Posts Tagged ‘Advice’

Don’t let your wallet get swiped abroad!

posted: Nov 3, 2009 by: Peggy Goldman with: No Comments

Perhaps one of the worst ways to have a perfectly wonderful vacation go to ruin is to lose your wallet, or worse, have it stolen, especially while you’re traveling abroad. You feel helpless, sick to your stomach, and fearful, because everything you need to transact even the most basic functions of daily life are contained in that little piece of leather and plastic. All doesn’t have to be lost, though, if you keep three basic, easy-to-remember rules in mind as you travel.

1. Don’t carry your wallet. That’s the simplest and best way to avoid the problem of a lost or stolen wallet. Have I lost my mind, telling you not to carry your wallet? What about the money, the credit cards, the ID? You don’t need a wallet for any of these things. I always put some cash, one credit card, and my driver’s license in a small "purse" that I’ve bought expressly for travel. This purse is small enough to strap to my leg (under my slacks) if I’m not carrying a purse, and has a little pouch for change. But you don’t need anything fancier than a small plastic zip lock bag, which will easily do the job just as well.

2. Call the police. If you are carrying the wallet (despite my best advice) and it’s been stolen, call the police right away. Even if the police can’t recover your wallet, you will need the police report to make an insurance claim. And sometimes, the police even recover your wallet for you, in which case you can lock it into your hotel room safe for the rest of your stay. Even if you’ve lost your wallet, you should report it to the local police. A lost wallet can often turn up (without cash, most likely) but with ID and other important items still inside. Filing a police report will increase your chances of ever getting the wallet back into your hands safely. Otherwise, no one will have a clue how to contact you as you travel.

3. Keep change, receipts, business cards, etc. in your wallet tucked inside the hotel room safe.
If you really want to be able to avoid having that wallet with you as you travel, you’ll have to get used to getting rid of all those collectables you acquire during the day. Chuck the small change, cards, notes, receipts, and other odds and ends that make your normally feather-light wallet feel like a cannonball. These should go into the wallet and be left inside the room safe, unless you absolutely must have the item with you. If you need an item you’ve stored in your locked wallet, take it out, put it into your baggie or purse, but don’t take the wallet out of the safe. Regarding small change, in most currencies, it’s not worth much in terms of buying power. And if you leave what you collect in your hotel room when you check out, your maid will appreciate the tip.

Tags: Advice, Lost wallet, Money, Paying abroad, Stolen wallet, What to do

Cash, traveler’s checks, or credit? What’s the scoop on money when you travel?

posted: Oct 28, 2009 by: Peggy Goldman with: No Comments

In today’s world, it’s hardly ever worth it to carry traveler’s checks. You can find ATM machines in many destinations, even those considered "off the beaten track" where you can get cash, in local currency, using your own credit or debit card.

Typically, the exchange rates charged by your credit card company or bank will be better than those charged by local banks, and the convenience goes without saying. You get money as you need it, without having to carry around lots of bills, and without having to pay commissions and fees to cash the traveler’s checks.

If you simply can’t imagine taking a trip abroad without traveler’s checks, by all means get the ones that are free. If you belong to AAA, or your bank offers free traveler’s checks to their depositors, get them. But make sure you get them in small denominations. Typically, you pay fees based on the amount you’re changing. If you’re like me, you’ll bring them home with you again to redeposit into your own checking account. That is, of course, if you have anything left!

When I travel abroad, I usually bring about $300 in cash so I can quickly convert some dollars to local currency on arrival. That gives me time to find out where the ATM machines are located, without having to stress about not having money in local currency.

I also carry enough $1 bills to take care of incidental tipping, too. Having $20 to $30 in single dollars buys me time to figure out what a good tip should be in local currency (and I can assure you that tips paid in dollars won’t be refused).

I use the hotel in-room safe to store extra cash, so I don’t need to walk around carrying a bundle of bills in my purse. I also take two different credit cards with ATM capabilities, but I only carry one at a time. I leave the second card tucked away in the room safe. If I ever lose my purse or if it gets stolen, I have another card on hand.

And remember, before you even depart the U.S., it’s a good idea to call your card companies and bank to let them know when and where you’re going. The last thing you want is to have your bank account frozen while you’re abroad.

I always call my card company before leaving for any trip. The trip details go into my credit card file. If you’ve ever been in another country, tried to make a purchase, and had your card declined, you know why the preemptive call is important. In today’s security-conscious world, where identity and card theft is rampant, cards are often declined because the charge doesn’t fit a normal profile. If your credit card profile is annotated with your travel details, you’ll never face this embarrassing inconvenience.

Tags: Advice, Cash, Credit cards, Money, Money tips, Paying abroad, Travelers Checks, Traveling with money

Five tips for avoiding passport hassles

posted: Oct 27, 2009 by: Peggy Goldman with: No Comments

You can’t travel abroad without a valid passport. Everyone knows this, and everyone planning a trip can find out how to easily get a passport issued. But that’s not the end of the story. Here are five important tips for avoiding passport hassles that can ruin even the best planned vacation.

1. Make a photocopy of the signature and photo pages of your passport to carry with you as you travel. Keep it in a safe place, but keep it in a separate compartment or bag from your actual passport. If your passport gets lost or stolen, that photocopy will be helpful in getting a replacement.

2. Check the passport to be sure it is valid for at least 180 days AFTER your return date from your trip. Most destinations have rules about passport validity, so don’t assume that because your passport is valid when you depart, it’ll be sufficiently valid for your return. For example, if you’re going to India on Nov. 1 and returning Nov. 15, your passport should be valid though May 15, 2010. If it’s set to expire before May 15, 2010, get the passport renewed before you travel.

3. If you’re planning to visit a destination that requires a visa, and you need to get your passport renewed for this trip, do the renewal BEFORE you apply for your visa. The visa will be stamped into your passport, so if you get the visa first, you’ll have to apply (and pay for) the same visa all over again when you get your new passport.

4. Check to be sure you have enough visa pages in your valid passport, as many destinations require a certain number of blank visa pages for you to be able to enter the country. This is different from getting a visa in advance. In this case, the visa is stamped into your passport at passport control upon your arrival. Sometimes it’s free and sometimes you have to pay a fee. But regardless of cost, the pages need to be available. Typically, If you are short on visa pages, you won’t be able to board your flight in the first place, and that means plenty of disappointment all around, not to mention plenty of lost money trying to catch up to your tour or paying penalties to change flights, etc.

5. Unless you’re traveling daily from one city to another, use the in-room safe or the hotel’s safe deposit system, and store your passport together with your other valuables. In some countries, it’s virtually impossible to easily replace your travel documents, and in most places, you won’t need to carry your passport with you all the time. For identification, consider carrying your driver’s license or other small document that identifies you. Even a driver’s license will be replaced more easily than a passport. And unless you plan to do extensive banking transactions or purchase very expensive items which qualify for VAT reimbursement, you will hardly ever need your passport as you travel, except to cross borders from one country to another or to board your flights.

Tags: Advice, Passports, Tips, VAT

Travel Tips: When is the best time to book a flight?

posted: Apr 1, 2009 by: Peggy Goldman with: 1 comment

Working in the travel business, I naturally get a lot of travel questions from people. And a question that comes up fairly often is when is a good time of day to schedule a flight to ensure on-time arrival and lower fares?
Flights that take off in the morning and originate at your departure airport are going to depart and arrive as timely as possible. As the day goes on, flights tend to back up, and you run the risk of arriving later.
Morning, however, is not the least expensive time to travel. Typically, if you’re flying to places that are business destinations (New York City, Boston, L.A., etc.), the Monday through Friday early morning and early evening flights are going to be the most expensive.
The best way to get the very best fare is to call the airline and ask about the lowest rate between Point A and Point B, and what you have to do to get this price. If you’re flexible, make sure you tell them so, and you should only offer up the approximate time you need to travel.
For example, "I’m flexible. I want to go from Philadelphia to Miami sometime in March." The agent will tell you the best fare available, and if you call several airlines operating that service, you’ll soon discover what the best rates are and how to get them.
The same works for online booking sites. By clicking the "I’m flexible" button, you can compare the various fares available at the cheapest times. If you’re willing to do your homework, chances are you’ll be able to find a great deal no matter where you’re headed.

Tags: Advice, Flights, Tips, Travel secrets

How to shop for the best travel bargain

posted: Mar 27, 2009 by: Peggy Goldman with: No Comments

Planning a vacation is exciting. Of course, once you’ve decided on a destination, there’s still the transportation, food, and accommodations to consider, at the very least. And, of course, you want the best bang for your buck for all of these things. So how do you shop for your next vacation, confident that you’re getting the greatest value for the lowest price?
Those who want to find truly valuable bargains need to look for packages, especially online. Even if you’re an independent traveler who doesn’t want to travel with a group, booking a package that offers set departures means you get the benefit of the group rates on some important features, especially transfers, which can be very expensive for people if you have to go from an airport to a city by taxi.
Usually these packages offer some flexibility as to your return date, typically for a small fee. So you can easily extend your stay and return on a different day from the package return date. But even without the benefit of set departures, these packages are incredibly economical for travelers.
Every volume-based online marketer of travel (like myself) has access to excellent prices for all the different services a traveler needs. That includes discounted airfare; plenty of hotel choices in all different categories and locations, all at great prices; and other extras, such as car rentals, transfers, and optional touring.
In order to get a really great deal on a vacation package, even without the benefit of a group, you should book a package that includes air, some hotel nights, and, (if possible) transfers. All of those services — if bundled into one package — will generally be less expensive than booking all the services separately. At the very least, you’ll save the separate mark-ups on the separate services.
There is one caveat, however. You should very carefully compare the features of various packages because they vary widely and can be tricky. Don’t just go for the lowest published price. That price might not include some of the most important features that will end up costing you big time once you get to your destination. I’ve seen packages that don’t include elements such as the hotel location, transfers, and city tours. If included, these things give you a terrific overview of what the city has to offer so you can explore independently afterward.
So happy shopping! And, as always, if you have any other questions about what to look for when planning your next trip, leave it in the comments below, or feel free to drop me an e-mail.

Tags: Advice, Bargain shopping, How to

How to pack your bags for an eight-day trip

posted: Mar 20, 2009 by: Peggy Goldman with: 2 comments

If you’re a first-time (or second-, third-, or fourth-time) international traveler, you probably have a few questions about some of the elements of traveling abroad. One of the most important (and often overlooked) aspects, is how to properly pack a suitcase for a journey to another country.
Fear not, Friendly Planeteers, because I’ve put together my top six tips for packing for an eight-day Friendly Planet Travel trip. Keep in mind — and I cannot emphasize this enough — if you’re going on an eight-day trip, you only need one suitcase. I promise, if you are packing more than what fits in one bag, you are packing too much.

And away we go:
1. At least one pair of broken in, comfortable walking shoes appropriate for the destination. If you’re traveling to a hot climate, good walking sandals are a good idea. If you’re going somewhere cooler, a sturdy pair of hiking or walking shoes are crucial. You never know what type of terrain you are going to encounter, and you want to be able to tackle it all in comfort. New shoes are nice, but don’t bring them on vacation. The last thing you want is a blister holding you back during a walking tour of the pyramids of Egypt.
2. A second (and only other) pair of shoes. For eight days, you shouldn’t need more than two pairs of shoes. The second pair should be your “nicer” shoes for evenings spent going to dinner or casually exploring town. Keep in mind though, that no matter your destination with Friendly Planet Travel, you don’t need anything fancy. Men should pack a pair of loafers, for example. And for women, a pair of shoes that works well with slacks, or whatever pants or skirts you might choose to wear.
3. A lightweight, all-weather jacket with zip-out lining. This type of versatile outerwear is the perfect travel companion, no matter where you’re going. A good jacket is especially important for countries with diverse climates, such as Argentina. One day you might be way up north in the chilly mountains, and the next, paddling across a warm lake. There’s not one brand I would recommend over another, but outdoor outfitters such as Lands’ End, REI, or North Face all have great selections.
4. A variety of easily layerable clothing. Whenever I travel, I always pack a pair of jeans, a number of t-shirts, and a sweatshirt or two. This way, I’ll always be able to add or subtract layers to ensure I’m comfortable at all times. On a Friendly Planet Travel vacation, comfort is everything. If you’re a woman, make sure you have at least one good pair of jeans or khaki pants. Personally, I never travel with shorts. There’s two reasons for this. First, do you really want to be riding that elephant with bare legs? And second, it’s always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to cultural differences.
5. Underwear, underwear, underwear! When I pack for an eight-day trip, I usually pack 16 pairs of underwear. If you don’t want to worry about laundry while abroad, always be sure you have plenty of underwear. It doesn’t take up much room in your suitcase, and I guarantee after a rigorous day of touring, a fresh pair of underwear will make all the difference in the world.
6. Medicine, cosmetics, and toiletries. Remember, you can’t bring more than three ounces of each on your carry-on, but you can bring as much as you want in your suitcase.
Best of all, if you follow this outline for packing, you’ll definitely have a little bit of room in your suitcase for souvenirs! Or, if you plan on loading up, fold a small duffel bag into your suitcase that can serve as your souvenir bag on the way home.
Of course, if you do forget something, don’t panic. No matter where you are in the world, you will be able to find a tube of toothpaste, or contact solution, or anything else you might need along the way.

Tags: Advice, How to, Packing

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