Find a way to link the unfamiliar with the familiar.
While honeymooning in Greece, my husband and I discovered oregano flavored potato chips at a local supermarket. Thus began our quest to seek out “locally-flavored” chips wherever we traveled — paprika chips in Hungary, Maui onion chips in Hawaii, seaweed chips in Hong Kong, jalapeno chips in Mexico…
Find your own tradition and each international visit will be both an adventure and a comfort.
Baggage fees can be pretty steep, and most people try to avoid them by packing everything in a carry-on. The result, of course, is a heavy carry-on bag for them — and a shortage of overhead bin space for the rest of us.
Avoid the misery of fighting for overhead bin space by asking the gate attendant to check your bag from the gate. This allows you to get on the plane without having to fight for the limited overhead space. It also saves your arms and shoulders the heavy lifting and possible injury. Final bonus: there is no checked bag fee from the gate!
When the plane lands, your bag will be waiting for you when you get off the plane, right there at your gate.
Boarding pets while you’re on vacation can be costly. So why not take them? After all… they love a change of scenery, too!
If you can take your pet with you, avoid letting him or her “over drink” on the trip, as a result of stress. This can lead to vomit spells. (Of course, be sure to let your pet get enough liquids during the ride!)
One way to prevent your pet from over drinking is to get a kid’s sand pail; fill it with ice; and let the ice melt. As it melts, the pet can drink from the pail — but because the ice melts slowly, your pet can’t over drink!
When dining out in some countries — like Spain for example — you need to remember that they eat their largest meal of the day around 1pm or 2pm. This meal is multiple courses and can take a long time.
If you plan on going out to a restaurant at night, you should know that many of them may be closed until 8pm or 9pm. Ten o’clock dinner times and social dining is normal in some places.
If you’re there to enjoy the night life, you can order tapas and drinks well into the early morning hours — far later than you may be used to eating at home. This isn’t a big deal; you just may need to adjust your schedule slightly to accommodate.
Public markets are great places to find fresh, local food. From farmer’s markets in California to public markets in Chile, you can find food booths dishing up vibrant local fare. It’s one of the best ways to soak up the culture and tradition of any city or town while traveling.
It also gives you the opportunity to indulge in unusual local dishes that you may not find in restaurants. Eating at the public market is a good way to stretch your food budget, as booth food is usually extremely cheap.
Bonus: it’s usually prepared on the spot, so you’re bound to get something super-fresh!