GPS: More than just a road map – International travel tip

Traveling abroad and don’t have an iPhone or other smart phone device? Got a GPS? A GPS can be your best travel companion.

Sure it can get you from point A to point B but many units also have a built in travel kit including —
* bilingual dictionaries,
* world clock,
* currency converter,
* measurement converter, and
* calculator.

It can really be a handy resource when you find yourself physically or mentally lost in an unfamiliar place!

[Photo: Flickr | u07ch]

Learn the national holidays before you go – International travel tip

Before departing for a foreign country, be aware of any national holidays that will occur during your trip. Do your best to learn about even the minor ones that aren’t widely known.

My husband and I nearly had our honeymoon derailed by a national holiday during our stay in French Polynesia. Most businesses were closed, including restaurants, banks and museums.

We were saved by the tourism office, which offered us a chance to spend the day learning about Tahitian culture on the grounds of a closed museum. Otherwise, we would have wasted an entire day of our trip stuck in an urban area with nothing to do.

[Photos: Flickr | Yandle]

Get an ISIC card – International travel tip

If you’re a full-time student, teacher or under age 26, there’s a bevy of discounts — museums, food, transportation and more — available to you overseas if you get an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), International Youth Travel Card (IYTC) or International Teacher Identity Card (ITIC).

The ID cards generally cost about $20 and pay for themselves within a week’s worth of travel, even quicker if you’re savvy about using the discount finder.

[Photo: Flickr | Ken_Mayer]

Pack your alter ego – International travel tip

Admit it! Deep inside you, there is a wild child — or perhaps a sophisticate? — waiting to get out. Pack those outfits you’ve been too afraid to wear. Remember, on vacation you run the show! You can be whomever you want!

Since no one knows you, there are no preconceived notions … except your own. Express those hidden personality traits you’re usually too shy to reveal.

That green eyeshadow doesn’t have to continue gathering dust, neither does the purple feathered fedora. Vacation is about enjoying yourself. Have fun and show off!

[Photo: Flickr | dreamglow pumpkincat210]

How to deal with touts – International travel tip

Touts, hawkers and scam artists are a persistent nuisance in countries from Morocco to Vietnam, yet many a novice (and seasoned!) traveler believes that to remain open to local cultures, they must be polite and friendly to a pushy people who just want money.

In my experience, the best bet is to completely ignore anyone trying to sell you something if you did not start the business transaction yourself. Do not make eye contact or even say “no thank you.” If you do business in common markets, the things you want to buy will initiate plenty of genuine, local contact as it is.

[Photo: Flickr | mckaysavage]