DavidTravel DailyTips (DT DT)

Enjoying Amazing sunset at home.

2:30pm 9 Jan Arrived home from a great DavidTravel journey to Egypt!

Gorgeous weather every day in Egypt and a gorgeous summer like day at home in Corona del Mar, California (Orange County).

Above is a photo of the 9 January sunset here at home in Corona del Mar…wow…love to travel to diverse lands and nice to be home by the beach in Southern California!

Happy New Year to all!

Hugs,

David

PS: I will post photos of the Egypt trip soon!

I send best wishes for enjoying life filled with fun, peace, health, happiness, wonder, excitement, learning, growth, contentment and joy! Hugs, David

Great Travel Gadget. Part 1.

Travelon Portable Luggage Scale, $9.95

I am a fan of Travelon’s old-school analog model.

At 4 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ x 3″ when unextended, the device from top to bottom is a handle attached to a 75 pound capacity scale with a metal hook. Slip your bag’s handle onto the hook, hold the handle up and out, and get a reading. That’s it. The spool casing also contains a tape measure.

Try our excellent local luggage store that sells online:
Rooten’s Luggage Center
www.RootensLuggage.com  (aka:  www.octravelgear.com )

On their site, the scale is at:
http://www.octravelgear.com/shop/p896/Luggage_Scale_with_Tape_Measure_-_Travelon/product_info.html

Beginning today, Thursday, 3 December 2009 and probably lasting until mid-January 2010, The Hotel Bel-Air in Beverly Hills is selling everything including beds, couches, chairs, lamps, pots, silverware, pillows and TVs.

Prices range from a couple of dollars to thousands.

The sale begins at 10 am, but it’s not being held at the five-star hotel because it is undergoing renovations for at least another year. The sale is held at the former Circuit City store in Santa Monica, CA at 1251 4th St, Santa Monica, CA 90401

See the video on ABC.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7150798

Very cool!

a DT DT (DavidTravel Daily Tip)

Nearly everything was taken out of the hotel, and the choice items fill two entire floors.

Four airlines now allow you to get your boarding pass at Paddington Station’s Heathrow Express.
…for now, only Delta Air Lines, Finnair, Iberia and United Airlines.

However, we recommend doing this online, if you can, before leaving your London hotel or home.

Heathrow Express has introduced airport check-in (not of luggage check-in!) facilities and flight information screens at Paddington Station.

Heathrow Express managing director, Richard Robinson, said, “People do not always get the opportunity to print their boarding pass before getting to the airport. By introducing this service at Paddington, customers have the opportunity to print their boarding pass and avoid the hassle of queuing for check-in at the airport.”

He added, “Customers can then proceed direct to their airline’s designated bag-drop if they have hold luggage. There are three Common User Self Service (CUSS) check-in kiosks located next to the Heathrow Express ticket office at Paddington, which will initially be available only to passengers travelling with Delta Air Lines, Finnair, Iberia and United Airlines.

Meanwhile the flight information screens, showing all of the day’s flights, the airlines operating them and the terminals from which they depart, are situated near the Heathrow Express ticket office and half way down platforms six and seven, which are dedicated solely to Heathrow Express services.”

a DT DT (DavidTravel Daily Tip)

Les Deux Abeilles
189 rue de l’Université
75007 Paris
Metro: Alma Marceau

This small tea salon near the Eiffel Tower serves the most stunning home-made cakes (marron glacé cake being a favorite!) and thick dark hot chocolate. Only order the two at the same time if very hearty , as a small bed may be required at the local hospital for a heart check up!

Enjoy!

Comme à la Maison
Village St Paul/Court Vert
9 rue St Paul
75004 Paris
Metro: St Paul

Sensational hot chocolate served in a generous white ceramic jug on a platter with a glass of water (de riguer with these type of hot chocolates!) It is poured out with glistening cocoa butter bubbles frothing down into the cup. Excellent.  Enjoy!

More Paris hot chocolate suggestions to come from our Paris expert!

USA Today reports, “Rush is on for stimulus’s high-speed rail dollars.”

The article states:
California “envisions trains zipping along at average speeds topping 200 mph between San Francisco and Los Angeles. It’s the country’s most advanced plan and one with a potential $45 billion price tag, says Samer Madanat, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California-Berkeley.

Most Amtrak trains reach top speeds of 79 mph, Hagler says. The USA’s only current train service that could be considered high-speed rail, Amtrak’s Acela Express, runs from Boston to Washington at top speeds of 150 mph. Hagler says the Acela hits its top speeds only on small stretches.”

See article: bit.ly/DavidTravel-USA-Trains-11-30-09

Thanks so much to all for the Happy Birthday wishes! It has been a wonderful Birthday and Thanksgiving week with family, friends and colleagues!

Air New Zealand slashing domestic fares. bit.ly/DavidTravel-NZ-Air-10-09

Interesting:
Reusable baggage tags will be introduced, allowing frequent travelers to pick up bags at regional airports as they step off planes rather than at a collection point.

We have great local experts in New Zealand ….now is a great time to go and they are going into summer season!