While I was studying in Tokyo, my mother came to visit for a week. During her stay, we took the train out to Kamakura to see the Daibutsu, or Great Buddha, a 44ft tall bronze monument dating back to the middle of the 13th century. The crowds were heading back to their tour buses as we arrived, so we were lucky to get lots of pictures with no one else in them. Even so, this picture of a young brother and sister peeking through the lantern is my favorite. -Meagan
Like all good travel sites, we’ve been compiling lists of our favorite tips, tricks, and products to make your next trip easier on you and your budget. If you remember from our post on organizing your travel documents, I mentioned that I keep my itineraries and confirmation numbers in Google Drive and then print out some hard copies just in case I can’t access mobile data or WiFi.
Well, friends, no more! I have FINALLY found an app that organizes my travel confirmations easily and with as much detail as possible. Introducing…
My biggest concern with apps that organize details for me is that I rarely like the layout or the amount of detail shown. Details recorded in Tripit are organized by date, then by item (plane ticket, train ticket, hotel confirmation, etc.), and they all expand for additional information. That even includes your email correspondence with your AirBnB or your bike rental receipts.
1. Make an account at www.tripit.com and download the app to your mobile device from Google Play or iTunes. It’s free, but there’s also a pro version that is ad-free and has a few more features.
2. Just forward all of your confirmation emails to the Tripit email address they give you. Tripit will notice the email address that you send them from, and it will assign them all to your individual account. It’s pretty darn smart and really good at sorting out what information to pull from each email. For my hotels, AirBnB, and Bed & Breakfast, for instance, it includes confirmation numbers, addresses, and phone numbers in the main details.
3. You can then go to the website if you need to adjust any details. For instance, I have a casual email from the bike rental company that we will be using in France. Tripit didn’t recognize that it was a receipt for an activity, but it did file it into my Trip Details for the right date. I was able to go in and edit the activity type and name so that it fit in easier with my schedule. In fact, I also changed hotel check-out times to the actual time that we’re leaving so that “check-out” would appear prior to my train ticket. See? I told you I can be picky.
Train Ticket Details
4. Tripit even includes directions and adds them automatically. When Tripit recognized that I’ll be flying into CDG airport and that I have a reservation at this darling hotel in the 17th arrondissement, it included directions via car and the Paris Metro. Merci beaucoup, Tripit!
Cooking Classes, Hotels, and Flights
Train Tickets, Hotels, and Maps
As I’m at home writing this, I decided to turn off my mobile and wireless on my phone to see what details I could access with no data or WiFi service, and I was still able to open all of the details I’ll need. How’s that for accessibility?!
Have you used Tripit to organize your travel itinerary and confirmations before? If so, tell us about it in the comments!
Did you read my Everlane Tote review last week? I’ve decided it’s the perfect affordable carry-on tote bag for your flight, and with its slim silhouette, it transitions easily to a great day bag. Below, you’ll find my best packing tips and the items I can’t leave home without when I’m flying, and they all fit in my new Everlane Tote!
My Everlane Tote: High quality construction, chic style, and a zipper top make this my go-to travel tote for business and vacation.
Travel Wallet / Passport Case: I love a passport case that is long enough to hold my boarding passes, my cash and cards, and my passport. These are a few of my favorites right now.
Travel Journal: I grabbed a pocket-sized one from Rifle Paper Co. for a specific short trip, but I’m thinking about getting this one to record a lot of future trips in one location. And of course, a Moleskine Journal is always a great option with that pocket in the back!
Baggu Shopping Bag: I know we’ve mentioned them a few times, but we really don’t leave home without them!
Cardigan and Scarf: It can get really chilly on a plane. We love cardigans like this in colors that go with everything and a lightweight but large scarf that can double as a blanket if needed. We’re also crushing on this cape for winter travel!
Reading Material: I found a few magazines on France tourism on my most recent trip, but I always have a large selection of AFAR, Travel & Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and my new favorite: Wherever Magazine. They all fit in this bag with room to spare.
Small Zipper Bags: I bought this cute elephant one in Thailand a long time ago, and it holds my smaller camera, ipod, headphones, and any power cords I’m bringing with me on the flight. Smaller zip bags are the best way to keep things organized, and here are a few of my favorites: Nylon Baggu, Leather Baggu, Stella & Dot, and Flight 001
Small Make-up Bag: I keep a few of my solid toiletries in here so I can freshen up after the flight without getting into my rolling carry-on. I love these NARS lip pencil (I like the Velvet Matte in Cruella Scarlet Red) and the L’Oreal Concealer Crayon as great solid alternatives to my usual liquid concealer and lip gloss. Savannah Bee Company makes a great chapstick in wonderful flavors like blackberry and Earl Grey tea.
Clear Zipper Bag for Liquids: I’m thinking about just investing in one of these so I won’t have to keep using Ziploc bags. For your 3oz liquids, check out this great website with tons of really nice travel-sized products. I always bring my small bottle of Fresh Seaberry Face Oil and my travel-sized Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer.
Downy Wrinkle Releaser: This is one liquid that I can’t travel without! I’m allergic to ironing, especially when I’m on the go, so this amazing de-wrinkling spray keeps me from looking like I’m living out of a suitcase.
Eye Mask: Falling asleep on flights comes easily for me, but staying asleep does not.
Sunglasses: My Warby Parker prescription sunglasses have been game-changers. I love their quality and their price.
Check out our other favorite packing tips and tricks here, and follow us on Pinterest for more great ideas!
[This is not a sponsored post, friends. We just wanted to share our must-pack items!]
[We’ve updated this post with a review after taking our Everlane tote across France. See the end of the post for more on how it worked for us. ]
My mom and I have been searching for the perfect carry-on tote for our upcoming trip to France, and we had some pretty high standards. We needed a bag that was:
– large enough to hold all of our needs
– but not too big that it can’t be used as a day bag
– zipped!
– chic, obviously!
– well-made with great reviews
– and at a really good price point
Not only that, but since it’s easier to pack light when you stick to a color palette, Mom needed one that came in black, and I needed a brown one. We didn’t need the same bag, of course, but when we started reading all of the great reviews about the Everlane Tote, we knew we needed to check it out. It seemed to fit all of our needs, so we ordered the black leather with reverse denim, which is a pretty heather gray. I was eyeing the brown leather with navy twill, but decided to wait and see what the black one looked like in person. Let’s just say, I’ll be ordering the navy for me really soon!
I already have one of Everlane’s amazing weekenders, and it has been such a JOY to pack for trips to my mom’s house in the mountains and all of our other weekend trips! I was thrilled to see that the tote we received (with free shipping!) was of equally great quality!
I really love that the tote has a slim silhouette. I often find bags that I like, but they end up being rather bulky. This bag will hold my make-up and small toiletry bags, my travel magazines, my camera, my tablet, and it doesn’t take up too much space. The inner pocket is the perfect size for my wallet and passport case. The zip top stays hidden instead of sticking out on the ends, which I think is a wonderful detail that makes it even more sleek. The black leather straps are sturdy and a great length for throwing over your shoulder, and the cotton twill is wonderfully thick. Even after all of those great details and the sturdy construction, it’s still incredibly light weight! Friends, we have found our new favorite bag! Oh, and did we mention it’s ONLY $40?!
My mom traveled in style in Burgundy with her grey and black Everlane tote.
After trying out the grey and black tote with my mom, I ended up buying the navy tote with brown leather handles for myself. As I had expected, it worked great for my trip to Paris, Provence, and Burgundy. Here’s what we learned:
Carrying my tote around Paris on a drizzly day!
[This is not a sponsored post, friends. We just adore our new Everlane tote, and we can definitely vouch for the sturdy construction and timeless style of our wonderful weekender. If you’re on the lookout for some stylish and affordable luggage, do check them out!]
We were blown away by this photo of the Eureka Dunes in Death Valley by our seriously talented friend Aaron! Don’t you just love the contrast of the brilliant blue sky against the dunes? We can’t stop staring at this gorgeous scene! ©Aaron Perez
Today’s post is by our good “friend afar,” Emily! She recently traveled to Costa Rica for an anniversary trip with her husband. We’ve known Emily for over a decade now, so we loved hearing about how she faced her fears and the wonderful adventures she had in return.
For my 5th anniversary, my husband and I decided to take a big trip. I am absolutely a read and relax on vacation kind of girl so when we settled on Costa Rica as the destination, I was a little terrified. I knew the trip would be lots of hiking, sight-seeing, and adventure. I decided early on to buck up and really enjoy the ride, and I made a promise to myself not to complain and to push myself to be uncomfortable.
It only got higher from there!
Hanging bridges may have broken me in a little at the start of the trip, but dangling by a cable for the mile long zip line didn’t sound like my idea of fun! My husband, however, was beyond thrilled! Standing around, in full gear waiting for instruction, I nervously chatted with my husband about how safe he though everything was. Two guys nearby jumped in and assured me everything looked pretty good, except the hand breaking, which they had never done before. Turns out this was their 3rd zip line trip, and they had done this before in Puerto Rico and Mexico. It was great to get some tips from people with experience! Come to find out, one of the pair actually works at the same company as me in another office! The world has honestly never felt so small!
For the entire experience, they stuck with us, encouraged me, and even used their Go Pro to video my trip down the mile long zip line. It was amazing how meeting these strangers totally eclipsed my fear! Hanging a mile above the earth, dangling from a wire was so invigorating!! It was worth pushing through those terrifying moments in the beginning! It wasn’t an experience I will soon forget! I was so glad I had leaned into the fear instead of missing out, and I’m so grateful for my husband and new friends for encouraging me to be brave.
It was worth it for the chance to relax in these amazing hot springs near Arenal!
Every one of a hundred thousand cities around the world had its own special sunset, and it was worth going there, just once, if only to see the sun go down. – Ryu Murakami
We put a lot of effort into not getting lost in our daily lives. We put even more effort into avoiding it while traveling. We use the GPS apps on our phones. We take guided tours in foreign cities. We stop and ask for directions at every turn. We make sure to get from one important location to the next, and we take the easiest and the fastest way possible. We don’t even notice the buildings, the scenery, the restaurants, and the people who we’re rushing past. Sometimes, however, we get really, hopelessly lost.
Below, you’ll find two great reasons to enjoy those times when you’re not quite sure where you are and two of our favorite stories about what we’ve discovered when we’ve been lost. We hope they’ll inspire you to be both curious and calm when you can’t find your destination. Maybe they’ll even inspire you to put away the map and get intentionally lost!
My husband and I honeymooned in Italy, and we were lucky enough to spend 5 days in Venice, far more than the typical tourist schedule of a quick day trip. We had just spent the last week and a half in Florence and Rome, checking off those must-see museums and historic sites. By the time we arrived in Venice, we were ready for a change of pace.
I know what you’re thinking. Venice is full to the brim with tourists! How could we possibly find a change of pace or any peace and quiet?
Once we checked into our darling bed and breakfast, which was wonderfully located away from the crowds on a quiet street and quiet canal, we made our way out into the city. Unlike every other tourist we met, though, we weren’t headed to the Rialto Bridge or the Piazza de San Marco. We weren’t even headed to Lido or the Guggenheim, Murano or Burano. We decided to just wander along through the alleys with no map in hand. We discovered empty streets that ended at canals lined with archways and window boxes overflowing with flowers. We found great bars where we enjoyed an aperol spritz and a gelato. We ate dinner in a great restaurant, and we honest to goodness didn’t hear anyone else speaking English. We watched beautiful boats pass singing gondoliers. We sat along the canal and watched daily life pass us by. We saw Venice, but we saw it without the rest of the summer crowds jostling past us.
Don’t worry. We had more than enough time to see everything that one goes to Venice to see. We even took time for a Vivaldi concert. That first day in Venice, however, was one of the best days of our trip.
It’s one thing to set out with the intention of getting lost. Well, as lost as one can get on a small cluster of islands. It’s another thing altogether to have a limited amount of time and not be able to find the destination that you’re most excited about. This is what happened to my husband and I while we were in London.
To add to the stress of not being able to find the British Museum, we were chaperoning nine of his high school students on their first trip abroad. It was not an easy feat. You might be thinking, “How hard can it be to find one of the most popular museums in the world?!?” I would have agreed with you prior to our attempt to get there from whatever random spot we were dropped off at, but we were given wrong directions twice, and someone even said, “I don’t know which museum you’re talking about; they’re all British,” and he MEANT it. Yes, thank you very much. (I should note that we landed a few hours earlier, and neither my husband nor myself were at the top of our travel game because, as I mentioned, we were dragging nine exhausted teenagers behind us.)
This ended up being a great learning lesson for our students. We helped them step out of their comfort zone and ask for directions, and we also talked to them about how to stay optimistic and not get scared when things go wrong. But do you know what the best part of our extra long walk to the museum was? Just when our students said “we have no idea where we are,” we looked up to see a street sign. We were on Drury Lane! Yes, DRURY LANE where the MUFFIN MAN lives! It was the best detour ever!
So there you have it: some of our favorite stories from getting lost abroad. Do you have any similar stories? We’d love to hear about them! Tell us your favorite stories about getting lost in the comment section.
After returning from the North Georgia mountains (hills) yesterday, I was looking through photos of old mountain adventures and stumbled upon this gem that my sister Laura captured. It’s of the famous Mormon Row Barn in Grand Teton National Park and was taken during an epic camping trip we took five years ago. I love this John Muir quote since it speaks not only to his love of nature, but also his passion for being a naturalist and a Father of the National Parks.
My sister and brother-in-law took a two-night trip to Edinburgh, Scotland from England last weekend. One of their favorite activities was the hike to Arthur’s Seat, the highest point in the city and a dormant volcano, that affords fabulous views of the surrounding area. When I saw this photo on Scott’s Instagram feed, I knew we had our Shot of the Week! Yellow gorse and other spring flowers are in full bloom in May and the colors are just spectacular.
