The folks over at GOOD mag compiled an infographic of which countries have the biggest travel restrictions based off of the number of countries a resident was allowed to travel to without a visa. The results are, well… not that surprising. The usual suspects are countries that already have severe restrictions on human rights, press, internet access, etc.

Leading the pack are:

1. Afghanistan (24 countries with no visa resrictions)
2. Pakistan (31)
3. Lebanon (33)
4. Nepal (34)
5. Iran (36) 
6. China (40)

See the complete list over at GOOD.  

Source: Which countries face the most travel restrictions

Of all the things I’m amazed about is how many people (at least who I’ve spoken to) do not choose or check their seats after they book an airline ticket.  Really? I’m 6’2” and the difference between a middle seat in the back and an exit row new the front is perhaps the biggest deciding factor in how I enjoy the flight. Because of that, I use SeatGuru.com.

This is one of the most valuable sites out there, yet I’m still amazed how many people do not use it.  Basically, it’s a directory of (almost) every flight craft that all the major carriers, and some of the minor ones, have in their fleet. In addition to the seat map, flyers leave information they get from flying and put it into the seat. So seat 11G may be bulkhead which will give you the benefit of not having a seat in front of you, but it may not allow you extend your legs all the way. Seat 22A might be by the galley, providing extra privacy, but it may also be next to the bathroom which can lead to, eh, less desireable drawbacks.

Also, many people do not know that you can book exit rows 24 hours before a flight, even without status. I had an exit row I booked weeks in advance for my flight to Milan, and the woman who sat next to me said she got offered the exit row when she changed seats at the gate. Which means there was an open exit row for an 8+ hour flight 30 MINS BEFORE TAKEOFF!!!

If you’re not putting thought into your seats and you’re not using SeatGuru.com, you’re just asking for an unpleasant surprise on your flight. 

Photo via: Laughing Squid

If you’re into design and into travel, you should already know about Rad and Hungry. They travel around the globe sourcing awesomely rare and locally sold stationary and design accessories. Some recent kits include Germany, Costa Rica, and Korea. 

Rad and Hungry just launched their first Travel Short which serves as a background story of scoping out some of shopowner Cholnky’s Zsófia’s work at her shop Matató, while in Hungary. Also check out the dope photography of this awesome studio. 

A highly recommended read. 

CONDE NAST TRAVELER PHOTO CONTEST… VOTE FOR ME!

Condé Nast Traveler magazine is currently running a user-submitted photo contest for a chance to win a Dream Trip anywhere in the world worth $25k. I submitted a photo I snapped while in Instanbul over Thanksgiving and have been lucky enough to be chosen as a finalist. 

So, vote Quimby for me by checking out my photo HERE. You can also check out the rest of the finalists by going to the contest’s main page. 

One of the most divisive topics on travel boards right now is what rights/restrictions should larger “passengers of size” have while flying? There’s no shortage of articles about larger fliers getting bumped from flights and being required to buy two tickets for just themselves. 

I can somewhat empathize as a 6’3” traveler, I use every available inch of my seat. Finding information about whether you’re going to be comfortable on a flight varies greatly from airline, place, and policy. I’ve personally witnessed the embarrassment as an extremely large woman boarded my flight to Australia  to find out her seat was in the dead middle seat of the row and her squeezing into that seat was not an option. 

One Consumerist reader decided to take extra precautions to ensure his size was not going to result in problems on a recent United flight:

I wondered if I would have to buy two tickets. So, instead of buying one ticket and hoping for the best, I decided I would do my research. I found a website which listed all of the sizes of various airplane seats and found the average to be 18 inches wide. Then, using a yardstick, I realized that my hips were 21 inches wide. There was no way I would be able to fit in one seat and put the armrest down without cutting into my stomach. I needed to buy two tickets for me.

That’s exactly what I did.

While there’s always going to be a fair amount of people who tell larger passengers to lose weight or not fly, I think if most people who have special restrictions took time and did their due diligence before taking off, it would be a more comfortable flight for everyone involved.

Source: The Consumerist: Flying while Fat: Research and Self-Awareness mean smooth travel

I’ve seen this writeup a couple times. What to do when you’re forced to eat alone either by choice or by force. Usually it falls into the “never eat alone” bucket which instructs people to make network and socialize rather than sit with a book. NYMag has a slightly different take on this: 

See, for restaurants, solo diners aren’t sad, lonely people with no friends. Quite the opposite: Customers who dine alone signify that they’re there for the right reasons. “I don’t think there’s anything more flattering than someone sitting and having dinner in the dining room alone,” says Will Guidara, general manager and co-owner of Eleven Madison Park and NoMad in New York City.

I know a lot of people who refuse to sit down to a meal solo. But as someone whose done a fair amount of solo travel, it can definitely give you time to catch your thoughts and relax. 

Source: NYMag: How (and Why) to Dine Solo

This video awesomely displays Europe’s history and political borders, pretty much from the start of history and onward. Such an awesome ebb and flow of power is pretty cool to watch. There’s also a slower and more annotated version you can watch HERE. 

Source: Youtube: Epic time-lapse map of Europe 

I’ve got mixed feelings about the Instragram-ification of photography, but I must admit, tropical island sure do look great when Instagram’d.

Gadling went to the trouble of grabbing some of the best island shots and posting them for you to see in case you needed some tropical inspiration. 

Source: Gadling: The best island photos from Instagram 

We all knew this day was coming, but still. Virgin Atlantic will soon be rolling out planes which will allow for cell phone calls and texts in-flight. I think of my time in the cabin on a long fight as the most relaxing time of my vacation, so how long until you’re sitting next to some d-bag bragging about how many beers they drank in Munich for 8 hours. 

The calls and texts come with some caveats, like only 10 calls at a time and paying by the minute, which should ensure most calls are short. Though the slippery slope has begun. 

SOURCE: Gadling:  In-Flight Cellphone Calls To Be Allowed On Virgin Atlantic Flights

Time Out NY’s come out with their list of the some of the most iconic streets in NYC. Some of them are no-brainers like the cobblestone brick streets of DUMBO with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. 

Others are a bit lesser known, like the Bronx County Courthouse which used to dwarf the old Yankee Stadium in the South Bronx.

SOURCE: Time Out New York: NYC’s 20 most iconic street views