9 Fun Facts About Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is is one of the most famous festivals in the world, a celebration of Bavarian food, drink and culture. Decked out in dirndls and lederhosen, millions make the pilgrimage to Munich to enjoy two weeks of fun. Here are nine fun facts about Oktoberfest that you may not have known:

It all started because of a wedding. The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810, to celebrate the marriage of the Bavarian King Ludwig I to Maria Theresia of Saxonia.

Oktoberfest is held in September. The festival starts in late September, and always includes the first Sunday in October.

More than half a million chickens are consumed each year at the festival. Also 120,000 paris of pork sausage, 40,000kg of fish, 70,000 pork knuckles, and the equivalent of 119 oxen.

There are 24 tents at Oktoberfest, which range in size from 60 to over 10,000 people. They tend to have different atmospheres, ranging from relaxed and sedate to raucous and rowdy.

"Prost!" is the traditional toast at Oktoberfest, translating to 'to your health'.

The beer is stronger than you think. While most American beers range 3-4% alcohol, Oktoberfest brews have a minimum of 6% and often higher. This leads to the appearance of 'Bierleichen' (beer corpses) of those passed out from overindulgence.

Unbelievably, beer was not available at the first Oktoberfest. Patrons had to purchase outside the venue. Fast forward to today, when roughly 7 million litres are sold at the festival each year!

72% of the 6.5 million annual visitors are German.

Oktoberfest celebrations are held in cities worldwide. Popular events are held in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Cape Town (South Africa), Blumenau (Brazil), Hong Kong, and Villa General Belgrano (Argentina). The largest is held in Cincinnati, Ohio, and attracts roughly 500,000 people each year.

(Image from Georgey Boy.)

5 of the Best Vegas Wedding Chapels

On average, 315 people get hitched in Las Vegas wedding chapels every day. The Vegas Strip is packed with a daunting array of venues in which to say your vows, so the Word Travels team has investigated which are the most famous, fun and entertaining, just in case any intrepid travel buddies urgently need to get married one night... Here are five of the best Vegas wedding chapels.

Graceland Wedding Chapel

The original home of the Elvis-themed Las Vegas wedding, the Graceland Wedding Chapel has been open since 1927 and performs a whopping 200 weddings per week. The chapel offers a variety of ceremonies ranging from the kitsch and quirky to the more traditional and conservative. Elvis is more than happy to help you write your vows and tends to include gems like “I promise not to treat you like a hound dog” and “I promise to be your hunk of burning love”. Jon Bon Jovi and Billy Ray Cyrus got hitched here.

Tel: (702) 382 0091

Address: 619 Las Vegas Blvd.

The Little White Wedding Chapel

The Little White Wedding Chapel is consistently voted number one in the fiercely contested Vegas wedding chapel ratings. They are open 24 hours, no reservations are required, and they will have you in, out and united for life in under 30 minutes. This king of conveyer belt weddings is a great favorite with celebrities and it has proudly hosted the weddings of Brittany Spears, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, Michael Jordan and Joan Collins.

Tel: (800) 545 8111

Address: 1301 Las Vegas Blvd.

Hotter Than Hell Wedding Chapel

If you yearn for a rock and roll wedding with concert tickets for invitations, guitar picks for rose petals, a KISS member for a minister (impersonator) and a stage with smoke machines for an alter then you are destined for the Hotter Than Hell Wedding Chapel. The KISS themed chapel has costumes for hire including the popular ‘Lady Demon’ wedding gown collection. The chapel seats about 25 people so you can invite some friends to enjoy your rocking nuptials.

Tel: (702) 558 6256

Address: 4503 Paradise Road, Las Vegas

Little Chapel of the Flowers

Renowned for hosting the prettiest Vegas strip weddings, the Little Chapel of the Flowers is situated in grounds featuring flowers, greenery and a waterfall – it just bursts with photo opportunities. This venue offers more elegant and intimate ceremonies than its competitors. As quickie weddings go organizing one here can be a lengthy affair, with full-service wedding planners available to couples for a year before the big bash. Or you can make no plans whatsoever and show up on the day hoping they have space for you.

Tel: (800) 843 2410

Address: 1717 Las Vegas Blvd.

Tunnel of Love Drive-Through

This now famous drive-through wedding venue was originally opened chiefly to accommodate disabled couples opting for a quickie Vegas wedding but people are always drawn to novelty and it rapidly grew in popularity. The Tunnel of Love is an offshoot of the Little White Chapel and can be found at the same venue. All couples must drive through the Tunnel of Vows, which is adorned with murals depicting cherubs and a starry night sky. You can bring your own car (cheaper) or hire one of the flamboyant models on offer at the venue. Bikers welcome!

Tel: (800) 545 8111

Address: 1301 Las Vegas Blvd.

Travel Movie: The Beach

The Beach (2000), with Leonardo Dicaprio and an array of impressive supporting actors (Robert Carlyle, Tilda Swinton), directed by the famous Danny Boyle, suffered serious criticism on a number of counts but its status as a classic travel movie has never been disputed. The Thailand locations had armchair travellers the world over slavering in ecstasy, and the desire for freedom and escape encapsulated in the movie appealed to generations of backpackers keen to travel off the beaten track.

The film was shot largely on Ko Phi Phi Leh, an island near Phuket, Thailand, and the famous beach is actually called Hat Maya. The beautiful waterfall featured in the movie is not on the island; it is Haeo Suwat Falls and can be found in Thailand’s  Khao Yai National Park.

Haeo Suwat Falls

The great controversy of the filmmaking process, and a serious gripe for eco-warriors, was the apparent necessity to make the Hat Maya Beach more ‘perfect’ by bulldozing parts of it to make it flatter, and planting imported palm trees. This modification actually led to a number of court cases. Extra mountains were also added digitally in post-production to make the scenery more dramatic.

Hat Maya Beach

Any superficial damage the film may have done to this Thai paradise was swamped by the devastation of the 2004 Tsunami. The island has thankfully recovered fully since then and is once again a popular tourist excursion. Although at the time it came out Thailand’s authorities threatened to ban the film – because they thought it portrayed their country unfairly as a drug haven – it has since been noted that The Beach substantially increased tourism to the region.

The actual beach is not remote and inaccessible and you can reach it without swimming long distances in open ocean, sneaking through marijuana plantations, and leaping off waterfalls. There is a daily ferry from Phuket Pier and Krabi which will get you there in about 90 minutes.

The bay of Ko Phi Phi Leh

The film has survived in pop culture mainly because its locations so captured the collective imagination. It was a great disappointment to fans of Alex Garland’s eponymous book which had a far more complex plot. It was a book, however, which begged for a movie version and although it met with serious complaints from reviewers you will struggle to find a film more visually enticing.

Verdict: rent it

5 Tips for Using Technology While You Travel

5 Tips for Using Technology While You Travel

Twitter

While many people still consider Twitter a place to post pictures of their lunch and hear from their favourite celebrities, the site has become an invaluable tool for communicating with large companies who keep a close eye on any negative PR. The best examples are airlines, who are often faster in responding to tweets than via phone or even in person! If your flight gets cancelled or you have problems with online check-in, don't be afraid to voice your complaint.

Facebook

Heading to Cape Town to take in the view from Table Mountain? Did you know you can win free tickets on their Facebook page? How about the Minnesota State Fair, who's page offers giveaways for the nightly concerts? Check out your destinations and events before you go, and even if you can't score free stuff, you'll get the heads up on anything new and exciting and have the chance to ask questions.

Groupon

You've probably used Groupon (or similar group-buying sites) at home, but have you considered using it while you're on vacation? Sign up for email alerts for the cities you plan to visit, and you may come out with a half-price dinner or discounted amusement park ticket. Best to do this a few months in advance, but look carefully at terms and conditions... especially expiration dates!

Skype

Skype has always been a great tool for communicating with people halfway around the world, and with the rise of smartphones and tablets it's become even more convenient. Take advantage of the free wifi offered in many coffeeshops, bars, and other places to say hi to loved ones, or check in at the office.

Apps

We've done several posts on terrific travel apps, but the best ones are often specific to your location. Have a connection Amsterdam Schiphol? Download their free app to check your departure gate and flight status. There are also great nightlife and event apps available for most major cities, and even tour guides for museums and historical sites. It pays to check out the attraction's website (or contact them on Facebook) to find out if they have one... it can be a great freebie!

Travel Movie: Out of Africa

 “I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills…” starts the iconic film Out of Africa, accompanied by sweeping vistas of African savannah. The film has become famous for its beautiful scenery, capturing the feel of a colonial farm in Africa at the beginning of the 20^th century.

Aside from a few scenes that supposedly take place in Denmark but were really shot in Surrey, the movie was shot on location in Kenya, at the foot of the Ngong Hills. The hills are of course still there today, easily accessible by just a short car ride and full of many luxury wildlife resorts. The famous hair-washing scene was shot in the foothills with the actors surrounded by assistants, ready to chase away lions with high-pressure fire extinguishers.

While the farm house in the movie was made to look as believable as possible, it wasn’t the original. By 1985, when the movie was shot, Karen Blixen’s farmhouse had turned into a government college of nutrition and wasn’t available for use. However, close by there was an abandoned house that had belonged to the first Kenyan president’s wife. Set builders worked hard to turn the crumbling house into a close approximation of Karen Blixen’s original house, including adding an extra wing.

In response to the movie and its success, the Kenyan government turned the house into a museum in 1986, and named the district (now a part of Nairobi) Karen. Travellers who happen to be big fans of the film can today visit the original house.

Set designers had local women help them out by building traditional thatched huts to use for the movie's village scenes. The local women built the huts much more quickly than the workers transforming the main farmhouse, and by the time filming could start, locals had moved into the set's thatch hut village, giving the village an authentic, lived-in look.

Aside from Karen’s house, the only other building that plays much of a role in the film is the Muthaiga Country Club, where Karen first meets Denys. While the original country club visited by Karen Blixen did still exist and does to this day, set designers built a replica across from the house chosen as Karen Blixen’s. Visitors can today go to the original Muthaiga Country Club, although women won’t be allowed in the members’ bar – Karen Blixen is, to this day, the only woman who has been allowed a drink there.

Travel Movie: Amelie

Amelie is a quirky romantic comedy by French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and in his distinctive style he paints an intimate picture of Paris and its eccentric residents.

The fanciful world of Amelie may appear to be anything but reality, but the locations featured in the sweet film are all real places in Paris.

Visitors to Paris can't help but travel on the Metro, and you can visit Abbesses Station (where she first sees Nino) and Lamarck-Caulaincourt (where she leaves the blind man).

Amelie works in the Cafe des Deux Moulins (Two Windmills), located at 15 rue Lepic, and the infamous fruit stand she lives above is Le Marche de la Butte, at 56 rue de Trois Freres.

A pivotal scene in the movie, when Amelie leads Nino on a wild goose chase through a park, is set in the park below Sacre Coeur, and visitors can take a look through the coin-operated binoculars or have a ride on the carousel.

Verdict: Rent it

Electronic Music Cruises

It may be the next big thing in cruising... party cruises are taking over the market for the new generation of cruise-goers.

The Holy Ship! cruise launches from Fort Lauderdale on Friday, promising top acts like Fatboy Slim, Skrillex, Laidback Luke, Diplo, Rusko, A-Trak, and DJ Aero with Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee. The cruise will also feature activities like DJ-led poker and yoga classes.

But Holy Ship! isn't the first of its kind. The annual Rock the Boat cruise is a popular event on the South African calendar, sailing between Durban and Mozambique each December and featuring more than a dozen electronic and rock acts along with comedians, movie theatres, a casino and other activities.

Paul Oakenfold hosted another electronic music cruise in 2010 called Perfecto at Sea. While electronic music cruises are still a minor part of the cruise market, they represent the rapid expansion for mainstream dance music, which has largely been restricted to nightclubs and electronic music festivals.

Is this the future of cruises? Less shuffleboard and more 'Everyday I'm Shuffling'? What do you think? Tell us in the comments!

Image from NME.com

5 Most Disappointing Attractions in Europe

There are world-famous attractions that people dream of seeing their whole lives, but many of them don't (or can't) live up to that amount of hype. In fact, there's a whole phenomenon (Paris Syndrome) that occurs in extreme cases when the reality just doesn't match up with the fantasy.

Here are our top five most disappointing attractions in Europe:

Manneken Pis (Belgium) - Can you spot the world-famous attraction in the picture above? A little difficult, isn't it? Unfortunately the Manneken Pis, a cheeky fountain of a naked little boy peeing from atop a pedestal, is a quirky attraction that has been completely overwhelmed by the hordes that come to photograph it. To top it off, the city of Brussels often insists on dressing the poor lad in outlandish seasonal costumes that completely obscure it.

Photo by Henry Sivonen

Eiffel Tower (Paris) - Now before you get upset with me, I'm not saying you shouldn't see the Eiffel Tower... you most definitely should. What I'm suggesting is that the rather nice view from the top is not worth spending three hours of your Paris holiday in a queue. There are other lovely places to get panoramic views of Paris from, like La Tour Montparnasse or La Sacre Coeur in Montmarte.

Photo by Andrew Crump

Loch Ness (Scotland) - See that pretty, tranquil, and rather mundane lake pictured above? That's Loch Ness. Yup, that's it. Looks like most lakes you've seen right? Now you can stop kidding yourself that you'll be the person to finally spot the fabled Loch Ness Monster and admit that the only thing waiting for you there is overpriced plush seamonsters. Granted, there are some nice castles nearby, but whether that's worth taking the trip out is another matter.

Photo by Dave Conner

Mona Lisa (Paris) - Of all the thousands of priceless works of art in the Louvre Museum, the Mona Lisa is the one everyone makes a beeline for. One of the most well-known paintings in the world, the subtle beauty and timeless mystery of the masterpiece are best enjoyed at home with a detailed picture, as this is likely to be the best view you get (unless you're exceptionally pushy).

Photo by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo

Gondola Rides (Venice) - It's a romantic image: two people sitting cosily in a gondola while their gondolier serenades them with Verdi operettas as he glides them through the Grand Canals of Venice . Unfortunately the smooth ride resembles Friday afternoon gridlock, with boatloads of tourists snapping pictures of each other as they squeeze past each other. The rides are also prohibitively expensive, starting at €80 for 40 minutes and getting even pricier after dark.

Photo by NH53

Word Travels Forum Round-Up #36

Welcome to Monday at the WT Blog! You may have noticed we look a little different this week. We're trying out a new design with a fresh feel to give you a better idea of what's been happening in the world of travel. Let us know in the comments what you think!

In the meantime, we're keeping it consistent with the usual Monday forum round-up. Here are a few of the hottest topics on our forum boards:

Honeymoon in Cuba

Safe to swim in Cape Town?

Schengen visa expiry

Port El Kantaoui

If you've got a question, you can ask it yourself by signing up for the Word Travels forum! It's free to join, and you'll get access to our local experts and tour operators who are waiting to assist you in planning your dream holiday!

Image from here.

Word Travels Forum Round-Up #35

Time for another Word Travels forum round-up! These are the hot travel topics on our forum, with some great insights for anyone about to set off on their dream vacation!

Avoiding dysentary in India

Do cruise passengers need transit visas?

Safety in Brazil

Using Couchsurfing website

If you have some questions you're itching to ask, sign up at the travel forum today and get stared! It's free, and our well-travelled and knowledgeable experts are waiting to help you!

Image from here.

Top 6 Cruise Ports in Alaska

While most people immediately imagine sandy beaches and swaying palm trees when they think of cruises, cruises in North America and Europe are increasingly popular. And of the numerous cold-water destinations in the Northern Hemisphere, no region is seeing more growth than the hugely popular Alaska cruise industry.

Travelling up the west coast of North America, more than a million people take Alaskan cruises each year. The most popular route is along the Inside Passage, winding through the dozens of islands in the archipelago stretching east from Alaska's mainland.

Cruise ports in Alaska range from small, bustling towns in rural Alaska to big cities like Victoria (I know it's technically in Canada!), but the variety means there's something to please everyone. Here are the top six cruise ports in Alaska:

Kodiak - The stunning landscape of Alaska's 'Emerald Isle' are filled with abundant wildlife, including the famous Kodiak Bear. Sport fishing and hunting are popular activities (though carefully regulated), or visitors can just enjoy the beauty of For Abercrombie State Historical Park.

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Sitka - A bit of an Alaskan melting pot, Sitka's history as both a Russian outpost and Tlingit settlement gives it fascinating cultural history, evident in various museums and cultural events in town. There are plenty of outdoor activities as well, like birdwatching in the St Lazaria National Wildlife Refuge.

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Ketchikan - Ketchikan is known for an abundance of two things: salmon and totem poles. Admire one at the Totem Heritage Center, or try your hand at catching the other from a charter boat. Visitors can also spot black bears in Neets Bay (part of Tongass National Forest), or hike on Deer Mountain.

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Skagway - One of the biggest centres of the Alaskan Gold Rush in the early 20th century, Skagway still has an old-timey feeling that gives it a lively vibe with restaurants, pubs and shops lining the streets. Visitors can try their hand at panning for gold at the Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp.

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Juneau - Alaska's capital is one of the biggest cities along the Inside Passage, and makes a good city break for cruise passengers with restaurants and shops to explore. There's plenty of outdoor fun as well, with everything from glacier-trekking to river rafting to zip-lining on offer in the area around the city.

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Icy Strait - A tiny town and relatively new cruise port in Alaska, Icy Strait benefits from its proximity to Glacier Bay National Park. The opportunity to spot whales and sea lions while watching massive glaciers calving makes for an unforgettable experience on an Alaskan cruise.

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Word Travels Forum Round-Up #34

Here are the latest conversations on our buzzing travel forum message boards:

Best time to visit Bali

Is Israel safe for tourists?

Business trip to Lagos, Nigeria

Greece in February

You can post your own questions and get help planning your next holiday on the Word Travels forum... so sign up today!

Image by Virtual EyeSee.

Cape Town and New York City iPhone Travel Apps

The Word Travels monkeys have been hard at work and now we've got some exciting news:

We've just launched new iPhone travel apps with detailed interactive guides for two of our favourite cities: Cape Town and New York City!

The apps take all the best information from our travel guides and put it in a handy format so you can access it quickly and easily while you're on the go; including visa information, airport guides, attractions, excursions, restaurants and nightlife, and shopping and transportation info.

Interactive maps allow you to navigate the city easily, and pull up information on all the great things to see and do in Cape Town and New York.

The apps are available for download here.

Word Travels Forum Round-Up #33

Here are the latest conversations from our travel forum:

Gifts for locals in Cuba

Tunisia during Ramadan

Women travelling in Costa Rica

Deported from Korea

Don't forget to look for other questions, or ask your own, on the Word Travels forum!

Image by Brandon Giesbrecht.

Word Travels Forum Round-Up #32

Another week goes by, meaning the forum boards are lit up with travel questions from would-be explorers! Here are some of the most interesting discussions from this week:

Hawaii weather in December

How safe is Cape Town?

Visas for Ethiopia

Travel safety in Egypt

New Zealand travel questions

Don't forget that you can ask your own questions and get answers from local experts at the Word Travels travel forum!

Image by David Goehring.

Win a Trip to Disneyland!

Who wants to win a trip to Disneyland? Everyone, of course!

Here's a free competition from Southwest Airlines for a free trip to Disneyland in California, open to residents of the US, Puerto Rico and Canada.

Closes January 30th, 2012.

Image by Taylor McBride.

Top 5 Free Android Travel Apps

I just got a tablet that runs Android, and I'm a little obsessed with finding just the right apps to make my life (and computer) run smoothly. There are games, ebook readers, music and video players, chat programs, fart sound generators, and other must-have gadgets to make your phone or tablet pop and sizzle.

But I got this tablet to travel with, and it's the travel-friendly Android apps I'm interested in. And I'm a little cheap, so they have to be free. Here are the top five free Android travel apps I've found so far:

Kindle - I chose not to buy a Kindle because I didn't want to pay so much for a device that only does one thing. Now I have an Android tablet that reads Kindle books, but also plays movies and checks email and everything else I need. One of the advantages of having a tablet is not having to lug around heavy books, so the Kindle app and a few choice best-sellers are a must on any flight or layover.

Poynt - Travel guides are great; very informative and helpful in the planning stages of your trip, but when you get to your destination there are often unexpected needs, like you spill red wine on your best dress and need to know where the nearest dry cleaners is, or your kids are driving you batty and you want to find out how soon the next showing of Kung Fu Panda 2 is. Poynt is great for this, as it figures out where you are and leads you to useful information like phone numbers, showtimes, and evern dinner reservations.

Weatherbug - There are lots of weather apps, but Weatherbug is great for travelling because it not only provides 7-day forecasts and interactive maps, but sends you severe weather alerts and even has a live webcam link to to more than 2,000 weathercams across the US. The only drawback is it's a pretty big app at 12mbs.

TripIt - I've recommended this app for both iPhone and Blackberry, and I'll keep recommending it. The app is invaluable for creating an itinerary from different bits of information like flights, hotel reservations and tours, which you can then share with your family and friends (assuming you want them to know where you are of course!) All you have to do is sign up, then forward your confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com. An enhanced paid app also updates things like gate changes and frequent flier points.

Google Goggles - One of these fancy 'augmented reality' apps, Google Goggles is one of the most powerful out there because it taps into the near-infinite knowledge available from the search engine itself. All you have to do is take a photo of an object, and the app will pull up all kinds of relevant information on it. One of the best features is an automatic translation of text when you take a photo of a sign in a foreign language.

Have a Blackberry or iPhone? Click on the links to find our best travel apps for those platforms!

Image from here.

Bereavement Airfares: The Discount Ticket You Don't Want

Everybody wants discounts on airfare. We look obsessively for cheap plane tickets before committing to one fare, and then fret that we've paid too much and a better deal will come along. It's a sport best-suited to those who love the thrill of the hunt.

But there are some occasions you don't have the time or inclination to scour the internet for the cheapest airfare. Most of us have been forced to travel long-distance at some point for a friend or relative's funeral, or in that terrifying scenario when a loved one may not make it. When you're struggling to simultaneously pack a suitcase and grieve, it's not the time to comparison shop.

Luckily, some airlines have a heart. They know this is travel you haven't planned or budgeted for, and they're willing to help. They offer discounts of up to 50% on last-minute airfares if you're flying for a funeral, or in some cases to see a gravely ill relative (though that one's less common). It's called a bereavement airfare.

There are some finer points to note, though. To get a bereavement airfare, you need to call or go to the airport directly and book through the airline (not through a website or travel agent). Some airlines will charge you full fare and then let you apply for the rebate after (and some require a death certificate).

Also, even though the tickets are discounted, that doesn't mean they are necessarily the cheapest seats. There may still be sale seats available, so it doesn't hurt to ask. If you can, have a friend do some quick fare-checking before you call to see if there are discounted seats available.

Bereavement airfares are harder to get on international and trans-Atlantic flights, and not all airlines offer them. Within the US, Delta, United, US Airways and American Airlines have been known to offer bereavement fares.

In an industry that gets a lot of negative press for ripping people off, it's nice to know that there's still a bit of compassion for people in need.

Image by Luis Argerich.

Top 5 Best Business Travel Tips

Business travellers are a special breed. Practically living in the sky, these road warriors blaze the trail for the rest of us weekenders. Business travellers know where the best restaurants are, the best VIP lounges, and which airports have free wi-fi.

So we've rounded up the best tips from business travellers here:

Pack light - Be ruthless when you pack. If you're smart, you can go on a six-week trip with nothing bigger than carry-on (even you, ladies). If you stick to one colour scheme and add a few accessories, you'd be surprised how far a few outfits can go. Heels are almost never necessary, really. Flat shoes can be just as formal and take up much less space in your suitcase. Not checking a bag can be the difference in catching or missing your flight, and mean you sail right to the door while the rest of the plane crowds around baggage claim.

Spend smart - Budgeting when you travel is all about knowing how to save money, but also about knowing when it pays to spend. Coach is fine on a one-hour hop from Chicago to Minneapolis, but a 20-hour haul to Australia might call for that $150 upgrade for extra leg room. That said, look for discounts. If you don't find them, then ask... what's the worst that can happen? Look for deals with freebies like breakfast or wi-fi to save money. Paying with your credit card helps maximise exchange rates as well.

Use your gadgets - Nearly every traveller has a smartphone now, so get the most from it. Use the camera to take pictures of your hotel or where your car is parked so you don't need to remember. Use Google maps and GPS to find your way around unfamiliar cities. Download iPhone travel apps (or Blackberry travel apps) to help you predict the weather, calculate currency exchange, keep track of your flight, and even translate signs for you. Load your iPod or iPad with movies and books, or look for that wi-fi connection to kill time on layovers.

Be loyal - It pays to join loyalty programmes. Accumulating miles can not only gain you free flights in the future, but come with perks like priority seating, discounts on hotels and rental cars, free wi-fi, and you'll be the first in line to get upgraded. Many travellers report that they simply get treated better as part of the hotel or airline's loyalty programme.

Smile - It should go without saying, but alas it doesn't nowadays. Be nice to people. Yes you're tired, but probably so are they. I've said it before, but being polite to check-in agents and TSA screeners will get you much further than snapping or shouting will. It goes further than that though: offering a sympathetic smile to a struggling parent will do more than glaring at them when they're trying to calm their child. Being chatty with taxi drivers will help them get to know you and share their insider knowledge of the city (or just not screw you over). Being friendly opens you up to a world of new and unique experiences when travelling.

Travel Movie: Sideways

Sideways is a 2004 movie showing two bachelors having one last weekend of fun before one gets married. Miles (Paul Giamatti) takes Jack (Thomas Hayden Church) for a couple days of wine tasting in the Santa Barbara wine region, but Jack is more interested in having a final fling before the wedding.

The two men explore the wineries in the area with the help of Maya (Virginia Madsen) and Stephanie (Sandra Oh).

While Napa Valley gets most of the attention as the top wine region in California, the Santa Barbara area has some great vineyards as well within 90 minutes' drive of Los Angeles. Sideways showcases locations in Beullton, Solvang, Santa Maria, and Santa Ynez.

Aside from the civilised settings and romantic lighting of the beautiful area, Sideways explores two very different men reacting to crossroads in their lives as they reach middle age (hint: neither is handling it especially well).

Verdict: Rent it (with a bottle of Pino Noir)

Bonus! The Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau has self-guided tour brochures of the restaurants and wineries used in the film if you want to trace their steps.