Travel Tips | jetlagjounal

Listed below are some travel tips that might be helpful:

Let's start with packing tips. Everyone says: "pack light if you forget something or need something you can buy it on your vacation". I totally believe in packing light, but I do try and pack the things that I'll need. I don't want to spend a bunch of time on my vacation shopping for things and spending extra money. We usually bring 1 medium-size roller suitcase each, along with a backpack, and that's it.

When visiting any museums, churches, castles, etc., be sure to check if tickets can be purchased online prior to arriving at the site. You can save many, many hours of waiting in line, and sometimes save money, by purchasing tickets online early. In most cases, you can purchase tickets online the day before, or in sometimes the day when visiting sites, but there are some cases where you need to buy tickets weeks, or months earlier, for example: Machu Picchu, The Alhambra, etc.
When traveling, be aware of your surroundings and avoid sticking out as a tourist. You don't want to be a target for a pickpocket or some scam.
Be sure to check the countries you are traveling to for Visa requirement's, for instance, this year (2018) we are traveling to Cambodia and Vietnam, and both of those countries require Visa's for entry into the country.
Also, be sure to check the countries for recommended immunizations/vaccinations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a good website that contains the recommended immunizations/vaccinations for different countries. Our traveling has led us to get the Hep. A, Hep B., Typhoid, Tdap and Malaria vaccines. There are also clinics, such as the Passport Health travel clinic, where you can get travel advice on immunizations/vaccinations that are recommended in countries. The Passport Health clinics can also provide the immunizations/vaccinations needed.
Remember you are a visitor, abide by the customs and culture of the place you are visiting. For instance, when we were in Morocco we made sure to dress very conservatively. Be respectful of the places you visit.
When visiting foreign countries it is great doing non-tourist things, such as: getting a haircut, going to the grocery store, doing laundry in a local laundromat, etc.
A lot of countries use twice the voltage as the US (110 vs. 220). Know the difference between an adapter and a converter. Try and avoid needing a converter. Most electronics these days will run on either 110 or 220. If you need to buy one thing to avoid bring a converter (such as maybe a 220 hair dryer), then I would recommend it.
Bring a good set of headphones. You should at least have a good set of noise isolating headphones, or if you want to spend more money, go for the noise canceling headphones, but these can cost a lot. Think how happy you will be with a good set of headphone when you are on a 12-hour flight next to a crying baby. It is also good to have a couple of good white noise apps on your phone in case you are staying in a noisy place.
Make sure you understand the rules when using public transportation. For instance, in some cases when using the trains in Europe you are required to validate your ticket yourself, and if you don't, you can be fined.
Want free flights? Collect frequent flyer miles in order to get cheap/free flights. Sign up for cards and get 50,000 - 60,000 miles. I sign up for cards and make my wife sign up for cards. We have not paid for any of our flights to Europe, South America, Asia, etc. This year alone we will be collecting over 200,000 miles, all for signing up for credit cards. Also, most the mileage credit cards offer a free companion ticket or a travel together ticket you can get if you charge a certain amount on a card in a year, but it is usually a lot you have to charge, like $20,000 to $30,000. Pictures below are from us flying for free in business class to Europe. Click on Read More below for additional frequent flyer information.

See below for additional information on how to cut down on costs for your trip:
- Don't eat all of your meals out at restaurants. This can cost a lot over the period of a long trip. A lot of the time we go to the grocery store and get lunch and dinner food, but we do like to eat out a couple of times in each country/city to experience the local cuisine.
- Go to cheaper countries/cities. Lately, our trips have been to cheaper countries. Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Morocco are all much cheaper than other western Europe countries, although this year (2016) we are going to some more expensive countries (Scotland, Ireland and Denmark), along with some cheaper countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) and Finland is kind of in the middle.
- Get as much travel info as possible online for free. For example, we watch Rick Steves travel videos for free on YouTube. There is so much travel info online that you really don't need to buy any travel books, but we usually end up buying a Rick Steves book or two. You can also get travel books at the library for free.
- A lot of the European cities have free walking tours. All you have to do is tip the guide.
- We usually don't travel during this busiest months. Our trips are usually in May, September or October. The shoulder season. The weather is usually good, but things are cheaper and less crowded.
When I first started traveling there was no such thing as a smartphone and no internet access. Dang, what a difference having a smartphone and internet access makes. Taking pictures, Facetime/Skype, Apps, sending/receiving e-mails, etc. I remember my first international trip in the early 1990s, the only way to contact home was expensive long distance calls, then in the late 1990s to mid-2000s, there were internet cafes that could be used to send e-mails. Then after that things started to change quickly with hotels having wifi and the creation of smartphones.
Trip planning is important to optimize your time. Our latest trips to Europe have been for 3 weeks and we do a lot of planning, BUT, if you are lucky enough to have long trips (multiple months), then planning is not as important, and I would even say not needed. When I did my 2-3 month trips many years ago I didn't do any planning other than my flight there, and that was a great way to travel. I could just go wherever, whenever.
Be sure to inform your credit card and bank (ATM card) of your travel plans. Also, be sure to have the international credit card phone numbers available on your trip in case you lose a card. You can just e-mail the phone numbers to yourself to make it easier. I e-mail all kinds of information to myself. Remember e-mail is NOT secure, don't e-mail personal information. You might want to ask your bank about the charge for using your card in foreign countries and ask about the number of digits that are allowed for your PIN. I had been using 6 digits for my ATM pin, but I had to change it to only for digits for use in Europe, this was in 2016, so things might have changed recently, but it would be good to check on this before you leave.
When traveling, we usually have at least 2 ATM cards and 2 credit cards each, that are in separate places. I also bring a little emergency cash and I usually get a little foreign currency for the countries we are traveling to before we leave. That way when we arrive in a new country I had a little cash in case we need a cab or something. There are usually money exchange places in the airports, but the exchange rates suck at the airports, so I'll go to my bank a couple of weeks before we leave to get the foreign currency.
If traveling with someone else, or other people, be sure to have a plan in case you get separated.
You might want to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) if you are a U.S. citizen or national. This is a program by the U.S. Department of State. You can get safety information and Embassy information.
IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT: Traveling is an adventure. Things are probably not going to go as planned, and it's not going to be easy. Most things are going to be different than what you are used to. The food is different, money is different, language is different, electrical sockets/voltage are different etc., there are a lot of differences. You might lose something, have something break or something stolen. You have to just go with the flow and have fun. You have to remember you are there to experience different cultures and see different places. So have fun and try to not get too stressed when things don't go as planned. Be prepared to get out of your comfort zone and always be respectful of the places you visit.
The last couple trips (2017 and 2016) we did some driving in the Ecuador, Latvia, and Lithuania and it would have been a complete disaster if we didn't have access to Google maps and Waze when we were driving. So it's good to have an unlocked smartphone you can bring with you (we have an old iPhone 6 that we bring) and then purchase a SIM card when you get to the countries you are visiting. In 2016 we bought a SIM card in Germany that covered most of Europe. We also used it when we were just walking around cities. Also, when driving in a foreign county you might need an international driving permit. You can get one at AAA for about 20 bucks if you are an AAA member, and you will probably need proof of insurance for a rental car, or you can purchase insurance when renting the car, but that is sometimes expensive. Most U.S. car insurances won't cover you in foreign countries, but a lot of credit cards provide car insurance when renting the car using the credit card. You can contact your credit card company and determine if they will cover you, if so, then get some documentation from them to bring with you on your trip to provide the rental car place.
It's good to have copies of your passport and ID in different locations than your real passport and IDs. Also, you can get a validated copy of your passport from the U.S. government.
When flying out of the U.S., into foreign countries, it's good to have a plan for your flight and arrival in a foreign country. If your flight has connections in foreign countries it's good to know where you will have to go through customs and if it might affect your connection. Customs can take a long time to get through and if you are trying to make a connection it might be difficult. Also, when arriving at your destination country it's good to have a plan for getting to the place you are staying. Are you taking a taxi, subway, bus, etc., and if so how are you going to pay. Sometimes it's good to have a little foreign currency before you leave on your trip to pay for a taxi or whatever you need when you arrive.
If you are checking a bag, it is a good idea to have at least 1 name tag, if not multiple name tags on your bag (never hurts to have a backup tag, or two). Most suitcases have 1 built-in name tag, and there are usually free ones at the airline ticket counter if you don't remember to buy extra tags before your trip. The free ones at the ticket counter aren't that great, but they should last for your flight(s) out of the country. If you have anything that you absolutely have to have on your trip, you might NOT want to check that with your bag, such as: passport....duh, medicine, etc. It is also good to take a picture of your bag before you check it. That way when the airline misplaces your bag and they will ask you to describe the bag, you can just show them the picture