Vacations By Jill
  • Home
  • About Jill
  • Travel with Jill Blog
  • Reservation Forms
    • New Reservation
    • Existing Reservation Payment Form
  • Financing
  • Contact Me to Plan Travel

Travel with Jill Blog

Hey there! Thanks for checking out my Travel Blog!
Here I will put in travel tips, interesting things that I see during my travels, some of my client's travels, and random things that I like! :)

Picture

Get an Email anytime there is a new Blog Post:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Subscribe in a reader

5 Amazing Travel Gifts that make Travel Easier 2018

11/24/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
When I travel I LOVE to have ANY gadget that makes travel easier for me. Some of the things that I like are kind of frivolous (like a discreet designer pill case); but some are life savers like my portable charger (the thing with portable chargers is that you HAVE to get the right one).

If you LOVE to travel; or know someone who does--below are some GREAT travel gifts to give (based on what I already own).

I hope that this gives you some ideas!

Travelambo Luggage Tags & Bag Tags Stainless Steel Aluminum Various Colors (mixed colors 10 pcs set)
I have used these luggage tags for YEARS! In the age of privacy I love having a good luggage tag that only displays your name on the outside. In the event that your luggage is lost, whoever finds it would slide out the card on the inside and be able to see all of the information needed in order to get your luggage back to you. Luggage lost in the airport? (which has happened to me) NO PROBLEM! The tags attach with a sturdy steel loop that screws on--this tag will NEVER come off. In the reviews when I bought this item, I saw that some people said that they can come unscrewed so after screwing the steel loop to my luggage, I secured the part that screws in with a piece of tape. My tags stay secure now on my luggage.
This AMAZING Power Bank: Power Bank Portable Charger 24000mAh
I own this exact power bank. What makes this power bank any more special than another? The countdown that lets you know how much power is left in the bank. I have owned a TON of power banks. I like to take a lot of pictures when traveling, and the ones that just have the 4 lights that light up to tell you how much power is left in your bank are NOT good (this is just my opinion--they seem to not last as long). Any small round power bank that just lights up--no good either. I have never gotten a good charge from one of those ever. This bank can FULLY charge 2 phones at the same time--OR (in my case because I don't have patience) charge your phone sufficient enough for a few hours up to 6 - 8 times a day. Before I travel I make sure its on 100% and go! My trips are usually 3 - 4 days and I never find myself having to recharge the bank itself (unless I've toured a LOT of resorts in one day). Its one of those power banks that don't make me worry that I'll ever be stuck with no charge on my phone, my kids tablets, OR my Fitbit.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
This suggestion comes from my husband. I am a COMPLETE wifi on the plane person--but when traveling to the Caribbean (which I do a lot of yearly)--the wifi goes out once you leave the United States. This means a LOT of the time that you only have wifi for a good hour at most. This is completely fine when you're traveling to Mexico from Texas as you can do a LOT in the next hour and not get bored. When you're traveling to Aruba and your flight is a bit longer--thats when boredom can kick in (at least for me). The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite can keep all of your books in one place, and you can even download audio books if you just want to sit back and listen. You DO have to load these items BEFORE you get on the plane in order to be able to access them without wifi.
I like this gadget because it encourages you to READ (and if you're listening to an audio book--you're still learning no matter what type of book you're listening to).
My husband even got a cool case (here) that looks like one of the old school composition books that we used to use in school.
This is a great buy for an avid traveler OR reader.
Packing Cubes 7-Pcs Travel Organizer Accessories with Shoe Bag & 2 Toiletry Bags
I absolutely LOVE packing cubes. I saw an ad for them awhile back and thought that they were dumb. Then a friend gifted me some for Christmas a couple of years ago. I am not the most organized person, but these cubes help me feel like I am! I have a cube for shirts, one for underwear etc, one for toiletries--pretty much one for everything. I always have space left over in my suitcase and won't travel without these cubes now. My house flooded (thanks Hurricane Harvey) last year, so my original set of cubes were destroyed but I went back and bought the ones in the photo. Packing cubes will change how you pack forever.
Vera Bradley Iconic Travel Pill Case
I have this pill case (though its in a different design that I couldn't find). I will admit that I use this OUTSIDE of travel as well. I love this because its discreet. Instead of having your medication or vitamins accidentally spill out of your bag and having nosey people knowing all of your business, this case eliminates the chance for all of that. Its cute, compact and only YOU know whats inside. I don't remember why I bought this at all (not for any of the reasons that I just listed lol); BUT now I do appreciate it.
These are just a FEW of the things that I travel with that I believe make my life easier when traveling. I hope that this helps with any gift ideas (or that you just look into them for yourself).
0 Comments

Why you should invest in TSA Pre-Check (Seriously).

11/16/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Back in 2016, my husband and I invested in TSA Pre-Check (we actually did it for our anniversary--we are such a romantic couple ?); and its seriously the BEST thing!
If you are a person who travels via airplane a few times a year TSA Pre-Check is so worth it (if you like to SKIP LINES like I do!).

TSA Pre-Check speeds you through security at the airport & there is usually a separate line just for TSA Pre-Check. Since having TSA Pre-Check status, I've never waited longer than 5 minutes in an airport security line. The only time that I've ever been to the airport and there WAS NOT a TSA Pre-Check line is when I've gone to the airport at an odd time (like 3AM for a 5AM flight).

The BEST part about TSA Pre-Check to me (besides being in a much shorter line) is that you don't have to take off shoes & socks when walking through security. The WORST thing is taking off everything to get through an airport security line.

TSA Pre-Check costs $85 but it lasts 5 years! So basically for $17 a year, you can have peace of mind at the airport instead of DREADING how long the security line will be.

To apply you fill out a form here. Then you must go to an "authorized interview" location to be fingerprinted and interviewed (this whole process took about 15 minutes per person when my husband and I went). Then they mail you your TSA Pre-Check number in the mail (Known Traveler Number).

When you book flights you just put that number in the TSA Pre-Check or Known Traveler Number (KTN) field. If you are using a travel consultant such as myself, you can just have them enter your number for you as well. You MUST enter this number as it has to be attached to your ticket when you get to the security checkpoint at the airport. If you get to the checkpoint and its NOT attached to your ticket, you will have to go through the regular security checkpoint line.

After your TSA Pre-Check status expires in 5 years, you can easily renew it online (without having to go to be fingerprinted and interviewed again).

The only con that I can see to investing in TSA Pre-Check is that it only works at US airports (Global Entry is a better option for International which I will cover in another post).
For a list of airports that offer TSA Pre-Check click here.

So, if you're on the fence about TSA Pre-Check and you fly more than I'd say TWICE a year and can't STAND to be in a line--this is definitely a great investment. I arrived at the airport 45 minutes before my flight took off to Cabo this summer and made it to my gate 5 minutes before boarding at IAH (Bush Intercontinental Airport) thanks to TSA Pre-Check.

NOTE: I don't EVER recommend arriving this late at an airport (lol)

0 Comments

    Author

    I'm Jill Tate Williamson. I work for LTW Travel under the name Vacations By Jill. I love to write & I love to travel.  :)

    Archives

    March 2020
    October 2019
    July 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018

    Categories

    All
    Airport Tips
    Cruise Travel
    Travel Apps
    Travel Gear
    Volunteer Tourism

    RSS Feed

I would love to help plan your next travel adventure!

Picture

Picture
Picture

Email

jill@ltwtravelteam.com

Telephone

800-887-0564

Forms
Click here for new reservation
Click here for existing reservation payment form

  • Home
  • About Jill
  • Travel with Jill Blog
  • Reservation Forms
    • New Reservation
    • Existing Reservation Payment Form
  • Financing
  • Contact Me to Plan Travel