BUYING AIR TICKETS:
You need to buy the air ticket before applying for your visa from
Use a search engine like Kayak
The 2nd tab of one-way is always too expensive.
1st
tab Round-trip gives reasonable prices but it limits your trip options to
flying in and out of the same city.
When you are planning a trip to multiple destinations, try to fly into one city
and out of another, always try the 3rd tab Multi-city. This is called an open jaw ticket
For a vacation in Europe ,
it is usually good sense to try the multi-city option. You don't need to waste time backtracking to the same city just to catch your return flight.
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| Filling in details with multi-city option chosen on Kayak search engine |
Try and analyse the fares 6 months ahead, it gives you time to understand the trend.
Airfares vary considerably depending on the time/day you
check. You’ll notice prices are higher as the dates are approaching and are
within 3 weeks but lower when you punch in later dates.
You can set up email alerts for round trips but for
multicity fares, you have to check frequently.
Fares are higher on weekends as it's most convenient for everyone and hence in high demand... ie every one is checking for flights leaving Friday evening and returning back by Sunday so that they can attend work. If you can leave and return on weekdays... ie leave on a Thursday and return on a Monday, the fares usually considerably reduce. It'll just mean taking 2 additional days off work and will mean considerable savings on fare. Check the fares on different days of the week and see for yourself how the pattern plays out.
Fares are higher on weekends as it's most convenient for everyone and hence in high demand... ie every one is checking for flights leaving Friday evening and returning back by Sunday so that they can attend work. If you can leave and return on weekdays... ie leave on a Thursday and return on a Monday, the fares usually considerably reduce. It'll just mean taking 2 additional days off work and will mean considerable savings on fare. Check the fares on different days of the week and see for yourself how the pattern plays out.
Monitor the fares for your dates for 2-3 weeks. You’ll start
noticing that they go up and down and you’ll see the range available. When you
decide something is comfortable for you, you can buy the tickets.
Just as an example, I've got Houston-New Delhi return tickets on KLM for just US$890 quite a few times including Summer of 2016. The usual fare for the same is around $1100 plus going upto $1350! It's just a matter of monitoring the price diligently months ahead.
Ensure all the legs of the flight are on one ticket. That way, if one leg is delayed it's the airlines responsibility to schedule you on another flight. Don't buy hacker fares for each leg on your own or through a third party site... example don't buy a ticket to Istanbul, Turkey and then another ticket from Istanbul to Paris on your own. Buy the whole journey on one ticket, letting the airline shoulder the responsibility of the connection.
Just as an example, I've got Houston-New Delhi return tickets on KLM for just US$890 quite a few times including Summer of 2016. The usual fare for the same is around $1100 plus going upto $1350! It's just a matter of monitoring the price diligently months ahead.
Ensure all the legs of the flight are on one ticket. That way, if one leg is delayed it's the airlines responsibility to schedule you on another flight. Don't buy hacker fares for each leg on your own or through a third party site... example don't buy a ticket to Istanbul, Turkey and then another ticket from Istanbul to Paris on your own. Buy the whole journey on one ticket, letting the airline shoulder the responsibility of the connection.
By default your options get displayed according to price
from lowest first. Nonstop options will be more expensive –if you can afford
the price, go for it. No point wasting precious vacation time in lengthy layovers between transfers.
Try the filters on the left as per your needs.
Note the duration of the low fare flights and eliminate ones
that are too long.
Check that the layover is a little more than 2 hours to
comfortably make the transfer but not too long as to waste your time.
Note the flight landing and take off times and check if you
can comfortably travel to and from the airport at that time.
Early take-offs:
For example, if we are flying from our home base, take off early morning
Late landings:
Same way we analyse if landing in a new place is safe/feasible at late hours. We are OK landing in our home base any time as we can handle it.
Make your call according to your comfort levels.
On a multi destination trip within Europe, trains are a great way to commute between two destinations. For example, you can use the TGV fast train from Paris to Basel in Switzerland and then go onward to your base. You get great discounts if you book 120 days/90 days ahead from the train company's own website.
However, people trying to book their tickets ahead some times find the site does not offer the tickets for their date. This is because of the following reason: European train time tables get revised twice a year (June and December)... if you are trying to book a ticket for a December date in September or you are trying in March for tickets in June, you may find the site does not cooperate and discounted tickets are not available in the window they are supposed to be available. The usual 120/90/60 day window for discount tickets getting released does not work till the train company site gets updated.
It’s always advisable to book cancelable hotels rather than the non refundable rate—the price difference is not much and it gives you a little flexibility in case you have to tweak your plans later.
If you are arriving much later than the check in time, it's best to inform the hotel by email that you'll be arriving late; otherwise they may consider you a no-show and assign the room to some walk ins.
When you are traveling with kids, you have to include them in the number of occupants of the hotel room, no matter what their age is. In Europe, couples get turned away from their booked hotel/apartment because they had not declared their infant baby was with them. It's not your choice to share your bed with the kids. Some hotels may allow a child under a certain age to share the room for free but it'll be clearly mentioned on the site. You need to check the hotel policies and always declare all members while booking. Many hotels/apartments do not allow more persons than indicated in one room. If there are 4 people there must be 4 beds even if one is an infant's bed. So if you are a couple with 2 little kids for example, please specify 2 children and check policies.
gives the basics of planning a trip to Switzerland... it shows you the regions and your options for port of entry. It guides you in your planning by listing common mistakes and how to avoid them.
That post leads you on to detailed tips and reports of our trip to Switzerland which you can replicate if your trip is between mid June to Mid Oct.
http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/04/paris-basics-of-planning-trip.html
covers basics of planning a trip to Paris.
Apart from the sites/sights in Paris, the posts also cover Versailles and Fontainebleau
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| Buenos Aires Airport... our plane getting ready |
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| The picturesque Ushuaia Airport, Argentina... southernmost city in the world, just 1000 km from the Antarctic!! Wind speed here is 25 km/hr and above! |
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| This is the Airport at Leknes, Lofoten islands in the Arctic Circle in Norway. In such places with unpredictable weather, it's best to reach the airport early and they let you board the previous flight if there is possibility of fog rolling in later. One can get stranded if weather turns bad! |
Train Booking:
On a multi destination trip within Europe, trains are a great way to commute between two destinations. For example, you can use the TGV fast train from Paris to Basel in Switzerland and then go onward to your base. You get great discounts if you book 120 days/90 days ahead from the train company's own website.
Avoid using RailEurope etc as they are agents and there will be additional booking fee.
For UK fares the recommendation is to go to www.nationalrail.co.uk for all timetable enquiries and then to the train company running the service. No booking fees that way.
Eurail passes are usually never worth it for the ordinary traveler. It's best to look at the country's own train companies and book ahead as soon as discounted tickets are released.
www.sncf.com/en is the network for France ’s national railway
http://www.bahn.de/p_en/view/index.shtml is for Germany
www.sbb.ch/en is for Switzerland
www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en is for Italy
www.trainline.eu is reliable for 20 European countries... this was earlier the trusted captaintrain site which accepted foreign credit cards for booking.
www.trainline.eu is reliable for 20 European countries... this was earlier the trusted captaintrain site which accepted foreign credit cards for booking.
Eurail passes are usually never worth it for the ordinary traveler. It's best to look at the country's own train companies and book ahead as soon as discounted tickets are released.
However, people trying to book their tickets ahead some times find the site does not offer the tickets for their date. This is because of the following reason: European train time tables get revised twice a year (June and December)... if you are trying to book a ticket for a December date in September or you are trying in March for tickets in June, you may find the site does not cooperate and discounted tickets are not available in the window they are supposed to be available. The usual 120/90/60 day window for discount tickets getting released does not work till the train company site gets updated.
European train timetables change at midnight on the 2nd Saturday in June and 2nd Saturday in
December. The train companies take their time updating their site with the revised data; the 60/90/120 days shrink significantly for dates immediately
after the timetable change. This year (2016), the revised Swiss time table and tickets at revised prices for December will be available by early October. French state owned railways has announced their revised tickets for December will be available from Oct 13. You can see the discount date window had shrunk but you can look out for the new date of release and book your discounted tickets then. No worries!
HOTEL BOOKING:
It’s always advisable to book cancelable hotels rather than the non refundable rate—the price difference is not much and it gives you a little flexibility in case you have to tweak your plans later.
If you are arriving much later than the check in time, it's best to inform the hotel by email that you'll be arriving late; otherwise they may consider you a no-show and assign the room to some walk ins.
When you are traveling with kids, you have to include them in the number of occupants of the hotel room, no matter what their age is. In Europe, couples get turned away from their booked hotel/apartment because they had not declared their infant baby was with them. It's not your choice to share your bed with the kids. Some hotels may allow a child under a certain age to share the room for free but it'll be clearly mentioned on the site. You need to check the hotel policies and always declare all members while booking. Many hotels/apartments do not allow more persons than indicated in one room. If there are 4 people there must be 4 beds even if one is an infant's bed. So if you are a couple with 2 little kids for example, please specify 2 children and check policies.
I use tripadvisor site for the particular city I’m
interested.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g187147-Paris_Ile_de_France-Hotels.html
for example.
I Click on the hotels tab, set my filters for the dates needed
and my budget range and all the hotels available for that selection come up.
I look for cleanliness, safety features.
I check the location and decide if it’s convenient for
reaching the airport/train station as per our plan. (Hotel's own website usually gives directions on how to reach the hotel)
I check if it’s convenient for the sights we may like to
see.
I skim through a few recent reviews (checking if the poster
is fairly regular and has contributed other reviews also or is just a one time
poster. If a one time post is full of rants, it may be from a competitor or a previous employee who was fired!! A very complimentary one time post may be from the owner themselves under another name! Oh, it's so pathetic... what cynical persons we have to be in the current context... )
I look at the reviews that have rated the place as terrible
just to see if the complaints may be relevant.
(There are some comments which can be positive for some people and negative for others depending on their expectations. A quiet locality will be viewed as nice by some and boring by some others who need plenty of restaurant/bar/night life options !
[[And what would you make of mention of a room/hotel being haunted is totally up to you! I kid you not... we stayed in Cedar Lodge Yosemite and right near our date of visit I came across the fact about murders/ghosts there since an unfortunate incident a long while ago...for some adventurous souls this might be a plus and for the scaredy cats, a total no, no. As for me, I found I'm both adventurous and scaredy cat in this regard... probably one third each...Travel is such a journey in Self Discovery!! .Now thankfully there is another one third of my personality which is practical and I went with that part!! And we live to tell the tale or non tale as it turns out for us in this case! Ha, ha!)]]
(There are some comments which can be positive for some people and negative for others depending on their expectations. A quiet locality will be viewed as nice by some and boring by some others who need plenty of restaurant/bar/night life options !
[[And what would you make of mention of a room/hotel being haunted is totally up to you! I kid you not... we stayed in Cedar Lodge Yosemite and right near our date of visit I came across the fact about murders/ghosts there since an unfortunate incident a long while ago...for some adventurous souls this might be a plus and for the scaredy cats, a total no, no. As for me, I found I'm both adventurous and scaredy cat in this regard... probably one third each...Travel is such a journey in Self Discovery!! .Now thankfully there is another one third of my personality which is practical and I went with that part!! And we live to tell the tale or non tale as it turns out for us in this case! Ha, ha!)]]
We usually book through the hotel’s own website or through
booking.com
There are some times terrific deals to be had if we are
willing to be located a little off touristic center. But it's very important to ensure there is good connectivity. I can't emphasize how many times I've come across some one who has booked a place with non cancelable terms and then find out it takes too much time and money to commute! Always check the transportation available before committing to a hotel booking.
To illustrate, people book a stay at Torgon in Switzerland without analyzing whether it'll be suitable for their purpose. (There are time share properties in locations like Torgon and Leysin in Switzerland and people book their stay there before checking for convenience). Torgon is up a mountain from Aigle and the access is through a narrow winding steep mountain road. Public transport is not frequent. The last bus from the train station in Aigle is at 5.30/6.30 PM depending on the season. If a person books a stay here and plans to see the famous sights of Switzerland, they don't have much time to make their day trip by public transport. Driving a car without prior mountain driving experience is risky on these single lane hairpin bends; factor in fog and blind corners and oncoming traffic. As in all towns, the shops close early. Just check the commuting options thoroughly before booking your accommodation.
To illustrate, people book a stay at Torgon in Switzerland without analyzing whether it'll be suitable for their purpose. (There are time share properties in locations like Torgon and Leysin in Switzerland and people book their stay there before checking for convenience). Torgon is up a mountain from Aigle and the access is through a narrow winding steep mountain road. Public transport is not frequent. The last bus from the train station in Aigle is at 5.30/6.30 PM depending on the season. If a person books a stay here and plans to see the famous sights of Switzerland, they don't have much time to make their day trip by public transport. Driving a car without prior mountain driving experience is risky on these single lane hairpin bends; factor in fog and blind corners and oncoming traffic. As in all towns, the shops close early. Just check the commuting options thoroughly before booking your accommodation.
Our lovely apartment in Rome
was a steal at just €70/night. It has frequent buses stopping right near
taking us to city center in less than 5 minutes. The huge space and
conveniences available was such a bonus!
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| Spacious living room in our Rome apartment... both the sofas open to double beds |
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| Kitchen with induction stove; oven, full size fridge, fresh olive oil and spices for our use in our Rome apt |
In this San Carlos de Bariloche hotel in Argentina ,
we had a private beach to ourselves…the view is to die for!
In my later posts I’ve given details of all the lovely places we have stayed in when I've posted about planning a trip to specific places…
Again I reiterate, Booking at the free cancellation terms is advisable, though the rate is a little higher than the non cancellable rate. This is just to give ourselves a little wiggle room if we need to change our hotel at a later stage in planning.
can be a GREAT option to stay in hostels all over the world.
Hostels are not just places for youth but families and older adults too. They are usually located in very scenic and well connected places.
There are private double and family rooms available with ensuite facilities (attached bath/toilet). You'll have to book many months ahead to grab these!
Always try and check in online 24 hours ahead as soon as the option is available. In case of people holding passports which need visas for the visiting country, airlines don't allow online check in. They verify the visa at the counter before check in. In such cases, the airport check in counter opens 4 hours before scheduled take off and it's best to check in as early as possible. This is to avoid getting bumped when there is over booking. In peak travel season getting bumped does happen!
RESTAURANT RULES:
There is no cover charge and no charge for bread in restaurants inFrance .
This Marmot water fountain is inZermatt , Switzerland
Of course on mountain tops, only bottled water will be available in the restaurant/shop there for some 3 euros for a 200 ml bottle. One has to understand the difficulties of transporting water to those places and be prepared for their trip.
This Wallace drinking water fountain is in Paris... there are 70 plus such fountains in the city.
We always take almonds, raisins, etc as trail mix in a day pack along with water.
The most convenient way of getting foreign currency valid for the visiting country is via ATMs. They are found in all airports and are your best bet for getting cash at the most favorable exchange rate.
Be careful about the location of the ATM and ensure safety before starting transaction. Decline "help" from strangers at ATMs, however well dressed they may look!
Cover your pin with hands so that it's not discernible to people nearby.
It's usually NOT a good idea to use the currency of one country in another...e.g, don't use the Euros you withdrew in Paris, in Switzerland where the currency is Swiss Francs. Again, the problem is because the merchant will give an unfavorable rate of conversion and you'll lose value.
is a good site to know about electrical outlet plugs used world over.
When we land at an airport and need to call the hotel for their free shuttle from the airport, we have used the free courtesy phone in the airport. Or got the assistance from the i-site.
In my later posts I’ve given details of all the lovely places we have stayed in when I've posted about planning a trip to specific places…
Again I reiterate, Booking at the free cancellation terms is advisable, though the rate is a little higher than the non cancellable rate. This is just to give ourselves a little wiggle room if we need to change our hotel at a later stage in planning.
ACCOMMODATION IN HOSTELS:
can be a GREAT option to stay in hostels all over the world.
Hostels are not just places for youth but families and older adults too. They are usually located in very scenic and well connected places.
There are private double and family rooms available with ensuite facilities (attached bath/toilet). You'll have to book many months ahead to grab these!
These hostels have a communal kitchen you can use for rustling up a meal after buying provisions from the nearby supermarket.
Check out the facilities in your chosen place... if the bathrooms are shared etc, analyse your needs before you book
Membership can give further discounts; you may consider getting an e-membership for HI (Hostels International) from your country. Membership fee varies depending on the country of your origin. Indian passport holders can get e-membership for an individual adult at the handsome sum of USD 1 1/2; YES, this is not a typo; for 2 adults, the membership for 1 year is USD 3 currently and it gives 10% discount for all hostels world over for a year!!
If you are renting apartment, use caution/due diligence. Read plenty of reviews. Many apartments do not have elevators, air conditioning, a place to store luggage before or after checkin/checkout.
There could also be legal issues in some cities and people have reported they get notice just a few days before their arrival that their apt had developed some problem and is off the market. Take into account the cleaning fee etc. Also in many apts, the hygiene standards may not be good enough... with itchy towels, bed linen etc. Hotels with good reviews may be easier to bank on
APARTMENT RENTALS:
If you are renting apartment, use caution/due diligence. Read plenty of reviews. Many apartments do not have elevators, air conditioning, a place to store luggage before or after checkin/checkout.
There could also be legal issues in some cities and people have reported they get notice just a few days before their arrival that their apt had developed some problem and is off the market. Take into account the cleaning fee etc. Also in many apts, the hygiene standards may not be good enough... with itchy towels, bed linen etc. Hotels with good reviews may be easier to bank on
FLIGHT CHECK-IN AND PACKING TIPS:
Always try and check in online 24 hours ahead as soon as the option is available. In case of people holding passports which need visas for the visiting country, airlines don't allow online check in. They verify the visa at the counter before check in. In such cases, the airport check in counter opens 4 hours before scheduled take off and it's best to check in as early as possible. This is to avoid getting bumped when there is over booking. In peak travel season getting bumped does happen!
Be aware of your rights and file for compensation if your flight is late by more than 3 hours and you miss a connecting flight, land in your final destination more than 3 hours late. European airlines, flights originating from Europe are covered by EU 261/2004. Compensation is up to € 600/pp. The terms/details are too many to elaborate here, just look up terms of your specifics if the need arises.
Of course pack all valuables including gifts in carry on along with change of clothes so that you are not totally helpless if the checked bag does not arrive when you land
Leave a card with your initials, address, email/phone number in your checked bag as well as carry on. Tie some unique tags in the handles, even a thick fabric bow/ribbon should do. This is to prevent some one mistakenly picking up your bag at the baggage carousel at the destination... bags look alike unless you've tied up some identifying tag. If the bag gets sent to some other destination by mistake, the address inside would help in identifying.
Carry on bag weight is checked some times before boarding and people with bags over the limit are made to gate check. Permitted allowance is 7 kg for Emirates flights for instance and a hard back American tourister bag with wheels weighs 4 kg empty! The bag will weigh some 10 kg or more when the volume is used fully, though the size and measurements are within prescribed limits. When such bags are gate checked, it may result in valuables being left behind in that bag and getting damaged or lost in some cases. Always ensure your carry on bag is under the limit of the airlines. Have a small folding bag available to pack valuables in case of gate check request. We use soft sided bags which weigh 500 gm or less when empty. (Airlines from US only have size requirements for carry on bags, weight is not specified. Usually the permitted carry on weight is 22 lbs (9.9kg). Airlines like Emirates have started checking carry on bag weight at the time of boarding and their permitted weight is 7 kg as said before)
Regarding the carry on, many airlines do weigh it and some make you put them inside their model rack just before boarding in case your case looks too big... obviously a larger bag can't be shoved in and has to be gate checked, with the associated high charges! Always read the terms and conditions for baggage on the Airlines official website...Buy the option of checked in bag online ahead to save money and hassles! I think the day is not far off when they start weighing the passenger also and start charging per weight/volume... no kidding. We would have laughed if the current baggage rules/paying for seat selection/priority boarding etc had been envisaged a few years ago! So when we are asked to squeeze through a model tiny seat in future, I guess we'll comply with that as well... ha, ha. Anyway as of now mind your bags... both weight and volume!
Try and board early and stow your bag safely in overhead compartments. Monitor that others don't ram their big bags against yours damaging your cameras, tablets and other valuables.
In case you are running late and realise you can't board the flight, you can call the Airlines before take off and request for change of flight. For example, if you are driving to the airport and you get stuck behind an accident that has closed all lanes... you can call the airlines BEFORE boarding closes and inform them you are unable to make it in time for boarding. In such cases, they don't count you as no-show and cancel the ticket as they usually do but they'll reschedule you on next available flight with you paying the change fee. Otherwise you are on your own and have to purchase a new ticket at Full walk-up fares. Do note this is at the discretion of the airline; politeness always helps.
On the same note, even if the takeoff is delayed, the computer closes boarding at the scheduled time. If you come in late and realize the flight has not taken off, don't automatically assume you can join the group awaiting boarding. Here again polite requests may help... or may not!
In-flight thefts do happen... a person who left his ipod on his seat when he went to the loo found it had disappeared when he returned! Keep your valuables safe.
Planes have pressurized cabins and it's good to have the overhead vent ON for circulation of air (in planes where they are available!). For flights longer than 4 hours, some people develop swollen feet as blood circulation slows down in extremities when sitting cramped with no movement. In few cases deep vein thrombosis can occur where clots are formed in the veins. It's advisable to move and wiggle the feet and walk down the aisle every 2 hours or so, to avoid problems.
JETLAG: Avoiding alcohol and drinking plenty of water during flights works for us. We handle jetlag by hitting the ground running when we land and carrying on with sight seeing on the first day. We avoid taking a nap; we retire to bed early around 8 pm on the day we land. We wake up early in the morning the next day and are on the time of the visiting country from then onward.
I've heard parents
arguing with the Flight attendants when older kids are yelling and
cranky, refusing to sit in their seats! When the FA belts up in her
seat, people surreptitiously hold the kid on their lap while the plane
is taking off/landing! Many infants, kids under 2 re not strapped in
to appropriate car seats. It would really be safer for all concerned
if parents carry a car seat for their kids and buy separate seats for
them even if the airline may not insist!
Stop newspaper delivery, You don't want paper piling up at doorstep announcing to the whole world you are not home.
Get a neighbor to clear your mail from your postbox time to time and water your plants
Pay up utility bills (electricity, water, home maintenance, cable etc) ahead in advance with post dated cheques or online.
Check all locks ahead of time and have a separate pouch to drop all keys as you leave. Close all windows, side doors a little ahead of time to avoid last minute panic. Close all water taps and valves. Check that cooking gas valve is closed.
Clean the refrigerator, switch off and leave it open. A week before travel go easy on stocking up so that there are no perishables in the fridge
Switch off the mains for electricity when you lock up.
If taking a cab to airport book well in advance and have a backup.
For a longer trip we cover our furniture, stove, and open counters with stacks of newspaper. When we come back home, we can just fling off the paper covers and everything is dust free, ready to use.
Regarding the carry on, many airlines do weigh it and some make you put them inside their model rack just before boarding in case your case looks too big... obviously a larger bag can't be shoved in and has to be gate checked, with the associated high charges! Always read the terms and conditions for baggage on the Airlines official website...Buy the option of checked in bag online ahead to save money and hassles! I think the day is not far off when they start weighing the passenger also and start charging per weight/volume... no kidding. We would have laughed if the current baggage rules/paying for seat selection/priority boarding etc had been envisaged a few years ago! So when we are asked to squeeze through a model tiny seat in future, I guess we'll comply with that as well... ha, ha. Anyway as of now mind your bags... both weight and volume!
Try and board early and stow your bag safely in overhead compartments. Monitor that others don't ram their big bags against yours damaging your cameras, tablets and other valuables.
In case you are running late and realise you can't board the flight, you can call the Airlines before take off and request for change of flight. For example, if you are driving to the airport and you get stuck behind an accident that has closed all lanes... you can call the airlines BEFORE boarding closes and inform them you are unable to make it in time for boarding. In such cases, they don't count you as no-show and cancel the ticket as they usually do but they'll reschedule you on next available flight with you paying the change fee. Otherwise you are on your own and have to purchase a new ticket at Full walk-up fares. Do note this is at the discretion of the airline; politeness always helps.
On the same note, even if the takeoff is delayed, the computer closes boarding at the scheduled time. If you come in late and realize the flight has not taken off, don't automatically assume you can join the group awaiting boarding. Here again polite requests may help... or may not!
In-flight thefts do happen... a person who left his ipod on his seat when he went to the loo found it had disappeared when he returned! Keep your valuables safe.
Planes have pressurized cabins and it's good to have the overhead vent ON for circulation of air (in planes where they are available!). For flights longer than 4 hours, some people develop swollen feet as blood circulation slows down in extremities when sitting cramped with no movement. In few cases deep vein thrombosis can occur where clots are formed in the veins. It's advisable to move and wiggle the feet and walk down the aisle every 2 hours or so, to avoid problems.
JETLAG: Avoiding alcohol and drinking plenty of water during flights works for us. We handle jetlag by hitting the ground running when we land and carrying on with sight seeing on the first day. We avoid taking a nap; we retire to bed early around 8 pm on the day we land. We wake up early in the morning the next day and are on the time of the visiting country from then onward.
SEPARATE TICKET & CAR SEATS FOR KIDS UNDER 2:
Airlines do not require
the booking of seat if a kid is under two year old. They can be in
their parent's lap. However, holding a baby in the lap in an
accelerating aircraft is NOT a safe practice. Some parents
believe they'll have the strength and reflexes to hold on to their
kid but it has been proved in real cases as well as experiments that
they will not be able to hold on. Even if they do manage to hold to
the kid, the child will hit herself on the seat in front and get
crushed between the seat and the parent. Just as adults fastening
their seat belt and baby car seats for children are mandatory while
driving, children under 2 being safely fastened to separate car seat
should be a rule when flying also.
The airplane is moving at 200 miles/320 km per hour while takeoff/landing and at 575 miles/900 km per hour in midair; in case of sudden turbulence/braking, people are propelled forward but restrained by their seat belt. Without restraint, a child in such a situation will get propelled forward and becomes a flying missile harming themselves and even others.
The airplane is moving at 200 miles/320 km per hour while takeoff/landing and at 575 miles/900 km per hour in midair; in case of sudden turbulence/braking, people are propelled forward but restrained by their seat belt. Without restraint, a child in such a situation will get propelled forward and becomes a flying missile harming themselves and even others.
In the past, there were no
seat belts in cars and there was very high death and injury rates,
with people being thrown through windshields or out of moving cars as
they became projectiles in accidents. The G Force created under high
speed is the same in flying... The airlines are not insisting
on tickets and car seats for kids under 2 because they fear families
will feel the pinch of money crunch and stop flying. But they do
allow people to voluntarily buy a seat for their kid under 2 and
bring their own car seat for the child to be safely strapped in.
PREP AT HOME BEFORE TRAVEL:
Stop newspaper delivery, You don't want paper piling up at doorstep announcing to the whole world you are not home.
Get a neighbor to clear your mail from your postbox time to time and water your plants
Pay up utility bills (electricity, water, home maintenance, cable etc) ahead in advance with post dated cheques or online.
Check all locks ahead of time and have a separate pouch to drop all keys as you leave. Close all windows, side doors a little ahead of time to avoid last minute panic. Close all water taps and valves. Check that cooking gas valve is closed.
Clean the refrigerator, switch off and leave it open. A week before travel go easy on stocking up so that there are no perishables in the fridge
Switch off the mains for electricity when you lock up.
If taking a cab to airport book well in advance and have a backup.
For a longer trip we cover our furniture, stove, and open counters with stacks of newspaper. When we come back home, we can just fling off the paper covers and everything is dust free, ready to use.
Food abroad:
https://www.thefork.com/ is
a good site to research restaurants; there are discounts sometimes if you
book through this site.
https://www.happycow.net/ is
great for researching vegan/vegetarian restaurants. Be advised that many may not understand the concept of "vegetarian" ... do you know what a "kosher"meal for Jews is? It's up to you to do prior research to get meals which don't adhere to majority taste in any country.
The best bet for vegetarian items may be at ethnic restaurants serving primarily Indian/ middle eastern/ Chinese food. Pasta/Pizza may be the only vegetarian options in European cuisine.
Always a good idea to reserve a table in restaurants if you are keen on that particular place. Walkups may not get a table depending on how busy the place is. In Europe a table is reserved for a whole evening... they don't hurry the customer to finish a meal and leave so that another set can take their place.
Again good idea to be well groomed (think smart casual dress code) even if there is lack of any stated dress code...people do report being seated at a poky table near the stairs, near the swinging kitchen door or heaven forbid,,,near the toilet for "daring" to walk in wearing flipflops/trainers!!
The best bet for vegetarian items may be at ethnic restaurants serving primarily Indian/ middle eastern/ Chinese food. Pasta/Pizza may be the only vegetarian options in European cuisine.
Always a good idea to reserve a table in restaurants if you are keen on that particular place. Walkups may not get a table depending on how busy the place is. In Europe a table is reserved for a whole evening... they don't hurry the customer to finish a meal and leave so that another set can take their place.
Again good idea to be well groomed (think smart casual dress code) even if there is lack of any stated dress code...people do report being seated at a poky table near the stairs, near the swinging kitchen door or heaven forbid,,,near the toilet for "daring" to walk in wearing flipflops/trainers!!
RESTAURANT RULES:
No tipping required in most countries in Europe (service charge of 15% is already
included in your restaurant bill and the waiters are paid a living wage; not a
minimal wage as in the US. ), You may round up for small amount and possibly
leaving a couple Euro at a pricier place for exemplary service is appreciated,
but it’s not expected
Menus with prices are posted outside (that is obligatory)
There is no cover charge and no charge for bread in restaurants in
In Italy
your waiter will usually bring bread to your table. If you don't want it, you
should tell the waiter right away and he'll remove it. If you keep it, you will
generally be charged a small amount (@2E). It will not come with butter.
The cover charge (coperto) in Italy
is different from one city/region in Italy
to the next. For example, In Rome the coperto is not allowed by law. In Venice ,
it is permitted
If you ask for water in the restaurant, sometimes the waiter
will ask "still water or sparkling"? In France ,
Your answer should be "une carafe d'eau (pronounced doh), s'il vous plait"
(s'il vous plait means “please”), you’ll be served a jug of tap water and
it’s free; otherwise you will be given bottled water and charged.
If you do not think that the water is cold enough, ask for
some ice cubes, ¨des glaçons, s'il vous plait
Beer and house wine are cheaper than soft drinks but unlike
in North America there are no free refills. And there
are no giant cups of soft drinks as in the US .
They often serve those small bottles of Coke
In Switzerland
you’ll be brought bottled water and charged for water .
If you are going to frequent restaurants, do your research and try and eat a little away from tourist hubs as a general rule.
In most places lunch is less expensive than dinner.
Self catering is a great option; small spice packets,
ready soup mixes and salt can be carried for use abroad if one is planning to
do some light cooking. There are well known grocery chains like COOP, Migros,
SPAR, Carrefour, REMA etc in Europe, Monoprix, FranPrix in France where we can
pick up milk, yogurt, juice, bread, cheese spreads, fruits like banana, apples,
grapes etc according to season, salad vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, avocado and
even chocolates and cakes and treats at very reasonable prices. Carrying a
refillable water bottle is a good idea as tap water is drinkable in most
European countries. There are drinking water fountains in many European
cities.
This Marmot water fountain is in
Of course on mountain tops, only bottled water will be available in the restaurant/shop there for some 3 euros for a 200 ml bottle. One has to understand the difficulties of transporting water to those places and be prepared for their trip.
This Wallace drinking water fountain is in Paris... there are 70 plus such fountains in the city.
We always take almonds, raisins, etc as trail mix in a day pack along with water.
CURRENCY:
Credit cards:
It's best to use your credit card for expenses in your visiting country. Inform your credit card company of your foreign travel before you leave... if not, they may stop the transaction and freeze the card thinking it's some illegal activity.
Find out what the foreign transaction fee is ... there are some cards which have none.
Always ask for the merchant to use the currency of the visiting country when using your credit card. If you let them process payment in your home currency, they use an unfavorable rate of conversion and you'll lose money... I can't stress this enough. ALWAYS ask to pay in their currency NOT yours.
Have a backup card in case one card gets declined.
Have the number of the card, expiry date, helpline number etc safely stored online in case (Heaven Forbid!) you need to report a lost card
Have a backup card in case one card gets declined.
Have the number of the card, expiry date, helpline number etc safely stored online in case (Heaven Forbid!) you need to report a lost card
Draw some cash from theATM as soon as you land so that you can use it for taxis that may not have card processing facility. Also some shops need minimum purchase for use of credit cards, so cash comes in handy.
Some people find it handy to get some money exchanged in their home country through reputable banks.
Some people find it handy to get some money exchanged in their home country through reputable banks.
ATMs
Be careful about the location of the ATM and ensure safety before starting transaction. Decline "help" from strangers at ATMs, however well dressed they may look!
Cover your pin with hands so that it's not discernible to people nearby.
It's usually NOT a good idea to use the currency of one country in another...e.g, don't use the Euros you withdrew in Paris, in Switzerland where the currency is Swiss Francs. Again, the problem is because the merchant will give an unfavorable rate of conversion and you'll lose value.
Adapters needed for electronic equipment:
Almost all AC adapters and chargers for electronic gadgets
use power supplies that can handle any power outlet. Check your adapter or
charger to ensure it accepts 110 to 240 VAC and both 50 and 60 Hz.
All you need, then, is an adapter for the plug so that it
will fit into the wall.
is a good site to know about electrical outlet plugs used world over.
SIM CARDS FOR USE DURING INTERNATIONAL TRAVELS:
People
look for connectivity while on international tour and there are
several options.
We
prefer not having any extra plans... here's the way we manage...
DATA:
We switch off data on our smart phone the minute we board the plane and it's off till we land back at home... there are so many horror stories of huge bills for roaming and data on smart phones... this is a vital step for us in international travel
We
use the free wifi provided by the hotel in the evening for checking
our mail and any other online info like weather for the next day etc.
We
feel it's a waste of precious vacation time to be doing online research while
on the trip... all our research has been done earlier and important
stuff printed out on hard copy.
Also
we need not worry about phone battery running out during the day
because of heavy data use.
GPS/MAPS:
We
download offline google maps and save on our tablet and phone.
Without data, we can still use the maps even with specific route
directions from one place to another... the GPS blue dot appears on
the map even offline. We use this only on driving holidays and the
phone/tablet are plugged in to the car charger. This way the battery
does not run out.
For
city navigation on foot or by public transport, this offline mp
should work. But we have hard copy map of bus/metro etc and we even
have prints of walking routes we need which we have printed out at
the planning stage. We avoid taking out the phone on the road/ in
crowded places where it might get snatched. We consult the hard copy
map at a destination before moving on to the next... to avoid looking
clueless while walking.
At planning stage, we look at the Google street view of all important locations... our hotel, train station, metro stations we plan to use, important landmarks etc... we even totally trace the route from a train station to the hotel etc looking at landmarks on the way. This has come in so useful... in Moscow, the metro exit turned out to be different from the entrance I had seen on the google map and plotted my walk to hotel. With my basic Russian and address in Cyrillic script, I asked passerby and managed to understand I had to take a subway to cross the busy street and get to the familiar looking landmarks!
At planning stage, we look at the Google street view of all important locations... our hotel, train station, metro stations we plan to use, important landmarks etc... we even totally trace the route from a train station to the hotel etc looking at landmarks on the way. This has come in so useful... in Moscow, the metro exit turned out to be different from the entrance I had seen on the google map and plotted my walk to hotel. With my basic Russian and address in Cyrillic script, I asked passerby and managed to understand I had to take a subway to cross the busy street and get to the familiar looking landmarks!
We
learn the key words of directions and how to ask for them as well as
the polite greetings in local languages.... this has helped us a lot
when walking in foreign towns/villages
Friends use the CityMaps2Go maps for specific cities... it's pretty inexpensive... $3 for each city... you can even pin your locations and it's available offline. Maps for Paris/ Rome etc are accurate and quite useful. We have used the free google maps and have no complaints!! I pin all our locations during planning stage on google map but this is not available offline unfortunately. (You can see such pinned maps at the beginning of our trip report for each country, if you can't make out what I mean)
Maps.me comes well recommended on forums and we have found their offline maps great for driving in many countries like Greece, Alaska etc!
we always have a backup of google offline maps on my tablet and of course paper maps. Point is always have a BACK-UP. In Hawaii, paper maps proved a savior in quite a few cases when the GPS happily guided us into the ocean!!
Friends use the CityMaps2Go maps for specific cities... it's pretty inexpensive... $3 for each city... you can even pin your locations and it's available offline. Maps for Paris/ Rome etc are accurate and quite useful. We have used the free google maps and have no complaints!! I pin all our locations during planning stage on google map but this is not available offline unfortunately. (You can see such pinned maps at the beginning of our trip report for each country, if you can't make out what I mean)
Maps.me comes well recommended on forums and we have found their offline maps great for driving in many countries like Greece, Alaska etc!
we always have a backup of google offline maps on my tablet and of course paper maps. Point is always have a BACK-UP. In Hawaii, paper maps proved a savior in quite a few cases when the GPS happily guided us into the ocean!!
CALLS:
We
have an account in Skype where we have some $10 in the account for
calls. Calls can be made from anywhere to anywhere in the world with
this facility when we are on wifi.
The
rates for calls to any number anywhere in the world is so
unbelievably low... USD 0.01 for calls from the US to India for
instance. All rates are similar. We have made calls to Brazil, New
Zealand, South Africa, Italy etc for a few cents from the US.
Also
we use this facility to call home and talk to family every day when
we are traveling.... again ridiculously low rates.
When we land at an airport and need to call the hotel for their free shuttle from the airport, we have used the free courtesy phone in the airport. Or got the assistance from the i-site.
With
whatsapp free calls can be made on wifi.
We
have needed to make local calls and needed help only on very rare
occasions while on a trip... just 3 or 4 instances in 1000 plus days
of travel!
Locals
are invariably kind and help in the rare instances of us getting
stranded...we maintain our distance and let them consult their smart
phone or make the call. We make no attempt to ask for the phone in
our hands. In Florence we could not locate our hotel and a kind lady
called the hotel and asked for directions on our behalf!
While
on the move there have hardly been any need for making calls...if
need arises, we walk into a nearby hotel and request help from the
reception. In Calafate, Argentina, when we were on a long scenic walk
to our hotel, the notorious high winds there picked up speed, pushing
us back and stirring up clouds of dust. We entered a hotel nearby and
requested them to call a taxi for us and they did free of charge. A
bit of Spanish and politeness from our side helped!
Same
strategy in Mestre Italy when it was raining heavily in the night and
we needed a taxi, the hotel guy helped in a jiffy... a little Italian
and loads of politeness is the key!
On
our recent NewZealand trip, we had left our trekking poles behind at
our hotel room in Franzjosef village and had driven on to Fox glacier
village. We had to make a call to confirm the poles were there before
driving back... we approached a local hotel, Bella Vista, requested
the use of their phone offering to pay for the call. The sweet girl
at the reception said their landline will bill it as long distance
call but her personal mobile had an unlimited plan and we can use it
for our call. We did so thanking her profusely and yes, our poles
were in the room! So job done with help from a kind local yet again!
So
we have never felt the need to get a data/call plan for travel.
OPTIONS:
If
your phone is unlocked and you are not bound by specific contract
with your service provider because they provided you the instrument
free of charge, it's best to go for a local sim card in the country
you land. From June 2017, roaming charges have been abolished, there are different reports of how this worked out for customers. If you are visiting another country, topping up becomes difficult when you are not in the country you've bought the sim from. Online topping up requires the credit card of that specific country. To handle this, buy topping also when you buy the card from the country. You can activate it by punching in the code when you are elsewhere in Europe. The duration of the top-up
starts from the date of activation, not the date of purchase.
So local sim for the country... this is the cheapest and best option....
There
are many local service providers, google, read reviews and take your
pick. Of course you have to line up where to buy and spend the time and effort for getting the sim and installing it...but you get to test it out and confirm it's working right on the spot.
Options
from home country are always more expensive... read the fine print,
again read loads of reviews before committing to such plans. Stands
to reason that they are there to make a profit... they have an
arrangement with a local provider and charge you extra for the
service. If there is a problem, you are dealing with 2 layers instead
of just one. Eliminating the middleman is always advisable...
If you don't want to take a call, let it stop on its own... if you cut the call, it's billed as a received call. Calls going to voicemail are also billed. So the advice is to disable voicemail while traveling. You can text voicemail divert off to your service provider and a call will be disconnected after ringing for 30 seconds. The caller will not be able to leave a voice mail
https://www.Yr.no/eng is pretty good for Europe
If you don't want to take a call, let it stop on its own... if you cut the call, it's billed as a received call. Calls going to voicemail are also billed. So the advice is to disable voicemail while traveling. You can text voicemail divert off to your service provider and a call will be disconnected after ringing for 30 seconds. The caller will not be able to leave a voice mail
WEATHER FORECAST:
https://www.Yr.no/eng is pretty good for Europe
SAFETY ABROAD:
It's best to secure valuables like cards, cash and passports and be alert when you travel. Of course your camera, phone need to be safely secured too. I've given some details of common scams in a Paris post and in a Switzerland thread:
Next posts:
The contents of this site can be found by clicking on the About button you find on top of the page under the header. The links for specific countries are given in that post.
To start you off, I'm repeating the links for Switzerland and Paris here; you can find the rest of the countries from the About page.
http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/04/switzerland-switzerland-seems-to-be.htmlgives the basics of planning a trip to Switzerland... it shows you the regions and your options for port of entry. It guides you in your planning by listing common mistakes and how to avoid them.
That post leads you on to detailed tips and reports of our trip to Switzerland which you can replicate if your trip is between mid June to Mid Oct.
http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/04/paris-basics-of-planning-trip.html
covers basics of planning a trip to Paris.
Apart from the sites/sights in Paris, the posts also cover Versailles and Fontainebleau
