Observe other diners – Dining out tip

by Gadling Staff on

It’s a good idea when you’re trying a new ethnic restaurant or in a foreign country to observe the other diners on how to use condiments or how they eat the food.

For example, when dining in a Japanese restaurant for the first time, I had the awkward experience of being served what looked like “burrito.” I poked it with my chopsticks, curious. Luckily, before I tried to take a bite out of it, I saw a fellow patron, open his “burrito” and wash his hands with what turned out to be a hot, wet towel!

[Photo: Flickr | pointnshoot]

Navigate the post office – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Next time you want to mail a postcard, skip the hotel concierge and mail it off the same way the locals do: at the post office.

Travelers to international countries stick to their comfort zones more than they realize, and having to perform a routine task in a foreign land is a great way to shake things up. How much is a stamp? Which line do you stand in? How can you convey to the clerk what you need?

The post office presents a unique yet universal challenge — and a great chance for people-watching!

[Photo: Flickr | infomatique]

Don’t take sleep aids until you’re in the air – Airplane tip

by Gadling Staff on

Though it may seem appealing to sleep through those long waits on the tarmac, avoid the temptation to take a sleep aid until you’re up in the air.

You may miss important announcements, or, worse yet, you may be asked to disembark and wait for a later plane.

If you plan to take a sleep aid, be sure to take a seat where you are less likely to block in other passengers, like a window seat or a middle seat. Your fellow passengers don’t want to climb over your dead weight in the middle of the night.

[Photo: Flickr | mirjoran]

Carry a door stop – Hotel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Ever worry that you might have an unwelcome visitor during the night in your hotel room? While most hotels have a deadbolt or a chain lock which can be engaged only from the interior of a hotel room, many cheap accommodations — especially some found overseas — offer less protection for their guests.

To deal with this, I carry a small rubber wedge that is normally used to hold doors open with me. Before I go to bed, I wedge it between the door and the floor. It’s inexpensive, easy to pack, and gives me a little peace of mind when patronizing less-than-glamorous lodgings.

[Photo: Flickr | General Wesc]

Keep tabs on your tabs – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Carry an envelope to keep every charge slip you accrue — but before filing them away, write the date, location, and reason for the charge on them.

Your monthly statement will likely list the charge detail in the language of the country where you traveled. Having your own notes on the receipts will give you a way to reconcile to your statement and provide extra assurance that all charges were legitimate.

[Photo: Flickr | Tim Morgan]