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McCool Travel is excited to present tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons.
For the 15th profile, I am honored to present Samantha Brown. Samantha is the wildly popular Travel Channel host of programs including Passport to Great Weekends, Samantha Brown’s Asia, Passport to Latin America, and Passport to Europe With Samantha Brown.
Recently, Sam Brown announced that she is expecting twins. Best wishes to our favorite interview subject and her soon-to-be-doubled family. Here is an announcement: http://blog.travelchannel.com/the-traveling-type/2012/09/13/travel-channels-samantha-brown-is-expecting-twins/
McCool Travel is excited to present tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons.
For the latest profile, I am thrilled to present Shereen Rayle. Shereen is the owner and writer of Shereen Travels Cheap, a website that offers posts about her travels, current travel deals, budget tips and suggesting websites and products. She often writes about foods she has eaten on travels and where to find great restaurants on your trips. She is a Savvy Expert in Ebates’ Savvy Living Community, specializing in Travel, but also helping others to live more Savvy with money-saving tips and ideas. She is based in Portland, Oregon when not traveling the world.
Bio:
I like to call myself a budget travel enthusiast. I’m not a travel professional, getting paid to travel the world and sleep in the swankiest hotels, so saving money is seriously important when I plan my vacations. My husband and I like to get the most for our money, but still be comfortable and do as much as possible. With this in mind, I am constantly looking for ways to save on every aspect of a trip. Finding that so many others around me were also on a budget and didn’t even know where to start when planning an affordable vacation, I set out to write a book, with a corresponding blog, to help friends, family and all the other budget travelers out there take better vacations with the money they had. Readers can see some of the great current deals and tips, as well as ask me questions via my page on Facebook or my Twitter feed.
Shereen Rayle
Always in my luggage…
Sunscreen, iGo multi-charger, netbook, mobile and camera.
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
- London
- Anaheim
- Ecuador
A favorite travel memory is…
Waking up from being totally jetlagged to my husband having planned an entire afternoon and evening in Paris for us. We spent hours at Pere Lachaise Cemetery and took a gazillion pictures of the incredible tombs.
3 favorite travel brands…
- Delsey
- Travelon
- Columbia Sportswear
3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…
- Fly on Wednesday or Saturday.
- Rent an apartment (or hotel with kitchenette), so we can make some of our own meals.
- Walk as much as possible.
3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…
- Finding yummy local restaurants
- Doing totally (and usually cheesy) touristy things
- Meeting new people.
8 word (or less) travel mantra…
Any budget can accommodate a great vacation.
My favorite non-travel website…
Ebates.com, because it saves me tons of money on everything I buy.
most memorable souvenir …
I pick up an ornament on every trip I go on, so each year my Christmas tree becomes more and more international.
favorite cheap eat …
Food carts! Specifically the ones in Paris that sell baguette sandwiches and crepes.
recent discovery …
Packable boots are amazing. I love a good, stylish boot, but they are always hard to pack and you definitely can’t wear them on a long plane rides. Packables are my new favorite travel companions.
I would like to meet …
Anthony Bourdain. I adore his sense of humor and love of food and travel.
Thank you, Shereen, for sharing your thoughts with McCool Travel and may you have countless more memorable travel adventures!
Follow Shereen on Facebook and Twitter.
Share responses by leaving a comment or contacting me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2012, Charles McCool
Johnny Jet, one of my interview profiles in 2011, circles the globe for his first televised special “Hot Spots 2012,” scheduled to air on the Travel Channel, January 1 at 9:00 PM EST (check local listings). For more information about the show, please click here.
Congratulations, Johnny!
To celebrate this momentous occasion, I am re-publishing my interview with Johnny Jet from January 2011.
McCool Travel is excited to present interviews with travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons.
For the fourth profile, I am thrilled and honored to present Johnny Jet. Johnny Jet (John DiScala) is one of the top travel brands in the world. Johnny’s travel portal,JohnnyJet.com, is truly a one-stop travel shop offering travel deals, stories, tips, destinations, and more. When Johnny is not traveling around the world, he is at home in Manhattan Beach, California.
Always in my luggage…
my laptop, ear plugs, eye mask, magazines, travel journal. More travel productsreviewed by Johnny Jet.
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
Sydney, Hong Kong
A favorite travel memory is…
3 favorite travel brands…
Ritz-Carlton, Air New Zealand, Seabourn
3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…
Priceline for hotels/car rentals, Googling coupons for airport parking, Entertainment Book for meals
3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…
go for long walks, play sports, take public transportation
8 word (or less) travel mantra…
Always be nice
My favorite non-travel website…
I am fortunate to have met …
I would like to meet …
President Obama, Bill Clinton
Johnny shares thoughts on Twitter (@JohnnyJet), his blog, and Facebook.
Johnny Jet has been featured over 1,800 times in major publications, including USA Today, Time, Fortune and The New York Times, and has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNBC, MSNBC, NBC, FOX News Channel, and PBS. JohnnyJet.com has been named “one of the top best money-saving web sites for travel” by Budget Travel Magazine, while the L.A. Times calls it “one of the top 10 essential travel resources on the internet.” Outside Magazine said that Johnny Jet has one of the world’s best dream jobs. Indeed.
Our paths first crossed in 2001, when I exchanged a copy of my newly published book (Winning the Airfare Game) for a new Johnny Jet t-shirt. While researching for this profile, I was surprised to learn that Johnny Jet evolved from his childhood nickname, Johnny Jetski. Cool!
Thank you, Johnny, for sharing a few thoughts with McCool Travel and may you have countless more memorable travel adventures!
Share responses by leaving a comment below or contacting me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
McCool Travel is excited to present tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons.
For the latest profile, I am thrilled to present Paul Johnson–principle author and editor of A Luxury Travel Blog ( http://www.aluxurytravelblog.com ) and Director of a very successful online tourism marketing business ( http://www.dedicate.co.uk ).
Paul lives with his family in Kendal, UK which is between two of England’s most beautiful National Parks – the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales – and also has a vacation rental business there ( http://www.kendalcottages.com ). Despite his blog specialism, his travels haven’t always been of the luxury persuasion – he’s hostelled in many parts of Europe and camped in sub-zero temperatures in Greenland, many miles from civilization.
Always in my luggage…
My camera. I rarely go anywhere without it, in fact!
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
- Cornwall, UK
- Brittany, France
- Any of the Greek islands
A favorite travel memory is…
Sitting on a beach on honeymoon on a private island off Zanzibar with a nicely chilled glass of dry white wine and some lightly warmed cashews, just watching the sunset.
3 favorite travel brands…
- Six Senses
- The Luxury Collection
- &Beyond
3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…
- book flights in advance or when airlines run offers
- consider self-catering/vacation rental options
- combine work with pleasure
3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…
- taking time out with family
- taking photographs
- eating out
8 word (or less) travel mantra…
Sometimes the road is less travelled for a reason.
My favorite non-travel website…
most memorable souvenir …
A drum from Morocco purportedly made from the skin of a camel’s scrotum!
favorite cheap eat …
recent discovery …
I am fortunate to have met …
My wonderful wife. 
I would like to meet …
Any of my 100,000 Twitter fans. But not all at once!
Thank you, Paul, for sharing your thoughts with McCool Travel and may you have countless more memorable travel adventures!
Follow A Luxury Travel on Twitter (@Luxury_Travel) and Facebook.
Share responses by leaving a comment or contacting me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
McCool Travel is excited to present tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons.
For the 23rd profile, I am honored to present Jeff Deck. A couple of weeks ago, I published a post about Fun With Typo Signs and mentioned a book called The Great Typo Hunt. I reached one of the authors and he graciously shared some travel thoughts for this spot. Any typos in this post are my fault, not his!
Jeff Deck is a writer, editor, typo hunter, and unabashed geek. His book, The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time (co-authored with Benjamin D. Herson), was a Boston Globe bestseller and broke the Amazon Top 100 Bestsellers, and was an Indie Next Notable pick. He has spoken to audiences across the U.S. and with local, national, and international media about grammar education and the importance of proofreading. Deck lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with his girlfriend Jane, and frequently vacations in the worlds of fantasy and science fiction.
Always in my luggage…
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
- Portland, Oregon (great food, beer, public transportation)
- Madison, Wisconsin (friendly folk and fine curds)
- Boston, Massachusetts (my actual home until not too long ago)
A favorite travel memory is…
Both times I’ve visited the Carmel area of California (first during my typo hunt across America, second for a wedding) I’ve been absolutely awed by its beauty. I loved stopping by the side of Route 1 and gazing at the ocean, and the town in the valley has some curiously innate ward against rainclouds…
3 favorite travel brands…
- Southwest (reliable, no bullcrap!)
- Amtrak Acela (the way to travel if you can afford it)
- C&J Trailways (super-comfortable New England bus service)
3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…
- Priceline bidding
- Econo Lodge
- pitching a tent (in a Vegas parking lot, even!)
3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…
- A guiltless approach to eating;
- appreciation of the reading time during long flights/rides;
- walking explorations of new cities/towns
- (bonus) keeping an eye out for typos!
8 word (or less) travel mantra…
Listen more than you talk; appreciate little details.
My favorite non-travel website…
Most memorable souvenir…
At the Dallas stop of our book tour for The Great Typo Hunt, my co-author and I each got a wooden cast of David’s eye and cheekbone (as in Michelangelo’s Statue of David). His pupil kind of looks like a comma, so I can see the connection…
Favorite Cheap Eat
Tacos in the town square of Santa Fe, New Mexico. And the food trucks of Portland, Oregon, and Cambridge, Massachusetts (MIT campus)! They were a thing before food trucks were a thing.
Recent Discovery…
Stowe, Vermont is gorgeous; it’s overshadowed, I think, by big brother Burlington.
I am fortunate to have met…
My girlfriend Jane, the travel partner I’d always been hoping for.
I would like to meet…
Rick Steves. Jane and I have been enjoying his various European travel-guide videos, and I think he’d be a pretty fun travel buddy.
Thank you, Jeff, for sharing your thoughts with McCool Travel and may you have countless more memorable travel adventures!
Read Jeff’s blog at JeffDeck.com.
Previous 5 Minutes With post: Colleen Lanin, TravelMamas.com.
Do you want to appear in a future 5 Minute With post? Contact me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
McCool Travel is excited to present tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons.
For the 22nd profile, I am honored to present Colleen Lanin.
Colleen Lanin is the editor and founder of TravelMamas.com, a site for parents who want to travel with children…and stay sane! She is the Travel Channel Leader for Tree.com, a social media site run by the company that owns Lending Tree and RealEstate.com. She is also the On-the-Go Video Blogger for Barilla’s Piccolini TV, a multimedia site for parents. Colleen is a freelance writer and teaches blogging classes. She has lived in Arizona, Minnesota, and Southern France. Now she makes her home in San Diego with her husband and two children. Learn more about Colleen and TravelMamas here.
Colleen Lanin, TravelMamas.com
Always in my luggage…
A swimsuit – no matter the destination. It takes up almost no room and I never know when there will be a pool or hot tub calling my name! If I’m traveling with others (esp. my kids!), I bring a book light so I can stay up late reading after my travel mates have already gone to bed for the night.
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
- Hawaii
- France
- California’s Wine Country
A favorite travel memory is…
Swimming in indoor pools during my childhood travels through the Midwest with my family. It’s the little things!
3 favorite travel brands…
- Disney Cruise Line (the ultimate in customer service and providing incredible vacation experiences for all ages)
- CARES (an airplane safety restraint for children ages 1-4)
- any airline that provides free WiFi and video entertainment
3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…
- Do a home exchange instead of paying for a hotel
- Travel off-season.
- Have groceries delivered or pick them up after arrival and eat breakfast in to save time and money.
3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…
- swimming in an awesome hotel pool (preferably with waterfalls & a swim-up bar)
- visiting a botanical garden
- eating the local cuisine
8 word (or less) travel mantra…
You CAN travel with children…and stay SANE!
My favorite non-travel website…
Most memorable souvenir…
My daughter’s red satin shoes from San Francisco’s Chinatown. She has long since outgrown them but she was gaga for those things!
Favorite Cheap Eat
Pain au chocolat and café crème in France
I am fortunate to have met…
So many other family travel bloggers when I am traveling. Meeting up with others who share my passions (family, travel, writing) is such a treat.
I would like to meet…
Oprah Winfrey, Samantha Brown, Rosie O’Donnell, Bono
Colleen Lanin, TravelMamas.com
Thank you, Colleen, for sharing your thoughts with McCool Travel and may you have countless more memorable travel adventures!
Join Colleen on Twitter (@TravelMamas) and Facebook. Check out the TravelMamas blog for tips and information about traveling with babies, toddlers, and children.
Previous 5 Minutes With post: George Hobica, Airfarewatchdog.com.
Do you want to appear in a future 5 Minute With post? Contact me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
McCool Travel is excited to present tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons.
For the 21st profile, I am honored to present George Hobica.
George Hobica
He is the mastermind behind Airfarewatchdog.com and a friend to anyone who wants cheap flights. As you surely know by now, Airfarewatchdog is one of my favorite sources for air travel deals. George appears frequently on television and radio and is a former travel writer (Travel and Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, Real Simple, and other magazines). He is from Boston but now lives in New York City.
Always in my luggage…
my own pillow and Bose noise canceling headphones
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
- Fire Island, New York
- London
- Fairmont Battery Wharf, Boston
A favorite travel memory is…
I was on a media trip to Bangkok with a bunch of grumpy travel writers; as I was about to check out of the Oriental Hotel, my floor butler presented me with a hand written thank you note and a little gift. I assumed it was something he was told to do by the management but in the car to the airport I discovered that the grumpy writers, who had the same floor butler, received no gift.
3 favorite travel brands…
- Jet Blue
- Fairmont Hotels
- American Express
3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…
- after making a hotel reservation, I always check back to see if the price has gone down, even up to the day before arrival
- same with airfare if flying on JetBlue, which refunds in a travel credit without a fee
- check airfares frequently before buying because they fluctuate like the stock market.
3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…
- take lots of photos
- find time to take a walk in a park
- use miles or points to upgrade
8 word (or less) travel mantra…
Always have a plan B (even though most travel goes without a hitch)
My favorite non-travel website…
Most memorable souvenir…
– see above travel memory response
I would like to meet…
Isadore Sharp, founder of Four Seasons Hotel Group
Thank you, George, for sharing your thoughts with McCool Travel and may you have countless more memorable travel adventures!
Join Airfarewatchdog on Twitter (@airfarewatchdog) and Facebook. Check out their blog and sign up for airfare alerts for your favorite airports (HIGHLY recommended).
Previous 5 Minutes With post: The Trip Chicks.
Do you want to appear in a future 5 Minute With post? Contact me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
McCool Travel is excited to present tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons.
For the 20th profile, I am honored to present Ann Lombardi from The Trip Chicks. The Trip Chicks (Wendy Swartzell and Ann) are two youthfully middle-aged veteran travel agents with 26+ years of travel industry experience and 85+ countries under their belts. They believe that vacations are essential for a long and happy life, and a good sense of humor is the best thing you can pack for a trip. The Trip Chicks enjoy helping people find smart ways to save time and money, stretching muscles and minds on vacations, discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations, meeting the colorful locals, and sharing their best insider travel tips. The Trip Chicks plan adventures from their roost in Atlanta, Georgia.
Always in my luggage…
EmergenC, silicon earplugs, dental floss, beef jerky from the Dollar Store, and a big sense of humor.
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
- Secret Bernese Oberland alpine villages in Switzerland
- Patagonia, Argentina
- Queenstown, New Zealand.
A favorite travel memory is…
Parading down the mountain as we celebrated the end of cheese-making season in the Austrian Zillertal with dairy farmers and their happy cows decked out in flowers and huge bells. The village mayor (whose last name amazingly was the same as Wendy’s) then invited us to eat at his cozy home.
3 favorite travel brands…
- Swiss Rail/SBB
- GAP
- Lufthansa German Airlines
3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…
- book early
- pack light
- ask students for budget eatery tips
3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…
- by Couchsurfing
- attending traditional festivals
- taking part in fitness activities
8 word (or less) travel mantra…
Time’s short. Explore the great planet we share.
My favorite non-travel website…
Most memorable souvenir…
150 year old woven reed hat from Korea, the gift of a farmer
Favorite cheap eat…
Those yummy Flammkuchen (or Tartes flambées) served in France’s Alsace and Germany’s Black Forest. You can eat the savory ones for a main course and sweet versions for dessert. Try eating a meal at Flams in Strasbourg. ( http://www.flams.fr/resto.php)
Recent discovery…
Lovely Tournus in Burgundy, one of France’s most ancient monastic towns, on the banks of the River Saône.
I am fortunate to have met…
Rick Steves, Pauline Frommer, Peter Greenberg, Journeywoman Evelyn Hannon, and many other inspirational travelers and Twitter pals.
I would like to meet…
My all-time favorite travel humor writer Bill Bryson, and one day, Oprah Winfrey.
Thank you, Ann, for sharing your thoughts with McCool Travel and may you have countless more memorable travel adventures!
Join The Trip Chicks on Twitter (@TheTripChicks) and The Trip Chicks blog.
Previous 5 Minutes With post: Roni Weiss.
Do you want to appear in a future 5 Minute With post? Contact me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
McCool Travel is excited to present tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons.
For the 19th profile, I am honored to present Roni Weiss. Roni writes about travel at RoniWeiss.com but he is much more than a travel blogger. He is the host and producer of a weekly travel web series, a panelist on a weekly political podcast, and one of the organizers of Travel Talk on Twitter. Roni is one of the Top 50 Online Travel Influencers (Independent). Roni was born in Long Island but grew up in the northern suburbs of Seattle, where he graduated from high school at 15. He has visited over 70 countries and taught English in four. Meet Roni Weiss…
Roni Weiss, Gorée Island, Senegal
Always in my luggage…
I always bring my laptop, journal, an assortment of rollerball pens to write in my journal, camera… I mean, nothing weird, that I can think of.
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
- My friend’s family in Beirut that treated me as their own
- my friends Francesco and Maria in Bari (who I met through CouchSurfing)
- my old host families in and out of Milan
A favorite travel memory is…
They generally involve falling for girls, even when nothing happens. Ahhh, girls.
3 favorite travel brands…
I like WizzAir (a low-cost European airline)… I dunno, I’m not a brand guy. Do Yorkie bars (chocolate bars in the UK) count? And they’re not a brand, but I like Dutch syrup waffles. So yeah, really not a brand guy.
3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…
- Couchsurfing
- hitchhiking
- not buying souvenirs
3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…
- talk to as many people as possible
- try to get into places I shouldn’t
- avoid spending money
8 word (or less) travel mantra…
Be flexible. Breathe.
My favorite non-travel website…
I’m a huge fan of cracked.com
Most memorable souvenir…
First one that came to mind is a little mini souvenir statue that I found on the ground in the hills around Montserrat, outside of Barcelona.
Favorite cheap eat…
Big fan of chicken kebabs (the European kind, not the skewer kind)
Recent discovery…
I’m writing this from Senegal. West African hospitality and friendliness (they call it ‘Teranga’ here) is second to none.
I am fortunate to have met…
Important people. Tonight, I was hanging out with Tourism Ministers. But what makes me fortunate is being able to know so completely that people are people. Their status affects their schedule more than their personality.
I would like to meet…
Aliens.
Roni Weiss, southern Chile volcano
Thank you, Roni, for sharing your thoughts with McCool Travel and may you have countless more memorable travel adventures!
Join Roni on Twitter (@RoniWeiss) and Facebook.
Previous 5 Minutes With post: Sonia Zamborsky.
Do you want to appear in a future 5 Minute With post? Contact me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
Thank you for visiting McCool Travel.
Did you miss anything this past week on McCool Travel? Topics included debunking one cheap airfare myth, travel souvenirs, and much more.
The blog posts from McCool Travel this week:
May 16: Congratulations to Donna Hull, a McCool Travel Profile Subject
May 17: Travel Souvenirs
May 18: Cheap Airfare Myth: Never Buy on the Weekend
May 19: Songs of Morocco, Part 1
May 20: Songs of Morocco, Part 2
Have a fantastic week. You can contact me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
