Mindy on the Map

Austria’s culture is built around classical music, cafes, and a rich, well-preserved history. There are plenty of things to do and see in Austria in each of those categories, as well as beautiful landscapes, delicious food, and exemplary public transport to get around and see it all with. In short, there’s nothing not to love about Austria! Another reason to visit Austria is that there is no bad time to go. Summers are one of the most popular times to visit, because the mild temperatures are perfect for being out and about and the sunny weather just accentuates the scenery in the Austrian countryside that looks like it’s straight off of a screensaver. In the Spring and Fall, the various palace gardens are in full bloom and you avoid some of the tourist crowds. Winter is a second high season because Austria is the winter sports capital of Europe and hosts epic Christmas markets. Finally, Austria is one of the safest places in the world to visit. While you should always be aware of y...

Big cities, like Chicago, can be overwhelming. But if you go into visiting them with a plan, you can hit the major sights all in a weekend! Here’s a list of the must-do-and-see things on your trip.

Phuket (pronounced poo-ket) Thailand, is a true paradise, with a little bit of something for everyone. There are beaches, islands, rainforests, mountains, and bustling city areas to explore, so some days can be spent relaxing while others are spent out on the town or immersed in nature.

  Traveling isn’t all sunshine and rainbows – it’s excellent once you make it to your destination, but before that, getting through the various lines at the airport can be a hassle. The good news is that you can get different accesses such as TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or CLEAR to minimize your wait in U.S. security and customs lines and get to where you want to be faster! What is TSA PreCheck? TSA Pre-Check is a program that gets you expedited security screenings in most large U.S. airports. It often has dedicated lines at security, denoted by signs with the TSA Pre-Check logo, with extremely short wait times. Part of the reason for the short lines is that you don’t have to take off your shoes, belt, or light jacket, and you can leave your travel size liquids and laptop in your bag. Who is Eligible for TSA PreCheck? United States citizens, nationals, and lawful permanent residents are all eligible to apply for TSA PreCheck. However, your application will likel...

When COVID-19 shut down travel around the world for months in some places, and years in others, it was upsetting to anyone with a passion for exploring new countries and cultures. On the flip side, I have COVID-19 travel restrictions to thank for my trip to Albania! Albania was not a country that was on my radar previously, but when I could no longer stand being restricted to domestic travel I googled "countries that Americans can travel to without quarantine requirements" and Albania was the first country on the list. Don't make the mistake of requiring anything so extreme to plan your trip there! It was one of my favorite trips - the cities were lively and full of history, the people were friendly as could be, the food was delicious, and the natural beauty of the landscapes was stunning.  My one and only complaint is that the public transport in Albania left something to be desired. There were some buses traveling between big cities, but the best and easiest way to ge...

My husband and I were dating long distance for ~2 years and then we planned our wedding back in Houston while living in Detroit. There's no way I would have been able to afford traveling back and forth across the country every month, or even every other month, without saving money by flying on Spirit. After 3.5 years of frequent practice, I have flying on Spirit down to a science that translates to pretty much any US budget airline. We've all heard the horror stories along with the angry "I'll never fly *insert budget airline here* again!!" But, honestly, it's really not that bad if you follow a couple of ground rules - and I'm here to let you know what those rules are. First and foremost, you need to know that budget airlines make their money  by charging for everything separately . That means you will only save money by minimizing your purchases over the base fares, and you have to understand when booking a budget airline makes sense in order to do tha...

If you want to travel from the US without a passport, but still want international vibes, Puerto Rico is an excellent option! Since Puerto Rico is an US territory, US residents can travel there as easily as going to Florida - It just takes a little extra time to get there. There's no currency exchange, cell phone service interruptions, or customs to deal with and, again, no passport required!  Renting a car to explore the entire island is easy enough, but you could just as easily stay in San Juan and get around by walking or taking Ubers. Puerto Rico runs on island time, so you don't want to try to pack too much into your itinerary. That means if you only have a few days, staying in San Juan is probably your best option. Here are some of things you should make sure to do in, and around, San Juan. This post contains affiliate links. That means, that at no cost to you, I earn a small commission when you click on a link and purchase the item. I choose products and service...