Wednesday, March 30, 2016

4 Tips On How Not To Travel

how not to travel

KNOWING THESE 4 TIPS ON HOW NOT TO TRAVEL RATHER THAN LEARNING THE MILLIONS OF TIPS ON HOW TO TRAVEL IS GOING TO MAKE YOUR LIFE MUCH EASIER!

Ever wonder what the right way to travel is?  Honestly, there is no right or wrong way, but I will say that there are certain methods that do make traveling a whole lot easier. For example, these 4 tips on how not to travel will take away from woes of being abroad. Take it from the pros when we say we have learned the hard way!
  1. Don't leave for a trip in fight with someone close to you. Settle the quarrel before you leave, otherwise it will consume your entire mind and you will not be able to enjoy yourself. I spent two weeks in the beautiful Great Lakes off Minnesota a couple years ago and you would think that I had a great time. Sadly no. I spent the entire time missing my boyfriend at the time because before I left we got into huge fight and never resolved it. The trip was a waste of money and time.
  2.  Don't bring your entire closet with you. Travel light is honestly the BEST advice we can give you. Lugging around a 50 pound suitcase, a backpack, a laptop, a pillow and more is not necessary. You are traveling to get away...so do it! Bring only the amount of clothes you need for the number of days. Do not pack two outfits for each day - ridiculous!
  3. Do not assume you will never be the person that gets robbed. It happens all the time and I don't care who you are - you are not exempt from it. I live by this: Plan for the worst and hope for the best. What will you do if you find yourself in a foreign country with no money, no passport, no phone etc? You need to have a plan and it is best to learn what your plan of action will be when you are in your home country.
  4. Do not expect the world to love you because you're American, but rather expect a lot of people to dislike you. Unfortunately, I have gotten scoffed at multiple times when people find out I am an American. We have gotten a bad rep. As travelers it is our duty to show the naysayers who we really are through one on one interaction. Don't be afraid of the people who do not like you, but rather open yourself up to them. If they still don't like you then, F them!!

WE HOPE THESE 4 TIPS ON HOW NOT TO TRAVEL WILL HELP YOU IN YOUR JOURNEYS! 


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how not to travel

Monday, March 28, 2016

Night Trains - The Best Way To Travel Europe

night train

TRAVELING BETWEEN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES IS INCREDIBLY EASY AND AFFORDABLE. TO SAY THAT YOU ARE GOING OUT OF COUNTRY FOR THE WEEKEND IS COMMON BECAUSE OF THEIR AMAZING RAILROAD SYSTEM. IF YOU WANT TO SEE MULTIPLE COUNTRIES IN A SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME, WE HIGHLY SUGGEST TRAVELING VIA NIGHT TRAINS. 

Night trains don't let you waste your valuable time sleeping, rather they let you just wake up and go! So ditch the red-eye flights and plan your European vacation starting with your night train schedule.
Spend your days exploring the museums of Paris, drinking wine and eating exquisite pastries, then simply wake up the following day and start exploring the Swiss Alps.  It is that easy!
You may be wondering about the sleeping accommodations on these trains and they are surprisingly comfortable!
Sure, you can just book a regular upright seat on a night train, and then slouch against the seat cushions to get some shut-eye. But why would you want to? For only $25 to $45, you can sleep in a “couchette,” which gives you a padded bunk complete with sheets, pillows, blankets, and reading lamps. Couchettes tend to have four to six sleeping berths, and things can get a bit cozy with everyone’s luggage packed inside. If you don’t mind shelling out a few extra bucks, you can sleep more comfortably in a three-bed, two-bed, or single-bed sleeper compartment, costing between $50 and $150—much less than a business-class seat on a flight. These pricier sleepers have more floor space, wider beds, and private sinks. Luxury sleepers—such as the “Comfortline” trains travelling between cities like Paris and Berlin, or Hamburg and Copenhagen—even have their own toilets and showers. AFAR
If you are stationed in Europe you have the world at your fingertips! Take advantage of the amazing transportation system the European countries offer. You and your family could spend a weekend touring the Italian countryside or visiting the castles of Germany and beyond.

night trains

NO MATTER WHERE YOU WANT TO GO IN EUROPE, UNITED MILITARY TRAVEL CAN GET YOU THERE AND SAVE YOU MONEY!

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Monday, March 21, 2016

Classy Military Spouse Etiquette

classy military spouse

THE CLASSY MILITARY SPOUSE VERSES THE TRASHY MILITARY SPOUSE - WHICH ONE ARE YOU?!?

I am from a town that is sandwiched between two very large military bases so we have a large number military that call my town home. With that said, I know a little bit about how to spot the classy military spouse and the trashy one. Heck, some of them I went to high school with!
People have written entire books to cover the do's and don'ts of military spouse etiquette, but to save you the hours of studying, follow these 12 simple rules and you too will become the classy military spouse.
  1. Unless you are going to the base gym, do not wear gym clothes on base.
  2. Dress classy not trashy!
  3. Show respect while the National Anthem is playing.
  4. Avoid PDA when service members are in uniform.
  5. Do not post photos of yourself on social media wearing your service member's uniform.
  6. The service member's PT gear is for the service member only - not you!
  7. Learn when to walk on the left side while he’s in uniform.
  8. A classy military spouse stop for colors and the raising/retiring of the flag.
  9. Avoid converting about politics, sex and religion at all times!
  10. Understand the 'No Walk and Talk Rule"
  11. They know the proper way to address the specific ranks.
  12. Thank you notes and RSVPing is a common practice.
As a classy military spouse you not only have the same challenges a "normal" couple faces, but also you have to take on the challenge of becoming the perfect military wife. It may not be the life you always envisioned yourself living, but you cannot imagine living life with your military man.
Keep up the good work ladies and remember to always keep it classy


UNITED MILITARY TRAVEL #MILITARYTRAVELLOANS 
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classy military spouse

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Budget Disney Vacations

disney vacations on a budget

IT IS NO SECRET THAT THE HOLY GRAIL OF ALL VACATIONS IN THE EYE OF A CHILD IS WALT DISNEY WORLD. THEIR INNOCENT LITTLE MINDS HAVE NO IDEA THAT MOMMY AND DADDY HAVE TO SELL ORGANS AND BECOME PLATELET DONORS JUST TO AFFORD THE 4 DAY PASSES. BUT I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT DISNEY BUDGET DISNEY VACATIONS CAN HAPPEN - HERE IS HOW!

Meet Kristina, the mastermind behind Cents + Order, an amazing website for tips and inspiration on personal finance, money saving techniques and home management.  She is a single mom to three kiddos, a full time accountant and website genius. We all could learn a lot from this gal!
Here is Kristina's advice on how you can save HUNDREDS of dollars based on her multiple trips with multiple kids!

PLAN AHEAD

When you are spending a large amount on a single trip, you’ll want to plan ahead so you can maximize your time there. Look into what rides and shows you want to do, and think about what ones you want to skip.
I use the current one of these guides to do my Disney planning:
They both are chock-full of information about everything at Disney World. If you don’t want to buy it, I recommend seeing if you can borrow it from your local library while you are planning your trip.

STAY AT A DISNEY HOTEL

When you stay at a Disney property, their Magical Express buses will bring you from the airport to the hotel (and back on departure day). Plus, they have an elaborate bus system to/from the hotels and each of the parks.
You’ll be able to skip the rental car and save $200+, depending on the length of your stay and whether you are travelling at a peak time.
Even if you drive to Disney, you can use the bus system. Or you can drive to the parks yourself. Hotels guests get free parking at the theme parks-saving you $17 a day.
There are some off property hotels where you can certainly get a better room rate, but read the fine print. Many have a “daily resort fee” of up to $15. Add in what you’ll pay to park in the theme parks and you might not be saving anything by staying off property.
Many of the well known hotel chains are comparable in price to the Disney hotels, so you might as well take advantage of the perks of staying on Disney property.

CHOOSE A VALUE DISNEY HOTEL

These include the All-Star hotels and Pop Century. Every Disney trip I’ve stayed in their value hotels and have always been completely satisfied with the room.
How often do you really plan on being in your room anyway? If it’s just to sleep, then why pay double or triple for a fancier hotel?

TRAVEL AT OFF-PEAK TIMES

Not only will you find better hotel and air fare rates, the parks will be less busy.
Smaller crowds=bigger bang for your buck! Ticket prices will still be the same, but you’ll feel like you got to do much more.
When we’ve gone at an off-peak time, the longest wait we had was 20 minutes for a ride. Another time we went around Memorial Day and it was a completely different story. We did not get to do nearly as many rides as we wanted and waits were much longer.
WDW Prep School has a great crowd calendar listing crowd levels for the year along with average weather temperatures in one graphic.

DRIVE INSTEAD OF FLY

Depending on where you live and how many people are in your party, it may be cost effective to drive to Disney World. Consider the cost of gas, tolls, food, and if you will need a hotel along the way when making the price comparision.
Driving will give you more freedom to explore outside of Disney and potentially save money on food costs by eating away from the parks.

GO WHEN YOUR CHILD IS UNDER 3

Kids under 3 get free admission to the parks. A four-day ticket when they are over 3 is $285.00 (2015). You could go just before they turn 3 and save almost $300!
I took one daughter a few months before her 3rd birthday and there was still plenty of rides we could do. She may not remember it when she’s older, but for now it’s a fond memory. I get asked almost every weekend if we can go to Disney World!

STAY LONGER

While you will have increased food and hotel costs, ticket prices only go up $10 a day after 4 days. At 10 days, your price per day is half of what a 4 day ticket costs per day.

OR KEEP YOUR STAY SHORTER

Consider making your stay shorter to save on hotel and food costs. We usually do 5 nights and have 4 days in the park. We don’t get to do everything, but we still pack plenty of rides and activities in that time frame.

DETERMINE IF THE DINING PLAN IS A GOOD DEAL FOR YOUR FAMILY

Pros of the Disney Dining Plan:
  • You know most of your meals are paid for.
  • If you plan right, it can be cheaper than buying the food outright.
  • Meals include a beverage and lunch/dinner includes dessert.
Cons of the Disney Dining Plan:
  • You have to plan carefully to maximize your dining dollars. We would use a snack credit for breakfast (pastry) and desserts as snacks. Plus we would do dinner at the hotel where we could use the refillable mugs and still get water bottles with the meal (to use in the park). It felt restricting.
  • The basic dining plan is 2 quick service meals and a snack per person, per day. You may still need additional snacks or drinks that are not included.
  • Kid’s meal choices are boring. Most of the quick service restaurant choices are the same: chicken nuggets, pizza, mac and cheese, or uncrustables. This can get old quick-especially when your kids are on the higher end of the age range.
  • Kids over 10 have to get the adult plan. This may be too much food for them.
I’ve done both the dining plan (back when it was 2 meals/2snacks) and also paid for all my meals. It really depends on what your family eats.
They have menus and prices of the items at all the restaurants/food carts. The Disney World app also has the info.
Go through the menus and make a plan of what you’d expect to eat in a day and then compare to the cost of the dining plan. (Be sure to figure out if something will not be covered under the plan and will require out of pocket payment)

GO WHEN THE DINING PLAN IS FREE

In spring, Disney usually offers packages for fall travel that includes free dining. If you can go at this time of year, you could save hundreds on food alone!
This offer usually has requirements to buy a certain number of days for tickets and you can’t book a discount room rate in combination with the free dining plan.

ONLY BUY THE PARK HOPPER AND/OR WATER PARK OPTION IF YOU INTEND TO USE IT

The park hopper or water park option will add $64 to each ticket. Adding both options will add $90 to each ticket.
Consider whether you will really use these options. You can save $256-$360 (for a family of four) if you skip the park hopper and water park options. With younger kids, you probably can skip the park hopper. There’s so much to see and do, they will be worn out after one!
With older kids, park hopper may be a good idea. When I took my oldest, we did Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom in the morning, would head back to the hotel at 2 or so to rest and have lunch, and would head to Magic Kingdom for the evening to catch more rides, parades, and fireworks.

BRING SNACKS/BREAKFAST FROM HOME

This is easier if you drive, but even if you fly you should be able to pack some on the go breakfasts-cereal bars, poptarts, etc. and snacks-like goldfish, trail mix, and peanut butter crackers.
Four pastries at breakfast will run you about $12 and full breakfast will run you about $24, not including drinks. Over the course of a week that could add up to an extra $100 in your pocket.
If you opt for the dining plan, you’ll save a snack or meal credit that you can use later in the day.

BRING REFILLABLE WATER BOTTLES

Bring water bottles from home and save the $2.50 a bottle you’d pay in the park. With all the walking and the heat, you will drink a lot!
Or, buy the bottled waters and keep refilling them throughout your stay. If you aren’t fond of tap water, bring some flavor packets to add.

GIVE THE KIDS A BUDGET

Souvenirs can add up quickly, and when you multiply that by 2 or more kids, it can put a serious dent in your budget. The kids can ask relatives for gift cards for spending money or give them a set amount of spending money for the trip.
They will have to consider their options and whether a $15 balloon is what they really want to spend their money on.

BRING YOUR STROLLER FROM HOME

If you have kids that are not ready to walk miles every day (we averaged 5-10 miles a day), you will want to have a stroller for when they are tired of walking. It will also give you the convenience of having a place to store snacks and drinks.
Don’t be afraid to have a stroller even for bigger kids, they may need the break! Stroller rental (for a single stroller) will run you $15 a day or $13 a day when you get a stroller for the length of your stay.
If you are bringing one, I’d recommend going as lightweight as possible (but not the cheapo umbrella strollers you can get for $10 at Walmart). You’ll have to fold and carry it on the buses, so you’ll want something that folds easily and is relatively small.
It ended up costing the same as what I would have spent to rent a stroller, but I got to use it to and from the parks, at the airport, and keep it when I got home.


NOW THAT YOU ARE EDUCATED ON BUDGET DISNEY VACATIONS - CALL UNITED MILITARY TRAVEL FOR YOUR MILITARY TRAVEL LOAN TO ANY DISNEY RESORT AROUND THE WORLD!

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Monday, March 14, 2016

American Hotel Brands Heading to Cuba

Cuba

EVER SINCE PRESIDENT OBAMA LIFTED THE TRAVEL EMBARGO TO CUBA, THINGS HAVE BEEN MOVING RATHER SWIFTLY IN WAYS OF GETTING AMERICANS TO THIS CARIBBEAN NATION.

Most recently two of the largest hotel chains in North America, Marriott and Starwood, applied for their licenses to operate in Cuba via Airbnb.
Here is the full story from Skift.com ...
As reported today in The Wall Street Journal, the two hotel companies—which are expected to become one very big company by June—have applied to the appropriate government entities in Cuba and the U.S. to start operating businesses in Cuba — and could close on deals before President Obama visits the island March 20.
We are optimistic that we are going to get a green light soon from the U.S. government to have hotels under the Marriott flag in Cuba,” Thomas Marder, a Marriott spokesman, told The Wall Street Journal.
“Starwood has applied for authorization from the U.S. Treasury Department to operate hotels in Cuba,” Starwood spokeswoman Carrie Bloom tells Skift. “We see many opportunities for the expansion of our brands into Cuba at this inflection point, and look forward to building long-term relationships and welcoming travelers into our hotels in this dynamic market.”
Current focus on U.S.-Cuba relations is high. President Obama is planning to travel to Cuba from March 20 to 22. When he arrives in Havana, he’ll be joined by Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson, who also serves as vice chair of the President’s Export Council.
Since Obama announced in December 2014 that the U.S. would restore its ties with Cuba after a more than 50-year Cold War, a number of U.S.-based companies have applied to do business in the Caribbean country.
While Airbnb was successful in beginning its operations in April 2015, other tourism companies are still waiting for approvals to clear the way for them to begin doing business. Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line, as well as a number of other U.S.-base cruise lines have clearance from U.S. officials to call in Cuba, but haven’t received approval yet from Cuban officials.
Earlier this month, at least eight U.S. airline carriers applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation outlining what routes they would like to fly to Cuba. Both American Airlines and JetBlue Airways currently operate charter flights from the U.S. to Cuba.
Obama administration watchers believe that the President will likely announce new policies that will loosen current trade and travel embargoes to allow individual licenses for people-to-people travel. U.S. senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, is also urging the Obama administration to ease restrictions on investment in Cuba so American hotels can operate in the island nation.
If individual licenses for people-to-people travel are allowed, solo U.S. travelers could legally travel to Cuba simply by interacting with Cubans our touring a museum during their visit, The Wall Street Journal noted. The deals related to Starwood and Marriott are expected to be announced at or around the same time.

CUBA TRAVEL TIP: TRAVEL TO CUBA NOW BEFORE THESE HOTELS GET THERE!  

cuba
Book Now To Experience Deserted Beaches!

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Thursday, March 3, 2016

Jockey's Ridge, Nags Head, Outer Banks

jockey's ridge

THIS PAST TUESDAY I FINALLY CLIMBED THE FAMOUS JOCKEY'S RIDGE IN NAGS HEAD, NORTH CAROLINA.

Being a vacationer in the Outer Banks since I was in the womb, it is somewhat mind blowing that I had never been up the great sand dune of Jockey's Ridge. The past 30 years of my life I have been missing out on such fun!

JOCKEY'S RIDGE IS PART OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM AS IT IS THE TALLEST NATURAL SAND DUNE SYSTEM IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES!

Located right off Hwy 158 in Nags Head, this park is hard to miss as the sand dunes stand 80’-100’ above the road!
jockey's ridge
Here you will find hang gliders, kite enthusiasts and also hikers as the park not only offers endless sand dunes to explore, but like true deserts, an oasis. The self-guided trails, apart from the hike over the dunes, includes a 360-foot boardwalk equipped with interpretive displays with information on the plants and animals. It is perfect for the folks that prefer a shorter walk or to stay off of the sand. But don’t worry, you can still enjoy the grandeur of Jockey’s Ridge as you will be greeted with a bench at the end of the walk with a spectacular view of the dunes.
For the more active walkers and estuary enthusiasts, the Soundside Nature Trail is a one-mile loop that begins in the soundside parking lot and leads to a beautiful water overlook that is perfect for an afternoon picnic or sunset retreat. The desert-like sand dunes of Jockey’s Ridge is a place where everyone can find happiness and make memories that will last a lifetime.
jockey's ridge

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE JOCKEY'S RIDGE, PLAN A VISIT TO THE OUTER BANKS THROUGH UNITED MILITARY TRAVEL!

We would love to help you travel now and pay later through our military travel loans. Give us a call today to speak with one of our knowledgeable travel consultants!

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jockey's ridge