Tag: Travel

Posted on by

Have These Happened to You?

We’ve all been around those travelers who aren’t the most aware of their surroundings. Some pet peeves I’ve heard from other travelers include:

Complaining about how the menu isn’t like it is back home doesn’t help. If you’re in Italy…you’re not in America. Things are different.

Crowding the baggage claim carousel. Trust me…the bags will be unloaded. Shoving your way in front of someone doesn’t make yours come out faster.

Taking up the entire overhead bin on the plane. The flight attendants make the announcement to store smaller items under the seat in front of you for a reason.

Hurrying in front of someone to get off the plane. It’s an orderly process and someone crowding ahead of others isn’t appreciated. If you have a tight connection, tell a flight attendant and they can assist you.

This one is always an issue at some point…reclining your seat all the way back. Have you done that? Has someone done that to you?

How about the security line? Have you stood and waited while the person in front didn’t know they had a belt on, their bottle of shampoo was too large, or they don’t know what to do with their phone? I understand if the person hasn’t flown in many, many years. Otherwise, get prepared ahead of time. Those in line behind you will appreciate it.

Posted on by

Calm, Anxious, or Excited?

Do you worry about your upcoming trip? Does sitting in an airplane for longer than an hour bother you? Do you get joy out of exploring a new city, or does it worry you to be someplace unfamiliar?

For many of us, travel is exciting, an adventure, and something to look forward to. For others, it can cause anxiety.

What do you do if you suffer from some anxiety?

First, don’t leave any planning, packing, checking your itinerary, printing your boarding pass, charging your phone, or anything else to the last minutes before you head out the door. Set a goal for yourself to be ready…absolutely ready… to go 24 hours in advance. Maybe 36 hours would be better for you. This means everything is done by that time. You might not actually call Uber for the ride to the airport. But, you know you need to do that. You also know how to do that. You’re not looking for the app on your phone with only minutes to spare.

I know it’s hard, but experts tell us to avoid caffeine and alcohol as a way to keep the anxiety level low. You know how you function, so maybe this isn’t for you.

You might look at meditating once your bags are packed. Take a few minutes to relax with no interruptions. I know one person who always gets a massage and a facial two days before she packs. Might be a good idea.

Another person suggested they like to do some exercises before they pack and then a few more once they feel they have everything ready to go.

Do you have a system that works for you?

Posted on by

May I See Your Medical Insurance Card?

You’re traveling to a foreign country and you have your passport an appropriate visa. Right? It’s probably in your wallet.

You have insurance. Right? Where’s your proof of medical insurance?

When preparing your wallet for traveling, did you clean out your insurance card and leave it at home?

If so…not a good idea.

Did you realize more countries are requiring you to show proof of medical insurance before you enter the country? Right now, Iceland, Ecuador, Turkey, the UAE, Norway, and Switzerland are ones that want to see your insurance cards.

What do you do if you don’t have it? You can buy a policy right there. Or, you can go home.

Neither is a good option. Carry your insurance cards.

Posted on by

Have You Ever Bought These?

We’ve all been there. You’re at the airport with time to waste and you start looking through the shops.

But, what you’re buying may not be a good deal.

traveling in Heidleburg

Think about these…

Do you think duty free means a good deal? Probably not. It’s best to know what things cost before you rush to spend your travel money on duty free.

You forgot your neck pillow. So, you’ll just pick up a cheap one at the airport. Right? Again…probably not the best use of your money.

You’re in a foreign country’s airport and you need a magazine to read. Not a big ticket item…right? Maybe not. But, be sure to check before you head to the counter to pay. It may cost a lot more than you thought. And, it may be a few months older than you thought.

Wi-fi can be expensive in some airports. It’s best to head to a coffee shop if you really need to use wi-fi while you wait.

How about that bottle of water you’d like to have while waiting for your flight? I’ve seen a small bottle go for as much as $8.00. The solution? Bring a refillable bottle or a collapsible bottle and fill it at a refilling fountain. Some restaurants will even refill it for you.

I’ve mentioned this before. If you can help it…don’t exchange currency at the airport. It will almost always be a higher exchange rate.

Last minute souvenirs can be expensive. Plan ahead and don’t buy them at the airport.

Posted on by

What Toothpaste Is In Your Carry-on?

Toothpaste…we all travel with it. Do you buy the little tubes to put in your carry on? If so, how long do they last and what do you do with the leftover tube?

If you are like me, you throw them away. I mean…what else are you going to do with the worn-out tubes? Right?

Did you know that over 1 Billion tubes are thrown out every year? That’s a lot of toothpaste tubes. But, we need the toothpaste.

How can we rethink our travel toothpaste? That’s what one entrepreneur asked herself. Since she’s also concerned about unnecessary waste in our landfills…she had two reasons to develop a solution.

So, she did something about it.

And, recently I discovered what her solution is. It’s a different kind of toothpaste, delivered in a different kind of container. The company is called Bite and the toothpaste is called Bits.

I ordered it…I tried it…I’m a believer and it will be the only toothpaste I travel with from now on.

When I interviewed Lindsay McCormick, the CEO and founder of the company, I learned how she decided to do something about saving our planet from the waste of the discarded tubes of toothpaste. Not only did she want to do something about the tubes, but she was also concerned about the ingredients in the toothpaste. She talked to dentists, she got feedback from travelers, she experimented with tastes, and she wanted high quality ingredients and materials.

Keeping with the sustainable mindset, the Bits come in a glass bottle. They are shipped in recycled boxes and everything is compostable. When you reorder, your Bits come in recycled envelopes and you add them to the original bottle. They’re made in the US, with the lab in southern California.

Her company is working to get ADA accreditation for a fluoride line sometime in 2019.

Like I said…this will be the toothpaste I travel going forward. You’ll have to try it for yourself.

To learn more about Bite, go to https://bitetoothpastebits.com/.

The company did not pay me to try them, nor give me any products.

Posted on by

Oops…I Just Blew Up My Hairdryer

We’ve all made mistakes when traveling. Hopefully, yours didn’t ruin your trip.

As a reminder, when you start to think about traveling abroad, check out these helpful tips.

Be sure to pack a travel power adapter. I put mine in my bag with my phone charging cord. That way, I have my power sources together.

Check the voltage in the country you are traveling to. Typically, we run on 110 volts in the US. The voltage is higher in Europe and you’ll blow up your hair dryer if you aren’t aware of the voltage.

Check your passport. Make sure the expiration date is not within at least six months of your return date. You don’t want to get to the airport and not be able to leave on your trip because your passport expires a month after you return.

Pack the right clothes…and shoes. Think about what you will be doing and pack accordingly. Having your favorite heels might not be the best use of space in your luggage. I make a list and then trim in down. No need to take things I’m not going to wear or use.

Don’t assume everyone speaks English. Learn some common phrase at the minimum. If nothing else, when you attempt to say please or thank you, you come across as being polite.

Don’t expect your phone to work in Europe. Your phone plan probably won’t. Plan ahead and either talk to your carrier about their international plan or buy a SIM card when you arrive.

Plan ahead for money as well. Exchanging money at the airport when you land is probably not your best option. The exchange rate will not be your friend. If you will need a lot of money when you land, consider getting some at your bank before you go. Check the rate, however. Otherwise, know which ATM’s will be best for you to use.

If something does go wrong…don’t let it ruin your trip. Treat it like an adventure…one you just hadn’t planned on having.

Posted on by

How Does My Hair Look?

Security at the airport. Changes have already started at some airports.

How about this? You only need to look at a camera to be identified when traveling through an airport. Sound like a better idea than keeping your ID handy?

This facial-recognition technology, biometrics, is being implemented at airports around the country. Delta rolled out a facial-recognition option from curb to gate for international travelers leaving from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s Terminal F. Other airlines have begun limited use of biometrics.

‘At the check-in desk or self-service kiosk, you can choose the biometric option and have your photo taken. The photo will then bematched with others in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) database, such as those for passports or visas. If there are no red flags, a green check mark will flash on the screen and you will be able to go directly to the TSA security checkpoint (where your face will be scanned again), then to the gate (scanned again) and finally to yourseat on the airplane.’

Of course, you still need your passport. But, this may offer you one less thing to keep in your hand and help speed your check-in process.

Other airports testing this include Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Chicago. They are using this at check in.

One goal is to catch imposters, which apparently has already begun.

The next time you head to the airport, you might want to comb your hair. Just sayin…

Posted on by

Does Your Phone Travel With You?

AARP conducted a national, online survey about travel last September. There were 1,724 people answering, both male and female. All were over 21, but not necessarily retired. They had taken at least one trip of 50 or more miles with a two-night stay away from home in the past two years. All had indicated intentions of taking a trip in 2019.

Reading some of their results, many echo trips I’m planning.

Check out these results and see if they match your plans for travel in 2019.

Baby Boomers expect to take at least 4 leisure trips this year, with half of those abroad. Many have already selected their destinations…and it’s only January.

The survey found many people book their trips abroad at least nine months in advance. Is that true for you?

Domestic trips for 2019 revolve around weekend getaways, summer vacation trips with the grandkids, and bucket list destinations.

How about technology? We all know it plays a role in vacation planning. What about once you’re on vacation? Apparently, 92% of travelers bring a smart phone with them on domestic vacations. Photos and email seem to be the main reasons why. For international travel, 54% bring one.

What about you? Do you bring your phone and use it as a phone or just check your email?

For me, I do book nine months in advance if I’m looking for a particular destination. I also take my smartphone and use it for more than email. Traveling internationally doesn’t mean I can’t use my phone. It also doesn’t mean I have to pay high fees. There are many options for using your phone while abroad.

What about you? What are your plans for 2019?

Posted on by

Where oh Where Are You Going?

Every magazine and travel site have their lists of places to visit in a new year. It’s interesting to see how many places appear on more than one site.

Does that mean everyone will be going to the same sites or take the same trips in 2019? I doubt it.

Are these budget destinations? Some are, but not all can be considered budget.

Here are some listed by Hopper, a company using big data to help consumers predict and analyze their airfare costs. According to them, these destinations have flights where the cost dropped the most from the first part of 2018 to now.

Iceland…the Icelandic krona to the US dollar is better for you by 18% this year.

Buenos Aires…the Argentine peso lost 54% of its value against the US dollar last year.

France…flights are an average of 30% cheaper than this time last year and the Euro is down 4% now. This might be a good time to head to the celebrations surrounding D-Day. June 6 is the 75th anniversary.

Columbia…flights are down in price, so it could be a great time to take in the annual flower festival.

Dominica…after the major hurricane, the government and volunteers have brought back the island’s top attractions.

Finland and Lithuania…apparently Finland has seen a 35% drop in the average price of flights from the US and Lithuania is a cheap 75-minute flight from Helsinki.

Are any of these on your list for 2019?

Or, do you have other places you can’t wait to visit?

Posted on by

Am I Too Old?

If you think you’re too old to travel…think again. I mean, you have more time now. Right?

If you’re worried about health care, do a little extra planning. Research where you’re going, where the hospitals are in relation to where you’re staying, get copies of all your prescriptions, check your travel insurance, and bring some extra medications with you. If you’re at a hotel, ask the concierge where the closest pharmacy is or how to get to the hospital in case of an emergency.

If you’re worried about getting around, again some extra planning goes a long ways. Don’t think you need to climb to the top of every bell tower in every hill town in Tuscany.

Worried about driving in an unfamiliar country? Hire a driver or sign up for a small tour.

Wondering about that long flight? Check out business class. Your credit card miles may be able to help with the cost.

Thinking about costs? Don’t forget to research senior discounts. You may be pleasantly surprised. Check out train passes if you’re planning on traveling by train.

Bottom line…if you want to travel, there’s a way to travel at any age.

Have fun.