international walking tour company, this summer.  I plan to use this blog to share my travel adventures with you in addition to highlighting tips, trends and news regarding the travel industry that I find are helpful and interesting. The picture above is of me hiking the Coast to Coast Trail in England last summer.  Happy travels!