trip Archives

Share your ETA on the go

I hate being late. There’s nothing worse than leaving your friends hangry at a restaurant. But if I am running behind, I always give folks a heads-up.

Today’s apps have so many hidden tricks. Here’s one I use that I wanted to share with you: Use your map app to share your ETA automatically. That way, you can keep your friends in the loop and your eyes on the road.

Plus, it’s way less intrusive than sharing your location 24/7 with an app like Find My Friends. Can you imagine if we’d had this ETA notifier tool when we were in our 20s? Definite concert and party game-changer.

Google Maps in navigation mode:

Tap the card at the bottom of the screen.
Choose Share trip progress.
You can either pick a contact to send updates through Google Maps or a messaging app to send a link with your location.
Tap the bottom card > Stop Sharing to stop sharing your ETA. (It won’t share your whereabouts after you end the trip.)

With Google Maps on Android Auto, you’ll see the same navigation card showing the time left on your journey. Tap Share journey to let folks know where you are. Easy-peasy.

Apple Maps in navigation mode:

Tap the Share ETA link that appears as soon as you start a journey.
If the link has disappeared, tap the arrow at the bottom, then Share ETA.
Choose a contact to share your arrival time with.
Tap Stop Sharing ETA at any time, if you need to.

If you’re using an iPhone, you’ll get a link to see your location on Apple Maps. Team Android gets a text saying what time you’ll show up (and another text if that changes).

In an Uber:

After you accept a ride, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the trip details. Tap Share Status on iPhone or Share My ETA on Android. This works on the Lyft app, too. Share this with anyone who takes Uber alone.

Don’t want to be late in the first place?

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Safety first

I bet you or someone you know has a scary travel story. These gadgets are no-brainers to bring on your next trip to protect yourself and your stuff.

Major security flaws have compromised a huge portion of keycard hotel locks. Easy fix: This doorstop with a built-in alarm (17% off).
Traveling with valuables? Bring your own safe. Hotel rooms don’t always have one. This little portable option is under $24.
Whether you’re traveling abroad or just going out at night, take a personal alarm. This sleek option is 20% off and goes right on your keychain.
Only one in four U.S. homes has a carbon monoxide detector. Bet your Airbnb doesn’t. This one’s 33% off!
Two words: Fanny pack. Wear it across your chest for extra street cred (I do!). This one’s inexpensive and looks great.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

A canceled or delayed flight is the worst: Before I leave for the airport, I look up my trip on FlightAware. If your plane is stuck in another city, you’ll see it there before your airline updates its app.

Best time to book for the holidays

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Planning a trip? I’ve got the inside scoop on snagging the best prices and a simple trick to avoid delays and cancellations.

Forget polite vacation autoreplies: Folks are getting sassy with their out-of-office messages (paywall link), like, “I’m out having way more fun than emailing you back. I’ll probably forget to reply.” The whole point? No fake promises to get back to you ASAP … which none of us can do after a trip, anyway!

About 75% of travelers agree cleaning before a trip is at the top of the to-do list. Is the No. 1 priority … A.) Doing the dishes, B.) Laundry, C.) Mopping the floors or D.) Emptying the fridge?

Click here to find the answer! →

800 miles traveled

For a kitty who went missing on a family trip to Yellowstone. Rayne Beau (what a name!) made it all the way from the national park to Roseville, California, on his own. Two months after he went missing, the family got a notification his microchip was in the area.

Cheap, clever home upgrades

Goodies to transform your space without breaking the bank (or requiring expert DIY skills):

You’ll never trip over that pesky area rug again with NeverCurl corner grippers.
Make tables, dressers, cupboards or whatever look new with this handy wood polish.
Wireless accent lights look great. Light up a bookshelf or under the counter the easy way. Great price, too — two lights for $10 (44% off).
Any room can look more elegant with sheer curtains, available in a ton of colors. They’re under $8!
TV backlighting will make your family room feel like a home theater. I like these Govee LED backlights. (Click the box for $8 off.)

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

220-mile-high club

On everyone’s mind with two astronauts stuck in space. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were expecting an eight-day trip but are stuck on the ISS for six months. Technically, it’s possible … but there’s zero privacy.

✈️ Cheap flight cheat code: Go to Google Flights, select your departure location for a round-trip flight, then choose Anywhere as your destination. Leave the dates blank, and watch a map populate with the cheapest round-trip tickets available. From Phoenix, I could vacay in Cancún for $229, Seattle for $38 and Bora Bora for $1,341. I know what you’re thinking: “Kim, I’ve always wanted to go Bora Bora, but I’m poor’a-poor’a!”

How do you sell a $20K TV? By including lots of freebies. TCL is giving a free Super Bowl ticket to the first 115 people to buy its massive 115-inch TV. Fine print: If they run out of tickets, you might have to settle for a Hollywood movie premiere or a trip to the next CES tech conference.

⌛ Quick travel booking tip: Based on average round-trip flight ticket prices, you can save up to 15% when you book on a Sunday. The cheapest day of the week to travel is Wednesday.

Go to Greece? Feta late than never! Book international flights online at least 60 days in advance for a deal. “Shoulder season,” aka off-peak times, will save you even more. A September Europe trip means good weather without high prices and summer crowds. We’re talking a roundtrip for under $400!

4-hour driving detour

Suggested by Google Maps to “avoid turns.” A driver shared the wacky alternative road trip route on X. The comments are a goldmine if you need a laugh. Be smarter than your GPS, people.

Road trip essentials

Summer is road trip season, which means it’s time to make your ride road-ready. This list isn’t exhaust-ive, but it’s a good start!

Toss empty snack wrappers into a leakproof car trash can, on sale for $9.99.
Don’t throw your purse on the ground. Hang it on this hook, which goes on the back of a headrest. It’s 41% off now, at $7.66.
This smartphone charger keeps your phone in place for navigation with a sturdy mount, and it’s 57% off.
Air sanitizers get the lingering greasy burger or smoke smell out of a rental car. Grab a pack for 11% off.
Every vehicle needs jumper cables, an LED headlamp and a tire pressure gauge. You’ll be set with this kit, now 15% off.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

What a trip: An American Airlines passenger’s lost suitcase turned up in a Hollywood homeless encampment. After flying from Dallas, her AirTag tracked the bag’s detour to Denver, back to Dallas, then to Burbank and somehow into central L.A. How it happened is still a mystery. Her friend recovered the bag by paying off a local, who had the woman’s lost belongings in a shopping cart.

38% of millennials and Gen Z

Love travel agents. Turns out, planning a trip takes a lot of work. After nearing extinction, travel agents are making an unexpected comeback. Only 12% of Gen X and 2% of baby boomers felt the same. I hear you: “I need six months of vacation twice a year.”

Wanna take a road trip? Try Sēkr, a trip planner designed specifically for road trippers and those enjoying the van life. It has more scenic route recommendations and reviews for campsites off the beaten path.

The world is your spreadsheet: This free Chrome extension lets you add content from a website directly to a Google Sheet without copying and pasting. Making a trip itinerary? Right-click on location descriptions, booking links or prices to add them directly to a column! Pretty slick.

Hotel booking scam: If you’re planning a trip, scammers are buying up Google search results with legit-looking hotel and travel sites. They’ll take your info and leave you nothing but a hefty credit card bill. Double-check URLs for typos, and don’t trust a site just because it popped up first in your search results. Chances are, it’s a sponsored ad.