Travel Tips and Plans

You have to deal with that foreign language if you’ve decided to travel abroad.  This is true no matter what your native language is.  It’s handy to know English.  English is widely spoken around the world.  When someone from Greece or Poland meets someone from Italy or Germany, they speak English.

Since English seems to be the lingua franca around the world, we’ll look at it from that perspective.  If you’re a native English speaker, that’s good for you, but to be a real traveler, you should learn a few words of that foreign language… hello, good-bye, please and thank you at the very least.  It’s just polite to do that.

Also learn how to ask (in their language) if they speak English… or try to ask your question in the local language.  They will appreciate the effort.  Often they will volunteer, “Would you like to speak English?”  And if they don’t speak English, they will probably try to find someone who does.

Carry a phrase book.  It will help to be able to point out a phrase if the local person you’re asking doesn’t seem to understand you.  Don’t just speak louder… that isn’t going to help.  Remember English is a foreign language to them!  Even if you’re trying, your pronunciation might leave them scratching their heads or blushing as you’ve said something you didn’t want to.  To be a traveler, you need a sense of humor… especially about yourself.  Don’t be embarrassed.  Point to the word in the phrase book.  Have a good laugh at yourself and move on.

Take a chance.  People are forgiving of tourists…. even the French who have an undeserved reputation for not being helpful.  The key is to be GRATEFUL that they speak a little English to help you… not to expect it.

When you’re speaking English to your new friends, speak slowly and avoid slang.  Idiomatic expressions gas credit cardsand slang in any language often translate into something you really didn’t want to say!

If a French waiter comes up to you and says, “Bon jour, cafe?”  Don’t look blank and say you don’t speak French.  How tough is this one?  He’s greeting you with good morning and asking if you want coffee.  Smile and say, “Bon jour, oui, merci.”  See that wasn’t so hard.  Just a couple of words you probably really did know already, and now your waiter LIKES you… even if you never utter another word of French!

Don’t be intimidated by signs in a foreign language… take a good look at them… think in an intuitive way.  Does it look similar to a word you’re familiar with?  If it says “farmacia” instead of “pharmacy”, take a guess… you’re probably looking at that pharmacy or drug store you were looking for!  Is there a pictorial sign to help?  A green cross or a pharmacist’s scale would be a good clue.  That may not be what you’re used to at home, but look in the window and think about it, and you can figure it out.

Remember, you went on this trip to experience something different… so revel in that foreign language, Massachusetts Foreclosures learn a few words and enjoy yourself!

What is a passport? Bear with me as I start at the beginning of planning for an international trip.  If you’re a citizen of the world where they are commonplace, you’ll be wondering “Who doesn’t know THAT?”  Well, many Americans for one thing.

The United States is a large, diverse country.  People can and do live their entire lives without leaving its borders.  There’s plenty to see and do here.  There is, in fact, a large percentage of Americans that don’t travel internationally.  I’m not sure there is an official recruitment software count on this.  I’ve read all kinds of statistics but a conservative estimate seems to be that 75% of Americans don’t own a passport.

So for those Americans and any others who are unclear on this, let’s get really basic… what exactly is this document?  To quote the United States Department of State, “It is a document issued by a country to a citizen of that country, allowing that person to travel abroad and re-enter the home country.”  There’s a Women Bags government definition for you!

Every country in the world issues their own.  Citizens of all countries need passports to travel out of their country and into another.  There are exceptions, but that needs to be addressed in another article.

The format is generally a small booklet about 3 inches by 5 inches.  At the front there are the official identification pages that contain your name and your officially affixed photo.  (You supply a 2 inch by 2 inch photo when you apply).  This page also contains the information on your birth date, where you were born, when and where the document was issued, when it expires, and that all important passport number.  You must sign it when you receive it for it to be valid.  In the United States, they are valid for ten years for adults, and they’re valid for five years for children 15 years of age and younger.

The pages that follow are empty waiting to be used for exit and entry stamps.  Those empty pages are also used for formal visas if they are required.  (Again, that will take another article.)

When you’re leaving the United States, there is no government document control station.  Your passport (and visas) will be checked for validity by the airline you are traveling with.  When entering a new country, the Immigration Officer will check your documents.  They may stamp it with the date of your entry.  In most countries you are allowed to visit for a limited amount of time (generally thirty days) without officially applying for an extended visit, so this stamp marks the start of your visit.

The Immigration Officer will check that date at your departure and stamp you out.  For most travelers, these stamps are great memories of their travels.

O.K. maybe you knew most of this.  It’s just good to understand everything when you’re planning your first big international trip.  So now that you know what a passport is, you can move on to getting one and planning your itinerary!

San Antonio may not have the big tourist ring of New York City or San Francisco, but it’s a great little city to come face to face with some history.  It’s one of America’s oldest cities.

It was colonized by Spain in the early 1700′s and since then Native Americans, Old Mexico and the deep South have mixed and blended to make for an interesting city.

Start your visit to San Antonio with a little history…. the Alamo.  It’s undoubtedly the number one tourist attraction in all the state of Texas.  It was  built in the 18th century as one of San Antonio’s five Spanish colonial missions.  Later it gained fame as the site of an epic 1836 battle during the Texas Revolution.

That’s when Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie fought and died in the Alamo.  When you first see it, you’ll think it’s smaller than you expected…. and it is!  That’s because it was built as a mission and not as a fort.  Admission is free, though you will have to pay for parking at a downtown lot.  It’s right in the heart of town, near the River Walk.

If you want to see more of the five missions beyond the Alamo, see San Antonio Missions National Historic Park.  It will take you to the other four missions.  You can travel from mission to mission on the eight mile Missions Bike and Hike Trail.

There is a map of downtown San Antonio posted every few blocks on the sidewalks making it easy to explore the Alamo and the River Walk.

The River Walk or Paseo del Rio is also downtown.  Twenty feet below the hustle and bustle of downtown streets, the River Walk follows the San Antonio River’s gentle bends.  Along it you will find restaurants, hotels, museums and historic sites.  You can walk along the banks, or you can take a cruise on the river which goes on for a couple of miles while a tour guide gives you fun filled facts.

One place you’ll find along the banks of the river is the historic district of La Villita.  It was originally established by Spanish soldiers stationed at the Alamo.  In 1835 the Mexican Army surrendered and gave Texas its independence at La Villita.  The next year was when the Battle of the Alamo was fought to try and win Texas back.  More recently the historic buildings have have been turned into restaurants and also galleries and shops for arts and crafts.

Historic Market Square is near downtown.  Also known as the Mexican Market or El Mercado, it’s the largest Mexican market in the state.  It pulsates with friendly people and bold colors.  Stroll beneath the “papel picado” (Mexican tissue paper streamers).  Buy beautiful silver and turquoise jewelry…. handmade necklaces and earrings, belts and buckles from Mexico are here.  Find Mexican candies and even buy a pinata to put them in.  If you just want to soak it in, relax by the fountain and enjoy the sounds of mariachis.

With deep Latino roots, you will get some great Tex-Mex food here.  You’ll also find some great San Antonio Texas barbecue, but their culinary repertoire is large and diverse, so don’t worry about going hungry.  Just bring good walking shoes and an appetite for history and fun.

There are security lines in almost all airports in the world these days.  If you want to get through those lines like the frequent flyers do, there are a few tricks that will make it easier for you and everyone around you.  Think ahead, weight loss diet so you’re not doing all of this just as you get to the head of the line.

Empty your pockets of loose change.  Wallets and cell phones should go into one of those little bins they provide also.  Remember heavy watches, bracelets, and belt buckles can set of the alarm, so take those off, and stow them in your carry-on bag before you get to the front of the line or put them in the bins.

Consolidate books and snacks so you won’t have as many things to gather back together once you’ve been screened.

In the United States, you have to take your shoes off.  Slip-on shoes will come off and go on faster.  Zippers and laces will slow you down… have your shoes untied or unzipped before you get to the front of the line. boat building plans (Take care when you put them back on that you don’t trip before you’re put back together!)

Have your one quart/one liter plastic bag with your liquids, creams and gels out of your carry-on, and put it in a bin.  Remember each liquid should be 3 ounces/100 ml or less, right?  There shouldn’t be any loose liquids in your carry-on bag.  If you have “medically necessary” liquids or baby food, in most countries, those can be outside of your plastic bag allowance, but you must notify a screening officer.

Have a plan when you put things into bins on the screening belt.  If you put things through the screening Portable Air Conditioners in the right order, you’ll be able to put yourself back together faster afterward.  Here’s a good way to do this.

First put your shoes, coat and your carry-on “personal item” (usually your smaller bag) in the first bin.   They will come through the x-ray first, and you can be putting them back on while you’re waiting for your other items to be screened.

If you’re carrying a computer, put your carry-on bag for your laptop in the bin ahead of your computer, then when your computer comes through, you’ll have the laptop bag ready to slip the computer right into it.

If it’s going to take you a long time to put your shoes back on, collect all of your belongings and move to the side so the line doesn’t get jammed up.  There are usually a few chairs against a wall nearby where you can sit down and put yourself back together.

You will annoy your fellow travelers AND the screening agents if you stand there and try to put those shoes on…. leaving your bin on the screening belt with others backing up behind yours.  Airports report that almost half of all security checkpoint bottlenecks are caused by people putting themselves together after screening without moving to the side…. don’t let this be you!

You’re going to read this, and next time you travel, you’re going to move through that security checkpoint with a plan… and they’ll think you’re an expert traveler no matter whether you travel often or not.

Start shopping early if you’re booking a flight for any holidays…. or a wedding or a cruise.  There have been capacity cuts on all the airlines these last couple of years, so there will be fewer seats for those holiday flights.

If you’re going on an impromptu trip, you can look and book at the last minute, but if you HAVE to be there for Christmas or Mother’s Day or a wedding or that cruise, booking a flight at least six weeks ahead is probably a good idea.

Internet booking gurus suggest the best time to shop for your flight online is a Monday or Tuesday.  Airlines Wisconsin Foreclosures typically lower fares early in the week and raise them again toward the weekend.  Start your quest for booking a flight with a search engine that does a comprehensive fare search…. on a site like Kayak.  This should return a list of flights with the best schedule and price.

If you want to save money, consider driving to a smaller airport.  Airfares can be cheaper from those outlying airports and parking may be cheaper too.  If your time off allows it, try to fly on non-peak days.  (For instance — in the U.S., avoid the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after… those are definitely PEAK travel days and will be the most expensive.)

Don’t think only the broad search engines are the place to look.  Check airline sites in your search for booking a flight.  Airlines pay commissions to other booking engines, so more and more they are posting the best air fares on their own sites.  There may be specials that other search engines can’t find.  These how to get pregnant specials often pop up for a short time, and they’re usually not advertised.

It’s best to avoid itineraries that involve several connections or several airlines.  Every stop and connection is a possible problem for missed connections.  You might save a couple of dollars if every thing goes right, but you’ll have a real headache if things go wrong…. and if you’ve got to be there, a couple of extra bucks for a non-stop or direct flight is well worth the peace of mind!  Get up early and catch the first flight… it’s the one that is least likely to be delayed.

If you MUST be there for that holiday or wedding or cruise, we suggest booking your flight at least 24 hours before you need to be there.  If you have a connection, make sure there is enough time to get to the next plane… even if the pearl ring first one is delayed.  Look for a minimum connection time of two hours.

Weather delays happen summer or winter and the airlines are not responsible for these.  They will not compensate you.  They will try to get you on the next available flight, but that might not be until the next day, and if you haven’t allowed enough time, you may miss the boat or the wedding.

Be smart when you’re booking a flight online, and your holiday will get off to a good start…. and you’ll get home on time.