REPOST: 5 Ways to Travel More Comfortably on a Budget

 Those who travel a lot are faced with the dilemma of stick to a budget.  Here are five helpful tips from this Entrepreneur article below:

Entrepreneur have to travel a lot, to business meetings, conventions, marketing seminars and, of course, in search of startup capital and continuing finance. While mobile devices and, just recently, wearable tech, have improved the travel experience, there are still plenty of pitfalls and booby traps that can sap your focus and your bank account balance while you’re on the road.

Consider these real (but often hidden) costs of business travel before you take the next red eye to LaGuardia or LAX.

1. Airport food.

Comedian Barry Sobel jokes about airport food, “Any place that has hundreds of captive, tired and hungry people wandering around is bound to have quality food at reasonable prices, right? I mean, who doesn’t want cardboard pizza or an asbestos sandwich that costs as much as a cruise in the Bahamas before boarding your flight? And compared to the stuff you’ll be fed on your flight -- maybe it DOES taste good!”

Try to plan having a good meal prior to arriving at the airport. Or make yourself a healthy, portable snack to munch on while waiting in line. While delicious, Cinnabon is NOT your home away from home.

2. Taken for a ride.

Taking a taxi to and from the airport, and to places in between, has long been an invitation to being ripped off. A recent newspaper report found that in New York City, a ride to the airport often costs $10 more than it needs to, because drivers took longer routes that didn’t save any time.

Getting cheated not only steals your money, but also invites you to invest a lot of negative energy fuming over your predicament and guarding against further encroachments. That can leave you stressed and unfocused for your work. Jens Wohltorf, CEO and co-founder of Blacklane, a worldwide professional driver service, says, “Scheduling a one-way ride or an hourly car reservation when you’re traveling on business saves money, time and effort. You see the full cost when you book, and don’t have to worry about gratuities, meters or surge prices.” I use services like these on a daily basis.

3. Get help tracking your reward programs.

You need a central clearing house to keep track of things like frequent flier miles, hotel and credit card points, and other customer loyalty rewards for places like franchise restaurants. Trying to keep track of it all by yourself, or trusting it to a secretary, means you’ll probably miss out on some deals and discounts when they expire. Use a free online service to monitor and inform you of what you have.

4. Ask for better.

You don’t necessarily have to book an expensive hotel suite on every trip, but there’s no reason you can’t ask for a free upgrade. Be polite, say it’s your birthday (or anniversary or Saint Swithin’s Day), and, above all, wait for the desk to be cleared of other guests. If there are other people around, the concierge desk is not going to want to set off an avalanche of similar requests. Here’s the line to use: “I know the hotel is not full today. Do you think you could upgrade me to a suite?” If they say yes, you’ve just gotten better accommodations for zero dinero. If they say no, you haven’t lost anything.

5. Watch those luggage fees.

You may have found a super cheap flight to your next startup meeting, but you’re likely to lose whatever you’ve gained with checked baggage fees. Each airline has a different policy when it comes to checking in luggage. You can check here for the Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees. My personal rule is: learn to travel with just a carry-on bag -- you’ll also avoid any potential lost luggage hassle.

Follo Louis Habash on Facebook for more travel budget tips for the frugal traveler.

New Mexico as a Travel Destination-Part I

Image Source: santafe.org

When somebody mentions travelling to the southwest in the US, most think of Texas, Arizona and southern California. For some reason, many do not include New Mexico in that category. This is a shame because they are missing a state with a long history, interesting culture, great topography, and amazing food. In this first of a three part series, you will learn about the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico and why natives call it “The City Different.”

As you explore Santa Fe, you will note the many contrasts of the city. Sitting on the central plaza of the city are Native Americans selling jewelry displayed on blankets. The sellers are sitting on the ground, one right next to the other. Often, they sit in the shadows of very high end stores where you can buy custom-made, leather jackets at $5,000 each. Just down the street are galleries selling beautiful sculptures and paintings for thousands.

Image Source: theepochtimes.com

Wandering these shops and the square, you will encounter panhandlers, as well as tourists. Interspersed, you will see people who look like they have no money, but could easily be millionaires in their own right. If you move past the square and onto Canyon Road, you will find dozens of high end art galleries spaced almost on top of one another. It is an area that draws tourists from around the country. During your walk, you can eat at nationally-ranked restaurants or at tiny holes-in-the-wall.

Within a few blocks of the square, you can tour the Georgia O’Keefe museum and several other art and historical museums.

Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_O'Keeffe_Museum

Santa Fe is the City Different because of its history and mix of cultures. Native Americans have inhabited the area for 10,000 years. About 400 years ago, the Spanish visited to look for gold and many stayed. About 150 years later, Anglos settled in the area. This mix of cultures bred a tolerance for differences and a love of the cuisines that resulted.

Part II of this series will explore Albuquerque.

Louis Habash writes about travel as a freelancer. He lives in Los Angeles. A lover of photography, hiking, water sports and nature, Louis Habash is able to combine these interests while travelling.

Route 66: A Slower Way to Enjoy Your Cross Country Vacation

Image Source: en.wikipedia.org

As a society, we tend to focus on reaching our destination versus enjoying the ride. People want to become millionaires or they want to get married or have children or reach any of hundreds of other objectives. Eastern religions focus more on enjoying or learning from the experience. When it comes to travel, it is important to know whether your mindset is one of reaching the destination or enjoying the process. If it is the latter, you might consider a trip along Route 66.


The road, one of the country’s first highways, was opened in 1926. Because it was gravel or graded and because autos in that era did not move very fast, Route 66 is fairly ancient in terms of modern highway standards. It is still the case that travel along this road will slow you down in terms of miles per hour and in terms of a circuitous route.

Image Source: bestroadtripever.com

On the other hand, you will enjoy this slower, road less travelled. It will take you past landmarks, motels and diners that few get to see. Stop at the U-Drop-Inn, an art-deco landmark near Amarillo Texas, that has been restored and serves drinks and snacks. Visit the Painted Desert and the Meteor Crater in Arizona. If you enjoyed the parts of the movie “Cars” that displayed bypassed towns that were living in the past, you will like your Route 66 trip.


If you are in no hurry to arrive at your destination and you enjoy viewing the remnants of a time gone by, Route 66 is the way to go. Better yet, rent a convertible, buy all of the versions of the eponymous song, and listen to them in the open air as you make your way from Chicago to Santa Monica at 50 mph.

Image Source: driverabroad.com

Louis Habash writes about travel as a freelancer. He lives in Los Angeles. A lover of photography, hiking, water sports and nature, Louis Habash is able to combine these interests while travelling.