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Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Erica Ho / Map Happy Source: A quick translation on WhatsApp from Spanish to English. No more need to copy and paste into Google Translate, WhatsApp has recently rolled out the ability to translate messages directly in the app. Given how international and pervasive WhatsApp is, this is a a long overdue and a much needed feature. It is also possible to earmark…
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits A winding road down the countryside. Source: Damir K. / Pexels If you've ever walked along a country road, one simple habit can dramatically improve your safety: Walk facing oncoming traffic. Many people instinctively walk on the same side as vehicles, because, well, it's the correct side of the road. But for safety reasons, walking on the opposite side is…
This post is brought to you by SafetyWing. Recently, I found myself sitting in a Mexico City café planning the next leg of a trip. I'm not a travel insurance gal. But honestly, I do know that at some point, somewhere, it will catch up with me. I'll break a leg, I'll get stuck overnight... Read More
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Two travelers look at a map together. Source: Orhan Pergel / Pexels Lately, I've been on a series of three-night stays and the conclusion is this: It is the perfect trip length. (I'm also mortified it took me this long to figure it out.) Three nights is the perfect amount of time for a short trip, because it gives folks one full day to unwind stress-free…
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Source: Erica Ho / Map Happy Oh, the infamous UberShuttle. Is it worth it? Is it not worth it? Here's how our experience trying it for the first time went. So I did what any curious human being did: I gave it a shot (on my own dime). Surprisingly, I was much more pleased with the experience-mostly because I had three... Read More
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Clothes hanging on a clothesline outside. Source: wal_ 172619 / Pexels If you’ve been abroad for any extended amount of time, there is going to be an inevitable situation where you need to do laundry. And where you might need to dry clothes the old-fashioned way, on a clothesline, outside. Fortunately, it’s a fairly easy solution—and I know what you’re…
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Costco signs in Japanese. Source: rawkkim / Unsplash Why, yes, yes, you can. Aside from being Costco’s main demographic (Asian, late 30s, female), I do believe it is just smart shopping sometimes. A Costco membership enables you to toilet paper and cheap rotisserie chicken all around the world. In some places, that might mean mini cochinita bakes and paella.…
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Travelers check an airport sign displaying departures. Source: Catgirlmutant / Unsplash For the most accurate airport wait times, it is best to check the airport website directly. If that is not possible, the MyTSA app can offer a glimpse into what that might look like (though, see the caveats below). However, if there is a partial government shutdown, like…
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Toy figurines on a passport. Source: mana5280 / Unsplash The U.S. has just announced that it has lowered the fee to renounce American citizenship to $450, down from $2,350. That’s a $1,900 discount, folks! It was free to renounce citizenship before 2010. Then a $450 fee was introduced, and then the price was raised to $2,350 in 2015. Either way, the fees seem…
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits WhatsApp's new About feature in action. Source: Courtesy of WhatsApp The little things in life get me excited. Three months ago, WhatsApp rolled out a new feature where it is possible to set a new or temporary “About” description that allows users to set momentary states—like "In a meeting" or "London"— that automatically disappear after a set time, ranging…
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Paying with a credit card at a point-of-sale system. Source: www.kaboompics.com / Pexels Hey, I love proving the Internet (or Reddit) wrong. Ever wondered if you can use that prepaid card abroad? Though some prepaid cards are limited to the country or region they are registered to, there are those can actually be used abroad. Quite frankly, the only way to…
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Money sitting in a shopping cart. Source: www.kaboompics.com / Pexels The easiest hack is simply to check the airfare price the day after you book a flight (my vote is for the next morning before you forget!). Most flight reservations in the U.S. are beholden to the 24-hour free cancellation period, so why not take advantage of that while you’ve got it and the…
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Source: Tim Gouw / Unsplash Silver linings abound. Though it is possible to combine multiple United electronic travel certificates, here are the nuances to know before completing that transaction. For what it is worth, travelers cannot use both future flight credits and travel certificates in the same transaction. For clarification per United, future flight…
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Source: Pawel Czerwinski / Google If you’re a loyal Map Happy reader or simply want to support, Google’s Preferred Sources feature is the way to make sure our content shows up first. (Our traffic is getting killed by Google, so you’d be doing your girl a favor.) This feature lets you choose which outlets you’d like to prioritize in the... Read More
Image Caption | Source: Image Credits Source: GeoJango Maps / Unsplash The landing visa is like the red-haired stepchild of the visa world. Basically, it is the visa that almost no one knows about, or the visa on arrival aka landing visa. Here is what to expect getting a visa on arrival and and how it can quietly save a trip when things don’t go according... Read More