Charleston South Carolina Cheap Eats
By VGP Blogger, Rachel B As the weather warms up in my hometown of Charleston, South Carolina I’ve had getting out for a nice weeknight meal on my mind. I’ve also been trying to budget my habits of eating out,…
Another Reason to Visit Austin: International Flights on the Dreamliner
Need another reason to visit Austin? How about international flights on the dreamliner By VGP Blogger, Rachel B British Airways started flights this Monday from Austin to London, giving the Texas capital its first-ever regular service to Europe. Austin will…
Airing Your Laundry Out
I’ve just wrapped up a 28 day trip to Australia for business. I only took one medium sized suitcase and decided that I would do laundry. There were plenty of dry cleaning options, but I had a hard time finding…
Summer In Melbourne Australia
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Melbourne Australia on a few occasions. This trip, however, has been the longest trip to date. I’m spending 25 nights here in Melbourne and so I’ve had the opportunity to explore the city more…
Disney Ticket Prices On The Rise, Again
By VGP Blogger, Rachel B Disney has raised Magic Kingdom prices by $4 to $99 for adults and children ages 10 and older. This is the second time in eight months Disney has raised their admission prices. Last June, daily admission…
Onboard Qantas 444 As 5000 Jobs Are Cut
Today I flew from Melbourne, Australia to Sydney, Australia on flight 444. It was my first trip with Qantas and all I could think was, wow, if they didn’t have personal iPads streaming entertainment for every single passenger onboard the…
Australia’s Great Ocean Road
Australia’s Great Ocean Road is a scenic road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the cities of Torquay and Allansford. Australia’s Great Ocean Road stretches for 151 miles and was built by soldiers between 1919 and 1932. The road is…
White Night Melbourne Australia
White Night Melbourne was held this past weekend (February 22nd) from 7pm to 7am. Yes, you read that right, 7pm to 7am. I had been forewarned that the streets would be closed and the city would be crazy, but I…
Off-Beat Travel Tips
By VGP Blogger, Rachel There are plenty of travel tips out there but below are some of my personal, off beat travel tips. Hopefully they can make your next trip a little smoother! 1. I have a very strategic way of…
Lansdowne Resort Review
By VGP Blogger, Rachel B I had a brief retreat last week at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia. The winter weather in the DC area made it a good week to be cozy in their many conference rooms and…
Sonoma in 48 Hours
By VGP Blogger, Rachel B. Visiting California wine country in the off season winter months is perfect for the frugal traveler and wino. You will find great rates at hotels and B&B’s, enjoy crowd less wineries and have ample time…
Hotel Wilshire, a Kimpton Hotel
By VGP Blogger, Rachel B I recently spent 10 nights at the Hotel Wilshire, a Kimpton Hotel in Los Angeles. I mostly chose this hotel because it was close by to where I needed to work and I always find…
Air China Business Class PEK to SYD
This week I flew Air China Business Class PEK to SYD with a short stop in Shanghai. I arrived at the Beijing Capital Airport and headed for the business class checkin at Terminal 3. The business class/first class checkin area is…
United Airlines Business First EWR to PEK
Last week I had the opportunity to fly United Airlines Business First EWR to PEK. I arrived early at the airport because the weather was bad. The previous day flights had been cancelled to many New York, New Jersey and…
Navigating China’s 72-Hour Visa-Free Travel Policy
International travelers allowed 72-hour visa-free transit through Beijing, Shanghai & Guangzhou One year ago China began allowing passengers from 45 countries transiting through Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou (Guangzhou was added August 1st 2013) to a third country can enjoy a 72-hour visa-free transit…
Global Entry In Australia
As I prepared to arrive in Sydney I recalled that the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Global Entry program had been expanded through a partnership with the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service’s SmartGate e-Passport program. What is Global…