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5 Facts About Amsterdam – Amsterdam Week – Let’s Go

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amesterdam-clogs-robincharmagne

Hi Pretties,
It’s Amsterdam Week! I was so smitten with this province of The Netherlands, I wanted to share some deets on this fabulous spot! Let’s start with some fun facts about Amsterdam!

5 Amsterdam Facts

1. It is surrounded by 60 miles of water, made up of canals. The residents can walk right out their front door to the canal. What a view!
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2. So I will get this one out of the way now. Yes, marijuana is legal in Amsterdam. No, you can not smoke it anywhere – coffee shops only. You get coffee at cafes. Kinda confusing I know.
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3. Febo is a popular fast food outlet. These are vending machines that serve hot food on the cheap! I had a kipcorn for 2 euros, can’t beat the value. Yummy!
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4. Bicycles rule in Amsterdam. There are more bikes than people and they are serious about their bikes, very aggressive bikers. Everyone rides!
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5. So probably could have covered this after #2. Prostitution is legal in Amsterdam, primarily in the Red Light District. When the ladies are on duty, the red light around their window is lit. But don’t take pictures if you want to keep your camera. Real talk, we had the most fun in the Red Light District,very lively, loads of bars and restaurants and people watching.
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Bonus: Everyone speaks English!

Would you visit Amsterdam?

Linking with these lovely bloggers.

robincharmagne
Images: personal

Google Flights – Let’s Go

by 10 Comments

google-flights-on-robincharmagne
Hello pretties,
Google it! Yep we google everything, so why not google travel. If you have been around robincharmagne, you know travel is my bae! And, my travel season starts this month, woot-woot! So a couple of days ago, I was looking for a flight and another travel diva suggested Google Flights. So I gave it a whirl, here is how it works.

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Start with Google, of course

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First enter a destination

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Orlando is a popular destination, who doesn’t love Disney

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$57 winner

The key to travel deals — be flexible!

Click To Tweet

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Flight Options – $57 to $289

Favorite Feature

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For when you need a break, but have no idea where to go

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Suggestions of other cool destinations with prices

Google Flights is lightening fast and populates options super fast. As with most travel search engines, you can use filters to narrow down your preferences, i.e., round-trip, travel times, airlines, etc. The only drawback to this site is that you can not book on the site. You click out to the airline you select to actually book the flight. Use Google Flights as the perfect research tool for your travel needs even if you have no idea of where you are traveling.

What travel search engines do you use to plan and research flights?

Linking with these lovely bloggers.

robincharmagne

GunShow – Let’s Go

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gunshowatl-robincharmagne

Hello pretties,
Gunshow is a must try eatery in The A. A very unique dining experience like nothing else in the city. Opened by Kevin Gillespie of Top Chef fame, the restaurant is “inspired by Brazilian churrascaria-style dining and Chinese dim sum” so you already know you are in for a treat. The concept is each chef prepares a dish and brings it to your table. You pick the dish if you like and then another chef brings out his dish and you choose again. You will get to try about 10 dishes over the course of the dinner. The kitchen is up close and personal so you can watch each chef prepare their dishes. And, don’t worry about being thirsty, the bartender makes your drink right at the table – so very cool.

5 Things To Know About Gunshow

1 – There is no “may I take your order?” or “what will you have?” So, keep an open mind
2 – Make your choice quickly! If you see a dish you like, say yes, it might not come back around
3 – Don’t be concerned about insulting the chef! If you want to pass on a dish, that is perfectly okay
4 – Rub elbows with your neighbor, it is communal seating. My neighbor’s drink looked so inviting, he shared it with me – too much fun
5 – Perfect spot for small group outing – a girl’s night or a work meeting, lots of food to share among friends

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I swear I would dine here once a week, totally worth it. My favorite dish was the braised lamb with confit sweet potato, endive, and celery root. The roasted garlic panisse, turnip, tahini, and kale was so pretty I did not want to eat it – but I did!! Okay so the signature dessert is banana pudding, but for me it was a miss. I like my banana pudding cold and thick. Hot, soupy banana pudding is not appetizing, sorry Chef Kevin. The restaurant is only open from 6-9, Tuesday to Saturday. If you want to try fancy food in a very casual environment, then this is the spot for you! Highly recommend if you are in the area!

Have you been to Gunshow or any good restaurants lately?

Linking with these lovely bloggers.

robincharmagne

5 Tips For A West Coast Tour – Let’s Go

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sandiego-zoo-robincharmagne

Hello pretties,
Wrapping up summer this week and heading into a new quarter, but looking back on good travel memories. Y’all know my birthday = a trip somewhere and this year it was a West Coast Tour from The A to San Diego and Los Angeles. So me and my travel sister Tanishame over @glamcury, go check her out, split up these two fab Cali towns – I planned SD and she planned LA. Too much fun, for real! Now from The A to the West Coast isn’t too bad but if you are coming from someplace further away, here are a few tips to help on a coast to coast flight.

West Coast Tour

1 – Before and during your trip – hydrate, hydrate, and more hydration. Airplanes are dry as heck so drink up and avoid alcohol.
2 – Splurge and get some good noise cancelling headphones to drown out the talking and general airplane sounds. Those free earbuds the airlines passes out are a hot mess. On a longer flight, the airlines offer some form of entertainment, good headphones make the experience so much more enjoyable. When you are ready to nap, good headphones are a lifesaver.
3 – So we got a super good deal to Cali, but it included a 3 hour layover in San Francisco. If you have a longer layover, use the airlines lounge. At the United Airlines lounge, we enjoyed WiFi, outlets for charging and a nice buffet – the mimosas were not bad either! You’ll have to be a member to visit, spoil yourself!
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4 – Once you land and check-in at your hotel, skip the nap and hit the streets, grab a meal at a popular spot. We hit Sweetie Pies in LA, too dang good – was Mama back there cooking? Then come back to the room to rest and refresh!
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5 – Who cares what time it is at home!!?? Get on West Coast time girl, after all you are on vacay.
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Oh and did I tell you me and my twin hit Vegas on our birthday? Our first trip, just the twins and we had a ball! I hit it big a few times too!
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Images: Personal

The end of summer doesn’t signal the end of travel season, more posts to come!!

What’s your tip for jet lag or for longer flights?

Linking with these lovely bloggers.

robincharmagne

Travel Insurance – Let’s Go

by 4 Comments

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Image: personal – Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado, CA


Hello pretties,
Travel is still on the agenda. I know you are thinking it is September 1 and summer is coming to an end and thus your travel adventures. Fear not, there are lots of places to see even as the weather changes and as the holiday season approaches. However, before you start packing, let’s talk travel insurance…

5 Reasons You Need Travel Insurance

1. Once you spend the bucks and the time to get that coveted passport, you guard it with your life. But what happens if your wallet and passport are stolen while you are snapping pictures at Stonehenge.

2. The Farmer’s Almanac said the weather was going to be great, but Hurricane So and So did not get the memo and you have to evacuate that lovely resort.

3. You told your cousin you did not want to rent that cute convertible to travel the curvy roads on the Amalfi Coast. But, Noooo and bam, you hit a guardrail.

4. Trying new foods is always fun when traveling but your stomach is doing somersaults and the room is spinning, you need to visit “el hospital”.

5. Mama said that cheap flight was too good to be true. She was right – Fly Cheaper Airlines is now bankrupt.

Image - personal - Coronado, CA

Image – personal – Coronado, CA

Yes there are many more scenarios where travel insurance will save your rumpus, but I especially recommend it for any international travel. The prices and coverage varies depending upon the carrier. The cheapest might not provide the level of coverage you need. Conversely, do not overbuy either! Make sure you read the fine print.

Do you consider travel insurance when vacay planning and have you purchased it? Happy Travels!

Linking with these lovely bloggers.

robincharmagne

5 Places To Stay – Let’s Go

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Hello pretties,
July is my month with birthdays and vacation, it is time to hit the road. Where to stay is a big part of vacation planning and besides airfare is your second biggest decision. As a confessed hotel snob, I am always on the hunt for a cute place to stay. But hotels are not your only option. Here five options for your next getaway…

Alternatives To Hotels

Bed and Breakfasts or B&Bs are small homes that have been converted for guests. With this experience you get a cozy place to stay and you can mix and mingle with other guests at meals or in common areas like a yard or patio.

Recreational Vehicles or RVs is basically a house on wheels. They include many of the comforts and convenience of home like a kitchen, bed, and a bathroom. RV’s come in many shapes and sizes from the tow version that hooks up to your truck or SUV to massive coaches.

Vacation rentals are a nice home away from home. You get the full run of the house including kitchen, living/sleeping spaces, laundry facilities and sometimes extras like a hot tub, grill, pool table, and games like PlayStation 2/ X-Box or vintage arcade games. You can also rent a condominium with similar accommodations.

Capsule hotels a small room for one person. Expect usually a bed or mattress, radio, and TV. This is a no frills, inexpensive option. Rent more than one for the family.

Villa a big estate usually tucked away in the countryside of your destination. You will typically have a well appointed kitchen, living/dining areas, multiple bedrooms and a swimming pool, patio, or garden. Some villas also come with a service staff.

There are good alternatives to hotel stays in the full range of pricing from cheap to luxury. If you’re not feeling adventurous, TripAdvisor is a good resource for lodging. Which one would you try for your next vacation?

Linking with these lovely bloggers.

robincharmagne

Saving Coins For Vacation – Let’s Go

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saving-cruise-robincharmagne

Personal photo – Carnival Breeze- Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Hello pretties,
Saving coins for vacation is always on the agenda because you never know when a fabulous deal could pop up! So, finding this app was right on-time. Summer is just about 20 days away so you have plenty of time to save up for a summer vacay. Qapital is an app that helps you save for anything. Here is how it works…

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Download the app from iTunes or Google Play

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What do you want to save for?

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Name the goal – plane tickets, luggage, or passport fees for example and the saving amount

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How will you save? I chose the round-up method

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The amount you spend is rounded up to the next $1.00

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So fun to see that money adding up

In the above example, the goal is $100 for Souvenir and then you can see my actual goal, round up of a purchase and amount saved! This is a no-brainer and totally free. Just tie to your account and the app does the work. There is a built in fail-safe so you do not overdraw your account and best of all it is FDIC insured, just like with your bank. I thought the round-up method was the easiest way to save, but Qapital offers other methods as well. You can withdraw your money at any time via the app with no fees. This app just rocks and I will have a nice piece of change for summer vacation.

Would you use an app like this to save money?

Linking with these lovely bloggers.

robincharmagne

**This post is not sponsored, I’m just psyched about this app! An update, I now have $12 saved up!

Another update: I have saved for multiple trips using this app!

Hopper App – Let’s Go

by 4 Comments

hopper-flight-deals-robincharmagne

Hello pretties,
Hopper is one more app to add to your smartphone. Y’all know I love to travel but I have to get my coins in order. I do not want to spend all my money on just the flight cause sightseeing, eating, and shopping are always a part of the vacay plans. So in steps Hopper. This app is the bomb, it not only lets you book the flight via your phone, but tells you when it is the best time to buy your ticket.

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This cute little bunny pops up on your phone


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Your flight predication displays – Wait or Buy


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Hopper gives the details on future flight prices

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If you decide to buy, you can pick the airline and then book the flight


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Sadly, all the airlines don’t supply flight details

Hopper is a cool app that I have been using for a few weeks now to plan for some upcoming trips. This is an easy way to watch multiple trips and get information for most airlines, except of course my hometown favorite Delta. But to secure a good deal, I would definitely fly a different airline. It is a free app and there are no hidden fees with booking your flight. And don’t worry, the site is secure and you can select seats and check bags all in the app. Look for it on iTunes and Google Play.

Do you use an app for flight deals?

Enjoy Cinco de Mayo today!

Linking with these lovely bloggers.

robincharmagne

**This is not a sponsored post, I just like this app!