Many people say that when travelling abroad you are an easy target for crime, but that is really only true if you don’t know how to blend in. Like all countries, there is crime, however, you really need to be educated on the culture and understand how not to like a tourist. This article contains a number of helpful tips on blending into the native culture and not looking like a tourist.
You can save a lot of money on your next vacation by purchasing a last minute travel deal. Many websites now offer this feature. When travel agencies, cruises, airlines and the like have unsold vacation packages, they offer them at steep discounts the closer they get to departure date.
If you are concerned about theft in the countries you’ll be visiting, set up your wardrobe in advance to ward them off. You can sew passport-sized pockets into the top of your pants; this option might be more comfortable when walking than a moneybelt. Also consider lining the bottom of a cloth bag with chicken wire to deter theives with razor blades.
Take along at least one dressy outfit with you when you travel. The more formal clothes are, they harder they are to pack and care for. Nevertheless, making the effort to bring one set of classy duds prepares you to take advantage of unplanned opportunities that may arise on your trip. You don’t want to miss out on a wonderful dinner invitation because you have nothing to wear but shorts!
You already know you can’t take drinks with you through security at the airport. But you can definitely take a water bottle as long as it’s empty. Save yourself the two dollars on water you’re going to buy immediately after you get through security – just bring an empty water bottle from home and fill up with icy-fresh fountain water once you’re through.
Taking a train can be an attractive mode of travel for many reasons. For one it does not require effort from the individual beyond sitting in their seat. A person is free to do whatever they want to do while they are en route. There are also many other reasons why traveling by train is enjoyable.
This travel tip goes out to all those who are proud to be Americans. You know who you are and you’re terrific. The only thing is, if you travel globally, you embarrass our country if you engage in loud, flag-waving, obnoxious behavior. You will make a far better ambassador for the U.S., if you make an effort to observe the cultural and behavioral norms around you and adjust your volume and actions, accordingly.
Did you know that you can use snow to do a quick cleanup on your vehicle while you are traveling? A car wash would work better but snow works quite well in a pinch. It will remove the mud that got all over your rental vehicle when you ventured onto that back road. It also works well to get grime buildup off of your windshield in an emergency.
Long flights are notorious for cramped quarters. If you stay cramped in your seat for the entire time, there is the possibility you could develop deep vein thrombosis, which can lead to blood clotting in your legs. Take some time to walk around and stretch your legs at least once every hour.
If your travel plans involve visiting various attractions, buy the tickets in advance whenever possible. Although it may be slightly more expensive, you will save a tremendous amount of time and frustration since you won’t have to wait in lines. Particularly pay attention to see if they allow timed entry; you can avoid both the purchasing line and the admission line that way.
Make sure that a friend or family member has a copy of your travel itinerary. Tell them everything you plan on doing and where you’re going. Be sure to leave copies of your flight, ticket, and passport information.
Be sure to remove airline tags as soon as possible after a flight. Leaving old destination tags on a suitcase is one of the major causes of lost bags. Do not take the risk of baggage handlers scanning the wrong tag and causing your bag to end up in a different airport than you.
Don’t hold on to your frequent flyer miles for too long, since they may well expire before you get around to using them. Miles often expire 18 months after you earn them, so use them while you can. If you don’t need to fly, you may be able to trade them in for magazines or other rewards.
As was stated in the beginning of the article, knowing how to blend in with the local culture is crucial to not being a victim of crime. Criminals prey on tourists, but if you apply the advice from this article the chances of you becoming a victim of crime are much less.
