My Road Less Traveled By

Did you know that if you are traveling abroad, Visa and MasterCard charge issuing banks a standard fee of 1% percent of the total price for items purchased outside the country. This “currency conversion charge” is then passed onto you the customers.  For ATM cards, there is the same currency conversion fee.  However, they also charge you a transaction fee of up to $5 per withdrawal.  Some countries have have low withdrawal limits, so you will be having that charge on multiple transactions to get the amount of money out that you want.  There are ways to minimize foreign transaction fees or eliminate them altogether. It all depends on where you bank, which ATM you use, and where you are when you use it.

Citibank customers traveling in 46 countries can use Citibank ATMs and pay a 2% conversion charge but no transaction fee.  At other places in the world, customers still pay the 2% conversion charge, but the transaction free is $1.50.

Bank of America belongs to the Global ATM Alliance. Their customers can withdraw local currency from ATMs in eight foreign countries and pay absolutely no transaction fees. The alliance includes Barclays Bank (United Kingdom), BNP Paribas (France), China Construction Bank (China), Deutsche Bank (Germany), Santander Serfin (Mexico), Scotiabank (Canada) and Westpac (Australia and New Zealand).  At banks not listed, their customers pay a $5 ATM withdrawal fee and 1% currency conversion charge.

Now, if you have a Capital One card, you are in luck.  They don’t charge you the currency conversion fee.  You still however have to pay $1.50 per transaction fee.

American Express is another alternative. Cardholders can walk into any of 2,200 American Express Travel Services locations worldwide. They can then write a personal check for as much as $1,000 per card. This service is free.

Before you travel abroad, make sure you contact your ATM and credit card company. You don’t want to be surprised on vacation after you have run out of cash.

Did you know that if you are traveling abroad, Visa and MasterCard charge issuing banks a standard fee of 1% percent of the total price for items purchased outside the country. This “currency conversion charge” is then passed onto you the customers.  For ATM cards, there is the same currency conversion fee.  However, they also charge you a transaction fee of up to $5 per withdrawal.  Some countries have have low withdrawal limits, so you will be having that charge on multiple transactions to get the amount of money out that you want.  There are ways to minimize foreign transaction fees or eliminate them altogether. It all depends on where you bank, which ATM you use, and where you are when you use it.

Citibank customers traveling in 46 countries can use Citibank ATMs and pay a 2% conversion charge but no transaction fee.  At other places in the world, customers still pay the 2% conversion charge, but the transaction free is $1.50.

Bank of America belongs to the Global ATM Alliance. Their customers can withdraw local currency from ATMs in eight foreign countries and pay absolutely no transaction fees. The alliance includes Barclays Bank (United Kingdom), BNP Paribas (France), China Construction Bank (China), Deutsche Bank (Germany), Santander Serfin (Mexico), Scotiabank (Canada) and Westpac (Australia and New Zealand).  At banks not listed, their customers pay a $5 ATM withdrawal fee and 1% currency conversion charge.

Now, if you have a Capital One card, you are in luck.  They don’t charge you the currency conversion fee.  You still however have to pay $1.50 per transaction fee.

American Express is another alternative. Cardholders can walk into any of 2,200 American Express Travel Services locations worldwide. They can then write a personal check for as much as $1,000 per card. This service is free.

Before you travel abroad, make sure you contact your ATM and credit card company. You don’t want to be surprised on vacation after you have run out of cash.

Bill and I have been struggling this whole summer so far trying to decide where to take the kids on vacation this year.  With my kids only being 4 and 1, it is a hard call.  I do not want to be spending a ton of money on a trip they are not going to remember.  That being said and with gas prices being so high, we have decided to stay home and vacation.  We live right next to Chicago, and never have any time to enjoy it!  Being that Bill hates to drive downtown more than he has to, we are looking at staying maybe one night (maybe even two) with the kids downtown.  There is a ton of stuff to do in Chicago like Navy Pier, Children’s Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry, The Aquarium, and The Field Museum.  This is just a few things that are just a few blocks away from one another.  On top of there being a ton of things to do, there area also a ton of hotels to pick from.  I personally think we need one with a pool and continental breakfast if we have the kids with.  I love that Hotels Combined has the ability to search on the very parameters that I want.  It makes it so easy to find exactly what I want.  Our plan is to become a tourist in our very own town and visit all the places we never have time for!

Where are you going on vacation this summer?

Bill and I have been struggling this whole summer so far trying to decide where to take the kids on vacation this year.  With my kids only being 4 and 1, it is a hard call.  I do not want to be spending a ton of money on a trip they are not going to remember.  That being said and with gas prices being so high, we have decided to stay home and vacation.  We live right next to Chicago, and never have any time to enjoy it!  Being that Bill hates to drive downtown more than he has to, we are looking at staying maybe one night (maybe even two) with the kids downtown.  There is a ton of stuff to do in Chicago like Navy Pier, Children’s Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry, The Aquarium, and The Field Museum.  This is just a few things that are just a few blocks away from one another.  On top of there being a ton of things to do, there area also a ton of hotels to pick from.  I personally think we need one with a pool and continental breakfast if we have the kids with.  I love that Hotels Combined has the ability to search on the very parameters that I want.  It makes it so easy to find exactly what I want.  Our plan is to become a tourist in our very own town and visit all the places we never have time for!

Where are you going on vacation this summer?

Towards the end of our trip in Arizona, we visited the Verde Canyon Railroad. This was, I think, a four hour train ride into the wilderness of Arizona. We were able to see areas of Arizona that you would only see if you were on the train. There are two classes of tickets you can buy for this ride. First, there is coach which will run you $54.95. When we booked this, they didn’t have any coach available, so we had to buy first class tickets which ran us about $79.95 a piece. First class does include appetizers and a glass of champagne. Honestly, I wish we could have saved our money and went coach. We spent a ton of the trip on the outdoor car where you could see out better.

This is a trip that older people and people with kids would want to do. I also recommend doing this trip early in your vacation. By the time we did this, we were almost sick of seeing the “red rock” since that’s all we had done for six days at this point. However, this did end up being a great relaxing day.

The customer service here is excellent though. We got lost on the way there (since this is located in Clarksdale, and we were staying in Sedona). Their customer service representative stayed on the phone with us until we got there.

The Verde Canyon railroad (formally the Verde Valley Railroad) was financed by Senator William Clark. It was built in one year for $1.3 million dollars in 1911. (Today, the cost would be $38 million). The railroad was not used for several years until Dave Durbano bought it. To quote him,

“I purchased the rail line from Clarkdale to Drake, sight-unseen, based on freight figures alone. Like many of the railroads built at the turn of the century, I knew this one had played an important role in Manifest Destiny, but when I made my first trip through the canyon, I was awestruck at the natural beauty and undisturbed wilderness through which we passed. I knew others would want to see the Verde Canyon in this same, unique way, where history was only a part of the journey.”

The views are beautiful from the train.  Here are few of the pictures that we took:

If you are looking for a nice relaxing day, I would recommend the Verde Canyon Railroad.

Towards the end of our trip in Arizona, we visited the Verde Canyon Railroad. This was, I think, a four hour train ride into the wilderness of Arizona. We were able to see areas of Arizona that you would only see if you were on the train. There are two classes of tickets you can buy for this ride. First, there is coach which will run you $54.95. When we booked this, they didn’t have any coach available, so we had to buy first class tickets which ran us about $79.95 a piece. First class does include appetizers and a glass of champagne. Honestly, I wish we could have saved our money and went coach. We spent a ton of the trip on the outdoor car where you could see out better.

This is a trip that older people and people with kids would want to do. I also recommend doing this trip early in your vacation. By the time we did this, we were almost sick of seeing the “red rock” since that’s all we had done for six days at this point. However, this did end up being a great relaxing day.

The customer service here is excellent though. We got lost on the way there (since this is located in Clarksdale, and we were staying in Sedona). Their customer service representative stayed on the phone with us until we got there.

The Verde Canyon railroad (formally the Verde Valley Railroad) was financed by Senator William Clark. It was built in one year for $1.3 million dollars in 1911. (Today, the cost would be $38 million). The railroad was not used for several years until Dave Durbano bought it. To quote him,

“I purchased the rail line from Clarkdale to Drake, sight-unseen, based on freight figures alone. Like many of the railroads built at the turn of the century, I knew this one had played an important role in Manifest Destiny, but when I made my first trip through the canyon, I was awestruck at the natural beauty and undisturbed wilderness through which we passed. I knew others would want to see the Verde Canyon in this same, unique way, where history was only a part of the journey.”

The views are beautiful from the train.  Here are few of the pictures that we took:

If you are looking for a nice relaxing day, I would recommend the Verde Canyon Railroad.

Bill and I are trying to decide where to take the kids this summer for vacation. With money being tight due to our basement remodeling project, it is really hard to decide where to go. We also have the other disadvantage that Will is only going to be one. There is not a lot of things that are going to hold both Madison (who is 4 years old) and his attention. He hates to be in the stroller too. One of the places that we were thinking about taking the kids is Wisconsin Dells. I know, its a tad pricey there. However, I think both kids would enjoy the water parks. Instead of going to all the travel sites like Orbitz or Expedia, I have been using Hotels Combined. They have the largest database available. Nothing is more annoying than having to look at 10 different travel sites just to find the best deal. As a mom with little ones, I don’t have time for that.

There are a couple of different things I am looking for in a hotel room. Now, if it is only Bill and myself, I don’t normally care. However, when the kids are with us, we need a lot more room. They need room to play and walk around. I also really like having wifi. I also do not like having to pay extra for it. I also like not having to look at the fine print of the hotels to make sure they have wifi. I like a site that allows me to search according to my parameters not theirs.

Now, I am checking out hotels that Hotels Combined gave me, and there is a ton of information to comb though. One of the hotels I was actually able to check out and get a way better price is the Great Wolf Lodge. This is one of the hotels we are seriously looking at. I was happily surprised to find out that the prices offered here are way less than go through their site. They list all the different prices that all the travel sites are offering, so you can pick which one you want to use. One you pick which place you want to go through, Hotels Combined directs you to their site so you can book. They definitely make it much easier and less time consuming to book your trip.

Bill and I are trying to decide where to take the kids this summer for vacation. With money being tight due to our basement remodeling project, it is really hard to decide where to go. We also have the other disadvantage that Will is only going to be one. There is not a lot of things that are going to hold both Madison (who is 4 years old) and his attention. He hates to be in the stroller too. One of the places that we were thinking about taking the kids is Wisconsin Dells. I know, its a tad pricey there. However, I think both kids would enjoy the water parks. Instead of going to all the travel sites like Orbitz or Expedia, I have been using Hotels Combined. They have the largest database available. Nothing is more annoying than having to look at 10 different travel sites just to find the best deal. As a mom with little ones, I don’t have time for that.

There are a couple of different things I am looking for in a hotel room. Now, if it is only Bill and myself, I don’t normally care. However, when the kids are with us, we need a lot more room. They need room to play and walk around. I also really like having wifi. I also do not like having to pay extra for it. I also like not having to look at the fine print of the hotels to make sure they have wifi. I like a site that allows me to search according to my parameters not theirs.

Now, I am checking out hotels that Hotels Combined gave me, and there is a ton of information to comb though. One of the hotels I was actually able to check out and get a way better price is the Great Wolf Lodge. This is one of the hotels we are seriously looking at. I was happily surprised to find out that the prices offered here are way less than go through their site. They list all the different prices that all the travel sites are offering, so you can pick which one you want to use. One you pick which place you want to go through, Hotels Combined directs you to their site so you can book. They definitely make it much easier and less time consuming to book your trip.

Since my inlaws have a Hilton Timeshare that we have used many times, I can with confidence say that the Hilton Head South Carolina would be a great place to visit. Hilton is known for their quality, and I am sure that Hilton Head meets those expectations. Hilton Head SC has a little something for everything here. Outdoor activities include boating tours, parasailing, tennis, golf, kayaking and even surfing. There are soccer fields, picnic tables, and even a roller skating/skate board park. They even have golf packages if you enjoy that sport. For someone with little children, I was happy to see that there are ice cream shops and family-friendly restaurants all over. For those of us who like to shop while the boys play, they have 3 malls. Two of them are outlet malls too! There is also a variety of family owned businesses, boutiques, and unique gift shops.

The units come with a lot of things that are great to have. They include washer/dryer, linens, bath towels, start-up supplies of dishwasher and laundry detergent, toilet paper and paper towels, fully equipped kitchen, iron and ironing board, and trash pickup and receptacles. I personally love having a washer/dryer unit. I get to pack less. When you are in your room at night, you are able to do laundry. I also don’t have to come home and have to do a zillion loads either! The other thing I love is the full kitchen. You can save a ton of money by heading to the grocery store and eating out of your room!

Since my inlaws have a Hilton Timeshare that we have used many times, I can with confidence say that the Hilton Head South Carolina would be a great place to visit. Hilton is known for their quality, and I am sure that Hilton Head meets those expectations. Hilton Head SC has a little something for everything here. Outdoor activities include boating tours, parasailing, tennis, golf, kayaking and even surfing. There are soccer fields, picnic tables, and even a roller skating/skate board park. They even have golf packages if you enjoy that sport. For someone with little children, I was happy to see that there are ice cream shops and family-friendly restaurants all over. For those of us who like to shop while the boys play, they have 3 malls. Two of them are outlet malls too! There is also a variety of family owned businesses, boutiques, and unique gift shops.

The units come with a lot of things that are great to have. They include washer/dryer, linens, bath towels, start-up supplies of dishwasher and laundry detergent, toilet paper and paper towels, fully equipped kitchen, iron and ironing board, and trash pickup and receptacles. I personally love having a washer/dryer unit. I get to pack less. When you are in your room at night, you are able to do laundry. I also don’t have to come home and have to do a zillion loads either! The other thing I love is the full kitchen. You can save a ton of money by heading to the grocery store and eating out of your room!

Madison loved The Children’s Museum In Oak Lawn, Illinois.  Mom, on the other hand, not so impressed.  I found that admission price was a bit high for what we found there.  Adults are $4 and kids are $3.50.  They toys and things to do were considerably old.  There wasn’t a lot of room and the place easily got trashed.  When we went, they were busy, and you felt like you were on top of everyone else.  Currently, it is located in a very small building.  They are in the process of raising money to move the museum and get newer projects for the kids to do.  Once this happens, it will be a great place to take your kids.  However, until that happens, I would pass on going here.

Madison loved The Children’s Museum In Oak Lawn, Illinois.  Mom, on the other hand, not so impressed.  I found that admission price was a bit high for what we found there.  Adults are $4 and kids are $3.50.  They toys and things to do were considerably old.  There wasn’t a lot of room and the place easily got trashed.  When we went, they were busy, and you felt like you were on top of everyone else.  Currently, it is located in a very small building.  They are in the process of raising money to move the museum and get newer projects for the kids to do.  Once this happens, it will be a great place to take your kids.  However, until that happens, I would pass on going here.