Helpful Tips, Tricks and Advice: How To Avoid Stupid Travel Mistakes & Other Good Info 0
I receive a lot of good tips from my readers and I’ve done a lot of dumb stuff during my travels. Learn from our mistakes. This is sort of a “catch-all” for good advice that really doesn’t fit anywhere else. This list will be constantly updated as I receive more helpful advice. Feel free to post your favorite tips in the comment box.
Click here for our guide of money saving tips.
Check Correct Airport/Train Station: Many cities have multiple train stations and airports. It is very common for people to go to the wrong station so be sure to double check.
Get On The Correct Train: It is easy to get on the wrong train. I’ve done it a few times.
Get Off the The Right Stop: Making sure I got off at the right train stop always seemed to give me the most difficulty. The nicer trains have an electronic sign that informs you which stop you’re currently at. But other trains don’t have anything so you have to look out the window to see the physical sign posted at the train stop. This gets more confusing when the city has more then one station. If I wasn’t sure I would wait to see what other people were doing. If it looked like everyone was getting off the train I assumed that I should get off too. You can always ask people around you.
Validate Your Ticket: Many trains/trams/subways require you to validate your ticket after you buy it. Many times you have to do this in the station. You can get fined a lot if you don’t validate your ticket. Some places are tricky too… In the Budapest subway station the validation machines are located before the ticket window so you have to backtrack to validate your ticket. Many tourists never validate their tickets and are hit with a big fine.
Double check your flight/train times: In the hustle and bustle of travel it is easy to overlook crucial details like flight/train times. Many people have showed up a day early or a day late because they didn’t look close enough.
Walking Tours: Take a walking tour. Do it. Seriously. Hell, take a few of them (there are often multiple “themes”). This is the best way to discover a city. I like walking tours much more than bus tours because you see much more cool stuff this way. Make it a point to do a tour on the first day so you can get a feel for the city. There are multiple free tours (the guides work on tips) and plenty of other cheap high quality tours. I recommend checking TripAdvisor to find the best tours wherever you’re visiting.
Look Before Crossing Street: Pay attention when you’re traveling in the UK. The traffic comes from the opposite direction so people have the tendency to step in front of cars/bikes. In London they’ve written “look right” on the crosswalks but tourists get hit by cars/buses every year.
Bathrooms in McDonald’s: Bathrooms are often hard to find in Europe. Many places charge you to use them. I’ve had good luck finding free restroom at McDonald’s. Although some might require you to buy something and some might still charge. You can always try hotels. Just walk in and act like you’re staying there — there is usually a restroom on the ground floor.
Toilet Paper and Baby Wipes: Toilet paper is always nice to have and baby wipes are nice for freshening up.
Zippered Pillow Cases: Stick your wallet (or other flat valuables) in your pillowcase and zip it up. Instant safety.
Gold Bond Medicated Powder: Many travelers rave about Gold Bond Talcum Powder. It has many uses and they sell it in small travel size bottles.
Bring Your Favorite OTC Medicine: I’ve heard from a lot of travelers that cold/flu/allergy medicine in Europe is weak.
Travel Utensils: Having a travel spoon and fork really makes eating food from the grocery store about 1000% easier.
Fake Wallet: A fake wallet can help get you out of a sticky situation. Just fill it with some fake/expired credit cards and maybe a dollar or two. If someone ever demands you wallet throw your fake one at their feet and run.
Keep Your Wallet In Your Front Pocket: Don’t carry your wallet in your back pocket (unless it is your fake wallet) because there is a good chance you’ll get pick-pocketed. I like to carry mine in my front pocket.
Wrap A Rubber Band Around Your Wallet: Wrapping a thick rubber band around your wallet makes it a lot harder to get out of your pocket.
Know The Address To Where You’re Staying (For The Passport Officials): Many passport officials will ask you where you’re staying and they’ll want an address. If you don’t know they’ll take you aside and make you contact the hostel/wherever you’re staying. The UK passport control officers are sticklers about it. They usually won’t let you into the country until you come up with some information. Also, don’t joke around with these guys.
Museum Burnout: Europe has so many great museums and a lot travelers try to visit a ton. I actually recommend limiting the amount of museums you visit because you will get burnt out. Don’t visit more than one a day. After a while everything looks the same and you start rushing through. I suggest only going to ones that are really interesting to you and saving the others for another trip.
Stores Close Early: Most Americans are used to 24/7 grocery stores and are surprised when European stores close early. Don’t be surprised when stuff is closed on Sundays (sometimes Monday).
Well well well – 2010 has nearly come to a close. So, we thought it would be a great time for us to take some time and reflect back on this year – not just at how much AWT has grown as a site but also at how many amazing other travel blogs there are out there – sharing, provoking and living this travel lifestyle to the fullest.
Matt is one of the few who has turned travel blogging into a full-time career. He is an inspiration to others, and shows everyone what is possible.
Rolf Potts recently got back from spending 6 weeks around the world without any baggage – The No Baggage Challenge. On this new blog he shares videos and proves that you don’t need a 60L+ and heaps of gear to be able to travel – less is more.
Currently traveling around the world, Ryan and Liz have built up a great travel blog very fast – with so many awesome tips, videos and photos, it seems like these guys have been around for ages.
Lauren and Todd have created a great unique site for travelers to meet. A place online where you can find other like minded people to travel with.
Dave has created an informative and professional blog, on which he shares video guides for many places around the world. He also helps people plan trips and gives them tips on different countries in a unique video format on a section on his site called Ask David.
Even though she has only just left for her RTW trip – Steph has built her site up into one of the top travel blogs – with a large loyal readership.
Anil is THE tech- guy, sharing practical advice for many necessary things others may over look. Whenever you have a question about where to find Wi-Fi, which lap top to choose, how to jailbreak your iPhone etc, this is it.
Christine Gilbert is currently in the process of making of a film about digital nomads, and is traveling around the world filming those of us who have left the 9/5 life in search of other options. She has also released 3 books about leaving the 9/5 life and creating a life of freedom.
