Love it or hate it - travel exists. For those that do love it, what do you suggest to those less experienced in it?
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Take the business card (at the front desk) from the hotel you are staying at, then no matter where you end up during the day or if you speak the language, you can always get back to your hotel.
Make sure you have pictures on your phone of all your identity and travel documents, including passport, driving licence, health (or any other) insurance cards etc. etc.
This is a really smart idea. Especially traveling outside of the country! I will do this from now on for sure!!
WEAR GOOD SHOES. I cannot stress this enough, you NEED sneakers or comfy shoes, especially if you're doing a lot of walking. If you haven't, go to a shoe store that has a foot scanner (Fleet Feet does) and get a scan, they can help you find a good shoe from that.
It's also a good idea to go to a podiatrist anyways at some point, so why not before your trip? They can tell you if you need orthotics (which are LIFESAVERS) and see if anything else is wrong.
WEAR. COMFY. SHOES. NOT CUTE SANDALS.
Yup, you should never skimp on shoes or a bed because if you're not in one you're in the other.
Another piece of advice I would recommend is to read up on some of the laws the country/city you are going to.
Some things that seem very commonplace in your native country might be illegal elsewhere. For example, chewing gum is considered illegal in places like Dubai or Singapore, so to is feeding pigeons in Venice.
Here's a list to find some strange laws around the world: https://www.farandwide.com/s/weird-laws-world-4961c1ede8d749bf
Learn some basics of the language of the land you are traveling too. Hello goodbye, thank you, excuse me, how much, where is the bathroom. Don't be an ignorant and egocentric
Always buy travel insurance. From £10 single trip, not much more for annual multi-trip.
I used to work as individual travel agent and my clients abroad would always come to me with any issue in the first place. I didn't have that many clients, like 3-7 per months (yup) and still with this low number, amount of instances where they've used insurance is astonishing. Buy the insurance. Usually you can even do it online without any person involved. Just buy it, especially if travelling to some medieval countries with no healthcare like USA ;)
Know the area. A week or so before your trip, do some research. You don't wanna be in LA and not have any idea what to do/where to go
Exactly! If you're lost, find a Starbucks/Walmart/some big chain store and look at your phone for directions there. People think you're an easy target if you're looking down at your phone while walking.
Smile. A smile is universal.
People are people wherever you go.
Ask the cab driver to tell you approximately how much it will cost to get there before getting in.
If you're a Canadian going to America, don't drink the iced tea.
From personal experience, always bring a water canteen and a non-perishable snack. It could come in useful if you manage to find yourself in a stressful situation.
Don't lose ur brother in disney for 45 mins straight :)
Don't forget that you are a guest to the locals while traveling. Be well behaved, respectful to others, and refrain from doing stupid stuff. If you know people will get mad at you for doing something (like touching art work, etc.), don't do it.
I haven't traveled much, but one common tip I always see on discussions like this is to never keep your wallet in your back pocket when you are in a foreign country.
Pickpockets could be common in the country you visit, and in a crowd, you will very likely lose your wallet if it's in your back pocket.
Another alternative option would be to have a decoy wallet in your back pocket, and fill it with expired/fake cards, while you keep your actual wallet somewhere else on you.
Travel plug adaptors. Not all countries use the same power sockets. Please check before
Always be nice to the people you meet, some people never figure this out.
"HAND OVER YOU MONEY!" "Sure, Sir, I'm very happy to meet some local culture, there they are."
BRING YOUR OWN PILLOW! The ones they give you will never be right and sleep is important!
I bring my own pillow whoever I take a road trip but I have a big, king-sized pillow that would take up a whole bag if I had to pack it to fly!
Wear ear plugs during your hotel stay. It will dull the noises from people talking in the halls, the elevator, the ice machine. I always sleep better
In my case, the hotel was too quiet. There are also personal portable white noise makers you can get. Small and compact...but they will do the trick.
Enjoy the journey, especially if it's a long trip. And the best way to enjoy it its to give yourself plenty of time so you are never rushing. If you rush you forget things and/or make bad decisions.
If you give yourself lot's of time and remain calm and present at all times, you'll have more mental bandwidth for people watching or admiring architecture or whatever. Or even just catching up on your reading.
And travel light. As light as possible.
Save some money to use for souvenir shops
Don''t eat yellow snow...
As a kid, I was always the one sent to get snow for snow ice cream. We couldn't trust my brother with the job.
Love your wallet & always check different booking websites (Booking, Agoda, Priceline, etc.)! The prices there are ALWAYS different & you can save up to a few thousand.
Use a carry on that is soft so you can smoosh it under the seat in front of you instead of dealing with the overhead. If you really don't want to check baggage take a travel pillow take the foam out and fill it with clothes. It will be a bit lumpy but you aren't wasting time at the carousel are you?
There are apps for EVERYTHING. Your airline, the airport, the ferry, the rail, parking, buses, museums, the hotel. Even if you booked through Expedia, make sure you have the app. Everything from room service menus to same-day rail ticket sales are all on their apps.
And make sure are logged in and have account info handy before you travel.
Make sure to leave room for enough rest. It makes it so much easier to appreciate the rest.
I did that with my clothes once and when I got to my hotel all my clothes were messed around because they just bounced around the sides of my suitcase. So tip don't do that with your clothes.
Dont visit the US, according to BP its the worst place on earth.
Stay home. Save money, and you're a lot safer.
Stay with the people your travelling with you don’t want to get lost in a country you don’t know. And especially don’t lose your brother when you are responsible for him.
Any native that offers help is most likely scamming you. Worst experience? India. Every person.
Do your research.
You do not want to get there and not know what to do because they you will have to use up more time to find what you wanna do.
To help recover from possible jet lag quicker when you arrive in a new time zone try and “stay up” until it is what would be your normal bed time back home. Your body’s circadian rhythm will adapt more easily if it works with the familiar night time sleep routine.
Always be aware of your surroundings. If you're in a foreign country, know your embassy's local
if you're planning going on a roadtrip. Never ever book your hotel, at the last second. in summer most of hotels are full, and whatever the size of your bank account you won't be able to find any room. And when you have 400 - 500 km behind (and have to do more on the next day) it can trully turn into an absolute nightmare. Always book your hotels before taking the road
As a runner, look at running places and the rules of the potential trails before you go. Once I went to a Cross Country camp, and we all got together to run at a loop, but apparently we weren't allowed. Coach got a serious talking-to😄
If you are traveling internationally, always get travel insurance but REMEMBER THIS: Make sure your travel insurance agency has service representatives available 24/7 (not just the medical emergency hotline but all services). I've been stuck in a foreign country after a flight cancellation and had to wait 8 hours for my travel insurance agency to open their office at 9am in America in order to find out how to use/activate my benefits. 24hr customer service is a must!
Looking to bring more stuff on board but already hit the maximum bag allowance? Bring a big coat and stuff the sleeves with stuff. You can even zip it and stuff the mid-section with stuff as well. Airlines don't typically count outerwear as a carry-on/personal item, so you can end up bringing another bag worth of clothes stuffed in the coat. I've done this more than once!
I have 4 tips: TSA Precheck, TSA Precheck, TSA Precheck, and TSA Precheck!
Don't come to Kolkata.
Speaking from experience I agree it's crazy there! There's like 1 million pickpockets and you get the constant feeling your getting watched and of course the misery with all the childrens sad eyes begging for money, so unless you want to commit suicide DON'T GO THERE!
Two things:
If you are visiting the USA, there is an app that can tell you what the crime rate is in certain cities and what type of crime is most common. Many times a tourist from another country will head to a big city and get a cheap hotel on the sketchy side of town. Better to look at the maps and find out the safest place so you don't spend your holiday trying to report a theft and trying to get back home.
Also do not do the tours. When you are on the tours, they take you to the common places other tourists go to which are usually overcrowded and you have to follow their schedule...usually including taking you to the most expensive areas of town. Planning out your trip, with flexibility to change things if you spend too much time checking out shops or sites, can make the visit more memorable.
And always ask the locals where they like to eat. Some of the better places to eat are off the beaten path, less expensive and well worth the trip.
To be clear, the app will break the city down into areas and tell you where the heaviest crime is.
Stay out of Delaware. We're full.
