Wifi on Trains

[trip style = train]

Have you ever wanted to take the train to a destination, but opted for other transport because the travel time was too lengthy? Some train travel is bullet-fast and crazy efficient as evidenced in Asia and Europe, other times it's slow and steady, but does that win the race? Full wireless connectivity on trains is a trend that's been around for a few years on the east coast and major routes, but has taken awhile to make its way up the West Coast. Until now.

Why I Love Wifi on Trains Earlier this summer I took a Via Rail train from Ottawa to Montreal, and LOVED the fact I could immediately connect to wifi in the terminals and on the train. It made the journey efficient {thus enjoyable} because I was able to get lots of work done, which meant I could spend more time in my destination exploring.

Where is the Love? Over the past few months, I've taken two trips to Portland and despite desperately wanting to take the train, both times got there road-trip style. Why? Because the Amtrak Cascades, the train running between Vancouver, BC and Eugene, OR didn't have wifi. Yes, I know the scenery is stunning, but 8 hours {in the middle of the day} on a train sans wifi? Non Merci.

The Love Thank goodness Amtrak is getting on track {pun intended} with not only wifi, but free wifi! Redeemed! I bet it will seriously increase their ridership, which was already record-braking in 2010! Whether you wifi your way to Seattle or Portland, or take the Coast Starlight all the way to LA, your trip just got a little easier and more entertaining with wifi. Hulu anyone? {Hulu is a website featuring a ton of popular TV shows which you can only access in the US.}

Now, if only they'd allow dogs...

Related Content Portland {part deux} Portland Seattle :: Springtime in the Emerald City

[photo: you gotta be here]

Travel Trends :: Molecular Cuisine

This next travel trend is not so much a trend in travel, but a trend you'll see while {and hopefully experience} traveling. I first saw molecular cuisine {were food meets science} talked about on the Food Network last year, then had the chance to taste it at Whistler's Bearfoot Bistro and Mexico's Banyan Tree Mayakoba's Tamarind restaurant. Both experiences were redonculously good.

In Theory and in Practice Molecular gastronomy/cuisine is a discipline practiced by both scientists and food professionals studying the physical and chemical processes that occur while cooking. It is intended to be palate-revolutionizing, challenging the norms of how and why food is prepared. In my layman's, non-cheffy terms, it's eating balls, pearls, pebbles, dust and foam that you wouldn't normally expect to be in that form/shape, in other words, putting together daring combinations and changing the properties of food we consume. Here are some concrete examples: olive oil dust {pictured above}, cola pearls, codfish foam, salmon poached with liquor ice, etc...

This chemist-meets-foodie trend is so popular, there are entire restaurants devoted to it, forums about it and event at-home starter kits. Check out this video showing some gastronomic creations:

[photo by @nate_fri, taken at the Bearfoot Bistro]

Shhhh, It's {Semi} Private...

Back in June we wrote about the exploding Private Travel Sales as part of our thrice-monthly Travel Trends column. At the time, it was still a newish concept with mostly early-adopter buy-in. Fast forward 8 months and this travel segment has grown like luggage on wheels and is opening a whole new set of options for the escape artist in all of us. Below are the big players.

Recommended Would I recommend flash-sale travel? Yes! I've had a great experience thus far, and the properties offered seem more interesting and hand-picked than trolling through Expedia or the like. It is prefect if you want to travel, but need a little inspiration to book. Note that most of the time, offers are for a one- to 3-month period. Don't forget to check each offer's fine-print and cancellation policies.

The Concept - You want to travel somewhere fabulous and get a good deal - Private travel sale sites offer time-sensitive, discounted rates for close-to-home & far-flung getaways - You see a deal you like, and snag it The Catch. They're private, meaning you need to join or get an invite, which I can help you out with below.

The Online Goods Jetsetter.com [join here] Part of the Gilt Group, an online private sale clothing & accessories retailer, Jettsetter offers a smattering of worldwide travel candy {aka - fabulous getaways} at discounts to their members. If you're a Gilt member you can book travel on Jetsetter, and if you're a Jetsetter member, you can buy on Gilt. I've used Jetsetter twice to book hotels and have been very really happy with both bookings. One feature I really like is how, in most cases, Jetsetter sends someone to review the property beforehand and on the sale, lists the features and drawbacks so you know what you're getting into. *PS - Jetsetter just launched 24/7, whereby you can book select properties sans flash-sale, i.e. all the time. One offer I'm currently swooning over is the Banyan Tree Samui.

Ideeli.com [join here] Ideeli is similar to the Gilt Group, offering fashion, home and beauty collections at heavy discounts. Why not add travel to the mix? Touché, they did featuring US and Mexican getaways.

Vacationist.com [join here] As a joint venture between two travel giants, Travel + Leisure magazine and Luxury Link, Vacationist delivers excellent getaways with booking features I love, like T+L destination suggestions and what's going on around town during the months sale is offered.

VoyagePrivee.com [join here] Starting in Europe, Voyage Prive {private travel} offers invite-only, limited-time sales similar to the above sites. With 6-million members, I'd say this private travel site is getting fairly public. Each sale features a flip-through brochure and a page where you can view and book the deal. Save your time and just go straight to the viewing/booking page.

Sniqueaway.com [join here] Launched by the TripAdvisor Media Group in 2010, SniqueAway offers time-sensitive, flash-sales like the rest of 'em, but a few differentiating features I like are: integrated Trip Advisor reviews, Out & About suggestions and Overview with spellbinders and reminders. Logging in, I just found a $139 sale for a lake-view room at Whistler's Nita Lake Lodge {just awarded a 2011 Trip Advisor Traveller's Choice award}. I would love to stay at this property, and have heard really good feedback.

Tablethotels.com [join here] Tablet hotels use an American Idol-style hotel selection. The judges do the rankings and the people decide the winner. Tablet is a group of hand-picked, tightly edited hotels in destinations all over the world. The list of these hotels is created and maintained by anonymous visits from travel experts, then reviewed by a team with "a low tolerance for boredom." In addition, hotels are also reviewed by guests, and if their rating falls below a 15 out of 20, the hotel no longer gets to compete. Tablet's private sales are limited, featuring 2 - 3 properties every few days.

Other Travel Flash-Sale Sites on our Radar Ruelala.com [join here] Same concept to Gilt/Jettsetter and Ideeli: Rulala is a name brand flash-sale site with an added travel component. Currently, it has one offer.

Secretescapes.com [join here] Following the same model as Jetsetter and Vacationist, recently launched Secret Escapes focuses its efforts on mostly Euro getaways with offers in British Pounds. One difference between this new company and Voyage Prive, is it's more difficult to get/find an invite unless you know someone who knows someone, who knows someone, which is likely part of their business plan. Interestingly, the company was started by the people behind dealchecker.co.ok {who was just aquired last week by EasyVoyage...not to be confused with the Easy Group offering internet, flights, cruises, car rentals, etc....} Either way, might be a good bet if you're planning some European travel.

Travel Trends :: Solo Travel

Have you ever traveled solo? ....Contiki tours don't count...

Recently I've seen a big push on the part of major travel companies to target solo travelers and create single traveler-friendly accommodations. In fact, a few months ago I received an email from someone who was looking for some sunny, single-occupancy getaway options; I wish some of the below options would have been available at the time.

Because most packaged vacations---whether cruise or all-inclusive---are based on double-occupancy, unless you travel with a stranger, finding a single room and paying a single price is challenging. Traditionally, this has left solo travelers with DIY vacation packages: booking a flight + hotel + ....... which can also be frustrating given most hotel rooms have space for two.

Whether you specifically want to travel solo, or can't find anyone with the same time-off, here are some single travel options for your next getaway:

Single Traveler Getaways [trip style = cruise] Nowegian's Epic, its newest, biggest and most impressive ship---think vodka ice lounge, big-top circus tent & Blue Man Group headline show---offers 128 single rooms. The Epic hit the high seas in June and surprise surprise, the single rooms have been in high demand, which is likely driving the company to come out with more single rooms on two ships it has coming in 2013 and 2014.

Although Royal Caribbean has been known to offer favorable pricing on cruises for solo passengers, they are now refitting the 2,112-passenger Radiance of the Seas and adding 3 single rooms. Three rooms? Really? I understand this decision is bottom-line influenced, but only adding three singles rooms to an under-served market is a short-sighted mess. The newly renovated ship will service Alaska and Vancouver this summer. {via The Cruise Log}

[trip style = all-inclusive] I've heard stories in the past about Club Med Turks and Caicos being a pretty hot & heavy singles destination, and it appears it still is. Targeting "friends, singles and couples", the resort offers group, single and double-occupancy pricing.

[trip style = urban getaway] The ultra-hip Ace Hotels {Portland, Palm Springs, New York, Seattle} offers shared and well-priced standard rooms. Note that most hotel shared rooms mean 3 of 4 beds and a bathroom down the hall. If you're scared off by the shared bathroom, stay in a 3 or 3 1/2 star hotel with shared rooms and the bathrooms are usually cleaned well.

Pod hotels are all the rage in Asia and Europe, and these small-scale, no-frills hotel rooms are fabulous if you're planning on spending most of your time out and about, and not doing any lounging by the non-existent fire in your room. And for those of you who want to venture to NYC, the futuristic Yotel is opening this spring! If you have trouble finding a room I'll be shocked, given the 669 cabins planned. Don't miss your room's signature techno wall.

[trip style = budget conscious] Some hostels are grungy, but others can be really nice {like this gem I stayed in while in Cusco, Peru}. So, if you don't want to do the out-of-university budget travel thing, but want a decent, value-priced place to stay {where you can be as social as you want} don't dismiss a hostel. Find a hostel search iphone app here.

[trip style = luxury] Seasoned solo travelers who prefer the finer things in life swear by 5-star hotels with a busy bar and/or coffee shop scene. This way, a social gathering place is mixed into the overall experience.

PS - Today is our 300th post! Thanks for reading {and sometimes skimming:}. Please continue to pass it on as we dish out daily travel to amateur jetsetters.

[photo by @TripStyler at the Eiffel Tower. The first time I visited Paris it was on a 4-day solo trip---fabulous experience.]

Travel Trends :: 3 Innovations

{Enter to win a gorgeous fleur de lis necklace. Contest closes tomorrow at noon. Details here.}

Sometimes products come onto the market and you wonder how you lived without them. The next three innovations are in this category. From a rollable shoe, to a spray-on wrinkle releaser and mini vacuum-packed diapers, each of these products will save space, simplify and relax {on many levels} your next globe-trot near or far.

Footzy Rolls Designed by two sisters who after bruised heals and soar feet took a break from their lengthy relationship with stilettos and started Footzy Rolls. These irresistible, inventive and rollable flats are the perfect solution for travel because they look chic, can handle multi-concourse treks and pack better than flip flops. At a starting price tag of $20usd, I think I'll take 3! My faves are the silver and gold snakeskins, the rock 'n red sole and the black footzy flops. Find them online.

Wrinkle Releaser I loath ironing. Even when you gingerly pack your wrinkle-prone shirts in your suitcase using all the packing tricks of the trade, wrinkles still abound. So, imagine my excitement when I heard about a new Downy spray-on product that actually relaxes wrinkles sans iron!  Apparently, the 10-second process involves 3 small steps: spray, tug and smooth to release unwanted wrinkles. I can't wait to pick one of these babies up when I head to the US. If it works like it says it does {and most of the reviews are good}, I will be bringing it {decanted into a travel-sized container} with me every time I travel. Bonus, it leaves a fresh scent in case your garment needs a pick-me-up. Find it at stores like Wal-Mart in the US from $9 usd.

Diaper Buds When I have kids, I'm already excited to travel with a little diaper innovation called Diaper Buds. Vacuum-packed to 70% smaller than a loose diaper, these pint-sized protectors are a major space and stress saver for that travel stretch when you can't easily replenish your stock at a store. Once you open the bud, it blooms into a full-sized diaper available in sizes 2 - 5. Find them online from $1 usd.