Blog — Trip Styler

Euro Month :: Venezia

venice in the fall = magic[trip style = sightseeing]

In Venice, there's a certain magic in the air; perhaps it's the pea soup-thick morning mist, the male model-like taxi boat drivers, the mystique of a city on stilts, or the serenity of water surrounding you on every side. What this tourist mecca lacks due its wall-to-wall crowds, it gains in romantic waterways, singing gondoliers and Louis Vuitton-clad gelato servers.

Getting There overnight train from Paris {We arrived in Venice via overnight train from Paris. This is my husband about to eat the breakfast they brought us on the train: packaged croissants, decent cappuccinos and orange juice. I was impressed by the coffees, and needed the caffeine boost given I didn't sleep so well on the rocking train.}

molino stuccy roof-top pool {After leaving the train, we took the public bus-like boat to our home away from home. Public transport boats are cheap and efficient. Although the gorgeous wood-paneled taxi boats with strapping lads/captains were alluring, the price was not: 75-100 euros one way. After a 15 min ride, we arrived at the Hilton Molino Stucky and were excited to have nice, newly renovated room (see my Trip Advisor review here). The best feature: the views from the rooftop pool!}

Eating There italian essentials {We heard the food in Venice was expensive and less flavourful than other parts of Italy--and it was--so we found a grocery store near our hotel to purchase a few essentials: prosecco, red wine in a box, white wine in a plastic bottle, water, cashews, cheese, crackers, choco cookies and strawberry-flavoured gummies.

quick coffee in venice {The Italian version of to-go coffee, drinking it at the bar.}

ink sauce {Indulging in a local specialty, squid in ink sauce. My husband said it tasted like tomato sauce, but I did not verify that claim because I couldn't bring myself to sample this charcoal-coloured local dish.}

harry's bar {This gorgeous hole in the wall, just off St. Mark's Square is rather famous. Harry's Bar is not only known for its bellinis, it's credited with INVENTING them, so, of course, we indulged, 30 euros later... Harry's is a must-see. This high-end bar and eatery is attended to by servers in white coats, the decor has a classy simple feel and the food is rumored to be very good--even for Venice. According to this month's InStyle, Vera Wang could eat a bowl of their spaghetti Bolognese every day.}

dinner beside venetian canal {Dining al fresco at a quiet restaurant beside an out of the way canal. As if the atmosphere wasn't already romantic enough, the sweet sounds of singing gondliers passing in the night always came at the right moment.}

Glamour Shots canal in venice

parked gondolas

restaurant nook in venice

dogge's palace

venice post box

venice

grand canal

gondola

venice canal

City Life a garage in venice {A Venetian garage}

drying laundry in venice {Drying laundry, Venice style}

garbage truck in venice {Garbage truck boat}

venetian ambulance {Ambulance}

Related Content The City of Lights The Italian Riviera Tuscany’s Lucca

[images by moi]

Travel Trends :: Liquified

airline liquid ban to endSince the airline liquid ban in 2006, savvy retailers have been "minifying" their toiletries and beauty products in response to liquid allowance rules, and the unfortunate airline luggage downsizing and pay-per-bag trend. Although mini toiletries help us pack light, bring less and lower the weight of our carry-on bags, it would be nice to have the option to bring a bottle of perfume/cologne that wouldn't otherwise be used by confiscated at security.

End of an Era? It looks like our mini toiletry toting days might be coming to an end. On Monday, before a 6-day day meeting in Montreal, the secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organization (IAOC) announced "the (liquid) ban will end." Predicted to come into effect in two years, it is still unclear if the ban will be completely lifted, or lifted but with limitations. Think how much bottled water you could bring on the plane, or not dump out/feverishly gulp at security. Bye, bye dehydration!

Why Will the Liquid Madness Stop? If they can make a controversial machine to scan your body for explosives, I would hope they could make one for liquids too. It turns out they can, and hope to have it installed at most security checkpoints by 2012.

What Will you Do? After 5 years of downsizing my packing, I'm so used to the large liquids ban, I don't know that I'll go back. Given my  preferred packing medium involves a carry on, in order to maximize the bag's real estate, bringing regular-sized liquids like shampoo, creams, etc. doesn't make sense, except for extenuating circumstances when I check a bag. What will you do?

Until the ban is lifted, here's what you can and can't bring on a flight originating in Canada or the US. If you're travelling outside of Canada or the US, check the country's regulations, they could be different!

[image by klyphord]

How to Save on Airfare

how to save on airfareI wish there was a magic button we could push to secure the best price for a flight, but sadly this is only a fantasy. The reality of being an amateur jetsetter is having to do a little legwork, which is hopefully simplified due to your daily, faithful devotion to Trip Styler ;). To help you score the lowest airfare for your next trip, here are some tried-and-tested saving methods:

1) Right Timing Almost a year ago, Kayak's chief scientist analyzed data from the millions of daily searches happening on the site. He made some significant and helpful conclusions, one of which was fares were the lowest 15 days prior to departure.  More of his tips are summarized here.

2) Don't Rule Out Spontaneity Another deduction the Kayak scientist gleaned: the last-minute price of a flight was in some cases similar to the 15-day sweet spot. I found this out firsthand last December when I booked a last-minute flight to Maui on Friday night that left Saturday morning. Although this isn't always practical, it shows that there's still room for spontaneous travel!

3) Be Flexible Sometimes our dates aren't very flexible, other times they are. Either way, depending on your trip style or amount of time away, you might have a little wiggle room. Use this wiggle room to your advantage! For example, the price difference between leaving friday night or Saturday morning can be staggering. Therefore, when searching for a flight, always be open to leaving a day--even a few hours--before or after your ideal time, to save money.

4) Magical Midweek I get it, leaving on a tuesday or wednesday is not always feasible, but, if you can plan ahead and pull it off, these magical midweek days are often much cheaper than flying over the weekend.

5) Shoulder to Shoulder This one's a no-brainer, but if you want to take an epic trip, why not travel just before or just after the destination's high season to reap the rewards of lower airfares and greater hotel savings. For example, in mid-August I went to California and stayed at a lovely hotel in Laguna Beach. If I had waited only two weeks later to stay there, my rate would have been 50% less and the weather would have been just as nice!

6) The Sale Rack Airlines are ALWAYS having sales. With the fiercely competitive nature of the airline industry, if one major carrier has a sale, one of its competitors will react and follow suit. If you follow WestJet and Air Canada, you'll find their sales often happen at the same time. If for some reason their sales are not congruent at that moment, it's almost guaranteed at least one carrier will still be having a promotion. One way to make sure you always know about airline sales is to: a) join their email lists b) monitor their Twitter accounts c) check on their homepage or special offers page for details

PS - Victoria's only a hop, skip and a jump away from Vancouver and Seattle, and it just so happens there's a great event happening near the seaside town of Sidney, BC on Saturday, October 16th. Multi-Juno winner and Blue Rodeo frontman Jim Cuddy will be performing at an airplane hangar-come Tombstone saloon. This event, which includes a gourmet BBQ, will raise money for the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation.  Click here for ticket info and other details.

[image by kossy]

Travel Apps :: Kayak

updated kayak app with first classThe Kayak app is where it's at. Although I downloaded this app awhile ago, they've recently made some significant enhancements that make it a virtual buffet of travel tools, and in my humble opinion, one of the most valuable travel apps currently available. Features Featuring most of the options they offer online and then some, this full-featured app combines the ability to: - book flights, hotels and cars - view and organize your trip itinerary - get gate and airport info (due to integration with GateGuru) - track your flight status - look up baggage fees - plan what you'll bring with packing lists - send an email or text to someone who is picking you up with your exact location on a map

First Class As of last week, the most recent update to the app included the ability to search and book business and first class flights. This enhancement is significant because until now, Kayak had a separate app for this purpose called Kayak First Class, which used to cost upwards of $3.99.

Kayak App Details - free - works with iPhone, iTouch, iPad, Blackberry and Android

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Other Travel Apps we’ve Reviewed

Shows that Make you Want to GO

fall tv shows + travelIt's that time of year. Fall TV frenzy has set in. What shows do we keep, drop and adopt? So far, no dropping has happened on my end, simply adopting. Thank goodness for PVRs, DVRs & TiVos! Every time I watch these 5 new and existing shows, I wish my couch was the first class cabin on a plane, and I was being whisked away to one of these great destinations. What shows inspire you to see a destination?

Honolulu Hawaii Five-0, Mondays, CBS [Show Style = Drama] I'm not sure if I'm sold on the new Hawaii Five-0 yet, but I'm sold on the destination. Thanks a lot, Hawaii Five-0, for taunting me with your sprawling beaches, golden sun and aqua waters. Sheesh. After a few trips to Waikiki in years gone by, next time I hit up Oahu, I look forward to exploring a calmer side of the island.

World The Amazing Race, Sundays, CBS [Show Style = Travel Reality] What would a post about TV show-inspired travel be without a mention of the The Amazing Race? With the newest season debuting last night, my already overflowing travel bucket list is going to be bursting at the seams!

Australia The Block, Wednesdays, Nine MSN [Show Style = Home Renovation Reality] Probably my favourite show of all time, The Block follows 4 groups of aspiring renovators as they transform a dilapidated condo block into a finished, sellable product in 8 weeks. Set in Australia, this show only confirmed I must visit this gorgeous and diverse island! I started watching this home reno show 6 years ago when it aired on HGTV Canada. After a 5-year hiatus, it's back and it's airing right now in Australia!

Miami Burn Notice, Thursdays, USA Network [new episodes premiere in November] [Show Style = Spy Drama + Comedy] After a few blissful days spent in Miami 4 years ago, watching Burn Notice (one of my fave shows on the tele) makes me want to book a trip to sassy South Beach. Fighting crime with Micheal, Fiona and Sam, relaxing on the beach and staying at the Delano would be perfect!

Los Angeles Entourage, Sundays, HBO [final season premieres Summer 2011] [Show Style = Drama] Although season 7 was a little on the dark/serious side of sitcoms, the Entourage boys always leave me laughing. They also have a way of showcasing LA's hotspots. My love for LA was recently re-invigorated when I talked shop with the LA Tourism Board's VP Media & Communications. Beyond the sunny climate, amazing restaurants and shopping galore, I heard Cirque de Soleil is getting ready to open a show at the Kodak Theatre in summer 2011.  See you there!