Traveling with the Jones

Recently, I’ve been working in a city outside of London that is about an hour ride to the Heathrow Airport. With a 6 am flight departures, I wanted to spend my last night close to the airport.

With its location on the perimeter of the Heathrow Airport, the Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel put me within a 10 minute cab ride to the airport check-in.

Here’s a look inside room 2704. 

The bed is comfortable, and a turn down chocolate is always welcome.

Room 2704 is one that’s been recently renovated with new wall-coverings, furnishings, an updated bathroom and plenty of plugs by the bed.

I’ve also had another recent stay at this hotel in one of the yet-to-be-renovated rooms.

You want a renovated room at this hotel.

The desk has a comfortable chair for work. The flat screen television is nice.

There is a reading chair and plugs galore near the bed. While there is no bedside stand to put your phone, having the plugs are a huge upgrade compared to the pre-renovation rooms with no bedside plugs.

The newly-renovated bathroom is fairly standard.

The new rain head in the shower is a nice touch.

The coffee station has an interesting mirror/photo combination. Your really have to see it to fully appreciate this fun touch.

My summary notes on the Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel:

 The Pros: 

• The Renaissance is close to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 at London Heathrow airport. While there is not a complimentary shuttle to and from the hotel, there is a 9 pound flat cab rate or good local bus service to the hotel.
• The hotel is partially renovated.  The updated rooms are spacious with plenty of plugs.
• The hotel concierge very helpful.

The Cons:

• The hotel is only partially renovated.
• Older rooms are worn and lack plugs for your phone and other electronic devices.
• There can be a rush for cabs at 5 am.
• The public bus services only runs every 30 minutes.

Have you stayed at the Renaissance London Heathrow hotel? Please share how your experience compared to mine in comments below. 

 Check out these other posts to look inside a variety of hotels:

• A Look Inside Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort
• A Look Inside the Rochester, Minnesota Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Hotel
• A Look Inside the Hotel Elliott in Astoria, Oregon
• Traveling With a 12-Year-Old: The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina Hotel

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Have you ever had to sit on a suitcase to try and get it closed?

If you’re going on a long trip sometime soon, don’t let this be you.

This summer I spent three months in Central America, in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua.  Being a college student, I opted for the cheapest way to get there, which meant flying Spirit Airlines.

For those of you who do not know anything about Spirit, they have very cheap airfares.  However these airfares do not include seat location, any airline freebies, any checked or even any carryon bags.  Seeing as I was going to be gone for three months, I opted for paying for one checked bag and one carry on bag.

After this trip I have some advice to offer to those who need to pack light and are traveling abroad for longer periods of time. Here’s how to pack the next three months of your life into one suitcase:

First of all, decide how you want to travel.

Are you traveling on a budget? Are you planning on renting a car? Are you staying in hostels or hotels? How much actual traveling are you doing once you arrive to your location?

These are all questions you need to be able to answer once you start packing.  If you’re traveling on a budget and are planning on taking public transportation, my biggest tip would be to not pack a suitcase.  Your best investment would be a nice large backpack.  That was the lesson I learned over the summer.  It’s not really easy or even realistic to just hop on a public bus in some busy cities with a suitcase.  Also, backpacks are easier to haul around then rolling suitcases if you have to travel on poor sidewalks or brick/dirt roads.

If you’re planning on spending more money and renting a car or just going to one location, a suitcase will be just fine for your trip.

I’d suggest a large suitcase that has a hard shell. They can take a few more hits, and you can physically sit on the suitcase to help yourself close it.

Space Bags, Space Bags, Space Bags

For clothes and any other similar objects, use space bags.  They will save you soooooooo much room.  Make sure you opt for the ones where you can roll out the air, because you most likely won’t have a vacuum on your vacation.  Just be careful, because while space bags can save a lot of space–they also can add a lot of weight.

Choose your clothes wisely

Do you really need an outfit for every day of the month?  No. You don’t.  My suggestion is to pack maybe an outfit or two of casual clothes (remember, you can always mix and match) and then maybe one nicer outfit.  If you’re going on a trip for business, that’s a different story.

This summer I had maybe two pairs of jean shorts, four pairs of running shorts, one dress, one pair of jeans, and maybe four or five different T-shirts. I survived fine.  What I didn’t have, I bought.  If you’re traveling to somewhere like Central America finding new clothes is cheap and easy.

Also, remember, pack things you don’t mind losing.  Travel always comes with finding new souvenirs. Bring things you don’t mind getting rid of to make room for your new purchases.

Don’t pack items you can find easily at your destination

You definitely don’t need to pack a towel.  They’re cheap and easy to find at most destinations, you’re wasting space by bringing one.

Personal hygiene items take up too much space if you’re traveling for long periods of time.  Save space and weight by purchasing them in your destination rather than packing them.

Bring a small backpack

Make sure to bring another portable backpack for shorter day trips or weekend trips when you don’t need all of your luggage.  When you need to carry everything with it, double bag yourself.  You can carry a backpack on your back and front at the same time.  You might think you will look ridiculous, but you’ll quickly realize that you’re definitely not the only one doing it.

Pack and repack

Every time you pack a bag, unpack it, and repack it, asking yourself for every item “Do I really need this?”  By the third time, you will have probably cut your load in half, and it’ll make traveling light so much easier.  Impulse packing can be dangerous.  I’m guilty of it, and I often over pack, so I make sure to never skip this step.

What is something you always pack but never end up using? 

This post was written by Lauren Youngerman, a student at the University of South Florida studying international business with a focus on Spanish and marketing.

She is a member of her school’s sailing team, and also works as a sailing coach at a nearby club.

Lauren is an adventure seeker who has had the opportunity to live abroad in both Brazil and Nicaragua, as well as to being a part of the U.S. Army.

Currently completing a social media internship for VentureTime Travel, Lauren seeks a career in marketing after graduation. Learn more about Lauren’s work experience via her LinkedIn profile.

Check out these other posts on packing and luggage tips:

• 11 Tips For Packing Lighter When You Travel
• Packing Advice for a 2-Week Land+Cruise Tour to Alaska
• 7 Pieces of Luggage You Must Have to Cover Any Type of Travel
• Visiting Alaska This Summer? 10 Tips on What to Pack
• A Look Inside A Road Warrior’s Briefcase

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If you have ever traveled on a tight budget, or plan on traveling on one, you’ve probably looked into staying at a hostel. The idea of sharing a room with complete strangers can seem scary, especially if your only knowledge about hostels seems to come from horror movies.

I’m here to tell you that hostels aren’t as bad as they sound.  I’ve stayed in hostels both in the US and in Central/South America, and the people I’ve talked to have even stayed in hostels in Europe and Asia.

Some Hostels even have their own private Island – Surfing Turtle Lodge (Nicaragua – $10/night)

Here are 6 tips for your first-time hostel stay:

1. Do your research.

There’s so many sites out there where you can find hostel reviews, and so many people who’ve stayed in these hostels who can answer questions for you.  However if you’re looking into staying in cheap hostels in South or Central America –don’t freak out if you can’t find any information!  The reality is there are a lot of hostels that don’t have websites or reviews, which doesn’t mean they are bad!

It simply means you actually have to go to the location, and walk into the hostel to get a room.  Talk with people who have traveled to the location you want to go, they are usually more than willing to help you out.

2.  Figure out how you want to stay.

Do you want to stay at a quite hostel on a secluded beach? A popular hostel downtown?  The well known party hostel in the country? This all goes back to doing your research, but it all comes down to how you want to stay.

I can say I’ve personally avoided the party hostels for a quiet weekend, and then I’ve gone to some such as the famous party hostel Pacha Mama in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua.  It all depends on what you want your trip experience to include.

3. Talk to others staying in the hostel.

An example of a normal night at a “Party Hostel” and the amazing friends that come with it! – Hostel Pacha Mama

You can make the closest friends in the hostels you stay in. Make sure you talk to others staying in the same location, even if you’re in a private room.  If you have any questions or want to make plans, there’s somebody who can help you out.  Even just to go get a quick bite, there’s always someone who’s hungry.

4.  Always check the bed before you get in it.

The most common tips from most of those who I’ve met is to always check the bed before you get into it, especially if you are staying at the cheaper hostels in already cheap areas.  This summer I’ve met countless travelers who have had awful experiences with bed bugs.

A friend of mine, Jenni from Sweden, had this to say “If it even looks like there are bed bugs, just leave.  The last thing you want to do is stay the night, get attacked by bed bugs, and have them follow you to your next location.”

Another friend, Jeremy from California added “I always check for bed bugs before I touch the bed.  Thankfully I’ve never actually seen them, and I’ve stayed in some pretty sketchy places!”

So check, but don’t be too paranoid.    I’ve never experienced a problem with bedbugs.

5. Talk to the hostel staff.

“The hostel staff can make amazing friends as well.  Also, they can hook you up with some pretty cool trips or activities for the day. The last time I stayed in a hostel they pointed me to the BEST tacos I’ve ever had, which I would have never found on my own!” – Clara from London

6. Don’t be afraid to have a good time.

When staying in a hostel, don’t be shy or uncomfortable around everyone else. Other hostel guests are generally in the same situation as you are — trying to have a great time on a budget. Say “Yes” to any opportunity, and you won’t have to spend your whole trip alone.

Have you stayed in a hostel? What other tips can you share in comments below? 

This post was written by Lauren Youngerman, a student at the University of South Florida studying international business with a focus on Spanish and marketing.

She is a member of her school’s sailing team, and also works as a sailing coach at a nearby club.

Lauren is an adventure seeker who has had the opportunity to live abroad in both Brazil and Nicaragua, as well as to being a part of the U.S. Army.

Currently completing a social media internship for VentureTime Travel, Lauren seeks a career in marketing after graduation. Learn more about Lauren’s work experience via her LinkedIn profile. 

If the idea of staying in a hostel is not your cup of tea, you may need to work on collecting hotel reward points. Check out these posts for a peek inside some hotel rooms we’ve stay in using HiltonHonors points or Marriott Rewards:

• A Peek Inside the Prague Marriott Hotel
• A Peek inside the Stanford Court Renaissance Hotel – San Francisco
• A Peek Inside the Hilton New York Fashion District Hotel
• A Peek Inside Chicago’s Palmer House Hilton Hotel

Follow us on Twitter or interact with us on Facebook.

Or, check out our boards on Pinterest and/or our photos on Instagram.