A
good travel tip is the best free advice you can get. It is as good as gets in
my world. I never pass up the chance to learn how to travel smarter. As with
anything there is always room for improvement.
I
take my education wherever I can get it. I am always playing the role of both
the hunter and gatherer. I come across so many items of interest on the
internet and from television and I check out every lead to see whether or not I
will incorporate it to my life.
When
it comes to traveling and planning my vacations I take that very seriously. I
have my rituals and I don’t change my ideals easily. So when I find something
worth my attention it is also appropriate that I share the information.
The
list below details the tips I have flagged and loved from a book I recently
read called “The Smart Traveler’s Passport”. The author is a former editor for
Budget Travel magazine and he has written a book based on a section that used
to be popular called “20 Tips”. They are tips that people wrote into the
magazine and the best were compiled and filed based on the nine categories you
will read below. I found this to be such a creative way to divide and conquer
all there is when it comes to travel of any kind.
Overall
there were three hundred and ninety-nine tips included in this book. I have
chosen to represent only twenty-six here but there are among the best and most
useful. I have broken them down by chapter so you will know where to find them
in this book. Of course at the end of this blog is all the information you will
need to get your own.
I
have my own rituals when it comes to these categories and so it had to be
special or brand new information for me to be wowed enough to include it. I
have included the links to my “For a Game Plan” series below, which will
provide you with many additional tips that I swear by.
So
without further ado, lets dive in!
Chapter
I Planning Your Trip
·
Splurging
Account- Taking a dollar a night from your wallet and putting them in a special
spot. After it accumulates you deposit it in a bank account purely for travel
and saving. This way you are saving without even trying.
·
In
Flight Advisors- Ask your flight attendants for dining, lodging, and
sightseeing advice. Most have been to these destinations before and had time to
spend during layovers. You can count on them for budget treasures.
·
Weather
or Not- Check out www.worldclimate.com to find monthly average temperatures and rainfall
for thousands of cities worldwide. Great help when it comes time to pack.
·
Googling
for Dollars- Before traveling to any city to a search on the Internet for the
city name and the word “coupon”. You will be surprised how many great deals you
will find.
·
Coupon
Central- www.Destinationcoupons.com supplies free discount coupons
for all cities all over the U.S. and the world. Print them out and begin saving
before you even leave home.
·
Low-Fare
Finder- www.whichbudget.com is a site that lists by city,
which budget airlines serve which cities. Then to find links for Europe’s
entire railways visit www.railfaneurope.net, both sites feature travel planners and English
language options.
·
Solo,
So Low- Sometimes better airfare rates come up when you search for the price
based on one traveler instead of two.
Chapter
II Before You Go
·
Split
Up Your Stuff- If you are traveling with someone pack half of your belongings
in their suitcase and vice versa so if one gets lost you still have things to
wear.
·
Paper
Plastic- Recycle the long plastic bags that your newspaper gets delivered in
and use that to pack your shoes in your suitcase so that your clothes don’t get
dirty.
·
Wax
Fix- If you zipper is getting stuck on your suitcase use some wax or lip balm
on the teeth to loosen it.
·
Baby
Yourself- Carry travel size baby wipes on you and use them to kill germs on
toilets, phones, and also as a way to get stains out of clothing.
·
When
Cheaters Prosper- When overseas carry a cheat sheet that includes exchange
rates and metric conversions. Currency is available at www.oanda.com
Chapter
III On The Journey
·
Bookmark
It- On international flights you will be required to fill out custom forms with
passport information as well as hotel information. To prevent having to
go through your belongings mid-flight write all of the necessary information on
a bookmark or piece of paper to keep on you or in the book you are reading so
you will be less stressed and prepared. Don’t forget to bring a pen.
·
Pillow
Talk- Therm-a-Rest’s Compressible Pillow is perfect for the plane. It comes in
three sizes, packs smaller and expands bigger than any other pillow, and is
machine washable. Find them on www.rei.com.
·
Blank
Check/ Expiration Situation- Make sure you have enough blank pages for the
appropriate stamps in both directions for an international trip and that your
passport is renewed in time. Some countries will not let you travel if it
expires in six months etc.
Chapter
IV Safety and Security
·
1-800-WONT-WRK-
Before international travels look at your health insurance card and if you only
see 800 or 888 numbers for hospital administration many cannot be dialed from
foreign countries. Call ahead and get a number for the area code you will be
in.
·
Cold
Call- Paramedics now look for emergency contacts in cell phones to assist their
patient. Store the word “ICE” (in case of emergency) in your contact list so
that anyone who needs to can call on your behalf. For more than one entry use
ICE1, ICE2, etc. Be sure to tell the people you have listed about this and that
they are aware of your medical conditions and allergies so that they can better
inform any medical teams.
Chapter
V Home Away From Home
·
Bright
Idea- Always bring a small flashlight with you in case of emergency and/or loss
of power so that you may reach the nearest exit.
·
Auto-Dial-
Save the words “hotel” and “taxi” and each time you go away enter the correct
information so that it will be at the touch of your hand.
Chapter
VI Getting Around
·
Strike
Up a Conversation- If you visit a country where you don’t speak the language
pick up a business card or set of matches that has your hotel and it’s address
on it so that you may give it to a taxi driver when you want to return to your
hotel.
Chapter
VII Spending Wisely
·
Making
a Point- Now in most travel stores they sell picture books that have all sorts
of food and everyday items so you can point to what you need when you are not
sure how to say it in a foreign language. It is also a great way to find dishes
you are sure to like in a restaurant.
Chapter
VIII Out And About
·
Seize
the Day- Don’t wait to your day last to do what you consider your most
important activities you never know if you will run out of time and have to cut
back on your schedule.
·
Ask
Questions First Shoot Later- Before pulling out your camera, especially in
historic and religious locations, make sure you are allowed to take pictures so
that you do not get your camera confiscated.
·
Keep
‘Em Separated- Keep magnetic hotel keys, mass transit passes, and magnetic
sunglass clip-ons away from each other so that neither get erased or
deactivated.
·
Brolly
Bag- When carrying around an umbrella also carry a Ziploc bag so that you can
put the umbrella back in your bag without getting anything wet.
Chapter
IX Personal Connections
·
The
Joy of the Text- If you have a cell phone that works overseas even if you don’t
want to pay to call or text while traveling, a few days before your trip sign
up for free text alerts for weather and travel adversaries for where you will
be so that you will still have access to the same information at the touch of
your fingertips and in English.
Where
do you get your best travel tips?
What
are your pre-travel routines?
What
are your favorite new tips from this list?
I
encourage you all to share your ideas and methods to your madness because we
can all stand to learn a thing or two. Even the most seasoned traveler can
always learn a new or better way to pack, plan, photograph, and participate in
the world as a visitor one trip at a time.
For
My Planning and Vacation Tips:
http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2011/03/for-love-of-god-buy-insurance.html
For
This Book and It’s Author:
For
My Favorite Travel Magazines:
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