Category Archives: Trip Reports

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My 4 Favorite Restaurants in Portugal

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It’s always a treat to try some famous higher end restaurants when you travel. I’ll admit to not always taking the opportunity to do this. And of course “famous” can mean a lot of different things. When I say “famous” I mean restaurants that are run by well-known local chefs who usually I’ve never heard of. Famous can also mean that the locals eat here and absolutely rave about it and may not have any association with a local chef celebrity at all. In Portugal, I had the opportunity to try four restaurants that I’ve been meaning to tell you about. I also contribute my favorite of all the gelato places!

Do you enjoy ceviche? If so, A Cevicheria in the Principe Real area of Lisbon is a must. I spent quite a bit of time both in Principe Real as well as walking through the area to get to other neighborhoods, so I passed this place a few times and didn’t realize what it was. The menu is dedicated to South American cuisine, especially Peruvian tapas and Ceviche. It’s the creation of Portuguese Chef Kiko Martins.

a plate of food on a table

Cevicheria Cornbread Starter

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How Did Uber’s Terrible Year of PR Affect Drivers?

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Uber’s 2017 was full of scandals at the corporate level, but the effect on driver morale and more importantly driver earnings, was limited. Our Uber insider, Harry Campbell, surveyed over 1,200 Uber and Lyft drivers and found out a ton of information. I think it’s interesting to know what’s going on behind the scenes, especially in a company that so many travelers utilize. Here are a few key takeaways from the survey results:

  • Despite a terrible year of PR for Uber in 2017, satisfaction among drivers actually went up! 58.2% of Uber drivers reported that they were satisfied with their Uber driving experience – a 9% increase in driver satisfaction from the prior year.
  • Rideshare drivers want a raise! Uber and Lyft drivers reported earning $16.93 per hour before expenses, but they want to be paid $25.67 per hour (a 31% increase).

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Amenity Kits: Are they Useful or Wasteful?

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I was putting away my small old leather amenity kit bag from American Airlines and it got me thinking. I use this old one for small plugs and chargers I take when I travel. It’s really, really old and it’s held up super well. I can’t even remember the first amenity kit I ever received but when I look at my old AA one, I realize how much they’ve changed. Some are super big and I use them for things like carrying around an iPad. Over the years, I’ve collected so many of them that when people come and stay at my house, I’ll often put one for them by their bedside as a gift. This gets their visit with me off to a flying start :)

My Two Favorite Amenities

One of my favorite amenity kit type gifts I ever received was a big bag the size of a shopping bag. It was from an Emirates flight and made from a straw-like material and was a fun gift to give to my cousin. I kept my Emirates pajamas for myself! I don’t recall the amenity kit, but when I got off from a Brussels Airlines flight, I was gifted a big box of delicious chocolates. That was a sweet surprise.

a group of bags in plastic

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Hurry! Passport Fees Increase $10 on April 2

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Going overseas this year? Need a passport? You still have a week, so make sure to apply before April 2! You’ll pay more if you put off applying. That’s because the fee for passport applications will increase from $25 to $35 on April 2. Adult passport books will be $145, children 16 and younger $115. The less expensive passport cards, which are good for border crossings and travel by sea to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean but are not valid for international air travel, will increase to $65 for adults and $50 for children. The price hike is due to an increase in the the passport acceptance, or “execution,” fee. The U.S. State Department says it increasing the passport acceptance fee from $25 to $35 to better cover the costs of processing passport applications. The $10 increase does not apply to passport renewals by mail. So get your passport now and save a few dollars this month.

a passport with stamps on it

Image source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/galleries/fascinating-facts-about-passports/

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Top Travel Mistakes & How to Avoid Them: Part 3

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I’m declaring this week Travel Mistake Week here at TWG. Sure, it might be way more fun to talk about all the room upgrades we score, the elite status benefits we enjoy, or the deal for flights that DIDN’T get away, but let’s face it, we’ve all made a bunch of mistakes. So let’s air them and have some fun laughing at ourselves and commiserating with each other.

No matter how much we plan or how well we assume we’ll carry out those plans, there’s always a lot that’s not under our control. I started asking around and found that some travel mistakes are more common than others. And some people agree on how best to avoid those mistakes, but not always. Based on my own experience as well as that of many other frequent travelers, here are the mistakes and how to avoid them. There are so many of them I’ve actually made this a 3 part series!  Read Part 1 and Part 2.

Not buying souvenirs right when you see them

I buy souvenirs, and by that I mean chocolate, for people from every place I travel. You’d be surprised how many times I don’t get back to that certain best chocolate bar store or to a certain area of town even though I say I will. So this mistake is easy to make and easy to fix! If you see it now, buy it now.

a group of keychains in different colors

Image source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/souvenir-buying-guide/index.html

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