Travel Tips I have learned-(Part 6)
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Ok, here we go with more travel tips:————
26. Oh, Stop it!-Whatever you do, don’t forget to stop the newspaper while you are gone. Usually there is an opportunity to donate your copies to an education program with the local newspaper.
27. Tell me where you’re going-E mail someone back home a copy of all your hotel reservations, airline reservations, copy of your passport, emergency contact info., etc.. In other words, anything you think your relatives might need in case they need to get in contact with you should be e-mailed to them.
28. Wet stuff-pack plastic bags for wet swim suits. Sometimes you want to swim the last day of vacation and you didn’t think about what to do with the wet swim suit.
29. Keep it clean–Been to many places where soap was not available. Best to pack hand sanitizing wipes and constantly keep your hands washed. One of the best ways to keep yourself from getting sick is to wash your hands frequently. Not all bathrooms always have paper towels. Also spray pumps of hand sanitizer can work well.
30. What do I do now or how do you say toilet paper in Russian?-A good idea to get one of those little travel rolls of toilet paper at and drugstore or discount store and keep it in your purse or backpack. I just returned from Quito and over half the public restrooms did not have paper towels or toilet paper.
Stay tuned for more travel tips!
You can post your comments here or e-mail me at ssb11@prodigy.net
Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net
To read about my other travels click here or http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/mytravels/
Comments? Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net
Travel Tips I have learned (Part 5)
Here we go with more travel tips (Part 5)
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21. Put your suitcase on a diet-Whenever possible, I only travel with carry-on luggage. If you do have to check luggage it is a good idea to buy a luggage scale and weigh your luggage at home. This is especially important with all the new, increased over-weight charges. It is a lot easier to try to re-balance your suitcases in your living room than trying to do it in the airport with 50 people standing behind you in line and looking into your suitcase. Pack the luggage scale in your suitcase so you can weigh your luggage on your return trip after you have purchased all those extra souvenirs. You can buy these luggage scales at Kambers or The Travelers Pack in Oklahoma City.
Some people use a system where they pack their suitcase then go back and pull out one-half of everything. I’ve never been on a trip yet where I thought, “gee, I wish I had packed more stuff!” How many pairs of shoes do you need, really?
22. Map it out first-Before I leave on a trip, I always like to have a map of the countries and cities that I am going to visit. Suggest you study the maps before you leave so when you get there you will already have an idea of distances, transportation systems, etc. You can hit the ground running when you arrive at your destination. Great place to buy maps in Oklahoma City is at the Travelers Pack. If they don’t have them in stock, they will order them for you. Give them a little advance notice.
23. Tour books-Everyone has their favorites. I prefer the Lonely Planet series of books. They seem to be complete and packed with info. I also like the Fodor’s travel books as well. A trick I recently learned from other travelers was to buy the tour books and then razor out and carry with you only the pages that pertain to the places you plan to visit. A couple of things happen when you do this: #1: you don’t have to pack a thick book that will add to the weight, #2: you don’t look so much like a tourist sitting in a café reading a big, thick, tour book. Most of the books are out of date the following year anyway, so no need to worry about destroying a good travel book.
24. Protect the liquids or suffer the consequences-some liquids don’t survive well under pressure on an airplane. Suggest you double bag your liquids in your suitcase. Ever had suntan lotion explode on your clothes? I have!
25. Toiletries-Often times it is just easier to buy your toiletries when you get to your destination. Why haul a big 99 cent can of shaving cream around when you can buy it there?
Stay tuned for some additional travel tips from other travelers-
What’s your favorite travel tip to share?
I am sure that many other people have additional ideas as well. It would be helpful if you would add your comments and suggestions here so other people may benefit from them. You can also e-mail me at ssb11@prodigy.net
Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net
To read about my other travels click here or http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/mytravels/
Comments? Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net
Travel tips I have learned (Part 4)
Travel tips I have learned along the way (Part 4)
16. Change down- Whether you are dealing in U.S. dollars or the local currency, I always try to keep bills in very small denominations. Depending on the country, often times taxis and vendors may not keep much change. If I have big bills, I am constantly “changing down” when the opportunity presents itself in order to maintain a small bill inventory. I know people who always start out their trips with $100 in USD $1 bills for tips.
17. Only small bills in your pocket-I always keep some small bills in my pocket for incidentals so I don’t have to pull out my money belt every time I need to pay for something. When you do have to access the money belt, always do it out-of-sight. I also carry a “decoy” wallet with a little bit of money in it.
18. Customs and immigration forms-Always have the customs and immigration forms filled out BEFORE leaving the plane. Saves you a lot of time and hassle later trying to do it as you are going through the line–or worse yet, the line gets longer while you stop inside the airport to fill out the forms. Always carry a pen with you for this purpose.
19. Have cash-When I land in a foreign country I always try to have a little bit of the local currency with me just in case my ATM card won’t work (I have had this happen several times) or in case the airport change booth is closed.
20. Multiple credit cards-I always try to travel with 2 different types of credit cards in case there in a problem. In Shanghai, the hotel refused to accept my VISA card because they said it was a problem with the Bank of China to process Visa cards. They wanted a different type of card, either a MasterCard or Amex. Unfortunately, I only had a VISA card with me. They were just trying to be difficult! I had to call my wife in the states where it was 4 a.m. and have her get VISA to call the hotel. This was even after I had executed on Tip #3 above! Plus, the first ATM machine I went to would not accept my ATM card. I had to walk through unfamiliar streets where no one spoke English and try to find an ATM that would accept my type of card. Save yourself the hassle!!
More travel tips coming-stay tuned!
If you have some travel tips post them here or e-mail me at ssb11@prodigy.net
To read about my other travels click here or http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/mytravels/
Comments? Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net
Travel tips I have learned (Part 3)
11. Talk it up-Travel with a phrase book in foreign countries. Even though you butcher the language, the local people will appreciate your efforts, and will be more helpful. Nothing worse than someone who thinks everyone else in the world should be able to speak English. It’s also makes it more fun to try to learn a foreign language along the way.
12. Jewelry-Leave the ”bling” in your safe deposit box at home. Buy cheap “travel” wedding bands. Don’t wear expensive watches. Thieves look for this sort of stuff to set up their “targets”. One time, I was studying Spanish in Quito, Ecuador. My Spanish teacher came to class one morning and told me of seeing a thief run up to a lady on the street and rip her gold earrings right through her ears. Ouch! That’s a good reason not to wear them!
13. Wash your clothes-Washable, light-weight “wick-away” travel clothing is a blessing. Easy to wash and dry, easy to pack and light to carry. I like the kind that dries in less than two hours. Many times when traveling I have washed my clothes in the shower. My wife likes to carry a “carry-on compliant” laundry soap that comes in paper-like sheets that dissolve into soap when held under the faucet. The brand is “Travelon”. You can buy it at Kambers in Oklahoma City. I personally like to use a backpacker’s concentrated liquid soap that I buy at Backwoods in Oklahoma City. A friend of mine wears his old clothes on vacation and leaves them behind as he goes! He then has more room for souvenirs!
14. Get ‘em laundered-If you don’t want to personally wash your clothes along the way, simply have them laundered someplace. It’s cheap and easy. You only have to pack one-half the amount of clothes you need. I am doing this more and more.
15. Entry requirements-Always check, double-check, triple-check the entry requirements of the country to which you are traveling. Some have restrictions about how close your passport can be to the expiration date. This can save you a lot of headaches. Depending on the country, you may also need a entry visa. Do your research.
More travel tips coming next week–Look for Part 4!
Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net
To read about my other travels click here or http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/mytravels/
Comments? Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net
Travel tips I have learned (Part 2)
Here is the next installment of favorite travel tips (Part 2)
6. Prescriptions-E-mail yourself a separate list of your prescriptions in case you lose or forget your medication. Also, never put your prescription medication in checked luggage. If the airline loses your checked luggage, you lose your medication.
7. Glasses-If you wear glasses, my doctor suggests to always keep a copy of your optical prescription with you, because if you are in a foreign country and need glasses or contacts, the prescriptions are universal in language and can easily be understood. Or, simply carry an extra pair.
8. Vaccinations-I log all my vaccinations on the yellow universal shot card record that you can get from your doctor. How many people can really remember when they got their last yellow fever or tetanus shot? I keep the shot record at home in a secure place and carry a copy of it with my passport.
9. Light up the way-I always carry a small, high intensity flashlight in case I am traveling to countries with frequent power outages. Amazing, the number of times I have needed this. Nothing worse than being in an unfamiliar place in the dark. I also carry it in my backpack if I am going to be out at night.
All the hard-core travelers I have met consider a small flashlight an absolute nececessity.
10. Compass-Take a small compass with you. Can’t tell you the number of times I have come up out of a subway or arrived in a strange city and immediately used my compass to get my bearings
Stay tuned-more travel tips coming!
Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net
To read about my other travels click here or http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/mytravels/
Comments? Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net
Travel tips I have learned through the years (Part 1)
Travel tips I have learned through the years-Part 1
Every time I travel, I try to learn new things I can use that will make my journeys less stressful. Some I have come up with myself, but mostly I have learned from others along the way. So, I thought it only fair that I in turn, pass them on to you as well.
I am going to post (5) five new tips each week. The blogs will be a running list and I expect this subject to be good for 5-6 weeks. Make sure you check it each week.
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Here is my ever changing list:
1. Passport-I always carry a couple of extra copies of my passport in a separate place when I travel. When I am on the streets, I always leave my original in my room in a safe place and carry only a copy with me for ID purposes. If you have to replace your passport it’s easier if you already have a copy. Some people scan their passport into their computer and e-mail it to themselves.
2. Credit Cards-You want to e-mail yourself the numbers of your credit cards (along with 1-800 #’s) in case you lose them.
3. Credit Card notification-I always call my credit card companies before leaving the U.S. to alert them I will be making charges in other countries. You don’t want to experience a security cancellation on your card while you are traveling. I have heard horror stories about people being abroad and having their credit cards cancelled because of the security software many companies use.
Many credit card companies are now charging “foreign transaction fees” when making charges abroad. These include paying for hotels that are not in the Continental U.S. or Alaska or Hawaii. These charges often times apply even if they are made in USD. It recently happened to me when I bought a COPA airline ticket on the internet and paid a hotel bill at the Marriott in Panama City, Panama where the USD is the official currency. I was socked with a 3% surcharge fee!
4. Splitting up the dinero-I always split up my cash and credit cards into two/three different places. Never carry all your cash with you. Keep the majority in a safe place. Some people will carry a ATM card that is specifically linked to a separate “special vacation account” with only a limited amount of money in it. Also, most banks have a daily limit on the amount of cash that can be taken out of your account.
5. Security wallet-For security purposes, I have found the security wallet that attaches to your belt with two loops and fits down the inside of your pants seems to work best. Here is the link for it:
http://www.eaglecreek.com/accessories/security_id/UnderCover-Hidden-Pocket-40024/
Next-Stay tuned for new travel tips each week. If you want to send me some new ones, you can e-mail me at ssb11@prodigy.net and I will batch them together and post them at the end (unless I have already posted in within my own blog)
See my other travel blogs on NewsOk.com:
Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net
To read about my other travels click here or http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/mytravels/
Comments? Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net
Travel Tips-Coming Soon
I have only one more blog on Mexico and then I will start a blog for a few weeks on travel tips I have learned along the way. I plan to start those on Feb. 20. In the meantime, stay tuned for the last installment on Chiapas, Mexico posting this week, Feb. 13.
Thanks
Steve Barrymore
