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50 Years of Travel Tips

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Re: 50 Years of Travel Tips

#111

Post by MiguelVieira »

susam wrote: post #18

One travel technique that has worked very well for me takes place the day before my trip: using a pre-travel prep-and-packing checklist. I created this checklist about 15 years ago and still refine it occasionally. This list has three sections: A) Preparation tasks: Like printing essential travel documents, saving a backup to my mobile phone, buying foreign currency, activating data roaming, etc. B) Packing list: Min…

I have a spreadsheet that I clone and edit each time I go on a trip. So if I go camping, skiing, to the beach, etc, I can look at my old checklists, find a similar one, then clone it and tweak it for my upcoming trip.

Re: 50 Years of Travel Tips

#112

Post by ghaff »

KineticLensman wrote: post #77
susam wrote: post #18

One travel technique that has worked very well for me takes place the day before my trip: using a pre-travel prep-and-packing checklist. I created this checklist about 15 years ago and still refine it occasionally. This list has three sections: A) Preparation tasks: Like printing essential travel documents, saving a backup to my mobile phone, buying foreign currency, activating data roaming, etc. B) Packing list: Min…

Agree. I have everything on it after one memorable trip where I forgot to pack any socks. The pre-trip to-do list is also really useful - e.g. all the things that need charging before I go. My list has subsections for specialised trips such as camping, wildlife experiences etc. On one camping trip I inventoried everything that came out of my car when I got back. This spotted a couple of things that I probably wouldn'…

It's not perfect because every trip is often a bit different but compartmentalizing stuff that usually goes together (OK, I don't need my UK plug adapter if I'm going to California) helps a lot without having a checklist of every item. You want your essentials first aid kit, your standard chargers kit, your misc travel kit... goes a long way.

Re: 50 Years of Travel Tips

#113

Post by ghaff »

Gud wrote: post #106

I travel 300+ days a year for work. For two years I didn’t have a place to live because I was traveling so much. I’ve been doing this for 7 years now. 1) use uber, unless public transport works well(Nordic countries, Switzerland). 2) lock everything expensive up in the hotel safety box, otherwise eventually your shit will get stolen 3) have multiple methods of payment with you, leave one on the hotel. 4) I travel mos…

>lock everything expensive up in the hotel safety box, otherwise eventually your shit will get stolen

Depending upon where I am, I have mixed feelings about this. In many hundreds of days of travel, I guess I've been lucky enough not to have valuables stolen, but then I take some care not to leave them in plain sight. On the other hand, I'm positive I would forget something in a hotel safe as I have in a hotel closet.

Re: 50 Years of Travel Tips

#114

Post by alistairSH »

I’d add… - Learn to travel light. You don’t need more than ~4 days of clothes - laundry soap exists. Dragging large rollers around old cities is not fun.

- Checklists for prep. I have one for plane travel, one for backpacking, and one for travel by RV. Nothing unexpected on any them, but helps me avoid asking myself “did I pack the phone charger?” Or “do I have sunscreen?”

- Give yourself options - I like to list out things to do, maybe 4-5 for a location/day, but only really plan to do 2-3 of them.

- The old adage about no bad weather, only bad clothing is true. And the natural light after an evening rain is usually really nice.

Re: 50 Years of Travel Tips

#115

Post by jonasdegendt »

ghaff wrote: post #27
simonw wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My father once told me that as long as you have your passport, wallet and the name and address of where you're going everything else will work out fine. That advice has treated me well.

Which raises a point that is often lost today. Assume your phone breaks, gets lost/stolen, etc. How do you know where you're going? Having a printed agenda is a very good idea even if you resent the weight of the paper.

If that happens, aren’t you pretty much walking to the closest mobile phone store?

A basic device that’ll give you access to the internet, mail and maps is basically a commodity the same way a toothbrush is.

Re: 50 Years of Travel Tips

#116

Post by harrall »

throwup238 wrote: post #61
susam wrote: post #18

One travel technique that has worked very well for me takes place the day before my trip: using a pre-travel prep-and-packing checklist. I created this checklist about 15 years ago and still refine it occasionally. This list has three sections: A) Preparation tasks: Like printing essential travel documents, saving a backup to my mobile phone, buying foreign currency, activating data roaming, etc. B) Packing list: Min…

Do you mind sharing these checklists? I’d love to throw them into my Obsidian notes for the next time I travel. I do it infrequently but it’s always stressful because it’s to visit family internationally.

Walk through your typical preferred travel day when traveling to build a checklist.

“I’m going to be on a plane for 14 hours,”

“I need to get ready for bed at night,”

“I am going to walk through the city”

or “I am doing a wilderness hike.”

I only say that because everyone’s checklist is very different and I think it can be too easy to overpack.

Re: 50 Years of Travel Tips

#118

Post by jeffrallen »

Tip: your passport does not exist the morning of a trip, even though you packed it the night before. Touch it before leaving the house, and you manifest it into being.

This tip is especially important when coupled with another thing I always say: as long ans I have my passport and a credit card, every other forgotten thing is no big deal.

Re: 50 Years of Travel Tips

#119

Post by harperlee »

jonasdegendt wrote: post #115
ghaff wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which raises a point that is often lost today. Assume your phone breaks, gets lost/stolen, etc. How do you know where you're going? Having a printed agenda is a very good idea even if you resent the weight of the paper.

If that happens, aren’t you pretty much walking to the closest mobile phone store? A basic device that’ll give you access to the internet, mail and maps is basically a commodity the same way a toothbrush is.

Problem: with 2FA, lost phone = lost access to your email and rest of digital life, when on a trip (I’ll assume no one travels with their recovery keys).

Re: 50 Years of Travel Tips

#120

Post by pocketarc »

astura wrote: post #103
magneticnorth wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Extremely white, somewhat gendered as well. I travel alone as a woman a lot, and while it's not as dangerous as many people fear, I'd never ask a taxi driver to take me to (potentially) his private residence in a random neighborhood in an unfamiliar city.

Just imagine this interaction from the mom's perspective. (Because the author sure hasn't!) You're minding your own business just doing laundry or whatever and your adult son just shows up to you house totally unannounced with a foreign stranger in tow looking for you to cook them a meal. Come on, that is really rude! Like, it's clear this guy thinks the mom is a total NPC in this situation. It takes some serious del…

> a total NPC

Honestly, I think that is a great way to describe what bugs me most about this list. It's the idea that other people are there for your entertainment.

Like: 'Go to a cemetery. Look for sacred places. People live authentically there.'

Like really. Why are you going to a place to watch people grieving for your entertainment? What -is- this list? After 50 years of traveling? This mentality is what he has to show for it?

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