We’re pleased to introduce Tripbase’s brand new travel widgets.

These widgets aren’t just cute, they’re really useful and completely FREE.

You get a cool widget for your site and we get to spread the word about Tripbase.

Choose from three great widgets enabling users to: calculate daily travel costs and weather conditions and receive a stunning travel picture every day.

Check out the screen-shots below and get the widget codes here.

Why should you use our widgets? Here are four good reasons:

· They add value by providing users with a handy travel tool

· They attract visitors

· They enrich your website content

· They’re easy to add and 100% FREE

Simply embed the code provided in the link above and your Tripbase travel widgets are good to go!

These are Tripbase’s first travel widgets so if you have ideas for others, please let us know. We’re always happy to receive feedback from our users.

Want our widgets on your site? Get the the codes here.

Happy Travels!

Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, if you’re a patriot, any presidential inauguration is an exciting event. The inauguration of Barak Obama is a momentous occasion. The 2008 presidential campaign was one of the most polarizing and gripping campaigns that the country has witnessed. Obama is taking the reins during a very difficult—and very critical—time in both American and world history. Obama’s entrance into the oval office represents the ending of an era… and the beginning of a new one.

The inauguration itself will be unique—according to the Presidential Inauguration Committee website, “For the first time ever, the length of the National Mall will be open to those wishing to attend the swearing-in ceremony.” Gone is the exclusivity of past inaugurations. You don’t have to be a politician, you don’t have to be rich. You can go to Obama’s inauguration for free.

There will be other free and open-to-the-public events, as well, including a performance by Aretha Franklin and a parade that will run from Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.

(Now for the part that, unfortunately, isn’t free– travel and accommodations. But we’ll do our best to give you some money-saving tips):

If you’ve not yet made plans to attend the festivities, it’s not too late—you don’t have to miss out on this once in a lifetime event. If you don’t live within driving distance of Washington DC, check out Kayak.com for last-minute flight deals.

Yes, hotels in Washington DC will be full to bursting or, if you can find a room, it will be shockingly expensive in the days around the inauguration. However, Tripbase did some research and found that there are rooms left in nearby cities—some for as low as 69 dollars a night. Assuming a check-in date of January 19 and a check-out date of January 21, you should be able to find hotel rooms in the following cities (listed in order of proximity to Washington DC):

Annapolis, Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland
Richmond, Virginia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

OK, so there are rooms available in nearby cities. That’s just one part. What about the expense– to both your wallet and your time?

We researched exactly how far these cities are from Washington DC and approximated how much time it will take you to drive to the capitol from them. (Remember, these are approximate times—give yourself plenty of wiggle room for traffic or delays. Inauguration events kick of at 10 AM on January 19). We also figured out how much gas money it would cost you. Assuming that your car gets 25 miles per gallon:

From Annapolis: 33 miles, 45 minutes, $2.31
From Baltimore: 41 miles, 1 hour, $2.88
From Richmond: 106 miles, just under 2 hours, $7.34
From Philadelphia: 141 miles, almost 3 hours, $10.23

Setting aside the price of plane tickets– which don’t apply to everyone– what will attending this extraordinary event cost you? Let’s say that you go it alone– you spend 40 dollars round-trip to drive to and from Philadelphia. There you stay at a mid-range hotel, paying about 100 dollars a night (x two nights=200 dollars). You’ll pay another $20.46 round-trip in gas from Philadelphia to DC (and back again). Let’s say that you end up paying $20 for parking once you’re in Washington DC. For food, we’ll budget $50 a day, for a total of $100– which is on the high end (realistically, you could spend half that amount and still eat very well. See this guide on delicious but dirt cheap eats in DC).

The grand total? $390, and that’s probably an overestimation.

OK, so it’s not exactly chump change, and you definitely won’t find it beneath your couch cushions, but it’s a small price to pay to participate in something that will never happen again– Obama’s inauguration.

Are you planning on throwing an inauguration party? Reconsider. You’d probably spend at least $100 dollars on refreshments and food. Why don’t you ask three of four friends if they want to go to the inauguration with you rather than watching it at home?

Using the example above again: a group of four suddenly brings that 40 dollars on gas for the trip to and from Philadelphia to 10 bucks each. A 100 dollar hotel room plummets down to 25 bucks a night per person (so $50 a person for two nights). That 20 dollars of gas to make the trip from Philadelphia to DC, and back again, becomes 5 bucks each– and yes, that’s something you might be able to find underneath your couch cushions. That 20 dollars in parking becomes, again, 5 dollars each.

But let’s keep that high estimation of $50 a person for food (hey, there are great restaurants in Washington DC).

The new total? 170 dollars. Not bad.

Take that inauguration party to Washington DC. Sure it’s last minute, sure the hotels in DC are full, but if you want it, you can make it happen… like Obama did.

All photos from Flickr. Photo credits (in order of placement): Hope- Obama (Shepard Fairey poster) by Steve Rhodes; Washington Monument, National Mall, Washington DC by yeowatzup; Barack Obama by transplanted mountaineer; The White House by Scott Ableman.

Winter blues can drag down even the most upbeat of people. Why? It’s not the cold—the winter blues are actually related to shorter days and the long winter nights. While light therapy is a common and effective treatment to combat the winter blues, Tripbase has some winter vacation ideas for those of you have also been bitten by the travel bug.

Head south… way south:

While the northern hemisphere is experiencing both the shorter days and colder weather of winter, the southern hemisphere is experiencing the opposite—it’s summer and sunshine in half the world right now! There are many great travel destinations south of the equator. Here are a few hot spots that we wouldn’t mind waiting out the winter in:

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Great nightlife, great food… and gorgeous Portenos strutting their stuff down

picturesque streets.

Cape Town, South Africa

Amazing beaches, outstanding bars and clubs and a happening culinary scene.

Sydney, Australia

Fantastic restaurants, fabulous nightlife, and sunny shores.

Or a little less south:

A Caribbean vacation is a great way to beat the winter blues. Check out Puerto Rico, where you’ll find absolutely beautiful beaches, a vibrant culinary scene, and exciting nightlife. Or if you’re a nature junkie, get your fix while you get some sun—head to St. John in the Virgin Islands.

Make like the snowbirds and head to Florida:

Florida is a popular winter destination for tourists all over the United States, Canada, and the world. It’s hard to think of a better place than Miami to wait for the winter to pass. So check out the flights to Miami and head to the beach baby!

Let down your guard once in awhile. On a recent trip to Lebanon, a Tripbase member found herself lost in Tripoli, an area that had recently been rocked by internal strife. Frightened, she searched for a hotel. She stopped in front of a storefront, and puzzled over a map in her guide book. The proprietor came out and offered his help. “Usually, I don’t talk to men who approach me,” this pro of third world travel told Tripbase, “but I’m glad I did. He knew exactly where the hotel I was looking for was.” What your mom told you about not talking to strangers is not always applicable. Yes, there are a lot of bad guys out there—but there are a lot of good people, too.

Landmarks! Use them! You might find that some taxi drivers don’t know street names. It could be that they don’t understand your pronunciation. Or maybe they know the street by some older moniker that is still familiar to locals, but that no longer appears on tourist maps. No matter, if you give a taxi driver a prominent landmark they should be able to get you there. (Learning the local name and correct pronunciation of the landmark will prove to be helpful, as well. In Damascus, for example, what is labeled as Martyr’s Square on tourist maps is known as Al-Merjeh to locals).

Plan on getting lost. Have your hotel or hostel write down the name and street of your lodgings—in the local language, of course—on a business card. One Tripbase traveler found this indispensable in Shanghai. On several occasions, when he couldn’t find his way back to his hotel, he hailed a taxi and handed the card to the driver who had no problem ferrying him safely to his destination.

Traveling to uncommon destinations can be a rewarding, and challenging, experience. But you’ve got to be prepared for some bumps in the road—both literally as well as figuratively. Here is a list we at Tripbase wish we’d had before we set off for exotic destinations such as The Philippines, Thailand, India, South America, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan, amongst others.

Learn at least a few words of the local language. If you can say excuse me, where, street, there, left, right, straight, and other directional basics, you will be in better shape than you would be without them. Even if the person you ask speaks English (or your mother tongue), they will appreciate your attempt to speak with them in their language and will be more inclined to help.

Don’t ask just one person—ask two. (Or three, or four…). Remember that you are immersed in a different culture. In some places, maintaining face is very important. What does this mean for the lost traveler? If you ask someone for directions, even if they don’t know, they mustn’t admit that they don’t—they will still offer you directions. So ask a few people. If you’ve gotten three “straight and then right” s, chances are your destination is indeed straight and then right. But if you’ve gotten three different answers, maintain your composure and…

Have patience. Try and try again. Keep things in perspective. And remember to smile.