Is it acting like autumn where you are yet? It’s not here. I’m staring at a deck refinishing project (x2) and wishing it would quit being 90˚+ every day! Come on, winter! I have a massive pile of books to read, sipping tea while it gently snows. A girl can dream.

This blog is going to be a bit different. At the beginning of the year, you may remember us mentioning that Jason took on a new position at the University that put him in charge of his whole department in the business school. Plus, he somehow landed on the strategic planning committee for the entire University. What!? Well, that means he was suddenly very NOT available for group travel, only work travel. Womp, womp. For reasons I’m not going to get into, I can’t really do our big group travel trips without him, currently.

So.

As is the usual course in our household, I have been talking with folks and brainstorming for months. I have concluded:

1. Y’all want some help planning your trips!
2. I happen to LOVE planning trips.
3. So, I’m going to begin creating custom itineraries this winter for trips that you can book yourself. I’ll plan out all the details and make all the recommendations for you to choose from; you just need to do the booking from an easy little checklist!

Isn’t this what a travel agent is for?

This is a little different than relying on a travel agent. We are not licensed travel agents; therefore, I cannot do the booking FOR you without us being physically present on a group trip. But that’s no problem, you’ve got this!

Why would you want to go this route instead of hiring a travel agent to do ALL the work for you?

Personally, I believe the more involved you are in your trip planning, the more you will get out of your trip. In a house full of academics and knowledge seekers, we’re always looking for ways to expand our minds. This is a simple way to build confidence (anxiety sufferers unite!), problem solve, and just learn a ton about where you’re going.

Some benefits to booking yourself:

• You can pick and choose what you want to do without being stuck with a pre-set package.
• You have control of your budget. We’ll share our tips and tricks for getting the best price.
• You can make last-minute changes and spontaneous decisions as you go.
• You’ll build confidence in yourself while developing skills.
• You get to read all the reviews before you make your choices.
• You’ll be able to choose from a much wider range of options for your trip.
• You’ll have us throughout the planning process. We’re always happy to answer questions.
• Plus, a HUGE bonus: you get to keep all your points and miles so you can benefit from the massive savings through the brand’s booking portals!

Ya, that sounds like a lot of work…

What if you just want to sit on the beach or ride on a boat for a week to decompress? Great! Get with a travel agent and go do that! That’s not what we’re doing here. *wink*

We all travel for different reasons, but if you’re looking for a deep dive into another portion of the world, let’s talk. We’ll ALWAYS tell you we have the most fun learning new things, trying to speak phrases in new languages (badly), and feeling really accomplished when we catch the correct train going the right direction when you really can’t read the signs. Ha!

Going forward

Be on the lookout for more details in the future. I’m currently thinking I won’t be able to set this up or give it the needed attention until after Christmas. I have a massive to-do list for home while the weather is still cooperating (kinda), a family trip to Scotland (woohoo!), and a few trips to Iowa to squeeze in before the end of the year. Plus, Jason lives on campus, so this little project is all me!

If you are interested in being one of the very first, send us a message on Facebook, Instagram, or email thedebodeway@gmail.com. We will first focus on locations we have visited, so check out our trip journals for ideas. We’re VERY familiar with the US, Scotland, and Spain, but also have a lot of knowledge in France, the Netherlands, Germany, England, Wales, and Ireland.

I’m so excited, guys. Let’s get you out there!

The post Our Secrets for Travel and Adventure at Your Fingertips first appeared on The DeBode Way.

I recently attended a conference in San Francisco and, not having been to this city before (which is weird, considering I spent nearly 6 years living in the state as a kid), I wanted to do a little exploring and to make sure I saw the major sites.

San Francisco Treats

The first thing I’ll say is San Francisco isn’t known for one thing. Or even for a few things. Instead, it’s known for a weirdly eclectic assortment of things.

Before I left, as with most of my travels, I did a quick TripAdvisor search to see what I should visit. As anticipated, the main results were the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, trolleys, and the wildly steep switchback streets that make up much of the city’s road system. Fortunately, much of this is in one broad area, so on my free afternoon, I hopped in an Uber and had them take me over to the famous Fisherman’s Wharf.

The Wharf is a long area that follows along the shore of the Bay, making for some excellent views. As I wandered along, there was such a variety of things to see and experience it was a bit much to take in.

The first thing I saw was what appeared to be a decommissioned battleship (SS Jeremiah O’Brien). The large ‘OPEN’ sign hanging off the back suggested it was open for tours, but I was on limited time, so kept moving. After this, I came across the Pier 39 area, which, at the time, was very busy, so I kept walking. A little further along I came across the world-famous Boudin Bakery, known for its sourdough breads. I wandered through their café and gift shop, and while the smells were amazing, the lines were out the door, so I kept wandering.

As I continued following the Wharf, I came across a small inner harbor area. Lots of brightly colored smaller boats were tied up for the day, and a few others were looking for their last few passengers to take on a cruise out to the Bridge area.

At the far end of the Wharf, you cross the street and find yourself staring at Ghirardelli Park, named for, you guessed it, Ghirardelli. Yes, the chocolate company. And, as luck would have it, there’s a Ghirardelli chocolate factory right in the center of the park. Obviously, I stopped in for a visit, looking for something exclusive to take home. Much of what I found was the same square chocolates I can find at home, so I settled for a mini sundae instead. It didn’t disappoint.

After my sugary snack, I walked around and found some of their famous vintage trolleys that continue to operate throughout the city. Turning my head, I was pleasantly surprised with a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Not looking to head back to my hotel just yet, I reversed my steps and headed back to the Pier 39 area. Wandering around, I found a wide variety of shops in the Pier. Lots of food stands and restaurants, plenty of souvenir shops, and some amusement-type places, too. All the typical things I usually find along an oceanside boardwalk, but mercifully without the sand.

After exploring the shops and Pier, I decided it was time to head back, so I called another Uber and headed to the hotel. On the drive back I had an interesting chat with my driver about the driver-less taxis (Waymo) I’d seen all over the Downtown part of the city. Yes, driver-less. It turns out, there have been around only for about two years, but they’re becoming popular, thought not quite to the point of disrupting the taxi/Uber industry…yet. I can see the appeal (no tired drivers in the middle of the night or early morning, as an example) but it’s still so strange to see the cars driving themselves around with no one in the driver’s seat.

In the end, I probably didn’t see everything San Francisco is known for. But then, maybe San Francisco isn’t really known for any one thing, or even a few things. Instead, maybe San Francisco is known more for its sheer variety of things to see. All cities have lots of things to see and take in, but it felt different in the Bay Area.

All that’s to say, the next time you explore a city, do your homework and make sure you see the main things you’re going to see. But also, be open to taking a walk and really exploring the area. Oh, and please don’t stare at your phone. This is both for your own safety and so you’ll see some of what others overlook.

Happy travels!

The post Appreciating the Uniqueness of San Francisco, in a Hurry first appeared on The DeBode Way.

Passport

Does your passport have at least 6 months from the end of your trip before it expires? Are there at least 2-3 blank pages left in your passport for stamps (not including the last 3 Endorsement pages)? Have you applied for visas where they are required?

REAL ID

Maybe you aren’t leaving the country but are considering a little trip within the States. Take a good, hard look at your driver’s license (or non-driver ID). Does it have the little star in the top corner signifying it as a REAL ID?

As of May 7, 2025, a REAL ID is requiredto fly domestically in the United States. Our IDs were automatically updated the last time we had to renew our licenses back in 2017, but if it’s been a minute since you did yours, you’d better double-check.

I know, I know, I can hear you groaning from here. Nobody likes to sit at the DMV all day waiting for them to call your number. Before you head there, ensure you have all the necessary documents to renew your license, especially if it has expired – there will be some extra hoops to jump through. You can find all the info you need on your state’s website. Just click the link below, then click on your state on the map to be directed to your state’s DMV.

• https://www.dhs.gov/real-id

If your ID isn’t REAL ID compliant, make sure to take your passport with you.

Even if you don’t have any travel plans this summer, it’s always a good idea to make sure your IDs are up to date. Letting them expire is one of my worst nightmares. I just checked, I’m good until 2027. Whew!

One more thing!

Another friendly reminder to check which countries require the new Travel Authorizations. I believe Europe has now pushed theirs off until 2026, but others are still being implemented this year. We highlighted them in this post in February.

Short and sweet this month, it’s been very busy around here as we gear up for travel, and I start everything rolling again at the acreage. Baby chicks are coming soon, my plant starts are thriving, it’s about time to plant outside, and our lawn is in full bloom for the bees. Spring is such a happy, hopeful time…we won’t talk about my allergies.

Have a great month! We’ll see you in May with a little trip tale!

The post Traveling Soon? Make sure you have your REAL ID! first appeared on The DeBode Way.

In the hopes of saving a little of your hard-earned cash, you might have noticed a relatively new seating class called Basic Economy popping up with some airlines and others completely devoted to it…but what’s the deal here? Is it actually going to save you some cash?

Take a little trip with me

Let’s plan a quick trip to use as an example (because I haven’t been anywhere since the broken leg trip to Scotland in October and I’m getting stir crazy).

To avoid ski season in Denver, let’s say we’re taking a trip for my birthday weekend in May (Happy Birthday to me!). This also puts us there before school is out for the summer, so it’s technically a low season and prices should be lower. We’re going from Friday to Monday (because who wants to work on Monday anyway?) around 5 PM both ways. Here is a look at our three main domestic airlines flying out of Springfield, MO – a regional airport, because most of us in the Midwest are not blessed to live near a major international airport.

I like to use Google Flights for a quick comparison of flight prices across all the major airlines. Once you see the prices and pick an airline, you can jump to that airline’s website to book (don’t forget to log in and add your miles number). There you will also see what is included in your ticket price and what you will have to pay even MORE for.

A quick note: each airline has its own name for each fare class and not ALL of them are included in this domestic example. That ALONE is extremely confusing. So behold – our fancy color-coded chart created by chart wizard Jason!

A few more notes

When shopping around for flights, take note of where your layover is happening, because it might not make sense. In this example, the United flight is direct from Springfield to Denver, but American takes us to Dallas, an hour and a half flight to our South which also means a longer flight from Dallas to Denver. Similarly, Delta makes us head to Atlanta first, which is just over two hours in almost the exact opposite direction we want to go before heading to Denver (and, probably, right over Springfield!).

There are also a few more details for the different airlines. Note that in almost all cases, a Basic Economy class ticket will put you in the last boarding group, which means overhead bin space will almost certainly be full by the time you board, so your carry-on is going to be under the seat in front of you. If it doesn’t fit, they’re going to charge you to check it. Also, keep in mind that while some flights are refundable, sometimes that means you get a travel credit, while other times you can get your money back.

American Airlines

Different ticket classes board the plane in different seating groups. For example, Main Economy boards with Groups 6-8, Main Plus and Main Select board with Group 5, and Business/First boards with Group 1.

Delta Airlines

Like American, different ticket classes will board with different groups. Beyond that, while most of the ticket classes will help you earn frequent flier miles, Basic Economy tickets usually don’t, and some ticket classes will gain you entry into some of the airline’s lounges or clubs (again, Basic Economy almost never does).

Choices, people!

Why are there so many choices?! Gathering all that info made me cross-eyed.

What this all boils down to is personal preference. Do you like to board first to get situated and be sure you can stow your carry-on above you? Can you handle being crammed into a little seat? How much luggage do you have? Do you need lounge access? Is there a chance you will have to cancel?

If you’re headed out with a backpack, can sit in tight spaces for a bit, don’t mind meeting new people from the middle seat, and filled your water bottle on the way to your gate, you might consider Basic Economy.  

Or maybe you don’t care what the price is as long as you travel in comfort. Get comfy in that Business Class seat and make the most of it!

Me? I can handle a tight spot for a little bit if it’s on the aisle (aka, I can pick my seat) and I can board early enough to have space to put my backpack above me. But I’m totally cool bringing my own snacks and listening to a good book for a couple of hours. This typically lands me in an Economy class, but not Basic.

In the end, if you want flexibility or extra amenities, you’ll likely have to pay for them. But if you’re okay with a more spartan travel experience, Basic Economy might be the way to go.

The Final Bill

What this also points to is the Basic Economy ticket might not be the most cost-effective option for you. Looking at the American options in our table, that $299 price tag for the Basic Economy ticket might look appealing, but if you end up wanting to pick your seat (add up to $25), check a bag ($40), and possibly pick a slightly larger seating row (this can easily set you back $50-$80), the additional charges might end up making your ticket more expensive than a Main Economy ticket. So, knowing your preferences can help you sort through the many, many options and settle on the ticket that’s the best option for you.

Here’s another curve ball: if you have a co-branded credit card (like the one we have with United), it can score you all kinds of goodies including points AND miles, lounge access, free checked bags, upgrades, and other premium experiences. Jason wrote about this back in 2023 and told how we offset the price of the card in a SINGLE international trip.

Whatever you choose, we hope this helped a little. Prices are soaring and it’s always good to know EXACTLY what you’re paying for.

See you out there soon!

The post Travel Prices are Soaring – Is Basic Economy Worth it? first appeared on The DeBode Way.

This rapid rise in tourism has resulted in over-tourism across the globe. Places like Scotland’s once pristine North Coast-500 remote driving route and cruise ports across the world are completely crammed daily. Plus there are environmental pollution issues like the stench in Venice’s waterways, noise pollution in residents’ day-to-day lives, and air pollution from airplanes, cars, and buses worldwide.

While it doesn’t look like tourism has any plans to slow down, something had to be done to help fund the upkeep of these areas and control the crowds. This is where the new tourist taxes and border control measures are coming in. Let’s talk about some of them.

Travel Authorizations:

UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

Starting in 2025, you can no longer enter the UK without an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The good news: it’s super simple to apply for. The authorisation (European spelling) is attached to your passport so you don’t have to carry extra documentation and costs £10 (roughly $13). Ready to apply? Go to the gov.uk website; it takes a few minutes to complete the form and we were approved in 5 minutes by email. Your travel authorisation lasts for 2 years, and you can use it to travel to the UK as many times as you want in that period for up to 6 months at a time. Don’t forget to do this if you’re headed out on a trip with us!

Entry/Exit System for Europe

Europe has plans to roll out its Entry/Exit System (EES) for non-EU nationals in 2025. Each time you enter a new country in the EU, you’ll be tracked via an automated biometric scan. This system will help identify over-stayers and combat identity fraud at the borders. Sadly, this will replace passport stamps at border crossings (womp womp), though it’ll make your entry a much faster process. We have already encountered the beginning stages of this program with passport scans rather than seeing an agent to stamp your passport in airports.

European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)

An electronic visa waiver for short-term travelers will soon be required to enter the European Union (delayed to last quarter of 2026). This applies to non-EU countries that don’t currently need a visa to enter the EU, which includes the US. Like the UK’s ETA, this is a simple application process and the approval will be connected to your passport. This European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will be valid for three years or until your passport expires (whichever is first). You can remain in the EU for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The cost of an application is €7 (roughly $8).

United States’ Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)

Did you know the United States also has a travel authorization? If you aren’t a US citizen or aren’t from an approved Visa Waiver Program Country, you’ll need to apply for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. The ESTA works similarly to the UK’s ETA and the EU’s ETIAS. The application can be filled out online for $21 (the costliest of all) for travel in the US of up to 90 days.

Taxes:

Tourist Tax

Many tourist destinations have a love-hate relationship with tourism in their areas. They love the notoriety and money being brought to the area, but it comes at a cost to their infrastructure, environment, peace, way of life, and anonymity. Many cities have already started implementing tourist taxes to help with the upkeep of their cities. You will see these taxes in the form of hotel taxes, resort taxes/fees, environmental taxes, tourist development fees, etc. that are typically attached to your accommodation bill. They can be quite creative with what they are called and what specifically the funds raised can be used for.

The reason this article came into being in the first place is because I saw a news article highlighting the new tourist tax being implemented in Edinburgh starting July 24, 2026. This tax will be another example of a tourist tax. The council for the City of Edinburgh is the first to approve this type of visitor levy in Scotland and there could be more to come. You will see this as a 5% fee added to the cost of your accommodation bill, but it will be capped at 5 nights, meaning if you stay somewhere longer than 5 nights, the 5% fee won’t be applied to additional nights at a single accommodation. They estimate this will raise up to £50,000,000 per year in transformative funds for the city.

Source: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/business/visitor-levy-edinburgh

Day & Port Tax

Some places have had to be more creative with their tourist taxes in locations where guests visit for the day but stay outside the city each night. Port taxes are an example. These taxes help cover the wear and tear on a city from cruise visitors who spend very little money in port because they’re mostly catered to onboard their ship. These taxes also apply to island-hopping vessels in places like Greece where a tourist may explore for a day, but go back to their boat for dinner and sleeping. These taxes are typically included in the fee you pay to your cruise company and they have to pay the port authority to dock in their city.

Another example is an Access Tax. In Venice, Italy an experimental program was introduced in 2024 to charge visitors entering the city €5 to be there for the day, but not stay for the night. This daily access fee has continued for the 2025 high season, beginning April 18th. Tourists entering the city but not staying for the night will be charged €5 via an application process. However, if you do not pay this fee within 4 days of your visit, the fee doubles to €10.

Source: https://cda.veneziaunica.it/en/access-fee

Responsible Travel

I know this is off-putting because who wants to do more paperwork? I sure don’t! The harsh reality is, that these taxes are needed, but travelers also need to do better. Tourism can be fantastic for an area: travel can open our minds. At the same time, it can cause irreparable damage that taxes sometimes can’t fix. While these new taxes and travel authorizations are intended to help repair and manage the damage being done, it would be great if the need wasn’t there in the first place, or at least was reduced.

Are we going to stop traveling? No. Instead, we ask you to travel responsibly. You can do things as simple as using public transport instead of grabbing an Uber or taxi – the trains and buses in Europe are phenomenal. Or you know…walk (or roll). Often it’s faster to walk than to wait for a car to navigate tiny, tricky city streets anyway.

Pay attention to your food and water consumption – only order what you know you’ll eat and carry a refillable water bottle. Food waste (and the containers it comes in) is another enormous issue across the globe.

Until someone figures out how to teleport or fly on air alone, air travel will always be problematic, so do your best to plan intelligent routes. Pack light, bring reusable items, look for flights using biofuels, fly as directly as possible, and leave yourself plenty of time between flights for any mishaps.

When you’re in those wild spaces, leave no trace. A picnic, hiking, or camping is great, but only if you can’t tell you’ve been there afterward. Leave the rocks where they are and pack out EVERYTHING you brought with you. And please, for the love, don’t camp in someone’s yard or use it as your bathroom (there are SO many stories about this in Scotland).

Most of all, do your part to help when you’re visiting and pay these fees to help support the area you are visiting. We have to start somewhere to preserve what we have so it can continue to be shared with future generations. You can do it.

See you out there!

The post Over-Tourism & How We’re Paying for it: New Tourist Taxes & Travel Authorizations Are Rolling Out Soon in Europe first appeared on The DeBode Way.

Panic

As I stepped backward into thin air, my only thought was “Scotlaaaaaand!” Sigh. As someone very independent and used to doing most things myself, suddenly needing disabled travel advice was a whole new ballgame.

Don’t Panic, Research

Today, I’m looking on the bright side: I now know how to get around the UK with a busted leg. Fortunately, a previous student trip left us with a severely sprained ankle in the group on day one, so we knew where many of the lifts are located in Edinburgh and Oban, how to avoid some of the stairs and cobbles, and where to get ice. Disabled travel is not for the faint of heart, but it can be done and is 100% worth the trouble.

Once the orthopedist told me I could fly (or rather didn’t say I couldn’t fly, a major sigh of relief), I immediately went into research mode to figure out how to get around. At home, I had painful crutches (they were too tall) and a knee scooter borrowed from a friend. Neither were great options for the cobbles and stairs I knew I would encounter, so I went hunting.

Equip Yourself

After an extensive search of medical supply stores in Springfield came up short in the disabled travel category (it’s like they want you to stay home or something), I headed to Amazon as time was running out. There I encountered the iWalk and a set of folding crutches made for travel – brilliant! I ordered both, but later decided the iWalk was probably not the safest option for all the cobbles of Edinburgh (it has since become my farm chores tool, along with a good walking stick – Jason calls me Gandolf). So the iWalk stayed home.

Initially, I planned only to take my crutches, but didn’t feel good about that choice given the potential for slick cobbles and sore armpits. Then I stumbled upon someone asking about a mobility scooter for disabled travelers in a Facebook Group for Scotland Travel. What!? Genius! A quick search gave me a list of power scooters for rent in Edinburgh – who knew? The company I went with delivered and picked up the scooter from the hotel. Such an amazing service! In the end, we brought my knee scooter too, knowing the power scooter would be quite large, and many places in Scotland are small and involve at least a step or two to enter buildings. Surely I could get around on a knee scooter much easier?

So there I was, armed with my folding crutches, knee scooter, and the promise of a power scooter meeting me in Edinburgh. I also tried to find a power scooter in Oban but had no luck. This solidified my decision to bring the knee scooter, and I’m SO glad I did. Off we went! You can’t keep this girl down!

Getting to Europe: Planes

I was immediately discouraged at the Springfield Airport. I hadn’t considered they would make me remove my boot to go through security – ouch. However, they were very kind and pulled me aside to sit down and go through a personal screening with a female agent. That took maybe 20 minutes and with our TSA Precheck, we didn’t have to remove anything from our bags. Jason gathered my bags (the first of many, many times) while I got my royal pat down and then we were off to wait on our (delayed) flight to Chicago.

I requested assistance getting on and off the plane through our airline’s app but never saw anyone to help. Since I had my scooter, I didn’t push the issue because it’s such a small airport. Instead, I assumed I could easily roll to the gate and down the ramp to the door, and then awkwardly crutch my way onto the plane while they stowed my scooter below. I just needed a little extra time to do it. In theory, this shouldn’t be a problem if they let us board first, and let us get settled.

They did let us board first, but we were quickly followed by everyone else, because of the flight delay and hurry to get going. Plus they made me leave my scooter at the top of the ramp, so I had to use my crutches down the incline. As I hadn’t practiced with the crutches yet, this was terrifying and less-than-graceful. To get to my seat, I tossed my crutches ahead of me and used the ramp rails and seat arms to swing across the bridge and down the narrow aisles. I collapsed into my seat while the flight attendant watched. Nice. I was unimpressed and immediately nervous about the rest of the trip.

No one met us in Chicago with the wheelchair either – what the heck? Luckily my scooter appeared outside the plane’s door, so I folded my crutches, hung them on the handlebars, and took off up the ramp…and across the entirety of O’Hare, all on my scooter. This was a long, painful journey, but we made it to our gate as our flight to London started boarding. It took a little convincing, but since it was a larger plane, the flight attendants let me keep my scooter so I could get to the bathroom on our 8-hour flight. They stored it in a closet near the galley for me, so I only had to push my call button or send Jason to grab it when I needed to get up.

In London, I was met by a buggy! So apparently my online assistance request did work, just not in the States for some reason. The porter loaded my crutches, bags, AND scooter and whisked me to Border Control; I handed over my passport and sailed right through. Meanwhile, Jason walked the entire length of Heathrow because he’d been sitting for 8 hours and wanted to walk (they offered him a ride too). Unfortunately, my chariot ride ended at baggage claim, so once reassembled, we continued to the train into London.

Getting Around Europe: Trains

I hadn’t thought much about getting on and off the trains. It turns out, I should have requested assistance for that as well – mind the gap and all! We got lucky with the Underground, as all the stations we used had a lift or a ramp down to the trains. From there it was easy to roll onto the train. Once we made it to King’s Cross and had to get on the overland train there was much tsk-tsking from the station staff as I tossed my scooter up the step into the train, grabbed the handrails, and hopped one-legged up to the train. Was it safe? No. Did they like it? Also no, as they take Health & Safety very seriously in the UK. But I made it, so bonus points, right?

When we arrived at York station, I tossed my scooter off the train and hopped back down the same way. More tsk-tsking (also, some gentle applause and “Well done, you!” from others waiting to board that train). Once at our hotel, which was mercifully across the street, I requested assistance for the rest of our journey on the LNER train app. It worked! They had the ramp ready for me the next day and even moved our reserved seats into the disabled area so I had a place to store my scooter and put my leg up. It was glorious – and easy. As we arrived at Waverley Station in Edinburgh, they put the ramp down and I rolled off the train – easy peasy.

We arrived in Edinburgh a day ahead of our group so we could make the last few arrangements. Even though it was nearby, because of all the roadwork and sidewalk closures, we took a taxi to our hotel. The man at the taxi stand was so delightful; having never seen a knee scooter (nor had much of the UK as it turned out), he asked all manner of questions.

Getting Around Europe: Automobiles?

Lo and behold! My power scooter awaited us at the hotel! Amazing! I could have had it delivered to the station, but you had to arrange a specific time, pay an extra fee, and you never know if the trains will be on time (they usually are). Instead, they delivered it to the hotel, which seemed a better option. We didn’t immediately take it out since we had errands to run in tiny shops.

The next day, I used the power scooter to fetch folks from the train station and take them to breakfast while Jason met folks at the airport. I also took it on several “walks” throughout our stay and anywhere I knew we would have the space to accommodate it. Overall, it was bulky and a bit of a burden, so I learned to use my knee scooter on the cobbles for most of our expeditions. The key is to lean back, not forward on the knee scooter, so you don’t fly over the handlebars. I’m still glad I had the power scooter for some of our longer outings and recommend our rental company (listed below).

While in Edinburgh, we ventured to the countryside one day for professional photos, where I quickly learned my scooter does not do rocks or grass. I had to use it like a walker to get down the path to our shooting location where I spent two hours teetering on one leg or crutches in the tall grass on the side of a mountain. It must have been a sight; we have some funny photos of me trying to get around. But! I did it and the rest of the pictures are fabulous. We’re thankful our photographer was such a good sport.

By the time we boarded the train for Oban, I was a pro. I didn’t bother booking assistance with ScotRail because I had figured out how to get on and off myself. Our hotel in Oban was again right across from the train station (whoever planned this was brilliant – pats on the back!), so we didn’t have far to go with our group and bags. By now Jason’s arms were threatening to come off from trying to manhandle our bags all over Scotland. I felt bad about it, so I booked him an appointment with my massage wizard back home. He had to wait a few more days, but she fixed him up nicely.

Jason had work to do while in Oban and our friends were out of town, so I spent time exploring on my own. I took my scooter down the walkway of the bay to take photos and enjoy the view. Then I went shopping for most of the day and visited with the locals. That was fun and they were very kind. Fortunately, many of the shops in Oban are at ground level or just one tiny step up, so I had no problem getting around on my own. I stumbled upon the Jetty Gallery, full of works by local artists, and found a gorgeous etching that I decided should come home with me. Thankfully, Jason agreed and we returned to get it about 5 minutes before they closed on our last day in Oban. Whew!

We also rented a car while in Oban. This allowed us to scout for upcoming trips and visit friends in the country. We originally planned to take the car to the Isle of Mull for some hiking, but because of my broken leg, we decided to hold off for now.

After Oban, we took the train back to Edinburgh and spent our final night at a countryside estate hotel (which was amazing!). The staff met me as I stepped out of the taxi, putting a ramp down to get inside the hotel. While they did have a lift, it didn’t access all the rooms, so I used my crutches quite a bit to get up and down stairs. Also, our hotel had a bathtub! It was glorious to sit on the side of the tub to shower with the handheld instead of standing precariously on one foot in the shower. Incidentally, showering was the biggest frustration the entire time in the UK: the bathrooms are SO small I could barely get in with my scooter or crutches, and there was always a step up into the shower. If I had known I would need an accessible bathroom when I was booking rooms, it would have been much easier, as they are available in some hotels.

More Trains

We decided to take the train back to London, thinking it would be easier than flying. Unfortunately, the train journey turned into quite the event, as there was a fire on the tracks just outside London, so they made us get off the train in York. Another couple from our group was on the train ahead of us and they were given the options to wait it out, walk back to York Station, or get an Uber to London. They chose the latter.

Since we were at York Station, we were given two route options: take the train to Sheffield or Manchester. We opted for Manchester hoping it would be less crowded. We had to wait for the second train, as the first was packed. Once in Manchester, we ran (scooted furiously!) to catch the next train to Euston Station in London. Naturally, this was all during rush hour on a Wednesday afternoon. Madness! Finally, we made it to London, though 7 hours later than planned, and after the show we planned to see at the Vaudeville Theatre. Feeling rather bummed, we headed for Euston Underground Station to call it a day and head for the airport hotel. Except, it turns out Euston has no lifts, so we had to take a taxi to our hotel instead – that was a frightening expense! In hindsight, we could have taken a taxi to Paddington Station and caught the train to the airport, but you live and learn and sometimes don’t make the best decisions when you’re tired. It almost makes one wonder if the flight would have been easier.

The Way Home

The flight out of London the next morning was as easy as the one to London. They let me keep my scooter in a closet onboard again. As soon as we landed in Houston I was immediately reminded that the US is not very kind to anyone with a mobility issue. There was no wheelchair, again, after I requested it and double-checked that I had, so I scooted across the airport to Customs and Border Control. After that, you have to go through security again. In London, security was much the same as it was in Springfield: they pulled me aside, removed my boot, I got a pat down, and they swabbed my scooter while asking me to tell my best version of how I broke my leg. Very easy and cordial. In Houston, they literally screamed at me when I asked where to go with my scooter because it obviously would set off a metal detector. I stood, stunned, at the side of the line waiting for some direction since Jason had already gone through and was frantically trying to repack our bags. About 10 minutes later someone pulled me aside, took my boot and scooter to be swabbed, and told me to walk through the metal detector. Excuse me? I have a broken leg, I will not be walking anywhere! So there I stood, on one leg, for at least another 10 minutes while they swabbed my scooter, eventually brought it back to me, and finally pulled me to the side for a pat down. I was flabbergasted, frustrated, and fighting tears; I’ve never been treated so poorly.

The flight from Houston to Springfield was just as stellar as the one leaving Springfield two weeks earlier. Sigh. We had to board our plane outside, so I had to leave my scooter behind, again, and crutch my way up the ramp and onto the tiny plane, tossing my crutches ahead of me as I swung down the aisle on the armrests. But, as a bonus, we saw the northern lights above Springfield as we landed that night. I was exhausted, happy to be home, and even happier to sleep in my bed. It was a wonderful trip and I learned so much, but holy moly was I tired from all that extra work!

Lessons Learned

Overall, the UK is relatively accommodating to folks with mobility issues. It may take a little planning on your end, but it’s entirely possible to navigate the disabled travel options and folks are super helpful. As a plus, we’re confident we can accommodate someone with mobility challenges on our trips! There’s nothing like a crash course or on-the-ground training to boost your confidence, right? Right. Sometimes it can be a hidden bonus to be an anxiety-ridden overthinker searching for all the available options on a tight deadline. Skills!

I hope my story gives you the confidence to travel even if you have trouble getting around. There are so many assistance options and SO much world to see! Obviously, do what your doctor says and always opt for travel insurance in case you have further issues while on your journey.

*fist bump* You’ve got this. See you out there!

Resources

• Scooter Rental in Edinburgh
• TFL Journey Planner for London Public Transit
• LNER Passenger Assist Request for the London North East Railway
• ScotRail Accessible Travel Request for the train in Scotland
• Euan’s Guide for excellent reviews on accessibility in venues across the UK
• List of public toilets in Edinburgh with accessibility toilets.

Notes

• Lifts (elevators). Many old buildings in the UK cannot be retrofitted with lifts. Be sure to research ahead of time so you know what is available and reach out to ask questions as needed. Sometimes stairs are the only option.
• Accessible Toilets. Places serving food must have accessible toilets or point you somewhere that does. If you don’t see them, ask. Public toilets can also be found in bus stations, train stations, shopping centers, and department stores. You can apply for and purchase a radar key for accessible toilets if you have mobility or bowel/bladder conditions.
• Email Hotels. Stay in contact with your hotel about any help you may need. Many have disabled rooms, access to lifts, and additional assistance if you need it. Private rentals and Air B&Bs do not have this requirement, so contact your host to ask questions before booking.

Helpful Travel Accessories

• Folding Crutches
• Crutch Pads
• iWalk
• Knee Scooter
• Sleeping Boot
• Water Resistant Walking Boot Covers
• Waterproof Shower Boot
• Reusable Waterproof Bags for Ice

The post Suddenly Figuring out Disabled Travel for Beginners first appeared on The DeBode Way.

You may not know this about me, but I’m one of my family’s historians: I’ve been researching our genealogy for at least 20 years now (yikes). In fact, this research (and meeting Jason) is one of the things that started my interest in, and now passion for, traveling. I grew up in rural Iowa with strong German, Scandinavian, and Irish heritage that is still present today, though maybe not quite as strong as it used to be. For most of my formative years, we were trying to gain and maintain a foothold on a prairie six generations after my ancestors arrived, which didn’t give us many opportunities to travel. Instead, I spent my time in books dreaming about faraway places, and when I discovered genealogy, all bets were off. I was determined to go see these places we had come from, learn how/why I carry the traits I do, and understand why I’m a bit different from the rest of them!

Thanks to this research, one of my favorite things is when my dad calls to ask what I know about a particular (possible) ancestor. Like the time he found a grave marker for someone he didn’t know with our same last name (which isn’t super common) mowing in a cemetery in Iowa. Or the time he ran into someone he’s always been rumored to be related to but has no idea how. If I don’t know the answer off the top of my head, I set to work scouring old records, photos, stories, newspapers, medical records, etc. to figure it out. It’s thrilling every time I learn something new, even better when it’s slightly scandalous! I’ve been a resource for obituaries, medical histories, visas, and just plain fun trivia, and I absolutely love it! It’s also pretty much the only way I’m directly using that expensive college degree. Gulp.

And your point is?

You may not think these are important things (and why the heck am I mentioning it in a travel blog?), but would you be shocked to hear genealogy travel is an enormous and growing industry? It’s worth remembering if you’re an American, unless you’re Native (and even that’s debatable), you came from somewhere else. Heck, even if you’re not an American and you’re reading this from Lichtenstein (or wherever), odds are, your ancestors came from somewhere else. Humans have been on the move, looking for better opportunities from day one. And so, with the advent of ever-easier access to almost everything (except money…*tears*), including genealogy records thanks to the internet, the amateur genealogist has been born and is ready to travel!

In fact, we are planning another genealogy tour of our own this summer. I spent HOURS this winter searching immigration records for a hint of where my Neubauer family is from in Germany. It turns out many of the ship manifests on the American end of the immigration journey only list the port or country of departure for each passenger. The fun part is trying to find those records from their port of departure (in my case, Prussia) and translate them IF you can decipher the handwriting correctly. Sometimes you just have to take a stab in the dark with Google Maps and see if a town name comes up that makes sense and then go searching for birth records in that area. Unfortunately, MANY records in Germany have been destroyed thanks to two world wars and centuries of squabbling over territory in the Baltic North. But, every now and again, you strike gold. Fortunately, I’ve had two strokes of luck with church records this past winter. I’m feeling like it’s time to visit.

How do I know where to go?

For some people, having a general area to explore their ancestry is plenty of good fun. You can see the sights and get a feel for the culture in the area and that’s enough. For others, you may want this opportunity to do a little deeper digging and spend time looking for more physical records that may not be available online. I haven’t decided which camp I sit in yet, mostly because some of these records that I REALLY want lie in western Russia! I don’t believe we’ll be visiting this time, folks. For now, we’ll focus on eastern Germany and see how good my German is when we get there (it’s not, Mrs. Hollander – my elementary German teacher – would probably be disappointed, but maybe tickled that I’m still trying). We’re headed to some pretty remote areas for starters. Your best wishes for a stable internet connection and working Google Translate are much appreciated.

In my case, I don’t know of any relations who are still in Germany, so this part of our trip will be a bit more imaginative. I’m a 5th or 6^th generation Iowan (depends which line you look down) and my family didn’t keep any German connections, so I don’t have any specific family contacts for us to reach out to. Yet. However, that small German town where I grew up in Iowa has a “sister city” in Germany it has been in contact with since its founding in 1899. While I don’t personally know anyone there and haven’t turned up any family records in the area, I feel confident we can make some fun connections in the area.

I also happen to be an excellent social media researcher. Is that a resume skill? It should be these days. I’ve been trying to contact someone in this same area of Germany who looks exactly (doppelganger-style), like one of my aunts. I haven’t heard back from her yet, but I’m hopeful I’ll make a connection. Contacting complete strangers is probably one of the weirdest parts of genealogy research, but every once in a while you get lucky. Odd? Probably (ok, yes, absolutely). But if you’re smart about it, there’s a wealth of information to be gained from other people and it’s always good to have connections.

What if I do know where to go?

Now, a different perspective. Jason’s family, or part of it, is from Holland (the Netherlands) and they DO have contacts. His family has scattered over the years but they originally settled in North Dakota five generations ago. He’s had the privilege to personally know four of those generations thanks to long lifespans and tight family ties. So for him, the tales and contacts are still fresh (super jealous) and so we’ll send a few emails to family before we go and gather our photos of places in the Netherlands to seek out. We’ll get off the train and pop in to visit family and gather stories. It should be fun.

Is a general idea good enough?

One last type of genealogy travel that we’ve experienced is what I’ll call…winging it. You may have read elsewhere in our blog that we love to spend time in Scotland (how could you miss it at this point?). We just so happened to stumble into Scotland for the first time back in 2017 because they have a castle called Huntly and Jason’s mom’s maiden name is Huntley. Obviously, we should go see it. While my research has not turned up a specific link to this castle and its area (of the same name), I do know that his Huntley family came from somewhere in the UK. So, maybe they lived in this area working as coopers (I do know they were coopers) near the castle. Thanks to the way the clan system works in Scotland, I may never know. Everyone adopted the name of the clan chief in an area whether they were a descendant or not. But hey, it’s good fun.

A quick checklist for you

So how about you? Are you like me and LOVE to eat this stuff up and use it to plan your next trip? Or are you more of Jason’s mentality and just like to travel, not worrying about where or why? We’d love to know! After all, apparently, this is a booming industry. You may find yourself in the middle of it sooner than you think.

Here are the steps I go through when planning a genealogy trip:

1. Define your trip goal – research, heritage, or touring?
2. Are you booking a guided tour or planning things yourself?
3. Do your research before departure.
   • DNA Test – ancestry.com, 23andMe, etc.
   • Search your family archives and photos
   • Search online genealogy records – census, church (marriage, birth, baptism, confirmation), cemetery, ship manifests, military records, obituaries, wills, newspapers, etc. (I use ancestry.com and newspapers.com most frequently)
   • Digitize your records so they’re easy to travel with (I use Dropbox and ancestry.com’s app)
4. Plan your itinerary & book your trip.
5. Keep a journal on your trip for reflection, things to share, or things to remember.

The post The Exciting World of Genealogy Travel: Finding Your Roots. first appeared on The DeBode Way.

As we’ve talked about in prior posts, one of the neat things about Jason’s job is it gives him the opportunity to travel. Sometimes he’s traveling with students, sometimes he’s traveling to students. When traveling with students, we’re always staying in hotels of various types because it’s just so much easier than trying to find some other kind of accommodation with enough space. But when he’s traveling to students, that’s a different scenario.

Most often, when Jason travels over the summer to teach his students, he’s in one location for a medium-length period, what we’ll call somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks. In our experience, there are two main choices when it comes to a temporary home for this length of time: apartments or hotels. Until this most recent adventure, he’s always stayed in an apartment, but that changed this time, as he opted to stay at a hotel the entire time instead. So, let’s talk about the pros and cons of each option, at least as we see them.

Apartment Living

There are lots of things to like about having an apartment in a new city, especially when it’s in a foreign country. Having a space that’s really all yours is really nice, especially if you’re coming back from a long day of work. Let’s talk about a few of those things:

• Space. More than anything, having your own apartment (or a flat, if you’re in Europe) gives you the luxury of space that’s all yours. Most often, Jason stays in a one-bedroom apartment, so there’s dedicated space to spread out and relax without feeling cramped. Of course, it’s helpful to keep in mind that ‘space’ is relative, and when you’re in Europe it’s good to know their apartments trend smaller than in the US. Still, having your own space is great.
• Kitchen. The kitchen area isn’t one that we use all the time, but having the option to do so is super important. When you travel, it often means you’re eating new things cooked in new ways. That’s all fine and well, and a big part of why we like traveling; however, it also disrupts your regular eating habits which can cause…let’s just call them ‘issues’. For instance, we tend to eat lots of veggies while at home, but that’s difficult to do when we’re abroad, particularly when we’re in Spain where the diet is heavy on meats, cheeses, and carbs. So, having a kitchen where we can cook our own food can be a game changer and help keep us close to our usual eating habits.

• Work Area. Because we travel most often for work, having a dedicated workspace is really helpful. Sometimes that’s an actual office, while other times it’s a desk or table in a side room or off in the corner of a living room, for example. Regardless, having a place where we can set up shop and get some work done is nice, especially when it’s not on a bed or couch (unless we want it to be!).

• Location. One of the neat things about apartments is they’re usually in more residential locations. That gives you a different perspective on the places you visit. Being in more populous locations has its benefits, no doubt. But there’s something nice about waking up, walking outside, and being in the middle of a neighborhood, or over a local coffee shop. More often than not, your apartment will be in a quiet part of town that has less traffic, and a very different feel than the more touristy parts of the area. And, if you pick the right apartment, it’ll give you all of this while still being close to local transportation options like train and metro lines.
• Privacy. Above all else, apartments are nice because it’s your space. Most of the apartments we’ve had do not come with cleaning help. Sure, that means we need to keep the place tidy, but it also means no one will ever bother us, come into our apartment, or anything of that nature. To be sure, some apartments will give you the option of visits by a cleaning company, but we’ve never used that option and so we’re relatively confident no one will be in the apartment other than us.
• Laundry. If you get really lucky, you can find an apartment with at least a washing machine available for use. This significantly cuts back on the amount of time you may have to spend washing clothes by hand if you packed carry-on only like we typically do. There is not always a dryer available, so you will be hanging your clothes to dry either way, but the spin cycle on a washing machine does allow them to dry faster than hand wringing before hanging. Toss you clothes in before you head out for the day and hang them up when you get back.

While there are lots of things to like about having your own apartment, there are a few potential drawbacks to keep in mind.

• Scams. More and more, you have to be really careful about travel scams. Our experience has been that the more popular services like Air BNB and VRBO are pretty secure, but we’ve heard about scams when booking on various platforms, or directly with apartment owners. What’s even more concerning is we’ve been hearing about scams associated with these platforms. For example, more than a few folks have said they originally started to book their stay on the platform but then received a message from the owner (or so they thought) outside the platform asking them to book directly, as it saves them (the owner) from paying the associated fees. Sounds great, until you learn it was a scam, so they get your money and you didn’t really book that apartment like you thought you did. All that’s to say, be careful and know what you’re getting into, and always only communicate through the platform you’re booking with.
• Fixes. Most of the time, our apartment stays are uneventful, which is to say, nothing goes wrong. But every now and again, something does. One time, our keys didn’t work. Another time the router died and so the Wi-Fi went down. We’ve had friends who had a water heater start leaking in the apartment, causing a minor flood in their kitchen. Regardless of what happens, when it happens you need to talk to the owner/landlord/management company, rather than calling down to a front desk as you would at a hotel. Even the more responsive owners usually take longer to get things fixed than your hotel, and depending on the fix that’s needed, that can get frustrating.
• Amenities. Most of the apartments we’ve stayed at have no amenities. No gym, restaurant, pool, coffee shop, etc. None of it. Think about it, do you have those things in your apartment building? If you do, you’re living your best life and we’re happy for you. Of course, there are apartments you can rent in buildings/places like that, but they tend to get pretty expensive.

The Hotel Experience

We generally prefer staying at hotels, especially when they earn us points we can use to stay at hotels again. What do we like about hotels? Lots of things, it turns out. Let’s talk about them:

• Location. Most of the hotels we book during our travels are in pretty neat locations. Sometimes they’re in the middle of a city, sometimes within walking distance of parks or neat monuments. Sometimes they’re in castles. Other times they’re in renovated historic buildings or landmarks. All that’s to say, it’s pretty hard to beat the variety of cool locations in which you can find hotels. Of course, that’s part of what you’re paying for, but if you really want that kind of experience and the ability to walk out your front door and onto the local metro, a hotel might just be your best option.

• Amenities. While your apartment might be pretty minimal, your hotel probably isn’t. Pool? Check. Room service? You bet. Concierge? Sometimes, yes. Daily turn-down service? If you like. Gym? Almost always. Different hotel brands will have unique amenities on their properties, but almost all hotels will have some kind of amenities included in your bill. So, if you’re looking for a bit of extra pampering, a hotel might be what you’re looking for.
• Certainty. Probably more than anything, when you book a stay at a hotel you usually have a really good idea of what you’re getting. We try to stay within the Hilton family of hotels as much as possible, both because we like their different hotels, but also because we always know what we’re getting if we stay at a Hilton, Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn, or something along those lines. Even when we stay at one of their unique properties in the Tapestry collection of hotels, we still know it’s affiliated with Hilton and know what to anticipate. That’s rarely the case with an apartment.

That said, there are also lots of reasons you might not want to stay at a hotel:

• Price. Obviously, a nice hotel can set you back a considerable amount of money for a medium-length stay, and this goes up dramatically as you increase the quality of the hotel you book. It’s really easy to find hotels in the $200 – $400 price range, per night. And if you’re staying for 2-3 weeks, that can get expensive quickly. That’s not to say it isn’t worth it, but when numbers get that high, it pays to be sure that’s your best option. However, we have noticed that house or apartment rentals have also increased drastically in price in the past few years, making them more equal to a hotel.
• Experience. If you want to live like a local, a hotel might not be your first choice. Then again, some hotels are nestled among apartments and houses, so it’s not impossible to have that experience with a hotel, but it might be more challenging to find.
• Space. Above all else, space in hotel rooms is a premium, especially when traveling to Europe. For example, during Jason’s most recent stay, he worked from a small loft area in his hotel room from a low-sitting couch and a coffee table. Had this been an apartment, there would have been a kitchen table or even a dedicated office space to get his work done. In an even more recent stay in Paris, we were both hoping to get work done for part of the day but our room was literally about a foot larger than the bed. Suddenly you find yourself turning you bed into a double office, which isn’t exactly comfortable either.

• Eating out. One of the biggest drawbacks of staying at a hotel is your inability to cook your own food. Again, during Jason’s most recent experience, he had no kitchen facility in his hotel room. In fact, he didn’t have a microwave or a refrigerator either. There was a minibar that had a small refrigerator, but it was really small and didn’t give him the option to store his own food. Even if he could have, there was no way to reheat things in his room. That means he had to eat out for every meal, every day. That might sound cool, but eating at restaurants every day can get old (and expensive) fast.
• Laundry Facilities. Rarely will you find an apartment style hotel accommodation with a washing machine available. Most hotels have some sort of laundry service you can use for a fee, but we often resort to washing a few things at a time in the sink and hanging to dry overnight. This typically means you wash and hang things almost every night as part of your daily routine. You could also try to locate a local laundromat but sitting and watching your laundry spin while you’re on vacation is not exactly my idea of fun.

In the end, you know your travel style and life habits better than anyone, so do what makes the most sense for what makes you comfortable. Sometimes we like the apartment option, while other times we prefer a hotel. It just depends on the kind of experience we’re after and how expensive it’ll be to make it happen. And yes, there are other options out there aside from apartments and hotels, but these are what have worked the best for us so far with the type of traveling we typically do.

Happy tavels!

The post Medium-Term Travel: Where do you stay in a new city? first appeared on The DeBode Way.

The silver lining is that this reminded me to check the State Department’s website for any travel advisory changes or related information. If you’ve never visited their website, the State Department has all kinds of information online, some helpful for travelers, and other information that’s just generally interesting. For now, head on over to their Travel Resources section, where there are a few things we’d suggest doing:

1. Register in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). They’ll have you create an account, share your information (phone, address, e-mail, passport information) and information about any upcoming trips you’re going on. This puts you in their database so, if something goes sideways in the country, they know you’re there and how to contact you. In total, this took about 5 minutes to do.

• Check out the Travel Advisories for the place(s) you’re heading. As of the writing of this post, France has a Level 2 advisory, which means to exercise increased caution. For as long as we’ve been traveling, I’ve never seen a country with less than a Level 2 advisory, which, at least for me, suggests normal operations. To be sure, it’s always good to be cautious and take steps to prevent yourself from being a target. However, when advisories are Level 2, I’m still comfortable traveling to my destination. As you might have guessed, this underscores the importance of enrolling in the STEP program.

The nice thing about looking at the travel advisory is the State Department gives you more information about what’s going on. In this case, they’re letting me know that the Level 2 advisory for France is at least partly due to a security alert regarding events happening in Paris. They even tell me where, approximately, in Paris the events are expected to take place. This helps me understand where I should and shouldn’t go, at least around the date of the alert.

Other than these, there’s lots of information to peruse on the State Department’s website, including information for traveling students and a checklist to help you get ready for your trip. It’s worth repeating that none of this takes much time to do and can help give you some peace of mind for your adventures. So, if you haven’t done so already, head on over and stay informed!

The post Is There a Travel Advisory? Don’t Forget to Check! first appeared on The DeBode Way.

The Situation.

As we’ve explained in a series of earlier posts, we recently took a group of faculty and students to the UK for an educational experience. As we typically do, before our flight left the US, we turned our phone data off and then put the phones in airplane mode for the flight. When we landed in the UK, we turned off airplane mode and leave our data plans turned off. This means we weren’t using our phone plans for data and wouldn’t be charged international rates unless we turned our data back on. When this happens, at least for Verizon, it activates a 24-hour TravelPass session which costs $10 per 24-hour period ($5 if you’re in Canada or Mexico) and lets us use our regular phone plan (calling, texting, and data). Or at least that’s how it usually works (we explain all that here).

What ended up happening was, during our travels, despite our data being turned off, we received four separate notifications that Tasha’s TravelPass had been activated. After we got home, we learned Jason’s line had also been charged for four TravelPass sessions even though his data was also turned off (except one session, which was a legitimate charge). Even more frustrating, we never received the notifications that his TravelPass had been activated until after we got home and spoke with Verizon’s customer service folks.

The Service Call.

I’d like to say this was the first time this has happened, but that’s not true. Instead, this happens from time-to-time, but whenever it does, once we get home and the billing cycle has closed (Verizon has told us multiple times there’s ‘nothing they can do’ until the billing cycle closes, at which point they can see the final charges. Why this is the case is something we can’t explain), we chat with the Verizon customer service folks, explain the situation, and after they verify that our data remained off the whole time (which they can easily do), they credit our account for the charges. A pain? Sure, but it’s easy enough and the situation is resolved. Except that’s not what happened this time.

This time, after we got home and the billing cycle closed, Jason spoke to their customer service desk and was told, much to his surprise, that the TravelPass charges were valid. What?! Let’s back up for a minute and explain what events activate a TravelPass session. Here’s what Verizon’s website says (see Point 2 under ‘About TravelPass’):

How does TravelPass work and when will I be charged for it?

Here’s how TravelPass works. After you add TravelPass to your mobile phone line:

• A 24-hour TravelPass session starts automatically when you use your phone in a TravelPass country (e.g., make or answer a phone call, send a text or use data).
• You’re only charged for the days that you use your device in the TravelPass country.

Note:

• You must turn on cellular data or data roaming when you go to the TravelPass country.
• When cellular data or data roaming is turned on, a TravelPass session can be started by background data, including:
  • App content refreshing (e.g., Weather apps, Fitness Tracker)
  • Syncing (e.g., email)
  • Device or app software updates

2 hours after the session starts we send you a text letting you know when your 24-hour TravelPass session ends. Using your device after that session starts a new session.

If you interpret this the way we did, it very clearly indicates that you are charged when you do something. You must make/answer a call. You must send a text message. You must use your data. In our case, we didn’t make or answer a phone call, we didn’t send a text message, and our data was turned off. All of this was confirmed by the customer service agent.

However, unlike prior times, this time Jason was told that a TravelPass session can be activated – and your account charged – if you receive a text message, which did happen several times while we were abroad. WHAT?! This means we can be charged for something that not only we didn’t do, but also that we had no control over. Surely this can’t be right, right?

The Solution.

During the chat (we always use their chat feature on their website as it lets us do other things while fixing a situation), the agent repeated this time after time after time. Each time, Jason made it clear that not only did this not make sense, but that it also contradicts the information on Verizon’s own website. Interestingly, the customer service agent directed us to this same website during our chat. After all, if it’s possible for me to be charged because someone else sends me a text message, why would that not be listed on their website that specifically talks about the situations that lead to a TravelPass charge?

At one point in the discussion, the agent agreed to credit Jason back for the charges on his line because we never received the text messages saying a TravelPass session had been activated. Win! Thinking the situation was resolved, the agent asked if there was anything else they could do. At this point Jason reminded the agent there were still four TravelPass charges on Tasha’s line, none of which were our responsibility. The agent repeated the familiar justification: you were charged because her line received a text message.

Finally, Jason asked the agent why Verizon was unable or unwilling to stand behind the information on its website. And remember this was the same website the agent sent us to! In the end, after a few more rounds of their ‘justification’ and Jason’s insistence that they were incorrectly using their policy, the agent mysteriously came back with a statement credit for all the charges on Tasha’s line. Success, at last!

Our Suggestions.

If you’re thinking this was a frustrating experience, we agree. Was it dishonest? We’ll leave that for you to decide, but we’re not saying it wasn’t. At the very least, if it’s true that a TravelPass session can be activated by factors beyond our control, that should be noted on their website.

We asked the agent how we could prevent this from happening in the future (always ask this; even if it doesn’t work, you can tell the next agent what you were told and that it didn’t work) and their suggestion was to keep our phones in airplane mode while we’re traveling. This is a disappointing answer, as that means some of the functionality of our phones might not work the way we want them to. Specifically, we’re not sure how the Wi-Fi function on the phones will work while in airplane mode, and we completely rely on Wi-Fi while abroad to stay in touch with folks back home. For example, if we do receive a text message from a friend or family member, we’ll respond on a Wi-Fi-based application like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, so we don’t get charged. We’ll have to experiment with this on our next trip to see what we can and can’t do while airplane mode is switched on. More to come.

Here are a few things we suggest doing while working through situations like this:

1. Stay calm. To be sure, this was a frustrating experience and one that took time and patience to resolve. If you aren’t someone who can keep your cool when frustrated, maybe see if someone else can lead the conversation.

• Be nice. We should be clear that our customer service agent was super nice and friendly throughout our conversation. Multiple times they said they were looking into things on their end and were doing everything they could to help with the situation. Always keep in mind that your customer service agent didn’t write the company’s policies, but they are responsible for making sure you know the policy and when it applies to you. By all means, be frustrated with dumb policies, but also recognize the person you’re speaking with didn’t make it and probably can’t change it. However, it seems reasonable to think they’re more willing to help people who are nice to them. I know I am.

• Be informed. In our case, this wasn’t the first time this had happened, so we had a precedent to use to our advantage. We also specifically asked the customer service agent for more information about the situations that lead to a TravelPass charge and, once they sent us the website, we read it very carefully. We had a reasonable understanding of this information before we traveled, but it was still nice to have available during our conversation. This is another reason we prefer the chat function rather than the phone. If we didn’t have this information available during our chat, our counter-argument would have been far less convincing.

• Stick to your case. If you’ve done your research, don’t be afraid to stick up for yourself. In our case, the total charge was $70 for the TravelPass sessions we didn’t initiate. After they credited our account for the charges to Jason’s line, that went down to $40. We’re fortunate that $40 or even $70 wouldn’t have broken our checkbook, but that’s also not the point. We were being charged for something we didn’t do and that was contrary to Verizon’s stated policy. Yes, Jason had to repeat this multiple times, but eventually it worked. We might have also noted that, if this really was Verizon’s policy, we’d need to start looking for a different carrier.

In the end, are we going to change phone carriers? Unlikely, as the other major carriers probably have similar policies. And while we probably will experiment with the agent’s suggestion to keep our phones in airplane mode on our next trip, that doesn’t seem like the best solution. So, what’s a person to do? See points 1-4, above.

The post Beware Costly Phone Mistakes: When Knowing the Policy Helps first appeared on The DeBode Way.