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Published: July 22nd 2018
Here I am in wonderful Idaho, where we are relaxing with eight members of our family, playing golf and enjoying all that the area offers and it occurred to me to publish this blog on a subject that many have requested of me, so here goes.
I have compiled these ideas which I hope may be a helpful guide for those in particular who have seldom traveled or have never ventured much beyond their own environment. Having said that, anyone can probably pick up a useful tip or two anyway.
These suggestions are not intended for the seasoned traveler, necessarily.
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Advanced planning is recommended, especially if it will be your first trip as many issues can be identified at the early stages and thus avoid unexpected and unpleasant surprises. Also, finding out what activity like festivals, concerts etc may be taking place at the time is extremely valuable so they may be incorporated, if desired. On the other hand, if you are adventurous, going without pre-planning can be exciting and rewarding as well. In planning, first jot down the type of vacation that most appeals to you. Is there
a bias towards sightseeing, history, culture, cuisine, people, music, festivals etc.etc.
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Government services and security All countries offer travel advisories and it is good to check the appropriate website for that information. In our case we always provide our itinerary to the Canadian Government so that in case of an emergency we may be located. As an example, we were headed to a particular part of Northern Portugal in 2017 and received an email notification that huge fires were raging in the exact area. I also carry an international telephone which I can use or be contacted in any country. This is important for a number of reasons. As an example, when Jeanette fell and fractured her ankle and foot coming down a mountain in Petra, Jordan, I was able to contact my tour operator to arrange for paramedics to rescue her. Recommended that you use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which will encrypt your information, if you will be regularly on line using public WiFi networks.
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Broad plan. Once you have come up with some sense of what it is you would like to accomplish, you may start a broad plan. This plan should include what country or areas
you wish to visit, the time frame and length of the vacation, whether you will be traveling alone or with someone, the season etc. Reviewing everything ahead of time is a must if you want to get an idea of what you may expect. Issues such as safety, local customs, coping with language differences etc. Guide books are a useful resource available at any library as well as online. I personally try not to over indulge myself with those details in preference to leaving some room for surprises but that is a personal choice based on extensive experience.
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Budget. After that is decided, the next most important will be the budget. The main components of the budget will comprise transportation, accommodation, food, entertainment and insurance so let us look at some of these in some more detail below although it is a good idea to have a contingency fund built in.
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Transportation.If you will be visiting another country overseas, finding competitive airfare can be confusing, challenging and fun. One of the big elements is the season of travel. Is it the shoulder season, winter, early summer or the fall? An example of how timing affects air travel is that traveling
mid-week is usually less expensive than on weekends.
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Accommodation. This category offers the widest choice there is. From hotels of all kinds, bed and breakfasts, private homes, hostels and even I have heard, couch surfing. Of course, using time share exchanges are also useful, if you own one. Another often unheard idea is home exchange. Reading reviews of various accommodation is fundamental but one must use common sense when deciding on the value of individual reviews. Always use the question "Why?", especially if a review differs significantly from the general consensus. There is usually a reason which oftentimes would not affect your decision to book, if there are other good reasons to stay there. Look for a trend. For us, the priority for selection is location, cleanliness, good reviews, then pricing. My preference is a good Bed & Breakfast as one gets the opportunity to interact with other travelers in a usually warm, friendly and personal atmosphere. In France once, we canceled a hotel and found a replacement bed and breakfast on the spur of the moment and were delighted to be unexpectedly hosted by Pablo Picasso's former chef, now retired, and his friendly wife. Try B
edandbreakfast.com where I have had marvelous results. Also,
Booking.com is a very useful site which we often use, especially for the flexibility of free cancellation up to 48 hours before check-in.
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Food. Northern Europe is more expensive but eastern Europe is the opposite while those in the Mediterranean offer great value across the spectrum of prices. The secret is to look at side alleys and areas away from the tourist traffic. I found the most delicious mussels in a restaurant in La Spezia, Italy (
forty-one in the bowl for Euro 5, compared to a third of that in Brussels for nearly Euro 30, albeit in a fancy restaurant). Hand written menus where the restaurant is likely run by mom and pop is always a good place to try, especially if local people frequent the place. The type and cost of food varies across Europe so that deciding where and what to eat will impact the budget greatly. It is our standard practice to ask for recommendations of a good local place to eat, not normally frequented by visitors. Of course, depending on where you are staying, the local grocery and market is also a good source. There are amazing experiences to be had by trying a cuisine that is different from the usual one back home. As some examples, we have had breakfast with a Moroccan family in the Atlas Mountains, dinner at the home of a Turkish family in Istanbul and lunch at a hillside home in Greece - all marvelous experiences in cuisine and culture. We also enjoyed a BBQ with a local community in a small town in Eastern Spain.
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Insurance is one of the most overlooked and yet vital elements of a trip overseas.
Cancellation and trip interruption insurance should be considered but
travel medical insurance should be at the top of the list, even for younger people. There are many horror stories of the financial and emotional loss faced by those who experienced medical emergencies in a foreign country without any insurance protection.
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Use of money. Plan for the use of credit cards, debit cards, cash etc. Find out the local custom as some businesses in certain countries only accept cash. Determine what currency should be taken also. Once in a country find out where the best exchange value may be had. Merchants are not usually where you should exchange money for the local currency. This can and does vary significantly. Do not be swayed by money changer advertising such as "no commission" but take a close look at the net result. It is always advisable to let your bank security department know in which country you will be using your credit card so that they do not decline a charge, thinking it to be unusual. This is for your protection. We once enjoyed a beautiful lunch in a remote village in Germany and when the bill was presented, we were surprised that they did not accept any credit cards. Luckily, we had Euros in cash for that very eventuality.
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Local customs. It is always good to be prepared for the impact of local custom on dress so as not to offend or be barred from access to certain sites such as churches, mosques etc. We also learned how certain cultures deal with the giving and receiving of gifts. In one country we visited, it is a "no no" to refuse a gift and may be interpreted as an insult, although unintended.
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Airfare specials seems to appear frequently between January and March, at least in Canada anyway. One tip I will pass on which has come in handy. Once we have planned and decided on an itinerary, we usually instruct our travel agent who will gladly make all the airline bookings we request. In this way, should something unexpectedly change, it is much easier to make one phone call to the agent who can find solutions on your behalf rather than attempt it yourself which would be the case if you make the booking directly. As an example, on our way to New Zealand once, our departure flight was suddenly cancelled while we waited at the gate. Fortunately we only had to telephone our agent for her to spring into action and rescue the situation for us. It was a high stress moment and we could not have done what she did on our own - change of airline, re-routing etc..
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Trains. Other than perhaps a main leg of a journey, we have found that train tickets may be left for local purchase instead of doing it ahead of time. Not only is there an apparent saving but it does provide flexibility since many pre-purchased tickets are specific to time, date and train. Having looked at using the Euro Card and talked to many passengers we have come to the conclusion that it is not worth buying. Also, do not overlook 2nd class travel, especially for trips of less than two or three hours, as we have found it very comfortable and, depending on the particular leg of a voyage and train type, reservations are possible for a small fee. From our experience however, there are certain times, especially for
longer distances, that we would use only First class. As far as
travel in Italy is concerned, from our experience, we would stick with
First class only. Train travel seems a little disorganized in Italy with employees often not being readily available to assist on some occasions. Remember a train ticket is not legal anywhere unless validated in one of the machines provided. As a first experience, we sat on a train, ticket in hand and ready to go when a fellow passenger said the ticket had to be validated. I had to scurry because the machine was on another platform and it was very stressful running to do that while Jeanette sat waiting. What would have happened had the train left without me? The machines are usually located on the platform and not in the train itself, which is the case for local trams and buses. The only exception is for those tickets purchased ahead of time which you receive in the mail.
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Car rental. First of all, renting a car for use in any city is completely unnecessary and could be a virtual nightmare. I recommend using rental cars for sightseeing and other needs OUTSIDE the cities but public transportation inside. If you do arrive with your own car, park it securely and use local transportation. A manual is less costly and more economical (and for me more enjoyable to drive) than an automatic. Review the insurance details very closely . Sometimes Collision/Damage may be covered by your bank credit card or insurance carrier but make sure that the rental car company will accept that because some do not and make you take theirs. Be aware that, by law, some rental companies are required to include CDW and theft insurance which can't be declined (In Italy, it is the law). Whatever insurance you take make sure that you are fully covered. Meticulously examine the vehicle before leaving the lot and leave nothing to chance. Both when I pick up or return a vehicle I take pictures of all sides of the vehicle. Of most importance is to determine
exactly where the vehicle is to be dropped off as this can often be frustrating if difficult to find, resulting in late arrival and additional cost. Once, after an extended search, I eventually managed to return a Europcar to a location unexpectedly on the roof of a train station where there was absolutely no signage to direct me. It cost me! Taking your own GPS with updated European maps is worth it and much more economical than renting but take paper maps to supplement as they provide a broader picture of the way ahead.
UPDATE:
Google Maps offline is excellent. Using WIFI before you leave any location, map out your route and save the file. Once on the road use that map for directions without using data. Remember, any modifications may only be done while you are on Wifi, to save cost.
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Suitcases? Note my question mark because I most highly recommend travelling light. It is a most liberating experience. In our case we use good quality knapsacks but pull along units are good too. This gave us absolute flexibility and saved much time when using airlines and trains without necessarily having to use taxis. Trams, local trains, subways or buses were our most commonly used methods even for travelling to and from the airport or other main stations and our accommodation. In those cases, lugging heavy suitcases makes this virtually impossible. There are sites on YouTube which will help you learn what and how to pack for the trip. We have it down to a fine art now and are able to travel light for any length of time. One day, when I have time, I will create a Vlog on the topic. Copy and paste this into your URL to view:
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Getting around locally. It is amazing what great experiences may be had doing this at very little cost. When we took the local bus from the airport to downtown Budapest, we had a great and most friendly driver who made sure when we left his care we were headed in the right direction. It was a most impressive first impression of Hungary. Depending on specific plans for any particular city, we found that the 24 or 48 hour passes most useful since we could use these tickets on any public system. Remember to first validate the ticket once you board a bus or tram as there are heavy fines for failing to do so. Disguised staff can ask to see your ticket at any time. They all appear to be regular passengers but soon remove an identifying armband from a pocket before approaching a passenger.
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Security generally. Use commonsense and don't be "the obvious tourist target" with a Fanny Pack, typical Bucket hat, etc. All you are saying is "come rob me". By adopting simple techniques we have been able to walk the streets of several foreign cities, even at odd hours, without feeling fearful or intimidated. Even getting lost in Shanghai, of all cities, did not turn out to be a problem.
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Pickpockets etc. In our six or seven trips to Europe we have so far only had one attempt by a pickpocket. That was on the stairs of a very crowded train in Italy where I had to grab a young lady who quickly had her hand deep inside Jeanette's pocket (a good reason to walk behind one another in densely crowded situations). People who appear destitute may approach but it is best not even to make eye contact since they usually pose as beggars but many are in fact simply thieves. If you want to be kind to a person in need, they may be seen in any city but be wary of those who position themselves near crowds with a baby in their arms or a little child by their side. Exercise great caution as they often work in groups, one of whom does the distracting while the other or others, the fleecing. Proper clothes, secured money/passport belts and commonsense are your best tools. Pickpockets love crowds and naive travelers and are looking for cash, credit cards, cell phone and passports. We have been with people who have had the misfortune of being victims and it creates an unpleasant scenario which can ruin the vacation.
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Local people. One of the major joys of travel is meeting the local people whom we have found generally to be most hospitable, especially if you attempt to speak their language. A Translator app is a very helpful tool to have on your phone.
In the final analysis, it is also great to learn by experience for oneself and discover the abundant and often unexpected wonders that our world is full of.
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Pamela Miller
non-member comment
Very Good Advice.
A well written piece of advice Roger and easy to read.