Solo Travel Websites Worth Checking Out

For that matter, either option is better than using a currency conversion service at the airport or train station. BT readers always want to get the most bang for the buck, so it's no surprise we always field questions regarding which currency exchange method yields the traveler the most local cash. Generally speaking, our advice has always been to use a credit card first, and withdraw cash at an overseas ATM second. A new study from CardHub says that advice is right on the money, excuse the pun. The study compares the rates and fees assessed by credit card companies, the 15 largest banks in the U.S., and the world's largest currency exchange operator, Travelex. In order to compare apples to apples, all of the data was collected on the same day last month, and the currency exchange in question involved changing $300 into euros. Visa edged MasterCard slightly for the best rates, and if the traveler was using a card that didn't tack on additional fees -- some Capital One, Citibank, and Chase cards are examples -- either Visa or MasterCard provide better exchange rates than any bank surveyed. Overall, banks' exchange rates were 7.9 percent poorer than no-fee credit cards. Among the banks, Northern Trust and Harris Bank offered the best rates, while U.S. Bank and Fifth Third Bank had the worst. Worst of all, however, was Travelex. CardHub gathered rates from the service's John F. Kennedy International airport location, and they were 14.7 percent higher than a credit card with no international exchange fees. But before you go paying for everything overseas with your credit card, assuming you're getting the best rates, take a close look at your card. Most cards, in fact, assess currency conversion fees of 1 to 3 percent -- and if your card does, you might be better off simply hitting an ATM in the country you're visiting. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL What Your Bank Won't Tell You About Currency Conversion 4 Foreign Exchange Apps You Need Citibank and Chase drop foreign exchange fees on some cards

iPads might be taking a while to catch on with the general population, but it seems like they're quite a hit in the travel industry, where they have been used for everything from check-ins at hotels to tours at the Eiffel Tower. Pretty soon they'll be guiding pilots, too. if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('b631b0ef-7d65-4cdf-a7c8-d1cdb23fa6fa');Get the Poll Creator Pro widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info)As part of Alaska Airlines' "Bye Bye Flight Bag" program, set to be complete by later this month, pilots will replace their 25 lb paper flight manuals with the state of the art, 1.5 lb iPad tablet, a measure that will save 2.4 million pieces of paper (pilots are required to carry the manuals). According to the website, the iPad tablet features the Good Reader App, equipped with a "PDF version of 41 flight, systems, and performance manuals, reference cards and other materials," allowing for a quicker and easier way for pilots to look up a procedure from the flight deck. Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts started using iPad technology in their hotels as early as April 2010, just three months after the device was introduced. Four hotels—Intercontinental New York Barclay, Intercontinental Hong Kong, Intercontinental London Park Lane, and Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta to be exact—tested out the tablets for restaurant suggestions, making reservations and helping guests with directions to attractions. Some hotels, such as The Berkley, have given iPads to concierges to help them handle duties such as checking in guests, more efficiently. The hotel also gives guests in certain suites the option of including an iPad with their stay, allowing them to enjoy all the games, videos, comics and newspapers new technology has to offer. There are also a few features to help guests plan out what they want to see and do when in London. Also in 2010, the Eiffel Tower introduced a program that allowed visitors to rent an iPad, which included maps, photos, and behind-the-scenes historical information on how the structure was built, for about $10 (7 Euros). There is also a separate App, La Tour Eiffel, that can be downloaded onto your own iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad device via iTunes for free. What do you think about iPads? Is it better to be guided everywhere by technology or do you find more fun in exploring new places on your own? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL The Ultimate Guide to Travel Apps Test Lab: iPad as travel tool Google's street view travels inside museums

When I heard that Apple launched a travel workshop on May 1 geared toward iPhone/iPad owners, I was curious. I signed up to find out what kind of secrets they would reveal. The course, which spans approximately an hour and is guided by an Apple store employee (a man named Brian, in my case), is primarily a guide to the apps Apple recommends for travelers (here at Budget Travel we've put together a similar list of the best travel apps). There is time for Q&A; at the end, when you can ask questions specific to your needs. So would I recommend it? Well, yes and no. If you're new to the device or haven't spent a lot of time exploring what the iPhone/iPad can do, I'd say it's worth it (it's not like it's going to cost you anything). If you're a tech geek who feels naked without the device, feel free to skip—you probably know all you need to know already. Here's what you'll learn: if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('530767ab-28c0-47b5-bd93-f0983be1beaa');Get the Poll Creator Pro widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info)How to plan your trip. Brian kicked off the course by walking us through the apps that a would-be traveler would find useful in the planning stage. He recommended the Kayak app for booking, FlightTrackPro ($9.99) for tracking flights, and TripIt for consolidating all of the details of your trip. I stand by all of these recommendations. He also recommended Hipmunk, which sorts flights based on dates, agony (long layovers, early morning departures, etc), and price (while I personally like the way Hipmunk sorts flights, I can't say that I've ever found the best rate on their site). How to navigate your destination. From there we moved on to the apps that will be most useful during your trip. Zagat to Go ($9.99) uses your current location to recommend worthy restaurants. Hotel Tonight helps you find last-minute hotels (hopefully you've already planned your hotel before you arrive in your destination, but if you're caught in a pinch this can certainly help). Google Maps, which you can access via the built-in compass feature, is a no-brainer (but I did learn something new—if you double tap the arrow at the top of the screen the map will rotate with you so there's never any question as to which direction you're facing). Weather HD ($0.99) shows you the weather gives you daily and hourly forecasts in cities around the world (my recommendation: just use the free weather app that comes with your iphone). TripAdvisor offers up lists of things to do in your location. How to organize your photos. Brian demonstrated how you can use iPhoto to import and organize pictures by events, faces, and places. You can use iPhoto to create, print (and yes, purchase) your own book, cards, or calendar. I was surprised that the course didn't automatically touch on the importance of picking up a local SIM card if you're traveling internationally (otherwise you can be hit by huge roaming fees). Once I asked about it, however, Brian was incredibly knowledgeable about how to bypass international roaming fees. So what do you think? Does the Apple travel workshop sound like something that you would be interested in? SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: iPhone Tips and Tricks for Budget Travelers Do You Turn Off Your Cell Phone on Planes? The Ultimate Guide to Travel Apps

Have you ever wandered into the airport souvenir shop while trying to kill time between flights? Sometimes all it takes is a little accidental inspiration. When Doug Lansky stumbled upon some of Wisconsin's most awkward souvenirs while killing time in a Milwaukee airport—including the "Wisconsin: Who Cut The Cheese?" magnet shown above—a new website was born. CrapSouvenirs.com, allows travelers to submit photos of tacky souvenirs and otherwise wacky discoveries from around the world. Photos on the website range from the comically misspelled camel from "Egybt" to the locally humorous canned fog from San Francisco ("The San FrancisCAN original.") Other souvenirs are just plain bizarre: Jamaican bananas from Tennessee, a 3 feet tall British telephone booth and "Certified Cow Tipper" coffee mugs. The "Accidentally R-Rated" category is not for the faint of heart, but contains the strangest souvenirs on the list, ranging from Italian Statue of David boxer shorts (showing off his most prominent feature with the Italian flag in the background), to bottle openers made from kangaroo testicles, among other naughty images plastered on blankets and shot glasses. Lansky is also the mastermind behind Signspotting: Funny Signs From Around the World, and creator of Signspotting.com, an online forum where travelers can submit photos of humorous signs from around the world. He is currently working on a book to complement the new souvenir website. So far, my craziest souvenir is from a trip I took with my friend and her family in the summer of 2009. We had traveled around Italy for a week, exploring Milan, Lake Como, Venice and Rome before I stumbled upon my favorite souvenir: A Pope Benedict lollipop. I had been waiting in line at a gelato shop near the Pantheon when I spotted it on a nearby shelf. We want to know: Have you ever bought—or received—a really strange or ridiculous souvenir? Tell us below! MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Should souvenirs be authentic and locally sourced? Authentic, Affordable New York Souvenirs Supermarket Souvenirs