San Francisco: Get a taxi fast
Even with a plethora of transportation options in San Francisco, sometimes only a cab will do (like when you've overdone it at Union Square). But, I'm constantly appalled at how difficult it is to get a taxi in this city (particularly because I'm an ex-New Yorker). It's not unusual to wait half an hour as the dispatcher repeatedly says that the driver is "on his way." And on late nights and rainy days, cabs can seem like an endangered species.
That's why I'm excited about Taxi Magic, a free iPhone app. Taxi Magic directly contacts the dispatcher of a nearby cab company (with no waiting on hold), and, using GPS, finds the closest driver to your location. Then, the cab is sent your way. The app also maps the cab on your phone, allowing you to see how far away it is—all with the touch of a button
Right now, Taxi Magic has partnered with Luxor Cab, named in San Francisco magazine's Best of the Bay Area 2009, but there are plans to expand and use other companies.
The app, praised the San Francisco Chronicle and named one of the top apps of the year by Wired magazine, even offers a fare estimate and lets you pay with your phone. The app is also available on the Blackberry.
Just back from San Francisco? Headed there soon? Check our our San Francisco city page and leave your comments, suggestions, and questions.
San Francisco: MoMA's 75th
Happy Birthday, SFMOMA: The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's 75th Anniversary weekend starts this Saturday, with free admission all weekend. The museum's special "Best Of" anniversary show features works from big names like Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol, all from the permanent collection. Instead of just doing an audio tour for the show, museum curators have invited a group of 75 artists, writers, musicians, and staff members to give quick, 7.5-minute talks about an artist in the collection they are passionate about. Luminaries include designer Yves Behar, New Yorker writer Rebecca Solnit, and California artist Robert Bechtle. The talks will be spread out throughout the museum and among the collection, every hour on the hour. On Saturday night, there's an evening cash bar party with free performances by experimental musicians including cellist Zoe Keating, Loop! Station, and Matmos. Also be sure to check out artist Mike Shine's temporary installation set up in a truck parked outside, on Minna Street between Third and New Montgomery Streets. Shine is a Northern California artist who works with found objects like driftwood. Stay tuned for more of SF MOMA's anniversary events. It's going to be a jam-packed year. 151 Third Street, sfmoma.org, 415/357-4000. Cash-bar party is Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m.; free admission and museum talks are from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Mike Shine's exhibit is Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Get money back when prices drop
It's no fun to find out you've paid more for your ticket than the guy sitting next to you. But given the constant swings in travel pricing, it's practically impossible to know if a good deal is actually the best one—and when to take the plunge. But there's good news: More websites and online travel agencies are offering tools and guarantees to take the risk out of clicking BUY. • Vacation packages. On Wednesday, Travelocity began a new refund policy for most of its packages—specifically, its flights-plus-hotels packages. If you book a package with Travelocity and subsequently spot it for cheaper elsewhere online—any time prior to the day of departure—you can get a refund for the difference in price. Through March 22, the agency will also receive a $50 discount toward future travel. (For full rules, see travelocity.com/guarantee.) UPDATE 1/11: This price guarantee replaces Travelocity's rate-protection program for air/hotel and car/hotel packages. Called PriceGuardian, that service automatically refunded your credit card up to $500 if another Travelocity customer books your trip for less. Travelocity has discontinued this service. • Flights. Earlier this week, two helpful sites—which have earned raves from Budget Travel during the past couple of years—teamed up. Yapta, a price-tracking website, and TripIt, a free travel organizer, compliment each other as nicely as peanut butter and chocolate. These sites now let you put money back in your pocket if a fare drops after you've booked it. They also help you keep track of all of your e-mailed itineraries and maps, letting you easily access them via hotel lobby computer or your smartphone. Thankfully, their services are free. The joint effort means you can now forward your airline and hotel confirmation emails to TripIt (plans@tripit.com). Your purchase price is quickly verified. If the airfare drops after you purchase it, Yapta will alert you if you're eligible for a refund or credit based on the airline's policies. Most fliers don't know that major U.S. airlines have policies that qualify you for a refund if the fare goes down after you book. Of course, they don't tell you when your fare changes—and fares drop only happen about 15 percent of the time—so travelers rarely see the money (which averages about $300, says Yapta). Thankfully, TripIt and Yapta keep track of these things for you, when you use either one of them. Some airlines charge re-booking fees of up to $150, while others rebook you for free. So there may not always be a happy ending. • Hotels. "Users of our fare-tracking system begged us to track hotel rates," says Yapta CEO Tom Romary. So as of March, the site has done just that, monitoring rates at more than 110,000 hotels worldwide. Just pick a property and sign up to be alerted whenever it slashes its price for your travel dates. Yapta's system is most useful for properties that let you cancel for free—in which case you simply rebook at the lower rate. (Some hotels have change fees, so you'll have to do the math to know if it's worthwhile.) EARLIER Orbitz debuted a money-back guarantee in November. If someone else finds a better rate at Orbitz on a hotel stay you've booked, the company will automatically reimburse you for the difference and send you a $50 code good toward a future booking.
Edible Advent Calendar: Week 2
PARIS TREAT Dec. 13: A surprising glass of vin naturel One of my favorite Paris wine bars is Le Garde Robe, a sweet little shoebox that specializes in small-batch vins naturels. These natural wines are made from organic grapes and contain no preservative or stabilizers. That last part changes the taste quite dramatically because the wine continues to evolve inside the bottle. A few producers (like Claude Courtois) have gained almost cult-like status because of the surprising and completely original character of their wines. Because they're too fragile to ship outside of France, take the opportunity to try some while you're here. By the glass, almost everything at Le Garde Robe is less than €5. Le Garde Robe, 41 rue de l'Arbre Sec, 1st arrondissement, +011-33/1-49-26-90-60. PARIS TREAT Dec. 12: Fruitcake… the good kind The neighborhood of Abbesses in Montmartre has been blessed with a number of amazing bakeries. Le Grenier à Pain, created by Michel Galloyer, is among the best. I like their endearingly rustic breads but come here primarily for dessert. This fruitcake appears during the cold months and has a sweet cookie crust layered with fresh seasonal fruit. Pick up an individual sized dessert for under €4. Le Grenier à Pain, 38 rue des Abbesses, 18th arrondissement, +011-33/1-42-23-85-36. PARIS TREAT Dec. 11: Hot pizza by the cool Canal As we wrote about in detail here, the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin are buzzing on warm evenings with pinknics - picnics that are centered around a stack of pizzas from the nearby Pink Flamingo. Order some pies from their shop and they'll deliver by bike to wherever you're sitting. Their "Dante" is deliciously simple—just fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzerella on a thin crust that's spiked with sel de Guerande (fancy sea salt). For €9.50 ($14) when delivered, it can feed two for a snack or one for a meal. Inexpensive wine and homemade beer can also be carried away to sip along the water. Pink Flamingo, 67 rue Bichat, 10th arrondissement, +011-33/1-42-02-31-70. PARIS TREAT Dec. 10: A fried Iberian ham croquette The metal counter at L'Avant Comptoir is currently my favorite place to belly up. A perfect cheap date here is built around at least one order of these croquettes, stuffed with ham from the celebrated producer Eric Ospital. Fried to order and costing only €3 ($4.40) for a stack of three, the little darlings are creamy without containing a single drop of cream or cheese. The taste is pure premium Iberian ham. This standing room only wine bar has a long list of small plates costing €3-6 ($4.40-8.80), with glasses of modestly-priced red, white, and bubbly. L'Avant Comptoir, 3 carrefour de l'Odéon, 6th arrondissement, +011-33/1-44-27-07-97. PARIS TREAT Dec. 9: A crusty baguette I first learned about Coquelicot, a sweet little bakery in Montmartre, from neighborhood resident Clotilde Dusoulier . The food writer, who has crooned previously about her favorite culinary spots in Paris at BudgetTravel.com, threatened to kill for the Piccola baguette. Something that could elicit such strong words from a notoriously sweet blogger had to be insanely delicious. I wasn't disappointed after biting off the still-warm end of my very first Piccola baguette. The traditional loaf was chewy inside with a flavorful crust and hand-formed shape. With a little cheese, this could be the perfect lunch for €1.25 ($1.85) on the lawn of the nearby Sacre-Coeur. Coquelicot, 24 rue des Abbesses, 18th arrondissement, 011-33/1-46-06-03-83 PARIS TREAT Dec. 8: Crèpe from the Breizh Café The rolled up pancake that you buy on the street, while good in a pinch, bears little resemblance to a real Breton crèpe. To learn what all the fuss is about, you must taste a real galette from the hand of Bertrand Larcher. This Brittany native uses traditional methods and the best possible ingredients. His version of the classic galette complète has golden, lacy edges and is filled with organic egg, ham, and raw milk Petit Savoyard cheese. At €6.80 ($10.30), it's the perfect lunch on a cold winter day. Breizh Café, 109 rue Vieille du Temple, 3rd arrondissement, 011-33/1-42-72-13-77 PARIS TREAT Dec. 7: Divine chocolate eclairs All éclairs are not created equal. One from the hand of Jacques Genin is a revelation. The choux pastry is his version is crisp, not soggy. The cream filling is a burst of intense chocolate flavor, not sugar. The glossy fondant the decorates the top is so shiny that you can almost see your own smile. You'll instantly taste why Genin is—(along with Patrick Roger; see below)—arguably the best chocolatier in the city. Grab one to go for €4.80 ($7.25), or take a seat in the salon and enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee. La Chocolaterie Jacques Genin, 133 rue de Turenne, 3rd arrondissement, 011-33/1-45-77-29-01 MORE Our Edible Advent Calendar: Paris Food Treats Week 1 The photoblog of our expat correspondent in Paris
NYC: Free WiFi in Times Square
The best new show on Broadway is the swirling chaos of the city itself—and the seats are free. Inspired by Copenhagen's car-free Strøget zone, the city of New York has permanently closed five blocks in Times Square to traffic and installed 300 chairs and benches, where thousands of locals now join the tourists every day to experience the city in an entirely new way. (Budget Travel recognized this innovation with an Extra Mile Award this year.) Starting earlier this week, Yahoo! began offering free WiFi to anyone in Times Square's public area, in cooperation with the Times Square Alliance. Access the service using your WiFi-enabled mobile phone and surfing to Yahoo!'s mobile homepage (http://m.yahoo.com). Laptops will automatically see a welcome screen when they look for "Times Sq Free Wifi" in their drop-down menu of possible WiFi signals to connect to. (Surf any site on the Internet, not just Yahoo.) The free WiFi will be available for one year to start, with the possibility of extending to three years, says a spokeswoman. ELSEWHERE Lifehacker: Protect Your Wi-Fi Connection at Airport Hotspots MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL The Best Netbooks for Travelers: Holidays 2009
