You’ve already gotten the benefit of wearing your t-shirt. Now, make that shirt work just a little harder.
If you’re concerned about the cleanliness of your pillow, the inside of your shirt is probably cleaner (or at least more acceptable) to lie on than a suspect pillowcase. Simply turn the shirt inside-out, slide it over your pillow, and you’re good to go… to sleep.
[Photo: Flickr | bandita]
Guidebooks are all well and good, but they rarely take you off the beaten path. Before arriving in an unfamiliar place, pick an unusual food to track down in your destination; it’s even better if you can find the same food in multiple countries.
Finding specific foods is a particularly great way to pound the local pavement. Look for an egg salad sandwich, rhubarb pie, or a Bud Light. If you find it easily, come up with something else to hunt down. You never know what else you’ll discover in the process — and it can help give aimless days some form.
Pro tip: do some research before arriving and select a food item unique to the local culture.
[Photo: Flickr | david55king]
Who mails letters anymore? With the ease of email, social networking and banking, I had a drawer full of return address labels that were not being used. For a quick way to personalize my travel gear I put the time-saving stickers on everything from my camera, iPod, reading materials, umbrella, inside my jackets and nearly everything I pack.
It’s easy to think you won’t lose anything or leave an item behind, but oh-so-hard to replace them when you do!
I spent more than a decade as editor of a publication which featured cruise travel, so I’ve heard great insights from officers, the captain, travel agents and other travelers. One of the best I’ve heard is: Avoid the white space!
It’s what you DON’T see in those glossy brochures and Web site layouts of the ship’s decks that should be of concern as it will affect how much rest you will be able to get aboard ship, how much access you’ll have to amenities, etc. Sadly, I learned the hard way.
Then an officer explained to me: “Avoid the white space.” What that means is that because of security reasons, the layouts you see cannot list the location of common areas such as stairwells or even some group gathering spots.
What does that mean? You may be spending extra money and getting no return. I wanted a mini-suite for the extra room once. You would assume because you are paying more and getting more room, it would mean more comfortable accommodations. Take a close look at that layout, noting the dreaded white space, and you may find out that your room is located directly next to a main stairwell or below the basketball or shuffleboard area.
It isn’t about picking out the right cabin, necessarily. It’s about carefully seeing what is around you and knowing yourself well enough to know when it’s worth the money to get the extra stuff.
If you are ready to book a cabin and you see white space above you or to the side of you, ask a travel agent or a representative of the cruise line. Your extra dollars on the cabin could be better spent on more photos, an extra excursion or the like.
Americans are used to either flying to a destination or driving on the interstate. However, don’t pass up the chance to take the bus when traveling abroad.
Many bus companies offer more luxury accommodations than the national airline. Moreover, the cost is usually comparatively low — even for long distance travel. Additionally, bus travel gives you the chance to see the local scenery and meet other travelers. Finally, there is no arduous security, so you can take your razor and as much shampoo as you like.
Just be sure to bring enough water and food.
[Photo: Flickr | E01]