Here are some tips on ways to plan an enjoyable road trip
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Tips For a Photographic Road Trip
It's great to get away and visit new places. In this newsletter we'd like to give you some ideas that will help you plan and enjoy your trip.
We'll be suggesting some interesting ways to utilize online programs such as Mapquest (or Google Maps) and TripAdvisor to organize your trip in ways that will increase your enjoyment and avoid unexpected hassles.
We'll also recommend ways to locate photo opportunities and print your best pictures using our new iPrints.com site.
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Pre-Planning Your Trip Can Make A Big Difference
Using Your Home Computer - Choose your destinations. Then, plan to keep your driving on any given day to a pre-determined maximum time & distance:
- Define the points-of-interest you'd like to visit. You'll start with the airport you're arriving in and lay out a daily schedule.
- Use Mapquest (or Google Maps) to break out each section of the trip.
- Print out the routes on paper so that you can place individual maps in a folder to take with you on your vacation.
- Having the printed maps will let you gauge logical stopping points on your drive. Two 45 minute drives, with an interesting stop for pictures or lunch, can be a lot more pleasant than a 1.5 hour grind.
- Use TripAdvisor to research ideal stopping points, especially ones with photographic attractions.
- During the trip you should be using a GPS system or Waze; not the maps. Driving through unknown territory is a lot different at ground level than on a map. GPS systems do that well. So, you'll be using your printed maps primarily as visual guides for approximate driving times & distances. The maps will also be helpful in spotting towns & attractions along the way that you can investigate through TripAdvisor.
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Car Rental Tips
- Join Car Rental Companies' Free VIP Programs
- You won't have to stand in the long line at the airport.
- Most rental companies will allow VIP members to change to a different car if they're unhappy with the one assigned to them.
- Joining all the major car rental companies' programs will give you the most flexibility.
- Consider booking through Costco or other membership retailers. You'll probably get a better price on your car than with online sites.
- Shop around online to get prices.
- Check date ranges & compare prices.
- For example, renting for two weeks rather than 12 days might be less expensive or save you from dropping off your car earlier than you'd like to.
- Car Rental Insurance -
- Avoid paying for "full coverage" insurance from the car company by using a credit card that provides accident insurance.
- If you rent your car using a Gold or Premium American Express card you'll automatically receive up to $50,000 in coverage. So, you won't have to spend up to $40 per day for the car company's insurance.
- Check your credit card's insurance coverage before you leave home if you don't have an AMEX card.
- Don't depend on your own auto insurance. In the event of an accident your coverage may pay for the damage. But, you'll still be on the hook for the lost rental income of the vehicle.
- Check Your Car Before Driving Off - Speak up if the car isn't up to your standards or the car you reserved. You'll be spending a lot of time in that car. Try, in a friendly way, to get the car swapped out for a better vehicle. Remember, you're the customer!
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We recommend using TripAdvisor.com as your "go to site" for road trips. You'll be able to find the best places to dine, good lodging and local attractions.
Here are smart ways to use TripAdvisor:
- Finding Restaurants
- Reviews come from other travellers in the form of star ratings and written comments.
- Choose restaurants with a 4.5 star rating and you'll rarely go wrong. Eateries with less than 4 stars can be "iffy."
- When reading reviews give the most credence to out-of-town reviewers and people who do a large number of reviews.
- Always read the online menu before making a decision. The fact that others like a restaurant doesn't mean that it will suit your taste.
- Locate the Best Places to Take Pictures
- Star ratings and photos are shown on TripAdvisor. So, you can see the best sites in any location.
- Look for town forests & parks (national, state & local)
- Use TripAdvisor to Get Destination Street Addresses For Your GPS
- Look at the Mapquest or Google Maps you printed out at home.
- When you've found a general location check TripAdvisor for restaurants or sites.
- Key in the street address you find into your GPS. This navigation aid will get you exactly where you need to go (even if you're not that planning on dining at that restaurant.)
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Organize Your Photographs While You Travel
- Take advantage of our new iPrints.com online printing site.
- If You're Using a Cell Phone For Your Photographs - iPrints will allow you to order directly from your phone.
- For dSLRs - Transfer camera images to any computer or tablet and order from there.
- The iPrints program is very easy to use. Since it's web based ...using cloud technology... it's also super-fast.
- Review and edit your images each night.
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Photo Resources
Here are some links for prints of your vacation pictures:
- iPrints.com is our newest site. Use it to order prints from all computers & cell phones.
- iPrints Classic is our easy-to-use consumer site from your PC or Mac. No learning curve; just quality prints.
- ROES is for advanced amateurs & pros who are comfortable with computers.
- iPrints Mobile is an easy-to-use app for ordering pro-quality prints directly from your Android or iPhone. Prints can be picked up or mailed to you.
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Shooting Film? We still process and print all 35mm & 120 rolls. Mail us your film and we'll return your prints or CDs to your home.
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