Travel
Chain hotels are more consistent than independent ones, so I usually go for them.
Never change planes to save a bit of money on a long flight, it's not worth it.
Avoid the M25 at all costs.
Travel Gear #
Get one of these chargers (or similar) and some extra cables. Then you only have to plug one thing in at the place you're staying.
Places #
New York #
- Book all your tickets in advance and avoid the "bundle of ticket" places if you can afford to. The bundle tickets (usually) are a voucher you have to exchange for a ticket when you get there and some places (like Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty) can have multiple-hour queues.
- Get a hotel as close as you can to a subway station. New York is lot of walking and it's always start/stop so being close to a station is a god send at the end of a long day.
- The Roosevelt Tramway is fun (and you can use your subway pass for it)
Las Vegas #
- Try to get a hotel in the middle of the strip, somewhere around The Bellagio. Makes it a lot easier to get around
- Book in advance for day trips like the Grand Canyon, on-the-day prices are really expensive
- There's a monorail