Category: Travel

In the last few weeks, many Silicon Valley giants have condemned Trump’s travel ban. Executives from tech firms like Apple, Facebook, and Netflix have spoken out against the ban, and many more have implemented fundraising programs to help refugees and other displaced people get access to resources. But one tech company is providing direct assistance by connecting refugees with people willing to host them around the world—for free.

On February 5, the founders of Airbnb announced their goal to find free short-term housing for 100,000 displaced people, including refugees and survivors of natural disasters, over the next five years. Airbnb will also donate $4 million over the next four years to the International Rescue Committee, to ensure that these displaced populations receive the resources they desperately need.

This is not the first time Airbnb has reached out to help people in crisis. Back in October 2015, they added a donation tool to their website to provide financial aid to refugees and their families. Last year, partnering with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Mercy Corps, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Airbnb promised to match all donations up to $1 million.

Recognizing their unique capacity to provide housing worldwide (there are over 2 million properties listed on the site), Airbnb has additionally offered temporary housing for relief workers from Mercy Corps and IRC while they work to provide assistance to displaced people in Greece, Macedonia, and Serbia.

According to their website, “Airbnb’s mission is to create a world where people can feel like they belong anywhere they go and we proudly support refugees as they integrate into new communities around the world.”

Despite the halt imposed on Trump’s travel ban last week, many refugees and their families are still stranded worldwide after they were not allowed to board their US-bound flights. And according to UNHCR, in 2015 over 65 million people were displaced from their homes in places such as the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. All of these people must now scramble for temporary housing and resources.

On January 28, CEO Brian Chesky tweeted, “Airbnb is providing free housing to refugees and anyone not allowed in the US. Stayed tuned for more, contact me if urgent need for housing.”

Airbnb will connect refugees and other displaced people with hosts willing to share their homes for no charge.

There is a new webpage on the Airbnb website where homeowners can volunteer their space to house refugees and survivors of national disasters. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming, with people worldwide volunteering to host for free.

Visit https://www.airbnb.com/weaccept/ for more information.

Paying a ton of money to take a taxi to the airport in bumper-to-bumper traffic is now a thing of the past in Denver. With the addition of the new light rail A-Line that travels between Union Station and DIA, Denver joins the ranks of just a handful of American cities with direct train routes to the airport. On a larger scale, Denver is now on the same level as major international cities such as Paris and Amsterdam with direct lines between the city and the airport.

The new line allows tourists and residents to travel more efficiently, in terms of both time and cost. The A-line makes it much easier for people to catch a flight without worrying about sitting in traffic or paying exorbitant taxi or Uber fees. On the contrary, the A-line to the airport costs a mere $9. Simply pay the $9 and receive a day pass, which can then be used to transfer for free to the A-line at Union Station. The train takes only 37 minutes to travel all the way from Union Station to DIA, and runs every 15 minutes, all day.

We can’t promise to ease the frenzy once you arrive at one of the busiest international airports in the country—but at $9 and 37 minutes from Union Station on the light rail A-Line, at least your journey to DIA will be a breeze.

With the rise of parking garage fees and the hassle of running out of the bar to feed the meter every two hours, you might be better off ditching the rental car on your trip to Denver. Luckily, there are tons of options for getting around the Mile High City, all of which are cheaper and more convenient than renting a car. Check out our top picks below and start exploring all of the best of Denver.

Our top choices: Lyft & Uber

It’s never been easier to get to where you need to go in the Denver metro area—usually for under $15. Download the Lyft and Uber apps on your phone and request a driver within minutes. Tipping is optional, and sharing your ride with a few friends makes the fare even cheaper. This is the perfect solution for getting home from the bars after you’ve had a few too many drinks to drive. And an extra bonus: enter the code “EFFORTLESS” into the Lyft app to get $50 in free rides!

Cost: Depends on distance of trip and inflation at peak times, but most one-way trips in the metro area fall between $5 and $20.

For more info: https://www.lyft.com/cities/denver and https://www.uber.com/cities/denver/

car2go

The ideal choice for when you have a few errands to run in an afternoon and want your car to be waiting for you when you return, car2go is a rental program in which you pay only for the time when you’re actually driving the car. Sign up and they’ll send you a membership card, then use the car2go app to find one of their smart cars parked all around the city. Just walk up to the car, scan your card, get into the car, and do what you need to do. The best part is that you don’t have to return the car to a specific place—as long as you’re in the Denver metro area in a legal spot, you’re fine. There are even reserved car2go spots in some parking lots and garages downtown.

Cost: $35 for a lifetime membership and $0.41/minute. On special right now for $10/hour and $50/day. No parking, insurance, or gas fees.

For more info: https://www.car2go.com/US/en/denver/

Zipcar

Zipcar is a similar concept as car2go, but is better for driving trips planned far in advance because there is a minimum driving time of one hour and you must park the car in its original spot. Both car2go and Zipcar use membership cards that enable you to unlock any car in the city, as long as it is not already reserved. The pricing is comparable to car2go, but Zipcar makes more sense for round trips than quick one-way journeys.

Cost: $25 application fee, $7/month (unless you log $50 a month), and $8-$10 per hour. No parking, insurance, or gas fees.

For More Info: https://www.zipcar.com/denver

B-Cycle

Denver’s main bike sharing program, B-Cycle makes it possible for you to get to where you’re going and get in some exercise at the same time. There are 88 stations and 700 bikes in the Denver metro area, so you’ll always be close to a pickup and return location. Each trip from station to station is limited to 30 minutes (except for members with the annual pass)—any additional time will incur overtime charges. With 24-hour, monthly, and annual passes, there are plenty of options for exploring Denver while getting your heart pumping.

Cost: 24 Hour Pass: $9 (unlimited 30-minute trips for 24 hours), Flex Pass: $15/year & $3 for every 30-minute ride, Monthly Pass: $15/month (unlimited 30-minute trips all month), Annual Pass: $135/year (unlimited 60-minute trips all year).watch film Fifty Shades Darker now

For more info: https://denver.bcycle.com/

RTD Light Rail

Affordable and convenient, the light rail is a great way to get around Denver—especially if you’re headed somewhere special like Sports Authority Field for a Broncos game or the Theatre District for a show. There are 53 stations in Denver, and many are centrally located at Denver hotspots like the Pepsi Center and 16^th Street Mall. And with the addition of the new $9 A-line going directly from Union Station to DIA, it couldn’t be simpler for both locals and tourists to get to the airport.

Cost: Local Pass: $2.60 (1-2 zones), Regional Pass: $4.50 (3 zones), Airport Pass: $9

For more info: https://www.rtd-denver.com/lightrail.shtml