Travel Tips (Monday)

Category Archives for Travel Tips (Monday).

Coping with Culture Shock

Following on yesterday’s post on least favourite cities, many people in the comments described symptoms of “culture shock”. There are many places that I will visit that I will love the whole time you I am there -possibly with some minor with occasional irritants or discomforts. There are other occasions where we can experience irritation and frustration on a regular pattern.  People experiencing culture shock can appear angry, confused, frustrated or irritable. We cannot understand why people are enjoying the very things we are hating. These feelings will make us negative about our trip, the country…

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Preventing Bed Bugs in your hotel bed in Paris, in New York or Your nearest Holiday city.

It has been three years since I last wrote on bed bugs. Last week Le Parisien  reported that nearly every day a resident is forced to throw out their infested mattresses.  Further RVIP a property management group told the publication that the bugs are coming from the United States. RIVP manager Oliver Perret said: “It’s been like this for two or three years,” RIVP group said that 20% of the 1,000 properties it oversees have dealt with bedbug infestations. The group told reporters that it had been deep-freezing infested furniture at -25C in order to get rid of…

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Every Airport’s Wifi information is now available

Anil Polat has created a map with the wifi information for 231 airports across the globe including the passwords in Airline lounges within those airports. The map is regularly updated and is looking for accurate information on then latest developments. Click on an aeroplane symbol representing the airport you are visiting or search for it and up will pop all relevant wifi information. Very useful! Remember that you are operating on an unsecured network so guard your identity, privacy and data carefully! Anil is a blogger and a computer security engineer who is on a journey to visit every country…

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Check your Booking carefully before pressing “confirm”

It happens more frequently than one realises. CBC reports that Milan Schipper of the Netherlands booked a ticket to YQY (Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada) and not SYD (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia). The ticket price was apparently $CAN300 cheaper than any other fare Mr Schipper had seen for tickets from Amsterdam to Sydney. And no wonder! It is about 10,000km (6,500 miles) closer. He boarded a plane in Amsterdam and flew to Toronto, Canada. From there he changed to a small plane for the flight “down under“.  That is when he realised his mistake. This…

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Mid East Airlines to offer laptops & tablets for loan & free wifi

As we continue to “live” with the “laptop ban” which disallows all equipment larger than a laptop (including noise cancelling headphones I understand) from cabins on selected routes to the USA and UK, airlines are offering the following options: Emirates- offers a free “handling service” for US flights. Customers hand laptops etc to security personnel at the gate who will box all laptops ready to be handed back to customers on arrival. Free Wi-Fi is also available to all customers. The airline notes only six percent of customers connect their laptops to wifi Etihad –…

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US Electronics Ban -what to do if You are a Passenger

As I blogged about earlier today, The United States has announced today that any electronic item larger than a phone will be banned from cabins on all flights from ten airports in eight Middle Eastern countries. Check if you are flying from or through any of the ten affected airports to the USA. It is important to note it only applies at this stage to flights to the USA. So if you are flying New York to Dubai for example, the rules do not apply to you.  If you feel uncomfortable or concerned with flying…

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Photos en route- showing respect

Picture this (particularly parents) Your 15 yo is sitting at the bus stop outside the corner shop 150metres from the school gates. She is sitting talking to her best friend. Probably gossiping. Probably not talking about homework! The location is a transport hub. Behind the shops is the ferry wharf and about 600 metres (650 yards) away is the train station. From the train station comes a foreign tourist in his late 20s/early 30s and his girlfriend. You can tell he is a tourist. Talking loudly in a foreign language, dressed in holiday clothes and…

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Protect yourself: Robbers tell how they snatch

A new video produced by Thong Lor police in Thailand graphically illustrates how easy it is for thieves to snatch phones, bags and valuables. It is useful viewing for tourists irrespective of where your destination is. Based on confessions by real suspects with advice from the police, the video explains how you can reduce the chances of being a victim. It is well worth the first two minutes 22 seconds which are subtitled in English, of the three and a half minute video. There are three things that make a crime possible, according to Thai Police:…

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YOU MUST wear your seat belt on a plane- Graphic warning as to why

I noted on my last Air Asia flight, how much disregard was shown for the seat belt sign with passengers chatting in rows and aisles and wandering up and down the plane even while we went through turbulence. If you have any family members or friends who still believe wearing the seat belt in a plane during turbulence, is optional, show them this post. Last week, Canada’s Transportation Safety Board gave a very strong reminder for passengers to wear seatbelts in their report on Air Canada flight 088 . I am always fascinated by air turbulence stories and this…

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A place for everything-Pack to Remember

When packing, have the same place for everything. Each time, put everything back in the same place. Having passport, money, in the same place makes things easier. It speeds up packing. It reduces searching and rummaging.  If your bag is tampered with, then you will know if anything has been taken -and what it will be. Related Posts 113 of my free Travel Tips! Forgetting stuff Reducing Lost Luggage Problems Great Luggage App– compare luggage between airlines Travel Tip: Don’t Check in baggage

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