So, how can you respect the conservative culture while avoiding the misery of jeans + other knee-and-shoulder-covering clothing? How can you stay cool without looking like you’re walking around all day in 104° heat or, worse! Looking like a total slut? It’s not easy, but it’s doable.

First, make sure that most (if not all) of the clothes you’re packing are made of natural materials like cotton. Not only are they more breathable so you’ll stay cooler, but they also just don’t stick to your skin like manmade materials do. One day, I made the mistake of wearing a polyester shirt on our hike death-march up a mountain and…you only make that mistake once. I didn’t fully understand the definition of breathable until I felt like every stitch in that shirt was hot-glued to my skin.

Second, pack mostly maxi + midi skirts and dresses. This makes for a super easy one and done outfit (which means you can fit more outfits into your suitcase … #winning). I packed a handful of these and they saved the day while in Myanmar. Although I packed a few shorts and sleeveless shirts, I saved them for my upcoming time in Thailand and Vietnam as it never felt appropriate to be showing that much skin.

And, at the end of the day, whether you’re wearing a maxi skirt or a bathing suit, 104° heat is 104° heat. You’re just going to be stuck being hot. Luckily, you’re on top of pagodas and in horse-drawn carts so WHO CARES?

For 15 days in Myanmar, I packed:

• 3 bathing suits (although most of the hotels don’t have pools, so 3 may be too optimistic)
• 3 maxi skirts
• 2 short-sleeved tops
• 2 maxi dresses
• 8 knee-length dresses (one and done, people, one and done!)
• 2 pairs of work-out shorts
• 2 work-out tops
• 1 T-shirt
• 1 pair of pajamas
• work out pants (for cold plane rides, hiking in Sapa, Vietnam + if I ever needed long pants)
• black pullover (for working out + a light jacket)
• rain coat (never used it, but better safe than sorry)
• 2 regular bras + 1 strapless bra
• 6 pairs of underwear

Here’s some of the clothes (or similar ones) I packed for our trip:

Finally, shoes are always the hardest item for me to pack. What shoes will match my clothes, hold up for weeks of traveling AND (most importantly) carry me through miles + miles + miles of walking? While Jeffrey tossed a pair of waterproof hiking shoes into his suitcase, I carefully packed pair after pair because, hey, a girl can never have enough shoes, right? Check out the shoes I packed (and wish I’d packed) below:

leather sandals / black waterproof sandals (can’t beat $12 at Old Navy!!) / black flats / pink slip-on sneakers / rain boots / tennis shoes (on super-sale here)

*The Asterisks (things I wish I knew):

The packing list above is slightly altered to include things I wish I had… like better shoes! I lived in my leather sandals (because my pink + teal tennis shoes just didn’t look fantastic – would you believe it?! – just don’t go with anything but Nike running shorts). I’ve added a slip-on sneaker because I shopped for them in Myanmar and (again, would you believe it?!) couldn’t find them anywhere.

I packed rubber booties to wear on rainy days. During our two months, we had a grand total of 2 rainy days. I think the first one came the night after I was telling Jeffrey what a waste of space my rain boots had been. Looks like the joke was on me. We were there towards the end of the dry season, so it barely rained at all, but on the days it did rain, I was glad to have waterproof shoes even if they did take up tons of space. I also wore these boots on train trips because they provided the best coverage from the icky-gross-very-very-disgusting things I stepped in and on while on the overnight trains.

The post What to Pack for Myanmar – A Girl’s Guide first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

The updates to this app include automatic language detection. This feature means you can text in real time with two languages and your friend’s texts immediately get translated into the language you’ve chosen. This is perfect for me because I still regularly Skype/FaceTime and email with my host family in Italy who I lived with for a semester while in college. But, because my Italian is rusty (at best), I always end up typing in English and then using a translation website before sending… this app now cuts out a step and saves lots of time, allowing the conversation to flow in real time instead of awkward lags.

But, even better, this new app also saves you when traveling. The “Word Lens” feature uses your smart phone’s camera for immediate translation of street signs, restaurant menus, newspapers, etc. So, if you’re walking down the street and desperately need to know what any type of sign reads, voila! AND, you don’t even need an internet connection for this to work… AWESOME!

We’ve been using it a good bit while traveling (not so much for Vietnamese as it’s not supported, yet), and it’s been very helpful with text messages from Jeffrey’s new phone carrier, reading street signs + menus and more!

image source: google

To use this app, head to your App Store and search for Google Translate. Once downloaded, you can choose to either use your phone’s camera to scan or type into the text box for translation. It’s as easy as can be!

For those of you that know me, you might remember that I suffered through 3 years of high school French classes AND some in college… all to no avail. My brain just shuts down when I try to learn a new language. So, it’s a real LOL that my husband speaks fluent French and can quickly pick up on any language if you give him a few days in the country.

But now, I can rely on Google Translate to get me through my awkward moments and tough times.

Suck it, high school French class. Turns out I didn’t need you, after all.

Image Source: By: Travis Wiens – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The post Travel Trick: New Google Tool for Traveling first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

City streets are filled with street eats, smiling faces and bright colors.

Myanmar welcomes about 1 million tourists each year and, compared to its neighbor Thailand’s many millions of annual visitors, that’s a drop in the bucket – but, only a hand full of Burmese cities and towns are set up for tourists and Western hotel chains have barely scratched the surface of the country (we think that’s a good thing). So, while Thailand’s many visitors are spread out among hundreds of secluded resorts, Myanmar’s eager travelers are swarming Mandalay’s U Bein Bridge – all together – while it bends at the weight of its newfound fame. Construction is ubiquitous everywhere in Yangon, though, so more hotels and tourist infrastructure are fast approaching. It’s been said many times before, but Myanmar is changing rapidly, and we tourists are tripping over ourselves to be the first to see its evolution.

Karaweik Hall is a palace barge built in the 1970’s which now houses a dinner theater.

Because Yangon is the country’s largest city, it is the most natural springboard for entering the country and one of the only cities capable of landing international flights. While most people land in Yangon one afternoon and are gone by the next morning, we spent four nights there (4.5 full days) and were able to see the main attractions as well as get to know city life in a little more detail than most.

This street cart specializes in making betel quids — small parcels that typically contain areca nuts wrapped in a betel leaf and coated with lime.

Burmese puppets line street markets and are intricately designed and decorated.

Our visit to Htwe Oo Myanmar, a puppet show housed in the house of a Burmese family, ended in my learning how to be a puppeteer, too!

Myanmar’s largest city is a good bit different than most other large Asian cities because the Western tourists are few and far between (they’ve all taken off for Inle Lake and Bagan ASAP) and Western culture has not taken its toll on the city’s locals just yet. Although we did see a few T-shirts and jeans, the vast majority of Burmese (men, women + children) are still wearing traditional thanaka on their faces and sporting longyis.The thanaka ubiquitously worn on women and children’s cheeks and foreheads is a yellow-white paste made from tree bark mixed with water. This paste is then rubbed into a circle or square on each cheek – or just hurriedly whisked on in no pattern at all –  and both protects the wearer from the hot sun as a sort of natural sunscreen and is seen as a sign of beauty. Longyis — maxi skirts to us Americans — are traditional Burmese clothing that keep you cool (and conservative) and, thankfully, Western trends haven’t taken over just yet, so almost everyone you see is donning a longyi. It’s a bit perplexing for a Westerner (given the 103 degree highs on most days) to see everyone wearing long, heavy-looking “skirts”, but the Burmese are much more conservative and men, women and children all wear longyis or pants to their ankles. And, it turns out they are surprisingly cool with great air flow, so no wonder they continue to wear these beautiful garments instead of a much blander & duller jeans option.

Speaking of longyis, having grown tired of my own maxi skirts, I thought I’d wear a longyi one day to mix it up a bit (and I’d read that the Burmese appreciated travelers wearing longyis). Jeffrey had purchased a longyi when we visited the Shwedagon Pagoda, so I thought I’d just wear his instead of buying another one. I asked the front desk staff at our hotel to help me tie it (I’d noticed that men tie their longyis in a big knot in the front and women seem to drape theirs more elegantly). We barely made it a block down the street before just about everyone was laughing as I walked by. Finally, an older woman grabbed my arm and, in her best English, half-scolds, half-mocks me, telling me that my longyi was for men, not for woman. Yikes. Apparently, I had failed to notice that men’s longyis were all plaid patterns of more masculine colors, while women’s longyis were predominantly floral patterned and always brightly colored. I was committing a humongous faux pas and didn’t even realized it until the muted giggles couldn’t go unnoticed any longer. We dashed into the next shopping center and I was embarrassingly looking around for the stash of longyis. Before I could find them, the store employees (giggling, of course), called me over to tell me I was wearing a man’s longyi, not a woman’s. Double yikes. Finally, I purchased a women’s longyi in a beautiful royal blue color and had help tying it on. However, after it inevitably loosened by lunchtime, the women at our restaurant giggled that I had it tied incorrectly. I just couldn’t win with the longyis so, for the rest of our trip, only wore my longyi when visiting the pagodas.

Good thing Jeffrey snapped a quick picture…

The people, especially the little ones, are overwhelmingly friendly – they shout “hello!” as soon as they see you coming and flash the brightest, most genuine smiles of any city I’ve ever visited.

They are unabashedly so pleased to see you, making you feel very welcome. They’re so eager to see you that many of them stop and ask to take photos with you – or some others just whip out their cell phones to catch you on video as you pass by.

Although Jeffrey and I usually rent a car no matter which country we’re visiting, I’ve never been so thankful to depend solely on walking and public transportation than in Yangon. In plenty of places, we’ve been astounded by the crazy drivers and the gridlocked traffic, but Yangon takes the cake.

The city seems to be growing faster than the roads can keep up and, coupled with the change from driving on the left (US style) to driving on the left (British style) in the early 2000s (with road infrastructure staying the same…), every time I got into a taxi I thought it may be my last few minutes on Earth. In fact, we were even in a wreck with a taxi driver!! Since we’ve been here, we’ve also seen a motorbike wreck and a very, very close call between a motorbike and a pickup truck. There are hardly any traffic lights and no stop signs, so 4-way intersections are just an anything-goes game of chicken.

Take a look at the guide below for where to eat, drink and sleep while in Yangon, then be on the lookout for more detailed posts about Yangon’s most popular attractions: the stunning Shwedagon Pagoda and the Circle Train.

Eat

It seems that, at every turn you take, there’s another street food vendor cooking up a hot meal along the city streets of Yangon. I know some travelers are wary of street food, but we’ve found it to be the best introduction to a city and its people. We’ve tried street food in every city we’ve visited and almost always preferred the street food to the fancy #1-rated restaurant on Trip Advisor – and, the best part, never once gotten sick from something we’ve tried (knock on LOTS of wood).

BBQ is king on the streets of Yangon and each street peddler has a cart filled with all sorts of meats and vegetables on a stick. Once you pick out your choice, they’ll grill it up for you right on the spot so its phenomenal smoky flavor is just as fresh as can be.

A BBQ cart on 19th Street – you pick your skewers!

Our favorite street food, though, was found on 19^th Street and was surprisingly a vegetarian dish, but filled with more flavor than even the smoky meat could offer. A woman was cooking up a dish of corn kernels, kidney beans and some mysterious spicy green topping that tasted a bit like an olive tapenade with a kick. Whatever it was, it added a glorious spice to an otherwise bland dish and we went back to her cart again and again for quick snacks each day.

Our favorite street food cart in Yangon

While Yangon offers many restaurants and eateries in every corner of its city, we recommend getting your fill of street food while you’re here. And, for the price of about 500 k – 1,500 k (less than $1.50!), you can fill up on local flavor.

If you’re just not so into street food, no problem. 999 Shan Noodle House comes highly recommended so we had to give it a shot. Their noodles were the best we’ve tasted in Myanmar and, while it’s very popular with tourists, the prices are shockingly low.

Lunch at 999 Shan Noodle House

Drink

19^th Street, again, is the best place to grab a Myanmar Beer and people watch. Every tourist in the city makes it here, but so do the locals so it’s not a tourist trap but rather a place to see busy city life after sunset.

The street markets set up selling everything under the sun from umbrellas (although we didn’t see a single drop of rain in the dry season) to fish heads to flip flops of all colors. If you’re lucky, a man with a guitar will come past your table to serenade you, but he won’t be as pushy as the table musicians you’ve met in the past.

Sleep

We really loved our hotel: Hotel Grand United 21st Downtown.

It’s definitely not the nicest hotel in the city, but it was just what we needed to get a full night’s rest before heading out on foot for another day of exploring. The location was fantastic– just steps away from the bustling 19th Street (the only “night life” in the city) and very close to the river which had scores of activity no matter what time of day you visited. Hotel Grand United has three hotels in Yangon and its original one (Hotel Grand United Ahlone) is a nicer hotel with a bigger gym and even a sauna but the location is not great at all. The hotel’s rooftop, where breakfast, lunch and dinner were served, but guests were welcomed to spend the morning or afternoon there, too, was the best part of the hotel, with a fantastic view of the pagoda at nighttime and a bird’s eye view of the bustling city streets and nearby port.

Hotel Grand United’s rooftop

Hotel Grand United’s rooftop view

Hotel Grand United’s rooftop view

Another important factor was that our hotel’s wifi, although by no means up to Western standards, worked just fine for us to be able to do the work we needed to complete.

If your idea of vacation is more relaxing-by-the-pool than hoofing-it-on-the-street, then… first of all, why are you in Yangon? There’s plenty of better options for resort life in Myanmar (with a beach nearby!). Even so, the Belmond Governor’s Residence was formerly home to the ruler of Myanmar’s southern states.

Belmond Governor’s Residence

Relaxing at the Belmond Governor’s Residence

The two-story, colonial-style mansion was built in the 1920s but today is a 5 Star hotel. The lush greenery, whirling fans, Dutch architecture and dark mahagony staircase add to its old-time charm while providing much-needed respite from the blazing afternoon sun, and hotel guests were lounging care-free by the pool. Prices there are 5 Star prices, too, a far cry from the street food prices just a few steps away.

The post Let’s Go: Yangon, Myanmar first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

On our trip to Thailand (my first foray into Southeast Asia), I packed adhering to the pretty strict temple dress code. I was quickly shocked to find out that a) yikes, even cotton pants don’t breathe like they should! and b) every other woman tourist there had not seemed to pack according to the dress code at all! And, what’s more, outside of each temple where they ask you not to have bare shoulders and knees is a cute little stand selling sarongs for less than $3!

So, my packing guide doesn’t always follow the dress code (because you just can’t get adjusted to the sticky hot, even if you call Charleston, SC home), but there’s a few sleeved options in case you just want to play it safe. Also, keep in mind that it’ll be cold in some airports/hotels/nights, so it’s always a safe bet to pack a variety of options.

Without further ado, here’s a suggested packing list (and options) for a two week trip to Southeast Asia. Using these ideas, you can hike up a mountain…

I did wearing clothes like this:

… My fear of heights just didn’t really love the million steps up.

… but I wouldn’t advise days-long trekking. If you’re more interested in that type of trip, you’ve found the wrong packing guide.

Suggested Packing List:
2 Shorts
1-2 Maxi Skirts
1 Pants (or leggings)
1 Long-Sleeved Shirt
5-6 Sundresses (casual)
4 Short-Sleeved Shirts
1 (lightweight) Raincoat
2 Bathing Suits

2 Workout Shorts
3 Workout Shirts

1 Pajamas

1 (lightweight) fleece

3 Bras
1 Sports Bra
5 Panties
3 Socks

1 Tennis shoes (can also be used for short hikes, etc.)
1 Flip Flops (can be used in questionable showers, beach trips, etc.)
1 Flats (make sure they are very comfortable for walking long distances!)
1 Wedge (optional; if you have extra room, a fun shoe can quickly dress you up for a fun night out)

1 Carryon purse (can also carry laptop, etc.)

Toiletries (make up, face wash, shampoo if you need a certain brand…)
Travel hairdryer (it’s a must for me; maybe you can skip it!)

Click through the gallery below for specific ideas on what to throw into your suitcase!

The post How to Pack for Two Weeks in Southeast Asia first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

I realized that travel shoes were important — especially ones that could get wet. And, with the beginning of the fall season, I’ve been on the market for a good pair of waterproof flats. Ideally, they’ll look like normal flats — but just won’t get ruined if I get caught in the rain.

I’ve found two pairs that fit the bill, both with good reviews. I’d wear both of these flats in rain or shine, so they’re easy to pack for trips when you’re mixing and matching your way through a carry-on.

 Hunter Original Ballet Flat, $125

Hunter Original Ballet Flat

Hunter Original Ballet Flat

First up, we have the Hunter Original Ballet Flat. These flats are on sale for $125 at Nordstrom and Zappos, with other not-so-cute versions at Neiman Marcus and Amazon. Both the nude (found at Zappos) and black (at Nordstrom) colors are perfect for pairing with jeans, skirts or dresses and dressing up or down. And, we all know that the Hunter brand is a trusted, tried and true rain-friendly shoe. While they’re a bit on the expensive side for a plain rubber flat, it’s an investment that will last a while. These shoes only come in full sizes, so order accordingly.

 Melissa + Jason Wu Jean Cut Out Flats, $105

Melissa + Jason Wu Jean Cutout Flats

Melissa + Jason Wu Jean Cutout Flats

I found these waterproof flats a few months ago (on ShopBop and Amazon here) and fell in love. THEN, by some stroke of good luck, I found them over on Gilt.com for only $59!!

They are the perfect travel shoe. Reviews rave about how comfortable they are (huge must) AND they bring back the 90’s fad of jellies. I couldn’t get enough of jellies in the ’90s, so I’m pumped that they’re back. But, remember the gross smell of jellies? Melissa + Jason Wu has tried to cut back on that plastic-y smell, so they’ve added a perfume to the shoe that just doesn’t quite cut it. It smells more like a 12 year old’s perfume (but then again, it is a jelly…?). On the flip side, it’s your shoe, so who’s going to be close enough to smell the perfume? These cute waterproof shoes only come in whole sizes, too and, although most reviewers said to size down, I found sizing down cramped my foot, so I’ve ordered one size up.

BOTTOM LINE:  One of these shoes is sure to fit your needs for a comfortable flat to wear on a trip each day even when it’s raining.

The post Best Waterproof Flats For Travel first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

I was about to pledge my allegiance to Verizon for the next 2 years and renew my contract but wanted to have the flexibility to use my new smartphone abroad, possibly using a foreign carrier’s SIM card. So, my nagging question that I needed answered before getting my hands on the newest iGadget:

What’s the best iPhone 6 to get for international travel?

Is it possible to get an unlocked iPhone 6? If not, who’s the best U.S. carrier to get it from to increase the chances it can be used abroad?

Here’s the short and sweet version, mostly summarized from the great information found at Techwalls.com:

The TL;DR version of that chart (but c’mon, the chart was so short and simple!): The most versatile is the A1586 (4.7″ screen) or A1524 (5.5″ screen) model that is sold by Sprint, C Spire, US Cellular as it has the capability of being the most functional abroad. The downside is that Sprint, C Spire, US Cellular only sell locked versions of their phones with a 2-year contract, so you’ll be out of luck if trying to insert another company’s SIM card (there is a chance that you can get the phone unlocked after 90 days, but it doesn’t sound like it’s a guarantee). For me, that was a deal killer as I really wanted the option of using the phone with a foreign provider. The next best option is to purchase an unlocked iPhone 6 A1586 or A1524 on the open market, since Apple hasn’t started selling them unlocked yet. This, too, was a deal breaker for me as they’re $870+ on Amazon or as much as $1,167 on eBay (ships from Hong Kong or Sydney).

Comparisons by Cellular Provider

BEST: Sprint or U.S. Cellular A1586/A1524

Pros: Most versatile, you can get access to TD-LTE  and TD-SCDMA bands which opens up use to basically every carrier in the world, this will prove to be especially useful in China

Cons: An unlocked version could cost between $870-$1,167. If you get the subsidized version from Sprint for $199, it will assuredly be locked and you won’t be able to use the phone with a foreign carrier abroad. Sure, you’ll be well connected when paying Sprint the $1.99/minute roaming rates but out of luck if you want to use an external SIM. There is a chance that Sprint will unlock the phone for you after 90 days. Even if you get it unlocked, you can’t activate it on Verizon in the future due to the “whitelisting” issue described below.

GREAT: Verizon A1549 (CDMA)/A1522 (CDMA)

Pros: UNLOCKED for foreign SIM cards (**probably**), while you’re missing out on the new TD-LTE bands, it’s still not that widespread and you’ll still have a very functional phone. You can get the 16GB iPhone 6 for $199 with a 2-year contract; you’ll get a “whitelisted” phone that is guaranteed to work on Verizon in the future.

Cons: Missing out on the TD-LTE bands, which might slow you down in China/Europe with some providers

GOOD: T-Mobile A1549 (GSM)/A1522 (GSM)

Pros: Because T-Mobile doesn’t make you lock into a contract, the phone will be UNLOCKED for foreign SIM cards, you’ll pay ~$27/month for 24-months for the base iPhone 6 instead; T-Mobile Simple Choice plan (our review of it here) is the best available for international roaming

Cons: You’ll be missing the TD-LTE bands and the CDMA bands, you wouldn’t have the option of moving this phone to Verizon (it won’t be on Verizon’s whitelist) or Sprint because the hardware is more limited

LEAST FLEXIBLE: AT&T A1549 (GSM)/A1522 (GSM)

Pros: If you’re an existing AT&T customer and want to stick with them while you’re in the U.S., this would be the easiest route

Cons: Same as the T-Mobile issues:  you’ll be limited abroad since you’ll just have access to the GSM and FD-LTE bands, even the contract-free full-price iPhone 6’s will likely come locked, you’ll have to wait up to 60 days and then request an unlock code from AT&T here (Request a device unlock for your AT&T Mobile Devices (Phones and Tablets)) and hope that they honor it.

What are you missing by not having the full TD-LTE access? Is it worth it?

The following is a list of worldwide cellular network providers that have adopted the fast, new TD-LTE technology on some or all of their network. What does this mean? This is an indication of how valuable having the most capable iPhone 6 might be to you. It answers the question, is paying the full price of $870-$1,167 for the iPhone 6 model # A1586 (4.7″) / A1524 (5.5″) (offered by Sprint/U.S. Cellular in the US) worth it?

For example, the chart below tells you that if you get the Verizon or T-Mobile/AT&T phones and then go to Sweden and insert a SIM card from the cell provider “3”, you might not be getting access to the fastest speed internet that they offer because you won’t be able to tap into the TD-LTE bands. Does that mean that the service won’t work at all? In this case, no, not at all:  you’ll still have service in Sweden because “3” also broadcasts the other LTE bands as well.

The one country that not having TD-LTE and TD-SCDMA will be rather limiting is China, so if China is a place you envision extensive use then you should probably jump through the hoops to secure the 1586 (4.7″) / A1524 (5.5″) model (offered by Sprint/U.S. Cellular in the US).

Africa
Algeria – Algerie Telecom
Ivory Coast – YooMee
Madagascar – Blueline
Nigeria – Spectranet
Nigeria – SWIFT
South Africa – Telkom / 8ta
Uganda – MTN

South America
Brazil – On Telecom
Brazil – SKY Brasil
Colombia – DirecTV

North America
Canada – ABC Communications
United States – Sprint (formerly Clearwire)

Asia
China – China Mobile
China – China Telecom
China – China Unicom
Hong Kong – China Mobile
India – Aircel
India – Airtel
Indonesia – PT Internux / Bolt
Japan – SoftBank
Philippines – Globe
Philippines – PLDT
Sri Lanka – Dialog
Sri Lanka – Lanka Bell
Sri Lanka – SLT

Europe
Belgium – b-lite
Poland – Aero2
Russia – MegaFon
Russia – MTS
Russia – Rostelecom
Russia – Vainakh Telecom
Spain – COTA / Murcia4G
Spain – NEO-SKY
Sweden – 3
United Kingdom – UK Broadband
United Kingdom – UK Broadband

Middle East
Bahrain – Menatelecom
Oman – Omantel
Saudi Arabia – Mobily
Saudi Arabia – STC
Saudi Arabia – Zain

Oceania
Australia – NBN Co
Australia – Optus
Vanuatu – WanTok

Wireless band specs

T-Mobile/AT&T – A1549 (GSM)/A1522 (GSM)
GSM: GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
LTE: Bands 1 (2100 MHz), 2 (1900 MHz), 3 (1800 MHz), 4 (AWS), 5 (850 MHz), 7 (2600 MHz), 8 (900 MHz), 13 (700c MHz), 17 (700b MHz), 18 (800 MHz), 19 (800 MHz), 20 (800 DD), 25 (1900 MHz), 26 (800 MHz), 28 (700 APT MHz) and 29 (700 de MHz)
Other: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)

Verizon/Cricket – A1549 (CDMA)/A1522 (CDMA)

GSM: (same as above) GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
LTE: (same as above) Bands 1 (2100 MHz), 2 (1900 MHz), 3 (1800 MHz), 4 (AWS), 5 (850 MHz), 7 (2600 MHz), 8 (900 MHz), 13 (700c MHz), 17 (700b MHz), 18 (800 MHz), 19 (800 MHz), 20 (800 DD), 25 (1900 MHz), 26 (800 MHz), 28 (700 APT MHz) and 29 (700 de MHz)
Other: (same as above) UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
CDMA: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (with 800, 1700/2100, 1900 and 2100 MHz bands)

Sprint/C Spire/US Cellular – A1586/A1524

GSM: (same as above) GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
LTE: (same as above) Bands 1 (2100 MHz), 2 (1900 MHz), 3 (1800 MHz), 4 (AWS), 5 (850 MHz), 7 (2600 MHz), 8 (900 MHz), 13 (700c MHz), 17 (700b MHz), 18 (800 MHz), 19 (800 MHz), 20 (800 DD), 25 (1900 MHz), 26 (800 MHz), 28 (700 APT MHz) and 29 (700 de MHz)
Other: (same as above) UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
CDMA: (same as above) CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (with 800, 1700/2100, 1900 and 2100 MHz bands)
TD-SCDMA: Bands TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A).
TD-LTE: TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41 which are corresponding to frequencies 2600 Mhz, 1900 Mhz, 2300 Mhz and 2500 Mhz).

Summary

So, to summarize, if you’re looking for ease of use without having to wait, these are the 2 iPhone 6 models that come unlocked out of the box and will work in all countries around the world (with the exception of the TD-LTE band):

1. Verizon Wireless A1549 CDMA (4.7″) or A1522 CDMA (5.5″)
2. T-Mobile A1549 GSM (4.7″) or A1522 GSM (5.5″)

My Ultimate Decision

I ended up getting the Verizon Wireless A1549 CDMA (4.7″) model for a few reasons:

• Verizon Wireless coverage is much better than T-Mobile in the areas that I live and travel within the U.S.
• I was due for an upgrade and didn’t have to deal with the hassle of porting my number to T-Mobile
• While I like the T-Mobile Simple Choice Plan for traveling internationally (it gives you unlimited data and texting while abroad for free and all voice calls are just $0.20/min), the whole point of securing an unlocked world phone is being able to use a foreign providers’ SIM cards and avoid paying the roaming fees at all
• The Verizon iPhone 6 can be switched to the T-Mobile network at anytime whereas the T-Mobile iPhone 6 cannot be transferred to the Verizon network because Verizon only authorizes the serial numbers of the iPhones that originate on their service.
• The Verizon model is GSM, LTE and CDMA capable, giving me many more options when traveling abroad

Don’t forget:

• All carriers use a different model number; you will have to cross reference the table and information found at Tech Walls to verify the model you are getting: Tech Walls – Differences between iPhone 6 Models (A1549, A1586, A1522 and A1524)
• For example, the Verizon Wireless A1549 CDMA (4.7″) comes in 3x colors and in 3x memory sizes for a total of 9 possible models. So, if you go to the Verizon or Apple website and order, you’ll see that you’re getting MG5Y2LL/A, MG5W2LL/A or MG612LL/A, etc… and want to double check to verify that that model is in fact the A1549 CDMA.

The post How-to: Buy an “Unlocked” iPhone 6 for International Travel first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

Rome2Rio is basically a multimodal transport search engine. It answers that nagging question: “what is the best way to get from point A to B?” But the “best way” is still left for you to decide, taking into account travel time vs cost.

The great thing about the site is that it gives you door-to-door approximations including estimated fuel cost for driving and fares for buses, planes, taxi, trains, ferries, etc…

Use it to explore all travel options with total times and prices

So, here’s an example of how it’s useful:  I’ll do a search for a one-way trip from my house in Charleston to The Westin Grand Central in New York.

The search returns a very clean, map-centric interface:

The search initially uses non-date specific data and provides an average estimated fare for that type of transit and ranks them in order of total time. Our Charleston-New York search returns this list:

Just as I assumed, the quickest way is to fly direct Charleston-CHS to LaGuardia-LGA, John F Kennedy-JFK or Newark-EWR, but the typical flight is around 2 hours flying time, so why is Rome2Rio quoting 5.5 hours? They take into account “transfers” and this trip, although only a direct, 1-segment flight, has 4 segments when you include the transit to/from the airports. I would image a big chunk of the estimated 2 hr 18 mins for transfers is the “transfer” from a car in Charleston to the flight for security screening, boarding etc..

During my search, I was also reminded of another reasonable way to get from Charleston to New York: fly out via Myrtle Beach-MYR. Spirit Airlines, the ultra-low-cost-carrier that we all love to hate, has a non-stop from MYR to LaGuardia-LGA and the fares are often much better than Charleston-CHS fares. How much better? Typically a few hundred less on a roundtrip fare.

In this generic test booking, driving from Charleston to Myrtle Beach would cost appx $13 in gas but save over $70 in airfare. You can decide if the extra hassle and 1 hrs 15 mins is worth it to you.

They even throw in a (very rough) estimate for driving:

Here’s an example of the driving cost estimator: $13 would cover the full cost of gas only assuming around 25 mpg. What it doesn’t include is the airport parking that I would now be stuck paying by driving to Myrtle Beach.

I could also take a bus (who knew that was an option?!):

Or the Amtrak train:

Or just suck it up and make the painful drive:

Again, the $110 covers gas only assuming appx 25 mpg and $3.50 per gallon

Once you start typing in actual dates, the alternative transportation methods might start sounding more attractive:

My round-trip travel options based upon specific dates

Use it to get a rough estimate of long, multi-stop trips

At the top of the search, you can click a “+” sign and start adding destinations to your multi-city itinerary. It won’t be perfect (the buses and trains don’t link to outside agencies to provide actual prices, but instead give you an “estimate”)

The best part of Rome2Rio

Although not perfect, Rome2Rio serves as an excellent tool to get you thinking about all of your travel options from Point A –> Point B. I know that I’ll use it in the future to consider all of my options; just by testing it out, I learned that there was bus service from Charleston to New York that I had never heard of before:

Features that need work/things to watch out for

• For driving, the cost only includes the price of gas and appears to assume fuel efficiency at around 25 MPG. They say that driving 772 miles would cost me $110. Is this realistic? No, far from it. My car is less efficient than their sample and this doesn’t account for wear and tear on the vehicle.
  They do have a field that makes it easy to suggest an improvement:
  Does this make the site unusable or the estimates useless? No, far from it. This is still a great function that helps to put multiple modes of transportation on a level playing field when comparing price.
  
  
• Some quotes include expensive taxi fares when driving might be much more economical. For example, in my Charleston to New York example, it quotes me $160 to take the train.
  This includes $30 to take a taxi from my house to the train station, but, because parking is free at the Amtrak station, I would drive there…which would cost me much less.
• Only the airfares are priced dynamically. This means that, when you enter specific dates, only the airfare options go out to another site to pull live data. In the Amtrak example above, Rome2Rio.com quotes me $130 for the ride. The actual price? Either $120 or $157 depending on my departure time. Again, is it usable? Yes. Is it perfectly accurate? No, but it serves the purpose of providing a rough estimate.

BOTTOM LINE: Rome2Rio.com is a highly useful website that, at the bare minimum, helps you learn about other methods and modes of transit to get from A –> B cheaply and efficiently. Hop on, give it a try and you might just learn something new!

The post Cool Travel Tool: Rome2Rio.com first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

Where to Get One

Chip-and-PIN

A true Chip-and-PIN card offers the ultimate in security (including in the U.S.) and flexibility when traveling abroad. Unfortunately, there are very few banks offer a true chip-and-PIN card, and they will all charge you a foreign transaction fee (between 1% and 5.5%).

• USAA cards – only available on certain MasterCards – you must be eligible to join USAA to open an account!
  • USAA Platinum MasterCard – 1% FTX fee
  • USAA World MasterCard – 1% FTX fee
  • USAA Secured Cards – 1% FTX fee
  • USAA Rate Advantage MasterCard – 1% fee FTX fee
• UNFCU (United Nations Federal Credit Union) – must join the United Nations Association to join the Credit Union, membership is $25
  • UNFCU Visa Elite – 1% FTX fee + $50 annual fee
• Travelex – Prepaid Debit Card
  • Multi-Currency Cash Passport – 5.5% FTX fee + $3/mo inactivity fee

Chip-and-PIN secondary (Chip-and-Signature technology is primary)

The following offer a Chip and PIN option, but it’s secondary. This means that you don’t get the full security of the PIN because a signature will work but if a PIN is required you’ll still be able to use it. Given that this category offers a few 0% foreign transaction fee cards, it’s currently the best choice for picking a card today.

• 0% foreign transaction fee + $0 annual fee:
• Andrews Federal Credit Union – “Free” to join with a $5 donation to the American Consumer Council
  • GlobeTrek Rewards – 0% FTX fee
• Bank of America
  • BankAmericard Travel Rewards – 0% FTX fee
• PenFed (Pentagon Federal Credit Union) – anyone can join with $15-$20 donation-how to join PenFed
  • PenFed Promise Visa Card – 0% FTX fee
  • PenFed Gold Visa Card – 0% FTX fee
• State Department Federal Credit Union – Anyone can join with a $5 donation to the American Consumer Council
  • Visa Platinum – 0% FTX fee
• 0% foreign transaction fee + $25-$125 annual fee:
• Barclaycard
  • Arrival+ – 0% FTX fee + $89 annual fee
  • Hawaiian Airlines – 0% FTX fee + $89 annual fee
• Citibank
  • ThankYou Premier – 0% FTX fee + $125 annual fee
• PenFed (Pentagon Federal Credit Union) – anyone can join with $15-$20 donation-how to join PenFed
  • Platinum Cash Rewards – 0% FTX fee + $25 annual fee
• 1-3% foreign transaction fee + $0 annual fee:
• Citibank
  • ThankYou Preferred – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Diamond Preferred – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
• Commerce Bank – must apply in person at a branch (States: CO, IL, KS, MO, OK, OH, TN)
  • Commerce Bank VISA Signature – 1% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
• Wells Fargo
  • Wells Fargo Platinum – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Wells Fargo Rewards – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Wells Fargo Cash Back – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
• Wings Financial Credit Union – open to all
  • VISA Signature – 1% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
• 3% foreign transaction fee + $50-$85 annual fee:
• Citibank
  • AAdvantage Gold – 3% FTX fee + $50 annual fee
  • AAdvantage Platinum – 3% FTX fee + $85 annual fee

Chip-and-Signature

Here are some of the major US credit cards that are already offering a Chip and Signature card (and have no foreign transaction fees!):

• 0% foreign transaction fee + $0 annual fee:
• None available!
• 0% foreign transaction fee + $25-$450 annual fee:
• American Express
  • Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card  – 0% FTX fee + $95 annual fee
  • Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card  – 0% FTX fee + $195 annual fee
  • Platinum Card from American Express  – 0% FTX fee + $450 annual fee
  • Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express  – 0% FTX fee + $450 annual fee
• Bank of America
  • BankAmericard Privileges with Travel Rewards
• Chase
  • Marriott Rewards Premier  – 0% FTX fee + $85 annual fee
  • British Airways – 0% FTX fee + $95 annual fee
  • J.P. Morgan Select – 0% FTX fee + $95 annual fee
  • Ritz-Carlton – 0% FTX fee + $395 annual fee
  • J.P. Morgan Palladium – 0% FTX fee + $595 annual fee
  • Sapphire Preferred – 0% FTX fee + $95 annual fee
• Citibank
  • Hilton Honors Reserve – 0% FTX fee + $95 annual fee
  • Prestige – 0% FTX fee + $400 annual fee
  • AAdvantage Executive – 0% FTX fee + $450 annual fee
• City National Bank
  • Crystal – 0% FTX fee + $400 annual fee
• PNC
  • PNC Premier Traveler Reserve – 0% FTX fee + $395 annual fee
  • PNC Premier Traveler – 0% FTX fee + $95 annual fee
• 1-3% foreign transaction fee + $0 annual fee:
• American Express
  • Amex EveryDaySM Credit Card – 2.7% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express – 2.7% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express – 2.7% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Blue Sky from American Express – 2.7% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Hilton HHonorsTM Card from American Express – 2.7% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Blue from American Express – 2.7% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
• Bank of America
  • AAA Member Rewards – 2% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Royal Caribbean – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Norwegian Cruise Line – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • BankAmericard Cash Rewards – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • BankAmericard – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • BankAmericard Power Rewards – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
• Citibank
  • Platinum Select – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Dividend – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Simplicity – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Forward – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
• City National Bank
  • Platinum  – 3% FTX fee (0% for New York residents) + $0 annual fee
• Fidelity
  • Fidelity AMEX – 1% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
  • Fidelity Visa – 3% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
• Star One Credit Union
  • Visa Classic – 1% FTX fee + $0 annual fee
• 1-3% foreign transaction fee + $30-$99 annual fee:
• American Express
  • American Express Serve – 2.7% FTX fee + $12 annual fee
  • JetBlue Card from American Express – 2.7% FTX fee + $40 annual fee
  • The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express – 2.7% FTX fee + $65 annual fee
  • Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express – 2.7% FTX fee + $75 annual fee
  • Blue Sky Preferred Card from American Express – 2.7% FTX fee + $75 annual fee
  • Hilton HHonorsTM Surpass Card from American Express – 2.7% FTX fee + $75 annual fee
  • Amex EveryDaySM Preferred Credit Card – 2.7% FTX fee + $95 annual fee
  • American Express Green Card – 2.7% FTX fee + $95 annual fee
  • The Mercedes-Benz Credit Card from American Express – 2.7% FTX fee + $95 annual fee
  • American Express Gold Card – 2.7% FTX fee + $125 annual fee
  • American Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card – 2.7% FTX fee + $175 annual fee
• Bank of America
  • Virgin Atlantic White Card – 1% FTX fee + $49 annual fee
  • Virgin Atlantic Black Card – 1% FTX fee + $90 annual fee
  • Asiana Airlines – 1% FTX fee + $99 annual fee
  • BankAmericard Privileges with Cash Rewards – 3% FTX fee + $75 annual fee
  • Alaska Airlines – 3% FTX fee + $35 annual fee
  • Hawaiian Airlines – 3% FTX fee + $50 annual fee
• City National Bank
  • Signature  – 3% FTX fee (0% for New York residents) + $30 annual fee
• US Bank
  • FlexPerks Travel Rewards – 3% FTX fee + $49 annual fee
  • KoreanAir SkyPass Classic – 3% FTX fee + $50 annual fee
  • KoreanAir SkyPass Secured – 3% FTX fee + $50 annual fee
  • KoreanAir SkyPass Signature – 3% FTX fee + $80 annual fee

Top Picks

The main problem with the current offerings in the true Chip-and-PIN section is that none of the strong rewards programs are participating. I.e. no Chase, American Express, hotels or airline cards and there are no cards with 0% FTX fee. Given this, my personal preference is to pick a card from the 0% foreign transaction fee + $0 annual fee category where Chip-and-PIN is available, but secondary technology. For example, the Bank of American BankAmericard Travel Rewards card. This would likely cover me if trying to use a kiosk in Europe that requires a PIN.

Then, since I don’t mind paying an annual fee, I would get a card that has a strong rewards program and 0% FTX fee. A good example of this is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card for $95 annually + 0% FTX fees. You earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to many hotels (United, British Airways, etc…) and hotels (Hyatt, Marriott, etc…).  This card offers Chip-and-Signature technology so I’d be able to use it at a majority of vendors but would always have the Chip-and-PIN card as a backup.

BOTTOM LINE: A slew of U.S. financial institutions have jumped on the chip credit card bandwagon, and more will soon join. My top pick? I don’t mind paying an annual fee for a credit card with a good rewards program and currently use the Chase Sapphire Preferred for most of my purchases.

The post Great Travel Tool: Banks Offering Smart Chip/EMV Credit Cards first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

Details on the Plan

The basic plan you’ll need is the “Simple Choice” plan, starting at $50/month for 500 MB of data and up to $70/month for unlimited data. All simple plans offer unlimited talk and text. If you choose the $70 plan, this will get you:

• Unlimited data abroad (Standard speeds ~128 Kbps. No tethering.)
• Unlimited texts abroad (back to the U.S. or within same country)
• Calling to the U.S. for 20¢/min

The best news? T-Mobile has completely stopped doing contracts, which means you can easily sign up for 1 month and then cancel if you just want to use it for a big trip.

Coverage is available in 115+ countries:

T-Mobile has got you covered 

T-Mobile vs The Competition

As a comparison, here’s the best Verizon can do for you (just picked a few sample countries):

Take Argentina, for example:  Verizon will hit you up for $4.99/min compared to T-Mobile’s $0.20/min, providing a 96% savings.

How To Get It

You can order online or in any T-Mobile store. Just ask for/select the “Simple Choice” plan. It will already come with International Roaming activated, but it’s worth confirming before heading abroad. Total price:

• $10.85 ($10 + tax) for T-Mobile SIM card (I’m using my own unlocked phone)
• $79.90 ($70/month + taxes/fees) for Simple Choice Unlimited Plan

Word of warning:  I went into a T-Mobile store and signed up for the “Simple Choice” plan with unlimited talk, text and data for $70/month + tax. They asked for my driver’s license and social security number; I made sure to ask if they would be doing a “soft pull” or a “hard pull” on my credit (read about the difference here). The girl helping me didn’t have the slightest clue to as what I was talking about but I proceeded because it would have to be a “soft pull,” right? I mean, they’re checking my credit to make sure I can repay them around $100/month… Well, I was very wrong. I returned from the trip to find this added to my credit report:

Damnit, T-Mobile…thanks for nothing.

My advice:  Proceed with caution and be very clear with the customer service agent that you’re not consenting to a hard pull on your credit report.

Review of the Service

Germany, Frankfurt: Service worked great all over the city; I was able to use Google Maps easily. I had 3G data service throughout.

1. Latency: 496ms 412ms  429ms  427ms  409ms  364ms  389ms  400ms  406ms  412ms
   Speed: 196kbps
2. Latency: 1051ms 451ms  422ms  726ms  488ms  430ms  439ms  440ms  458ms  450ms
   Speed: 186kbps

Indonesia, Denpasar/Bali Region: The service was spotty, at best. My phone would often switch between 3G and EDGE data service. Despite the spotty service, having the phone came in handy and the speed (when I had service) was better than promised by T-Mobile (they only advertise 128kbps).

1. Latency: 1739ms 5828ms  726ms  736ms  732ms  761ms  924ms  967ms  7559ms  1381ms
   Speed: 129kbps
2. Latency: 706ms 740ms  757ms  752ms  738ms  742ms  747ms  713ms  759ms  954ms
   Speed: 168kbps
3. Latency: 747ms 737ms  741ms  772ms  761ms  755ms  762ms  865ms  743ms  755ms
   Speed: 191kbps

Indonesia, Ubud/Bali Region: 

1. Latency: 725ms 743ms 697ms 759ms 727ms 715ms 725ms 717ms 714ms 696ms
   Speed: 195kbps

Indonesia, Jakarta: Didn’t run any speed tests, but I found the service to work fine:  3G data just about everywhere.

Singapore: We had an 8 hour layover in Singapore and went into the city. Not sure what was going on, but we had NO SERVICE IN SINGAPORE. I have a quad-band GSM phone so no issues there.

The Maldives: This country is not included in T-Mobile’s free data plan so I did not test it. Current voice rates are at $5.99/min, texts are $0.50 and data is charged at $15/megabyte.

BOTTOM LINE: Communications used to be one of the most costly/inconvenient parts of traveling abroad, but, now (thanks to T-Mobile), it’s not just affordable–it’s downright cheap. The service, while slow if you’ve already been spoiled off of running LTE or 4G data, is adequate for checking email or running Google Maps while on the go. I highly recommend using T Mobile’s new plan when traveling abroad.

The post Great Travel Tool: T-Mobile Unlimited International Data & Texting (and Cheap Calling, too) first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

Here is the calculation going on behind the scenes:

1. First you’re finding a suitable award ticket and noting the price of the award and the taxes/fees you’re being charged (this is the “32,000 miles” and “$600 taxes/surcharge” in the example)
2. Then you should go and price out a flight on similar dates on Kayak.com, Orbitz, Expedia etc… and note the price and miles that you could be earning (“$1,500 flight” and “8,000 forgone miles”).
3. If you’re earning any additional miles/points from being an elite member of a program you should include these (“2,000 *bonus* forgone miles”)
4. This will give you a Price / Divided by miles calculation which returns the value you’re getting from the award booking in cents/point.

Very basic rules of thumb (these are all highly subjective):

• If the return is 2+ cents per point/mile, you’re OK to book with points, anything less and you should consider booking with cash.
  • This goes for American Express Membership Rewards points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Hyatt Gold Passport points, etc…
• For Starwood points, I generally look for a return of closer to 3 – 4 cents/point.
• You might be a little cash poor right now (hey, even the rich and famous have some “cash flow” issues every now and then), in which case you might be satisfied with a lower return of, say, 1.5 cents/point.
• Also, many hotel programs have their points at a level where a return of much less than 2 cents/point or much more than 2 cent/point is acceptable.
• Why the 2.0 cents per mile/point threshold? Basically, because there are a number of cash back reward credit cards out there that give you 2% cash. So, if you’re usually getting < 2 cents/point on your AMEX points, you should consider one of these cash back cards. It will allow you to get a fixed 2 cents/point AND you won’t have to use complicated award booking sites but will instead be able to EARN miles/points while staying/flying/riding (the train).

The post Travel Tool: Award Calculator first appeared on Weekend Blitz.