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From a vehicle developed in the 18^th century as a steam-powered carriage, the automobile certainly has traveled a long way. Henry Ford, Francois Isaac de Rivaz, and Karl Benz must be looking from above with pride on their faces as they look at what glorious chaos their inventions have wrought. Society, as we know it, won’t know what it can achieve without their inventions.

From the downright weird to the ingeniously glorious, here are a few facts about everyone’s favorite road partner, the humble car.

Hitler the Engineer// if the Fuhrer didn’t have grand designs on a thousand-year-Reich, he probably would’ve ended up an automobile engineer. Adolf Hitler designed a sketch from the 30s that looks like what we now know as the ‘Bug’. This drawing went to Daimler-Benz first before Ferdinand Porsche received it. Hitler also coined the term for the brand—Volkswagen—a name which, when translated, means ‘People’s Car.’

The First Sports Car// in 1901, the Mercedes—a concept from Wilhelm Maybach created for Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft—became the progenitor of the motorcar as we know it today. Back then, it only ran at top speeds of 50 MPH. It became pretty popular that in 1909 an automobile factory in Europe was opened for mass production of the cars. The factory consisted of 1700 workers that worked the assembly lines to create 1000 cars per annum.

India’s Volkswagen// the 70s was an era of progress for India and, as a testament to these times, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi contracted Sanjay Gandhi to create India’s first ‘People’s Car.’ Who else would they contact but the OG ‘People’s Car’ of Germany? However, due to budget constraints and the time required to create the model, Suzuki of Japan managed to secure the contract. Out of this deal was born the Model 796, the model which later on became known as Maruti 800.

Wartime Progress// the car industry was one of the industries that proliferated after the War. During both World Wars, concepts were developed that benefited the modern evolution of car models. Detroit, specifically, had their beginnings as ‘Motor City’ during this period when the evolution of the modern car became more apparent during this time. More gadgets, longer designs, and more expensive options became the norm as time passed by.

A Love for Things German// owing to its foundation, the car company Volkswagen had a love for naming things after German concepts. Some of its car models, specifically, borrowed names from German terms for ‘wind’. The Passat, Golf, Polo, and Jetta were ‘trade wind,’ ‘gulf stream,’ ‘polar winds,’ and ‘jet stream,’ respectively. The Germans also made other luxury cars like BMW and Mercedes, which you can nowadays find everywhere on the planet. And it doesn’t have to be expensive because you can already rent a luxury car on a small budget.

The Beginning of Aston Martin// typically, as in the case of Ford, car companies get their names from the owners and developers who built them. Luxury car Aston Martin, for instance, is a combination of one of its founder’s name—Lionel Martin—and the hill that he used to frequent for races, Aston Hill, which was located in close proximity to Aston Clinton.

Interestingly enough, without these cars and their development, the world would’ve been a totally different place. It is the inventor’s penchant for daring and risk-taking that gifted us with these vehicles for the modern times.

Technically, we’re already well into the New Year. January is over and February is on its way out. However, it’s still fairly early in the year to get your travel goals started. Have you ever had destinations on your own bucket list? If you have, here’s your chance to see whether you can finally cross them off or let them stay on for a bit longer.

There are a lot of destinations in the world. These, however, made the list for their budget-friendly nature, a factor for the choices everyone’s been making lately.

Montreal (Canada)
Factor:  Dollar exchange rate

Canada is a great place to visit not only because vast swathes of the country is still green. The dollar is at an all-time high compared to Canadian currency. If you can’t go to Europe, this is the next best place to visit if you want to get that Euro vibe. Our Northern neighbors showcased their long history through the ‘Cite Memoire’ street art exhibit in 2017, showing more of why Canada is one of the best travel destinations without the long flight.

Houston (Texas)
Factor:  Diversity

Houston is more than just NASA and its basketball team. Located in Texas, it is enjoyed for its food; three James Beard Award winners make their living here. It’s clearly a city of culture, made all the more visible with the blossoming art scene that the city has. It has also managed to brave Hurricane Harvey, a testament to the resiliency and resourcefulness of the city. Perhaps, if there was anything that the storm spawned, it’s the great deals that hotels in the city have started offering.

Thailand
Factor: Summer destination

Why else wouldn’t you want to go to Thailand? It’s a popular destination for backpackers and DIY travelers. The islands are a sight to behold, and if you’re a beach bum, there are the huts and the tropical lifestyle as an added bonus. History buffs will also love the ancient temples here. Foodies galore will love to visit Nakhon Si Thammarat to experience the best exotic food that the country has to offer.

Vietnam
Factor: Culture, Nature

There are lots of reasons to visit the former Communist country. It’s been impressive how the country managed to pick up the pieces following the devastating war where the US lost. Western visitors will surely love to visit the former killing fields turned agricultural lands; war canals turned waterways; and the great river branches of the Mekong Delta, as well as the various cuisine showing the culture of the people.

Gaziantep (Turkey)
Factor: Culture

The Turkish city is a great, if not often visited, destination for the international crowd. There are a lot to take in from this city and it’s only a short hour’s ride from the Turkish capital of Istanbul. Gaziantep is actually a UNESCO Creative Gastronomy City, and if you’re a lover of pistachio, it’s been hailed as the best place for pistachios in Turkey. You’ll be getting a lot more than food if you visit the place, though.

As far as travel destinations go, you won’t get as good an experience with culture, history, and a learning of people’s lives than when you visit these places. Try and soak in as much of the culture of the world when you visit these cities!

Have you ever experienced traveling and learning that you forgot to pack underwear or your toothbrush? It brings along headache and unnecessary stress that you should leave behind on your vacation; this is why you took a break in the first place. When you’re traveling, you do it to relax, not the other way around.

That’s why it’s essential to be on top of everything when you travel. Here are a few tips on how you can make your vacation something to be remembered and not one that needs to be forgotten.

List it Down

Remember to keep your essential items with you on the trip, but how do you do this? That’s where the list comes in. This is handy even if you’re not accustomed to making lists of things to do. Lists helps you keep tabs on what items you should bring and the ones you should leave behind. It also makes it easier for you to know which items you’ve yet to pack and ones that you don’t need.

Bring Emergency Meds

Every good traveler knows that the unexpected might happen when they’re driving on the road or riding on a plane. This is why every experienced traveler has some form of first-aid kit with them when they go to other places. Usually, these items fit with your carry-on. Meds for whatever problems and other meds—vitamins, sleeping pills—are usually part of this kit during travels.

Name Everything

In airports, it’s easy to lose luggage, especially when you forgot to label them properly. Luggage usually provides a space for you to write your name, address, and telephone number on them. You should remember to fill them up with your complete details. In case your luggage gets misplaced, it will be easier to contact you if the airport baggage management finds it.

Follow Weight Restrictions

If you’re the type of person who likes to break the rules, the weight restriction in airliners is one that you shouldn’t even dare to break. These limits are in place for a reason. If you go over the limit, chances are, you’ll have to pay extra cash and that usually is outside of your budget. You don’t want to go over the budget, do you? Be extra careful when packing so you don’t go over your weight limit.

Limit your Footwear

When you travel, it’s a good idea to always limit your footwear. The odds are that you’ll be wearing the same shoes on your feet whether you travel to a week-long vacation or you enjoy a month-long sojourn. Unless you’re going on a fashion trip to Milan, there’s no reason for you to wear a different shoe each day. That space can also be used to carry an extra set of clothing as well.

Fragile is Fragile

If you’re carrying delicate devices such as laptops and music players, it’s best to keep them with you at all times. Better yet, include them in the devices you have in your carry-on. It saves you from having the headache of having them destroyed or damaged during the flight. It also saves the airliner the trouble of paying you back for damages done.

These are only a few tips to follow if you want to enjoy your vacation. Follow them, make them your own, and you’ll see yourself enjoying on that long-planned vacation!

You may have seen luxury items such as tote bags with designer names and carry-all with luxury labels emblazoned all over them. Seeing them being used by celebrities or trend-setters alike could have influenced you enough to think about giving these brands a try. While luxury brands may cost you an arm and a leg, there’s actually a trick to getting them for half the price.

Being stylish doesn’t mean you’re going to empty all your savings just to get a chance at it. Here’s how you can go stylish on a budget.

Go to an Online Store that Sells Cheap

While luxury items cost an arm and a leg, chances are, they cost that much because they’re being sold in brick-and-mortar stores. The name of the store adds to the glitz and glamour that these items already have. If you’ll take a look at items being sold on online shops, you’ll find that these usually are cheaper. That’s the reason why most people would rather buy online than in an actual store, and you should too.

Look for Collections

In the name of selling more, brands often have different collections under their name. These are, namely, capsule collections—limited edition runs of the same brand soldover a limited time; bridge lines—line of the same clothing sold cheap through a low-end retailer; and lower cost brands—items made by the same clothing line but with less stringent processes, yet the same quality. Choose your pick from among the three.

Flash Sale Sites are Gold

The only other time when you can buy a high-end brand for a lesser price is when it’s on sale. Store sales take off a certain percentage off the price—still, the best sales are often found online. When an online site announces a ‘flash’ sale, this is usually a surprise sale that happens unannounced. It is here that brands often become slashed at half the price or more. If you want to buy at discounted prices, you should look out for these sales.

Off-Season Shopping

When you’re buying an item at full price, it sometimes means that they’re in style for that season. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t buy them off-season. Off-season doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re going out of style; it just means that the weather or conditions outside aren’t usually typical for that type of clothing to be worn. Buy swimwear during winter for next summer; buy winter gear during summer for next winter. It’s one way of getting big savings on your budget.

Secondhand Clothing is Still Great

You’ll know that an article is made with quality when you can buy it secondhand. However, you should be careful; even top quality clothing can easily become worn and torn if its user doesn’t treat it the way it’s meant to be treated. Consider taking a look and reviewing the item online first if you’re buying it secondhand. Buying pre-loved clothing—another term for secondhand clothing—is the same as buying a secondhand car or gadget online. You should check the merchandise first before buying it.

You can be stylish and still have money in your pockets. You just have to be wise about using that money and buying at discounted prices. People will not be the wiser anyway whether you’ve bought it from a boutique or from some online store.

Traveling abroad for a vacation can be an item on your bucket list. The problem is, you’re probably thinking about the cost of traveling and the problems you’ll be facing once you’re there. In truth, all it takes is a little preparation and accepting the fact that it’s not cheap. That doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to lessen the blow on your wallet, though.

When you absolutely have to rent a vehicle from a reputable luxury car rental agency like www.apexluxurycarhire.com/car-rental-locations/usa/miami/ when going abroad, you can do it for low prices. Consider these tips.

Insurance or No Insurance

If you already are covered by insurance from an earlier plan or your credit card has a similar plan in place, you don’t need the insurance they’ll offer you for the rental car. It’s a common mistake for travelers to panic and get insured even though they already have one. It doesn’t make sense; one insurance is already enough to cover you during the duration of your tip. Just remember to make a copy of your insurance policy and bring it along.

Get an International Permit

These permits, priced at $20 with a year’s worth of validity, allow you drive cars abroad. If you haven’t done so already, you should consider getting a permit. With the price and the length of validity, it isn’t too steep a requirement and the convenience of being able to drive abroad is too good to pass up. Automobile associations from different countries usually dispense these permits to their countrymen, so remember to check up on your local association.

Study the Road Rules

Countries have different laws they implement for driving. One country might have left-hand drive vehicles; other countries provide right-hand drive vehicles. These are pursuant to the rules and regulations they implement on the road. Before traveling to another country and renting a car there, study up on the rules and regulations concerning driving. It’s common courtesy, just like learning the language.

Consider the Cost

If you’ve already paid a big amount just to get to the country, it usually doesn’t make it okay to even consider getting a permit or rent a Mercedes in Dubai. You can still go and rent one; just remember to rent cars that won’t bankrupt you on your vacation. It is during these times that you should opt for the standard models rather than go big and rent a luxury model. Luxury models usually cost more and, if you want to still have enough to buy the plane ticket home, you’d avoid them.

Automatic or Manual?

Cars have two transmission types—automatic and manual. If you’re a driver who learned to drive stick shift, you can choose either of the two. Automatic transmission drivers, however, would do best to stick to the automatic models. Plan ahead and inform the rental agency you’re dealing with to prepare your chosen model before you arrive in the country. It saves you time and reserves a model of your car of choice for you.

Getting a car for use when traveling abroad can be tricky. With all the paperwork and the price calculations, it becomes easier to panic. Remember to keep a cool, level head when dealing to make sure you get the best out of the deal.

One of the biggest problems you encounter when you’re traveling is the weight of your baggage. It’s not that easy to pack everything you need when you only have a limited weight you’re allowed to carry. Packing light is the easy part—packing light and making sure that you have everything you need stowed away with you is another matter entirely.

In case you go ahead and forget to pack underwear for the trip, follow these tips make sure you have all the essentials packed away along with non-essential items.

Choose your Luggage

When you’re packing things for a long travel, the first thing you have to do is to find a luggage big enough to store your things in. There are different luggage types—some with wheels, some a big bag you sling over your shoulder, and some are a combination of backpack and luggage. When you have an idea of how big your space is it’s easier to start choosing clothes and items you think you need to bring along for the trip.

Segregate to Delegate

Once you know the space that you’re working with, you can start sorting through your home for things you’ll carry along. Just remember that you can compress clothing into your luggage. You can also use organizers that will compact items even more so it fits into your luggage. There are other containers that make it easier for you to keep your clothes packed. Any of these can be used—it’s just a matter of choosing the ones you really need.

Never Forget your Toiletry

There have been horror stories in airports where passengers left the most important bag—toiletries—behind and lost it. You should never lose this bag as it contains all your basic essentials—toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo/conditioner, soap, and deodorant/perfume. You wouldn’t want to spend the moment you touch down in that place hunting down a store to buy these essentials, now, would you?

Your Most Important Items Go into the Carry-On

Usually, airliners allow one bag—a tote or hand-carry, usually—to be the carry-on item you have in the cabin. As this is a bag that you can keep with you at all times, you should pack all your essentials and even the most important items on your person here. The typical items you should pack into a carry-on include your wallet and cards, gadgets, headphones, your cellphone and its charger, as well as other electronic devices and important belongings you can’t afford to lose.

Lock Down the Fort

Whether you’re leaving for the week or a month, you should secure all your belongings. Remember to lock down your home when you’re not around. Take care of everything that needs to be done—your out-of-office replies, the bills, and food in the refrigerator—as this will all be on hold when you leave. Taking care of these concerns before you leave ensures that your mind will be focused on the vacation and relaxation during that vacation.

Packing light and making sure your affairs are in place when you travel leaves you with peace of mind. This is important if your main goal for taking the vacation is to be relaxed and to refresh.