Galley Gossip: 10 Smart travel tips from women around the world

by Heather Poole on
When it comes to preparing for a trip, flight attendants are experts. We travel light with just a rollaboard and a tote bag. Rolling instead of folding leaves clothes wrinkle free. Outfits are coordinated around footwear; a comfy kick-around pair for exploring the city by day and something dressy for dinner and a show at night. Undies, socks and bikinis, whatever can be wadded up, are housed inside shoes. No space goes unused. To make things simple, pack black and be done with it. So what if we wear the same outfit over and over, that’s what accessories are for! Scarves and jewelry can completely change boring black into something fab. Whatever gets left behind becomes the perfect excuse to go shopping for something new! Or how about getting to know the locals at a Laundromat. What better place to read a guide book or ask around for a great place to eat?

Flight attendants aren’t the only experts. My last Galley Gossip post, The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2010 – book giveaway, brought in quite a few interesting travel tips from smart women travelers around the world. Here is a list of my top 10 favorite tips…

10 SMART TRAVEL TIPS FROM WOMEN

1. My mom always says bring your swimsuit and one easy outfit in your carry on so you won’t lose a vacation day if checked bags are lost – Lindsay

2. If you are traveling with someone else, pack a few things in their luggage and a few of their things in your luggage. Then, if God forbid, one of you loses your luggage, you will still have some things to wear. – Leslie

3. Bring your children with you on trips. They get to experience the world in a new and exciting way. You will teach them to have a love for both travel and adventure, and you’ll get to see them learning about the world and new places. It’s almost like experiencing things again yourself for the first time. What is more beautiful than that? – Michelle

4. Throw out any leftover shampoo, hand lotion etc when going home. This leaves room for souvenirs that you haven’t shipped home. – Judy

5. When I travel alone I wear a fake engagement ring and wedding band on my ring finger. It helps keep away unwanted attention. – Jen

6. Be spontaneous. When you’re spontaneous, sometimes great things happen, and sometimes not so good things happen, but if you’ve got a good sense of humor the bad times can leave the best (funniest) memories. – Susan

7. Don’t stress! Besides doing some research before you go about what is available (i.e., sailing, snorkeling, hiking tours, etc.) go without much of an agenda at all, except to have FUN! – Julia

8. Make an effort to go somewhere every other month. Even if it’s a 2-3 hour road trip away from home. Work gets monotonous and I need to get a dose of the “travel bug” every now and then to keep things interesting. – Marena

9. Pack an amazing convertible dress like the American Apparel Cotton Jersey Bandeau Dress – $43 . It’s space-saving magic – Gina

10. I email myself AND my mother a copy of my passport, my itinerary, and the international phone numbers for my credit cards. If I can’t get online, I know I can call my mum should anything get stolen. – Morgan

[Photos courtesy of Madaboutasia and Julie70]

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Pack one suitcase inside another – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

I always shop and buy souvenirs when on vacation. Even on business trips, I tend to bring home more than I brought, due to literature, books, and lunchtime shopping sprees.

For this reason, I have learned to pack my belongings in a small suitcase, and then place that suitcase inside a larger one.

This means I leave home with one suitcase, and return with two. I save the charges for an extra suitcase by making sure the smaller one is carry-on size, so I only need to check the larger one for the return flight home.

Meet new people while you dine at formal dinners – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

One of the best parts about cruising are the formal dinners every night. In addition to fabulous food, many cruise lines will seat you at larger tables with other passengers.

Eating with strangers is fun? That’s entirely up to you. What better way to meet new people than to chat up the people that you’ll be sharing a mealtime with for the duration of your trip?

Be engaging. Swap stories of your daily adventures. Share tips on cool things at ports of call you may have visited previously. The options are endless and new friends await.

Counterpoint: Tip the maître d’ upon embarkation – Cruise tip

Small gifts go a long way in making friends – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Whenever I travel internationally, I always carry a few small gifts from my hometown that other people might be interested in — things like chocolates, pens, dress shirts and basic housewares like vegetable peelers. These kinds of gifts are appreciated in many developing nations.

Even though India, for example, exports many of the clothes we purchase in developed countries, those clothes are not available for sale domestically.

High-quality, everyday items provided to your host family or helpers or service workers will ensure you get a personal touch, and they mean as much or more than a generous tip.

Tip the maître d’ upon embarkation – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

While dining in the main dining room is an experience not to be missed, dining with a group of three or four other couples is an experience most of us can do without. For those wanting a romantic dinner with their partner, you’ll quickly realize the tables for two are in high demand.

Upon embarkation, introduce yourself to the maître d’ and let him know of any special occasions you may be celebrating. Don’t forget to let the maître d’ know that you would appreciate a table for two — and offer him a gratuity for his time and consideration.