Yackie 101: Rail Travel

Before airplanes and automobiles exploded onto the scene, rail travel was the ideal way to travel cross-country. In some parts of the world (e.g. Europe, Japan) it’s still one of the standard modes of city-to-city travel, and in others (e.g. North America) it remains as a fairly popular alternative. It lacks the speed of air travel and the flexibility of driving an automobile, but compensates for that by giving you more room to casually move around, while someone else still does all the driving. It’s also more comfortable than air travel to those who don’t like the thought of being suspended 30,000 feet above the ground. For distances between about 100 and 800 km it may be the fastest way of traveling, especially if you travel from city center to city center. For longer distances it takes longer than traveling by air, but provides you with a ground-level view of the territory you’re visiting, and allows you to stop on the way.

For the International Traveler, travel by rail is a great option. Because the goal of any real traveler is to experience that sense of place. Beauty is found not just in a museum or monument. It’s also right outside your train window. While the train does get you from Point A to Point B, it will also enrich your travel experience. Discover an off-the-beaten path attraction. You’ll learn so much from locals about the place and culture, their views on socio-economic problems and make so many new friends on the way. We get time to reflect, honestly it has been my favorite pass time to look into the oblivion and get lost in my thoughts. Wherever one has to go, I will suggest taking the train because it is not only about the destination rather it is the journey itself that makes it more fulfilling.

Here are a few tips if you decide to use the rail ways to get around while abroad:

• Be aware that it can be very expensive in some countries to travel by train. Especially high-speed trains can be as expensive as — but more convenient than — flying.
• If you can, book in advance. In many countries you may benefit from a substantial discount. Reserving a seat, on the other hand, will usually incur a small surcharge - in these countries, you will have to decide whether or not the train will be empty enough for seats to be readily available.
• In some countries, fares are calculated by market, not by distance. In the United Kingdom, it is accepted practice to take full advantage of loopholes, such as it being cheaper (for whatever reason) to buy separate tickets A-B and B-C for a journey from A to C, or conversely it being cheaper to buy a ticket from D to F for a journey from D to E. Other countries may or may not allow this practice. (more…)

  

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I think this is a pretty sweet way to unlock your mobile phone. Best of all, you don’t have to jack with your handset to unlock. You simply cut the small hole into your SIM card and insert it into your phone with the SIM card. That’s not only easy it’s a better way to unlock your mobile phone without invalidating your phone’s warranty.You also can’t argue with the price of SIMable. The price for the manufactured cutting press and small chip is cheaper than more complicated software solutions which unlock your mobile phone. Best of all, it’s reusable, unlike most phone specific software solutions.

Yackie 101: Voluntourism

There comes a point — generally when you’ve lost your third passport in three weeks, you’re sunburned over 60 percent of your body and your bank account is empty — when you start to wonder if there is more to the whole vacation concept than lying on a beach getting toasted.

If you’re the kind of global trekker who wants a chance to contribute more to a local economy than buying overpriced trinkets that neither you nor your friends back home really need you should consider voluntourism.

If these perfectly reasonable thoughts cross your mind from time to time, you’re not alone. In fact, you’ve jumped on something of a bandwagon. The caravan of do-gooders heading hither and yon on altruistic volunteer tourism (a.k.a. “voluntourism”) programs has reached proportions that, if not biblical, are certainly large enough for the tourism industry to take notice.

Volunteer tourism is alive and well and growing in popularity. In fact, according to a new survey sponsored by msnbc.com and Condé Nast Traveler, more than half (55 percent) of the respondents expressed an interest in taking a volunteer vacation.

Volunteer vacations are vacations, which include some activities focused on furthering a charitable cause for which the participant receives no compensation.

The types of volunteer vacations are diverse, from low-skill work cleaning up local wildlife areas to providing high-skill medical aid in a foreign country.

Originally most volunteer vacations were undertaken by people with a direct connection to a particular cause and were considered more as short term, intense volunteer projects rather than vacations. Many of these organizations were long-standing international development assistance organizations which placed short-term volunteers on community development project sites.

According to the Travel Industry Association of America, more than 55 million Americans have participated in a volunteer vacation, and about 100 million more are considering taking one.

Volunteer vacations participants are diverse but typically share a desire to “do something good” while also experiencing new places and challenges in locales they might not otherwise visit.

While some experts on volunteerism welcome the expansion of volunteer vacations as an opportunity to provide more resources to projects and to encourage a volunteer ethic in people, others have pointed out that the business methods used by tour operators, such as exclusivity deals, and catering to the needs of the volunteer rather than the volunteer project, exploit the communities the projects are intended to help.

There are also other types of traveling that engage people with scientific research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Participants cover a fee that would include expenses on the different sites worldwide, and engage in projects according to their interest or location.

For more information on this subject visit:

www.charityguide.org/volunteer/vacations.htm 

www.globalvolunteers.org or www.GlobeAware.org

Yeah I know, Earth day was last week but Fodors.com did the world a favor by posting tips on how you can keep your travels green and the Earth clean!

• Beware of Green Washing. Always book with hotels or tour companies who are legitimately touting either eco or sustainable tourism. If you’re not sure if they’re reputable, inquire with a watchdog agency such as Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk) or Green Globe (www.greenglobe.org), or with a conservation organization such as World Wildlife Fund (www.worldwildlife.org). All of them have been actively promoting clarity in standards for green tourism.
• Ask about the company’s green philosophies. Do they recycle? Are they energy efficient? How do they address water conservation and waste management? Have local materials been used in building your lodge? Does the menu in the dining room where you take meals use local ingredients? Also find out whether the company provides economic opportunities for local communities. Many have established foundations that make donations to local peoples or wildlife, to which you can contribute.
• Look into offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. If you have a choice, take trains over flying. If you must fly, try to take a non-stop flight. You can calculate your CO2 footprint using several online tools. Atmosfair (http://atmosfair.de), Better World Club (www.betterworldclub.com), NativeEnergy (www.nativeenergy.com) all have CO2 calculators that will calculate your emissions for individual flights and ideas on how to offset them.
• Be Sensitive to Cultures and Customs. Be clear on the tipping protocol before you travel. Don’t take photos without asking first. Don’t wear revealing clothing, especially in Muslim countries. When visiting religious sites, behave appropriately.
• Never litter. Though you may see locals disposing of their garbage willy nilly, you should NOT follow suit.
• Think small. Stay in a B&B or locally owned accommodation that benefits the local community.
• Purchase local products whenever possible. However, purchasing tourist souvenirs made from animals (i.e. shells, horns, pelts, coral, etc.) is risky and aids in animal and environmental distinction and destruction. If you do purchase something, make sure you’ve checked that it’s legal and that you’ll be able to carry it through customs and back to your home country.
• Conserve resources. Use water sparingly and turn off lights when not in use.
• Do not feed wild animals. You may think you’re doing them a favor, but your interference will only do them harm.
• If you are camping, don’t leave anything behind but your footprint. This means using only biodegradable products like soap, toothpaste, etc. in streams, lakes, etc and carrying out what you carried in.

Visit YackieMobile.com for more travel tips.

Hey global travelers! I know a couple a days ago I made a post regarding Europe approving cell phone usage on airplanes but now the U.S. is jumping on the bandwagon but in a different way.

A L. A. Times article reports that some foreign carriers are enacting plans to offer in-flight cell use. The U.S. prohibits calls, but using phones to enter the Net is another matter.

The article goes on to say:

In a recent Forrester survey, 54% of leisure travelers said they would be interested in accessing the Internet on four-hour-plus flights. Several U.S. airlines are moving forward to offer that service…

U.S. airlines that are considering the possibility of offering Wi-Fi in the air are teaming up with Aircell, a Colorado-based company that in 2006 won an FCC auction for air-to-ground broadband frequencies. Aircell’s air-to-ground broadband system will provide customers with an Internet connection, virtual private network access (allowing workers to ply their trade by connecting them to their organization’s systems) and e-mail capabilities through Wi-Fi-enabled laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and portable gaming devices.

For the entire article visit Using cellphones and Internet on airliners.

Hmm… this sounds pretty cool. Happy Travels! Don’t forget to bring your Yackie Mobile SIM card, the Prepaid SIM Card that lets you stay in with everyone, everywhere.

Yackie Mobile 101: Using a Cell Phone Overseas

Travel abroad and stay in touch! The easiest and most convenient option is to have a cell phone. In most cases the simple combination of an international unlocked GSM cell phone and International SIM card will offer the best deal including rates, international coverage, and dependability.

What type of cell phone do I need overseas (and why!)?
Just so you know the names, in the US our cell phone service is either CDMA type (Verizon and Sprint), or perhaps TDMA or even iDEN (Nextel) or AMPS, or GSM (T-Mobil and Cingular). You don’t want to know what these acronyms stand for and you don’t need to know.

Internationally, most countries – more than 205 at last count - use GSM wireless service. So if you plan to go travel and want the convenience of carrying a cellular phone, then you’re going to need a GSM cell phone.

Can I (Should I) rent a cell phone?
GSM cell phones can be rented for typically $29-$59/week with per minute charges ranging from $1.50-$5/minute, for incoming and outgoing calls. If you travel infrequently (once every 2 years) and your stay is less then a week then this may be the best option even with the outrageous per minute costs. With most study abroad programs lasting 3-months or longer this is usually not the most economical solution.

Will my US cell phone work overseas?

T-Mobile and Cingular operate GSM networks in the United States and as a subscriber on one of these networks you may already have a GSM world phone. In this case you can simply take your current phone overseas and start calling. However be advised that this solution is not for the typical student budget. While roaming in another country you can expect to pay $1 to $5/minute in roaming surcharges for all of your calls. These charges can add up especially when you use your phone abroad as much as you do at home.

How can I travel with a cell phone on the cheap?
To really use a cell phone abroad like you do at home and not need the salary of an investment banker, you will want to purchase your own GSM cell phone and a local prepaid SIM. This is the option Amerispan recommends to students who study abroad.

Unlike typical cell phones in the US, GSM world cell phones do not come with phone numbers programmed into them and the actual service is not even tied to the phone itself. Instead customers activate their mobile phones by popping in so-called SIM cards, little thumbnail sized devices that determine your cell phone number and any additional services like voicemail.

A pre-paid SIM card for each country you visit, gives you a local phone number and local calling rates are usually a low 29 cents/minute. It is easy, convenient, and relatively inexpensive for you to call other people in the country you’re visiting, and easy and normal for them to call to you on your local number, too. Best of all, Incoming calls are FREE regardless of where they originate (So there is no excuse for not taking that call from home!!!).

Swapping out the SIM cards (they usually snap or slide into the back of the GSM phone – no engineering degree required) is a snap, literally and as they are prepaid you never have a monthly bill, or contract.

You can replenish your airtime on the SIM card by purchasing an airtime voucher in one of the local currency denominations. They are available at most newsstands, kiosks and convenience stores. The airtime vouchers are scratch cards that have a pin code which you simply key into your phone for immediate credit.

In summary, with a prepaid cell phone you have a cost effective way of staying in touch with no bills, no roaming charges and no hassles.

What do I need?
1) An international unlocked GSM cell phone
2) An international SIM card like Yackie Mobile’s SIM Card!

The Yackie Mobile SIM allows you to roam in 200 countries, with unlimited free incoming calls in 150 of these countries. Our users have the option of choosing a free personal phone from a list of 24 countries to attach to their SIM card upon registration. With Yackie Mobile incoming calls are only ¢29/minute and outgoing calls in most countries are ¢39/minute. Yackie Mobile does not require a contract and is simply pay as you go.

With the Yackie Mobile SIM card you have the power to choose what personal phone number you’ll get, for example, you can have a Miami area code phone number for your U.S. contacts to call you on so that the call is free to them when they dial you as well as have a number with a London area code so that people in England can call your phone for free as well.

The Yackie Mobile International SIM card makes it easy and affordable for anyone traveling overseas to enjoy the safety and convenience of cellular service! Whether you are a frequent business traveler or a tourist seeking a reliable, yet affordable cell phone solution, the Yackie Mobile International SIM card has you covered in over 200 countries!

Visit www.yackiemobile.com to find out more about why the Yackie Mobile SIM is the ultimate roaming solver.

Yackie 101: VOIP

It seems that when I talk about Yackie Mobile’s VoIP service, a lot of people seem to go “Huh?”. So to eliminate confusion, I put together a little tutorial for all those new to VoIP…

So What is VOIP?

VOIP is an acronym for “Voice Over Internet Protocol”, or in more common terms phone service over the Internet. If you have a reasonable quality Internet connection you can get phone service delivered through your Internet connection instead of from your local phone company.

Some people use VOIP in addition to their traditional phone service, since VOIP service providers usually offer lower rates than traditional phone companies, but sometimes doesn’t offer 911 service, phone directory listings, 411 service, or other common phone services. While many VOIP providers offer these services, consistent industry-wide means of offering these are still developing.

How does VOIP work?

Analog phone signals turn into digital signals that can be sent over the Internet.
This function can be included into the phone itself.

Why use VOIP?

There are two major reasons to use VOIP:

1. Lower Cost
In general phone service via VOIP costs less than an equivalent service from traditional sources. This is largely a function of traditional phone services either being monopolies or government entities. There are also some cost savings due to using a single network to carry voice and data. This is especially true when users have existing under-utilized network capacity that they can use for VOIP without any additional costs.
In the most extreme case, users see VOIP phone calls (even international) as FREE. While there is a cost for their Internet service, using VOIP over this service may not involve any extra charges, so the users view the calls as free. There are a number of services that have sprung up to facilitate this type of “free” VOIP call.
2. Increased Functionality
VOIP makes easy some things that are difficult to impossible with traditional phone networks.
* Incoming phone calls are automatically routed to your VOIP phone where ever you plug it into the network. Take your VOIP phone with you on a trip, and anywhere you connect it to the Internet, you can receive your incoming calls.
* Call center agents using VOIP phones can easily work from anywhere with a good Internet connection.

Why Yackie Mobile’s VOIP service in conjunction with the Yackie Mobile SIM card is the best:

Visit Yackiemobile.com where you will be able to open a FREE VOIP account. All you have to do is download our softphone to your computer . Upon completion of  download, you will receive a login/ 7 digit personal #, a password, and SIP server to access your FREE account. With this software you and a friend, who has the software and account setup on their computer as well, will be able to talk through our VOIP service for FREE. All you have to do is type in that persons 7 digit # and you guys can get to yakking.

Now lets say you want people to reach you on a real # that is linked to your FREE VOIP account….

All you have to do is buy a Yackie Mobile SIM card. With this you will be able to select a personal phone number that will be automatically linked to your VOIP account. And with Yackie Mobile SIM card you have the power to choose what phone number you’ll get, for example, you can have a Miami area code phone number for your U.S. contacts to call you on so that the call is free to them when they dial you as well as have a number with a London area code so that people in England can call your phone for free as well.

Cool right? It gets even better, by default when people contact you through VOIP, your cell phone will ring. When you log into our website, Yackie Mobile gives you the option to have your phone ring through VOIP on your computer so that all your calls can be free!