US Issues Travel Warning For Cuba

Just this morning, the US is issuing travel warnings and pulling embassy staff out of Cuba. According to CNN this morning:

The US State Department is pulling out all families of employees and nonessential personnel from Cuba, after a string of mysterious attacks against US diplomats.

Several US officials tell CNN that 21 US diplomats and family members became ill after apparent sonic attacks.The American embassy will continue to operate with a 60% reduction in staff. The officials said the US will stop issuing visas in Cuba effective immediately because of the staff reductions and the decision is not described as a retaliatory measure. Officials say there will still be consular officials in the embassy available to assist US citizens in Cuba.

The State Department is also issuing a travel warning, urging Americans not to travel to Cuba because they could also be at risk as some of the attacks against diplomats have taken place at hotels where Americans stay, a senior State Department official told reporters Friday.

Stay tuned for how this news will affect travel plans to Cuba. 

Prague With Teens On A Budget

To be honest, I was concerned about our time in Prague. Everyone I asked said it's the most beautiful city in the world. But when I asked about things to do, everyone said you walk around. 

Walking around may be tops for adults, but it's not even in the top 10 for teens. 

But Prague lived up to its reputation and we found plenty to do. 

First of all, Prague was the only city in Europe that was not destroyed in World War 2. And to be honest, it kind of looks like Disneyland. 

We booked a private tour guide for the afternoon after we arrived. I am not big on tour guides, but my husband likes them and since I was kind of at a loss about how we would fill our time here, I went with it. And it was amazing. Our guide was Kristian from http://www.praguelocalfriends.com/en/

He was funny and engaging for the kids. We sat down with him before the tour began and he reviewed the history of the Czech Republic. Then we left for a 3 hour walking tour. Kristian did not show us the Charles Bridge, the castle or the astronomical clock. 

This was Kristian's off the beaten path tour. He took us to his favorite cafe for typical Czech sandwiches and desserts. He showed us the secret passage ways around the city. He showed us art and architecture, hidden messages in the sidewalk and walls, gardens and birds. 

Sandwiches and dessert at Kristian's favorite cafe

Kristian's favorite cafe inside a hidden passage

Hidden passageway in Prague

Dessert case at Kristian's favorite cafe, I can see why this is his favorite

Giant moving sculpture of Franz Kafka's head

 We stayed at the Ramada City Centre which must be the best deal around. Ramada is part of Wyndham. So every night is 15,000 points. My husband and I each opened a Wyndham credit card so we were awarded 45,000 points each. We used 30,000 points each to book 2 rooms for 2 nights. This Ramada includes a buffet breakfast. If you follow my blog at all, you know how much I love hotels that include breakfast. The rooms were clean, the staff was nice, the breakfast was yummy and the location is very central. Rooms run about 130 Euros per night so this was a huge savings.

Changing of the guard at the Castle

The next day, we walked around Prague. We toured the castle. You can take the tram #22 from the city centre to the castle and then walk down the other other side. Tip: if you want to buy tickets, look for ticket booths away from the entrance gate, the lines will be shorter. Second tip, you don't need tickets to tour the grounds and this might be enough for you. Check the trams for a pass which will be cheaper than paying for each ride.

Check out the architecture in the square across from the castle and check out the view from on top of the Starbucks. Then walk down the other side to check out more small streets. We ate lunch at a medieval cave restaurant which was just okay. There were tons of other restaurants though. 

Prague has one laundramat if you need do a load here. 

This is the turtle

Heading out the gate to walk across the Charles Bridge. Yes, it's crowded. Yes, it's still cool.

One of a million turtle dessert shops in Prague

 There are so many turtle dessert shops in Prague, you will be tempted many, many times to buy one. They sell it as a traditional Czech dessert. But guess what, it's not. And on top of that, it looks way better than it tastes. So consider yourself warned.

Awesome off the beaten path Pizzeria. 

 Besides pizza, we ate a lot of doner kebap. It's filling, yummy and cheap. For dessert, we probably visited Angelato Ice Cream Shop at least twice. You don't want to miss it!
No visit to Prague is complete without touring the Jewish Quarter. You can buy a ticket at the various synagogues and at the tourist office across from the synagogue. Buy the ticket that includes everything....the cemetery, the old synagogue and the spanish synagogue. You will need half a day to see everything and you will want to see it all.

Prague was definitely a highlight of the trip. It is beautiful and there is a lot to do here with teens. And you can definitely visit Prague on a budget.

Kids Fly FREE On SAS

It's back! SAS is offering their kids fly free promotion through October 5th. Here are the details from the airline's website: 

*KIDS CAMPAIGN: Children (2-11 years) and Infants (0-24 months) who are traveling with an adult pay only taxes and fees. Offer is valid for travel between November 1 – December 19, 2017 and  January 8 – May 31, 2018,  from Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, San Francisco and Washington D.C. to Scandinavia and Finland. The offers does not apply for travels between 16/12 2017–8/1 2018 and 24/3–9/4 2018). Book by October 5.

If you have been thinking about flying to Scandinavia and/or Finland or you want to use this to hop over to Europe, now is the time to act. It won't help you for holiday travel, but if you have a flexible schedule, this may be a great deal for you. 
I entered dates from departing LAX on November 5th to Helsinki and returning November 19th. The cost of the flight would be $870 roundtrip. That includes the adult ticket with taxes and about $60 for taxes for the child. 
If this fills a need for you, the promotion ends October 5th. 
You could apply for a Barclays Arrival Plus card and buy your ticket on that card. It will help you reach the $3,000 minimum and then you can use the points to pay for the ticket. Now the two tickets cost you just $300. 
That's how we do almostfreefamilytravel! 

Riding The Rails In Europe!

There is really no better way to travel in Europe than to ride the rails. It's easy, convenient, affordable and beautiful. Plus you don't have to worry about parking, your car being stolen, damaged, parking tickets or getting lost.
My children are very comfortable riding and sleeping on trains. In fact, if you ask them, they will say they prefer the train over the bus. That's due to one horrible overnight bus ride in Thailand. If you are heading to Thailand, stick with the trains.
During our 3 week Europe trip, we travelled by train several times.

1. Berlin to Prague - 6 hours
2. Prague to Krakow, Poland - overnight
3. Krakow to Warsaw Poland - 1.5 hours

Here's how to manage it without stressing out. I follow seat61.com for all my train advice. This guy knows his trains. Trains open ticket reservations 60-90 days in advance and most trains never sell out. However, that being said if you don't have a reservation, you may end up sitting on the floor. Plus if you want an overnight sleeping car, you definitely need a reservation.
When you book your train, pay attention to whether you are booking a ticket or making a reservation. Some trains will have you pay for your overnight berth, but you still have to buy a train ticket when you arrive at the station.
That being said I was able to buy all of my train tickets or reservations online before we left the states. For a family of 5, that's one less headache.

Southwest Sale Is On!

Southwest.com has launched a Thanksgiving week sale! But here's the secret, I checked prices for flights through next summer and you can get the same low prices.
I just booked a trip for next May. Remember if you see a lower price, you can always cancel and rebook so there's no harm.
If you were waiting to book a flight for Thanksgiving, you definitely should jump on this sale. Prices will only go up from here.
Happy flying.

Save Money At Walmart With Chase Freedom!

One of the perks of the Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card is that every quarter there are bonus categories where you earn 5% cash back.
Categories include restaurants, movie theatres, Amazon, convenience stores, department stores, gas and more.
The categories rotate and you must register your card to qualify. But you can register up until the end of the quarter and get credit for anything you purchased that quarter.
Chase announced that the 4th quarter category will be Walmart and department stores. You can already register here. The quarter begins October 1st and ends December 31st. You max out the bonus categories at $1500 spend or 7,500 Chase Ultimate Reward Points or $75 cash back (5%). It's FREE money so why not?

Is Southwest Airlines Headed To Hawaii?

Beat of Hawaii is reporting that Southwest Airlines may be opening routes to Hawaii soon. For the first time, Southwest Airlines is sponsoring the Hawaii Global Tourism Summit which opened today. Southwest is scheduled to speak tomorrow on Wednesday September 20th so we could hear some news.
Beat of Hawaii says another clue is that Southwest added dozens of flights in California airports last month which could signal that they are taking on Alaska Airlines on their own turf. Alaska services Hawaii as well. The cities with added flights are San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento and Oakland.
In addition, Beat of Hawaii says Southwest is about to take delivery of 14 Hawaii capable aircraft. Plus Southwest pilots have just settled a four year dispute that paves the way for them to fly to Hawaii.
Stay tuned. If it's true, flights could start in Spring 2018. Woohoo!

Berlin On A Budget With Teens

At the East Side Gallery 

Berlin is a tapestry of history, culture, architecture food and energy. There is so much to see and do in this city. The issue really is how do you narrow it down, where do you start and what do you do with teens and how do you do it on a budget?
We assume flights are taken care of already with points, hopefully, if you read my blog often.
So let's move onto hotels. I always check awardmapper.com to see the hotel brands in the city and the points needed to book award nights.
There are plenty of options in Berlin and they are not expensive. We opted to pay for a room at the Sheraton Berlin Grande Hotel Esplanade. Sometimes it is worth it to pay for the room. In this case, we paid because the room only cost $81 per night so it didn't seem worth it to burn 7,000 Starwood points per night. We charged the room to my Starwood Business Credit Card so we could get access to the club. The club provides complimentary breakfast and happy hour.
For a family of 5, this is a huge savings.
We paid for the second room as well and charged it to the Barclays Arrival Card. (See past posts about this great travel card) Then I redeemed bonus points to cover the cost of the room.

Inside the bunker

So now what to see in Berlin? The first place we headed was to the Underground Tunnel Tour. This is a surpisingly great tour that is off the beaten path. It's so off the beaten path that you can't buy advance tickets, they only take cash and you have to just show up day of and hope they have space. We were there at the peak of tourist season and we showed up about an hour before the tour we wanted and there was space. The tour sold out about 15 minutes before the start. They offer tours in English and other various languages.
The tour is a 3 hour walking tour through one of the bunkers used during World War 2 by German citizens. It is a fascinating history lesson through the eyes of the citizens of Berlin.

Doner Kebap restaurant

If you are looking for cheap eats in Berlin, check out the many Doner Kebap stands and restaurants.

Brandenburg Gate

Holocaust Memorial 

Murals on the East Side Gallery 

The Brandenburg Gate, The Holocaust Memorial, The Jewish Museum and the DDR Museum are must sees and your teens will enjoy them . Checkpoint Charlie and the outside display located there are also must sees. But then be sure to check out the East Side Gallery.

The Jewish Museum 

Checkpoint Charlie 

Trabi sitting by Checkpoint Charlie 

Another tour worth booking in advance is a visit to the Reichstag-Bundestag. You need to book a time and submit names of everyone in your party at least 90 days in advance. You will need to bring passports when you visit. The tour is free and they will provide you with audio guides. 

Top of the Reichstag-Bundestag

The last piece of advice for travelling to Berlin is to check out passes for the bus and trolley system. If you are spending a few days, you will save money and the convenience is worth it. Two good passes that include transportation and museums are the Berlin Museum pass. and the Berlin Welcome Card. Depending on how many and which museums, you plan to visit, it may be worth it.

Kudos to the airlines!

Once in a while, we need to give kudos to the airlines. This time for their reaction to the evacuation of Floridians out of the path of Hurricane Irma. American Airlines actually flew empty planes into Florida so they could add flights to help evacuate residents out of harms way. In a statement, the airline said it added 16 flights out of Miami totaling 3,600 seats. The airlines also capped ticket prices, waived fees and relaxed scheduling procedures as people scrambled to safety.
So this time, we need to say kudos to the airlines!

How To Protect Yourself From The Equifax Data Breach

Just like everyone else, we are also dealing with the fallout from the data breach of 143 million people who had personal information with Equifax. It is considered to be one of the biggest breaches ever so if you are not worried, well, you should be.
So what to do?
Equifax is recommending you sign up with their monitoring service which will be free for one year. There was some controversy over whether signing up for that service would exclude you from any class action lawsuit. But that seeems to be settled now and it appears that it would not exclude you. But is that your best course of action and are there any other steps you should take?
Via Doctor of Credit, he published a guide on what to do and I thought he brought up several good tips.
1. Go to ssa.gov and create your account if you haven't already. This is key because if someone got hold of your social security number, they could open the account. So you want to do it first. Logical.
2. Go to irs.gov and do the same thing.
3. Doctor of Credit is skeptical of signing up for the monitoring service from Equifax since they are responsible for the breach. I am in agreement here and am checking out several other free monitoring services.
4. Set up a 90 day fraud alert, but do note that if you apply for a credit card, you will need to deal with the alert.

Of course, you should pull a credit report which you can get free once per year from creditkarma.com and freecreditscore.com  They also offer free monitoring services.

Good luck!

Another Way To Earn A FREE Night

Wyndham offered a stay 2 nights, get 15,000 points promotion and now, it is Marriott's turn. The Megabonus offer was revealed this week. Here are the details from Marriott's website: 

Get a free night after two stays* with MegaBonus®—and unlock more. Register from September 6 to November 30, 2017.

See Details

• Register by November 30, 2017
• Stay at any of our participating hotels and resorts worldwide between September 12 and January 15, 2018
• Earn a free night after two paid stays*.

Book direct to get our lowest rates worldwide. When you’re ready, redeem points for free nights, flights, exclusive experiences and so much more.

Earn a free night – and more bonus points for your stays through January 15, 2018.

*A 'stay' is defined as consecutive nights spent at the same hotel, regardless of check-in/check-out activity. 

The bonus is for 1 night at a category 1-5 and the certificate expires in 6 months. 

So if you have some stays coming up, why not make them work a bit harder for you. I took advantage of the Wyndham bonus which may help me when I head to South America next year. That's how we do it at almost FREE family travel. 

Targeted Bonus 5,000 Offer From IHG

Received this targeted offer from IHG this week......

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to get away – it’s now! Pack your bags…there's 5,000 additional bonus points waiting when you stay by September 30th. If you book a Bonus Points Package, you’ll get a total of 6,000 points on top of the bonus points you’ll receive from booking a Bonus Points Package.

Where do you want to go? Register now and start earning.

Be sure to check your IHG account to see if you were targeted. That's a pretty lucrative bonus especially if you can take advantage of the quarterly price break list.

Stop Laboring So Much To Pay For Travel

Travel is in the top 3 priorities for most Americans so how come most Americans never use all their vacation days? Too expensive to travel? Can't get time off? Overwhelming to plan a trip? Not sure where to go?

My goal is to show you that you can travel as a family and it does not need to cost a lot of money. But it does take some planning. Everything worth something takes planning and research, right?

Research about travel shows that we actually get pleasure from planning a trip and dreaming about places where we want to go. We enjoy the trip, of course, even if it doesn't go exactly as planned. Then research shows that we enjoy the memories of the trip for a long time after. 

So labor away, but then take time off and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Read my blog, ask questions and enjoy almost free family travel! 

Fly Cheap To Europe!!! WOW Air Sale

If you can be a spur of the moment traveller or even if you need to plan a few months in advance, you might check out the sale from discount airline WOW air.  WOW air is a discount airline out of Iceland which can be a plus since most of their flights make a stop in Reykjavik. Right now, you can find flights as low as $69 from the US to Europe. Sale prices are good for September, October and November.

I checked several routes and dates and found flights for $69-$99. The return varied from $149-$600.
WOW air will nickel and dime you for everything so you need to manage the fees or the ticket will end up costing you more. The airline will charge fees for carry on luggage, checked luggage, priority boarding and more. However, they are not charging for car seats and strollers. Nice surprise!
My cousin just flew WOW air from Newark to Dublin for a ridiculously low fare and she took just a small backpack for her free personal item.
We flew discount airline Norweigian Air this summer and had no problems. In fact, we had more issues on Austrian Air!