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Ten Unusual 'Don't take on Vacation" things
Credit cards for stores. We once had a woman show her Loehmann’s credit card as proof of identity- it worked but leave store/gasoline cards home.
Passwords on a piece of paper. If you must bring passwords, code them first. Take a photo of your list, and hide somewhere in your email account. A photo cannot be hacked.
Good costume jewelry; it might look real enough to get you robbed. And it will probably set off the TSA machinery if you wear it.…
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Snowed in
Well not exactly, but we thought we would be while listening to the news.If you were a solo traveler yesterday, you would have been nervous and thinking about cancelling your wonderful trip,right?
What do you do when you are abruptly cancelled from a trip departure? First have a list of all your reservations from the taxi, to pre-tour rooms, aiport lounges through the trip. Then speak with your tour operator and make sure they know you have an issue and ask for their imput.…
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When is a threat real? Or a real headline?
Rosemarie T., a close friend, shared this fact yesterday. Rosemarie just came back from her annual scientific trip to S. Africa and Namibia. As a curiosity, she measured the distance between Johannesburg and the closest ebola area (a tip of Nigeria where ebola is already eradicated). The distance is the same as that from Jo’burg to Central Canada and or Denver.
Why repeat her calculation? To show again that perceived threats from news media do not always have ‘meat’.
The best proof is the revolving door of headlines about danger. …
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Changing Money Overseas
The Euro is at a low (that is since it was created). But when you as a tourist try to change money it is not 1.15 but 1.40! What are the best ways to change money if you go to France with us end March?
The more you change the better the rate as a service charge amortizes better. Most of us do not carry enough cash to make a difference this way.
Change Bureaux in town are generally better than banks or airport venues.…
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Global Entry: Jump the Queue
Resting for a minute in a Roman theater in Taormina, Sicily.
There were huge crowds at a local airport which propelled me finally to get Global Entry, the $100 a year queue jump security system for airports here. If you think you might be traveling this year and have that spare $100, go for it. Global Entry allows you to stroll up to a computer terminal, apply your information ( finger prints or whatever) and walk through immigration.…
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What Not to Do on a Plane
Five don’t for long distance travelers:
1-Don’t brush your teeth in the bathroom on planes,nasty water dirty area.
2-Don’t take a sleeping pill. You will still be jet lagged and sleeping through a long flight creates a risk for dehydration and worse: clots.
3-Don’t leave valuables unattended even if you have them on your person-rest on them like the Princess and the Pea.
4-Do not treat yourself to the salted snacks or that second glass of wine.
5-Do not let others bother you; it is better to ask neighbors to lower music or windows or conversation than to suffer for hours.… -
TSA Troubles with Women
Yes a 53 year old man in San Francisco Airport’s security area was a fake TSA staff member. He dressed like a TSA employee but had not emblem or official badge. However, he managed to take two female passengers into a private room for a search. He was caught because a female TSA officer remembered that only women can search women in private areas.
So what is the lesson to learn here? If unsure of someone’s official capacity, first look for writing on their uniform or badge.…
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What is a non Plastic Visa?
Since we had this question from some women going to India with us in October,:here is a primer on visas.
To enter foreign countries, (or for non citizens to enter the US), travelers need a visa. If you look at your passport, you will see pages called Visa Pages. For many countries, US Citizens only need to have their passports stamped when they arrive overseas-that stamp is a visa.For Morocco for Thanksgiving, US citizens get their visa stamp on arrival easily.…
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New TSA Rules Need Close Attention
The TSA has announced that they are now requiring all electronic devices be opened at security. Phones, tablets, computers, kindles….. This means some time delay and it requires that your devices have a live battery. Cameras are not mentioned in the list, but beware if they are battery operated.
If you are on a long trip, you will need to re-juice your devices before you go through security, as it is possible that security overseas will match our new regulations. And when you board your direct flights to the US from overseas say like Catania from our Sicily trip, TSA regulations will apply.…
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Travel Innoculations: Why bother?
When you go to a travel medicine doctor, your wallet will be shocked at the cost. But what is smart and what is excess? We, non-medical people, are usually scared into getting every shot possible, but first, be aware of the following:
Inoculations should be based on the climate of your destination: dry season does not require some shots which are critical in the wet season.
Exactly where you are going versus large swathes of the country. For instance, India where our group is going in October: this is a huge country and what is needed for Delhi is not the same for the Himalayan plateau or the agrarian south.…
