Business Travel Archives

BY Nancy Mueller 1 Comment ON October 11, 2016

Top 5 Tips for Getting a Taxi in Vancouver, BC

Wondering how to get a taxi the next time you travel to beautiful Vancouver, BC? Here are my Top 5 Tips to get you where you need to go:

1) Catch a Cab at Convenient Locations.

Your best chance of getting a cab is much higher at designated taxi stands near popular tourist arrival spots. Think airport, train, bus station or hotels. From your hotel, you can schedule a cab pick-up in advance in one of three ways: by phone (though it may take several minutes to get through to a dispatcher), via an app on your smartphone, or through the services of your hotel concierge.

Outside of transit hubs or your own hotel, your best bet of flagging down a cab is in the downtown corridor. Not having any luck? Simply walk to any nearby hotel like The Listel Hotel on Robson Street or the Hyatt Regency in the downtown core and catch a cab from there.

2) Know Where You’re Going.

Seems obvious, doesn’t it? When you hop in the cab, you should expect the cab driver to get you where you want to go as quickly as possible. But for hotels with more than one location in the same Vancouver vicinity, it’s not enough to say, “The Fairmont,” for example, because your driver will ask, “Which one?” If you respond, “Downtown,” you probably mean the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, but you might also mean the Fairmont Pacific Rim or Fairmont Waterfront because all three locations are relatively close to each other.

If you didn’t know there was more than one Pinnacle Hotel in Vancouver, you might also think that “Pinnacle Hotel Waterfront,” and “Pinnacle Hotel on-the-Pier” are one and the same. However, one gets you to a downtown location (Pinnacle Hotel Waterfront) while the other (Pinnacle Hotel on-the-Pier) takes you across the Lions Gate Bridge into North Vancouver. Oops! Play it safe and be sure you know both the name and address of your destination.

Note: While both the body of the Yellow Cab and the Black Top Cabs are yellow, they are two different cab companies. If you plan to use vouchers from a travel company, verify with which cab company the vouchers may be used.

3) Plan for Special Needs and Unexpected Delays.

While taxi stands are available at major city attractions like the Vancouver Aquarium, cab sightings are fewer in non-peak hours or off-season so plan accordingly. Also, just because you can book a cab ahead of time doesn’t mean the cab will be there for you at the reserved time. In a nanosecond, rain and everyday traffic tie-ups can impact your schedule, from dinner reservations to departures and everything in between. Add road closures due to construction or dignitary motorcades like a royal visit by William and Kate, or Harry and Meghan, and you may experience taxicab stress.

In 2014 the Vancouver Taxi Association, together with the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities, implemented an enhanced taxi training program, Ask-Listen-Act. The goal of the program is to ensure accessibility, safety and respect for everyone. When reserving your cab ahead of time, confirm that your driver and taxi are equipped to handle any special needs you may have for your comfort and convenience.

4) Have Your Payment Ready.

Plan to pay your driver with Canadian currency, if possible. But don’t worry if you haven’t exchanged your US dollars into the local currency yet. Vancouver cab drivers are happy to accept U.S. dollars, especially considering the current favorable exchange rate. If you pay in US dollars, be mindful of that exchange rate between the two currencies. In most cases, you can also pay with credit card. Be sure to check with your bank beforehand to be aware of foreign transaction fees. Tipping ranges from 10 – 20% of the cab fare with 15% the standard.

5) Download the Free YVR Zone Fare Map.

To find out what the typical cab fare is from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to your destination, download the free YVR Zone fare Map. For further information on Vancouver cab fares, visit Taxi Fare Finder.

Many thanks to Tourism Vancouver for the opportunity to explore Vancouver, BC. Some, though not all, of my expenses were hosted. All opinions are my own, as always.

Other Helpful Links:
Tourism Vancouver
Yellow Cab app
The Listel Hotel Vancouver

Wander on!

Nancy

What’s your favorite way to get around a city, wanderboomers? On foot? By bus? Trolley, Taxi or Towncar? Please share with us here.

BY Nancy Mueller 6 Comments ON April 15, 2013

M is for Montana on My Mind

MontanaRanchcsbarnhillflickr (450 x 300)

Photo courtesy of csbarnhill – flickr

To my child-self growing up in New York State, Montana seemed about as exotic a destination as I could imagine. Far away, almost completely on the other side of the country, Montana loomed large – certainly larger in size (ranked 4th out of 50 states) than my home state (ranked 27th out of 50).

MontanaRiverYellowstonecarolynconnerflickr (450 x 338)

Photo courtesy of carolynconner – flickr

Then there was that mysterious facial profile shaping its western border next to Idaho. With its prominent forehead, nose and chin, Montana became more than a geographical location, more like a friend waiting to welcome me westward.

GalcierParkMontananorrisbabyflickr (450 x 338)

Photo courtesy of norrisbaby – flickr

In college, I marveled that one of my classmates hailed from Big Sky Country, cementing her status as a true adventurer in my eyes. When I finally made my way to Montana on a business trip years later, I was every bit as enchanted as I had been in my youth.

What do you love most about Montana, wanderboomers?

BY Nancy Mueller 8 Comments ON March 15, 2013

Travel Tips: Snack Packs for Your Journey

Maria'sLunch (387 x 450)

My 14-year-old daughter inspires me daily. Whatever she takes on, she does so with strategy, focus and determination, whether it’s her academics or extracurricular activities like music or sports. She’s even taught me how to pack my own luggage and carry-on bag, methodically removing whatever she thinks I should be able to live without for two days or two weeks.

Lately I’ve been watching what she packs for lunch before school each morning, forgoing the sweets in favor of more nutritional snacks like fruit and vegetables. She even passed on the slice of pie that her math teachers offered in honor of “Pi” Day yesterday. Once again, I realize how much I can learn from my daughter.

Snacks (425 x 450)

Now when it comes time for my travels, I take along a snack pack for the ride, whether for a road trip or a flight. Here’s what I might include:

a mix of fruit and nuts, like dried apricots, raisins, cranberries, almonds, walnuts or cashews
an assortment of small vegetables like carrots and broccoli
pecan nut and rice crackers
protein bar
small pack of roasted seaweed

SnackPacks (450 x 260)

And sometimes – shhh! – promise not to tell – I even sneak in a little cookie, because unlike my daughter, I still enjoy just a tiny taste of something sweet to cap it all off.

For more fun Friday photos, be sure to check out Delicious Baby.

How about you, Wanderboomers? What are your favorite take-along snacks when you travel?

BY Nancy Mueller 4 Comments ON March 6, 2013

Top Stress-Busters for Boomer Women Business Travelers

Business Traveler (299 x 450)

Photo courtesy of flickr – fechi fejardo

You arrive at the airport to catch an early morning flight for an important business meeting in a different city. The flight, however, is delayed, kicking your stress level up a notch. You decide to grab a bite to eat before boarding but your healthy eating options are limited. By the time you arrive at your destination, you’re a little more relaxed until you discover that your luggage didn’t make it.

Sound familiar to any of you boomer women business travelers?

Last Fall Carlson Wagonlit Travel published a report, “Stress Triggers for Business Travelers,” based on the ranking of 33 stress factors by 6,000 business travelers around the world. The results might surprise you.

Among respondents in the CWT survey, women reported on average four points of stress more than men on the top stress factors cited. Whoa!

Let’s take a look at women’s top travel tensions and consider strategies that enhance serenity, health and well-being on the road.

#1 – Lost Luggage

carry-on.bag (450 x 450)

Photo courtesy of flickr – starpause kid

On a scale of 1 – 100, women gave this category a rating of 83 – the highest of all stress categories – a full six points of stress more than men.

Action Step: The easiest option to combat the stress of lost luggage is to travel only with a carry-on bag that stays with you at all times. Travel light. Wear your heaviest shoes (typically running shoes). Pack only one other pair that you can color-coordinate with your professional attire.

#2 – Poor or No Internet Connection

Laptop (438 x 450)

Photo courtesy of flickr – tachyondecay

Women gave this category a rating of 81, seven points of stress higher than their male counterparts.

Action Step: Prepare a back-up plan before your trip. Dropbox, for instance, is a free service that allows you to access your files from any computer. Even if you can’t access the Internet from your hotel room, chances are good that the hotel business center can meet your needs.

#3 – Flying Economy on Medium/Long Haul

Interestingly enough, the business women respondents gave this category a 71, three points less than male business travelers. While the survey includes business women under age 30 to over 60 years of age, the authors came to the conclusion that the stress of traveling medium to long distances increases with age.

Action Step: If you can’t convince your company to book you in business class, ask for seat preference, whether aisle or window, front or back of the airplane, wherever you feel less stressed. Bring your favorite comfort aids like an inflatable travel pillow, travel throw, noise-cancelling headphones, favorite foods, DVDs, music or reading material to help you enjoy the flight as much as possible.

#4 – Delays

In this category, women responded with a rating of 75 compared to their male counterparts’ rating of 71.

Action Step: The same aids that give you comfort when flying economy on medium to long distances can help again when you have time to kill at the airport. But you can also use the unexpected delay to browse through gift stores, get in a little walking exercise, call family or friends, even have a neck and shoulder massage to reduce the tension of waiting for your next flight.

#5 – Inconvenient Departure/Arrival Times

Women respondents gave this category a rating of 71 compared to 68 for men. Whenever travel plans disrupt family time or require adjustments in one’s daily routine, stress typically follows.

Action Step: Sometimes the best strategy for handling stress is simply to accept the things you can’t change. You might not have control over your flight schedule but you can choose how you react to the inconvenience. Planning a fun event with family and friends for your return home gives you something to look forward to while you’re away.

What causes you the most stress when you travel for business, Wanderboomers? How do you cope?