How to travel abroad and what to expect?

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kraftiekortie
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04 Nov 2017, 12:42 pm

Yep...Ryanair tends to fly to “secondary” airports which might be farther away from city centers.

Before one sets off, one should definitely research the transport options. Try to make sure you have small change in the local currency. Some buses (like in NYC) require the exact fare, and don’t give out change. But this is becoming rarer.

The bus is almost always cheaper than the train, and far cheaper than a taxi.

Try to obtain at least $20/20 Euro/£20 in the local currency in advance. I’ve feit handicapped by not having local currency. Many small shops only accept local currency.



LimboMan
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04 Nov 2017, 1:31 pm

Biscuitman wrote:

Where you thinking of going? Where abouts roughly in England are you?


I'm from South East, so near the major UK airports like Gatwick (nearest) and Heathrow. As far as locations, I thought I'd start of small and close to home like France then go further in Europe like Greece or Spain. It's a goal though to go to America, somewhere like Florida for example. I like the idea of going somewhere hot in winter!

If one is staying in a hotel for their destination, what should they expect? Are hotels generally well kept and tidy, and are they usually noisy? Do they provide things like clean bedding and towels or do you have to bring those kind of things yourself?


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kraftiekortie
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04 Nov 2017, 2:39 pm

In the US, I’d stick to chains like Day’s Inn. I wouldn’t risk an unknown hotel.

You can get quite reasonable deals maybe 30 minutes from a city center by car. $60 a night is usually doable. You usually get at least bagels and cereal free for breakfast. Sometimes, there is a hot food buffet.

You usually get free ice from ice machines in US hotels/motels. Most of the time, the linens are clean. See reviews of hotels/motels on Trip Advisor.

In Paris, France, rooms tend to be small in discount hotels. Not too many freebies. Staff sort of surly.



Ichinin
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04 Nov 2017, 4:50 pm

Quote:
I) inform your bank before you travel where you are going so you can use your card abroad
K) buy a travel adaptor so you can plug in your electronics like computer and phone


Very good advice, then they know it's you. I changed my primary bank account name to "i'm going to Prag, dont Panic" :D


I have travelled alot with the last 2 jobs on several occasions.

1. Learn about the country, if you travel to Mozambique the dominant language is Portuguese, if you go to Sweden, you can strike up a conversation with anyone in English.

2. Most countries work the same, there are restaurants, hotels, buses/trains etc, where and how you buy a ticket varies. There are some differences vs the UK, i.e. you can board a train without a ticket in Sweden to help someone get on with the luggage as long as you get off in time.

3. Find different types of transportation from/to airports. Taxies can be extremely expensive. We took a taxi to El Prat in Barcelona and the driver started driving around the "scenic route" to prop up the meter... as*hole. There is usually buses or trains to take which are cheaper.

4. Sometimes busses/trains are cancelled for major events, when i was in Berlin the TXL line that went to the airport was shut down due to some bicycle race.

5. Weather. Can stop flights and offset your departure or return by a few hours. Was heading home from London City and at Schiphol the snowstorm of the decade hit, went to a hotel overnight (KLM paid for it) and the next day had to stand in line for like 3 hours to get a new ticket. Stressful for this Aspie.

6. Some airlines give you a new ticket, and some see themselves as bus drivers (Ryan Air) and don't give a s**t.

7. On longer flights across the globe, consider upgrading to first class with sleeping accommodation.

8. In some countries, it's ok to smoke at restaurants, in some others, you'll get ported. Respect that if you smoke.

9. Like others have mentioned, get insurance. You can order your European Health Insurance card from... i guess NHS. At least before 2018, after that, good luck if you get ill in Europe :D #brexit

10. Some places can be warmer/colder than you think. Nordic can be extremely cold in the winter and even just across the channel it can be very warm. I think it was over 30'C in Amsterdam when i was there the first time, almost walked to the training course in my underwear because i wasn't prepared for the summer heat.

11. Take time to explore, but keep your wallet safe. Have a wallet you expose and you're not afraid to lose (a few quid) so if you get mugged and some old cards that dont matter, you can give that without raising suspicion.

12. Learn where the basic services are in the city you are going to, i.e. police, hospital, embassy. Also some basic words in the language like "Menu", "Bill please", "Invoice" and "Taxi". Most clerks at hotels speak English though.

13. Bring a photostatic copy of your passport(s) so if you lose it you can visit the embassy and get a new temporary one you can travel home with.

14. Earplugs can help shut out people talking/screaming kids when traveling.

15. Pack light, whatever goes into your backpack is enough, t-shirts and stuff can be bought locally and disposed of if you cant take it home. Why? No wasting time at baggage retrieval. Less stressful.

16. Bring cash, but not too much, i brought £1000 to pay for the hotel since i had problems paying with card the last time i was in Holland, was questioned at London City AP for 10 minutes after a dog marked my bag. Consider pre-paying expenses.

17. Print out a map of the area (google maps) so you can at least see where the main streets are between where you'll live and the airport.

18. Plan ahead on what you want to see, don't just crash into the hotel and realise that you don't know squat about the city.

19. Some countries can be a bit... special to go to. When i visited China we got "entry papers" that you should keep track of, if i had lost them i wouldn't be able to leave without going through a bureaucracy. Bringing ADHD medicine and similar stuff to such countries can be illegal or problematic.

20. Leave pets at home. Rabies and other illnesses are major worries and while you are able to return, your pet may be stuck in quarantine.

20. Exchange currency ahead of travelling, probably cheapest at your local bank.

21. Avoid going out at night to suburban areas, stay within a well lit city core. When i was in Tallin and stayed at a hotell in central london, i heard police sirens all night. I call that a clue.

22. There is usually heavily rebated 24/48 hour tourist bus/train passes available at tourist information spots.

If i were you i'd start off slow by going to the nearby countries in Europe to "learn the ropes", Amsterdam and Berlin is nice and surprisingly many Germans "sprachen Englisch". It's usually also cheap to fly within Europe to tourist spots. Most people are friendly and you wont get into trouble unless you're asking for it.

Good luck, if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.


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xatrix26
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04 Nov 2017, 6:31 pm

Travelers medical insurance would be an absolute must.

Bring a medic alert bracelet as well listing your medical conditions engraved on it. Mine reads:
Autism
Incontinence
Myocardial Infarction
Asthmatic

Managing my incontinence might be an issue in a foreign country and this has prevented me from going in the past. I have to bring a diaper bag with me everywhere I go so this would definitely be a challenge.

And the airport situation would definitely be a problem for me and provide incredible overstimulation. This might be quite a really debilitating factor and this is why I've never traveled to another country except America. I'm thinking I should probably just stick to RV'ing...

And an absolute no-brainer would be don't travel to a communist country... like China. Oh God if you're found without your papers they can throw you in a jail cell so dark and deep and you'd be forgotten there forever. The Chinese don't give a crap about foreigners. A muslim country would also be a bad idea. For obvious reasons.


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Ichinin
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04 Nov 2017, 8:48 pm

xatrix26 wrote:
And an absolute no-brainer would be don't travel to a communist country... like China. Oh God if you're found without your papers they can throw you in a jail cell so dark and deep and you'd be forgotten there forever. The Chinese don't give a crap about foreigners. A muslim country would also be a bad idea. For obvious reasons.


As for your comments about China: Someone have been watching too many Hollywood movies. It's not like that, but they will give you a hard time. The country is highly bureaucratic, a "communist" country with a greedy Taylorist economy and corrupt government officials and a evermore self absorbed young population.

One thing that is real is that the legal system in China depends more on your standing in the Communist party than the rule of law, so in a legal sense foreigners are basically seen as second class citizens.


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xatrix26
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05 Nov 2017, 3:17 am

Ichinin wrote:
xatrix26 wrote:
And an absolute no-brainer would be don't travel to a communist country... like China. Oh God if you're found without your papers they can throw you in a jail cell so dark and deep and you'd be forgotten there forever. The Chinese don't give a crap about foreigners. A muslim country would also be a bad idea. For obvious reasons.


As for your comments about China: Someone have been watching too many Hollywood movies. It's not like that, but they will give you a hard time. The country is highly bureaucratic, a "communist" country with a greedy Taylorist economy and corrupt government officials and a evermore self absorbed young population.

One thing that is real is that the legal system in China depends more on your standing in the Communist party than the rule of law, so in a legal sense foreigners are basically seen as second class citizens.


Are you actually trying to make a case for a Communist dictatorship? A system with multiple human rights violations? I think somebody has been living in a socialist system for far too long and have been bewitched by it. How sad.

But somebody living in Sweden would obviously fight for the "Cradle to the Grave" philosophy? A government who does everything for you and can suspend your rights at any time?

Your naivete is appalling. Your lack of information regarding China is quite lacking and I don't think you really understand the power of their communist government over foreigners.

So I stand by my original statement China is the last place in the world that westerners should visit. The pollution alone will kill you and if that doesn't the government will.

Your post was also needlessly offensive and was completely unnecessary. And that kind of attitude has no place in these forums. Again, appalling attitude for somebody claiming to be in Sweden.


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Last edited by xatrix26 on 05 Nov 2017, 3:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

Biscuitman
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05 Nov 2017, 3:21 am

I recommend staying at a major hotel chain and remember that the concierge is there to help you. I rarely take public transport when abroad as it gets too complex and stressful so just use taxi's instead. Get the concierge to arrange a taxi for you and ask him to tell the driver where you want to go.



fifasy
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05 Nov 2017, 3:34 am

Ichinin gave good advice. And one more thing I forgot. If you stay in America or Canada give a dollar or two tip to the person who carries your luggage for you. Don't refuse their offer to carry it. Also tip a maid if they come in and clean the room. Doing these things means the hotel staff will treat you better and a lot of them are on very low wages, so if you dont tip, the whole hotel staff might become surly with you.



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05 Nov 2017, 3:41 am

xatrix26 wrote:
So I stand by my original statement China is the last place in the world that westerners should visit. The pollution alone will kill you and if that doesn't the government will.


I think going to China would be a better idea than going to North Korea, no?



Biscuitman
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05 Nov 2017, 4:29 am

Would very happily go to China.

Would not so happily go to North Korea, Syria, Yemen, Lybia, Somalia & Venezuela



Ichinin
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05 Nov 2017, 9:07 am

xatrix26 wrote:
Are you actually trying to make a case for a Communist dictatorship? A system with multiple human rights violations? I think somebody has been living in a socialist system for far too long and have been bewitched by it. How sad.

But somebody living in Sweden would obviously fight for the "Cradle to the Grave" philosophy? A government who does everything for you and can suspend your rights at any time?

Your naivete is appalling. Your lack of information regarding China is quite lacking and I don't think you really understand the power of their communist government over foreigners.

So I stand by my original statement China is the last place in the world that westerners should visit. The pollution alone will kill you and if that doesn't the government will.

Your post was also needlessly offensive and was completely unnecessary. And that kind of attitude has no place in these forums. Again, appalling attitude for somebody claiming to be in Sweden.




I've worked in an agency specializing in military/political knowledge with China and was briefed thoroughly before i went there, I have been to China and seen the system close up, earlier i've had a Chinese girlfriend who told me how defunct the country is, how corrupt it is and how people go around the system to have a functioning life.

Have you any insight at all into politics or anything going on outside the North American continent?


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05 Nov 2017, 11:27 am

Be prepared to be scammed if you look like a tourist. Keep your valuables close at all times. Anticipate thieves working in groups, one distracts you while the other takes your bags or wallet. Be prepared to be given improper change or over charged if working in a different currency than you are used to. Use your smartphone to calculate proper change/exchange rates.

Tourists are prime targets because any crime perpetrated against them usually requires that you testify in court and since you will be unlikely to return to a foreign country to go to court, the criminals know they will get off free.

Know that Europe and North America use different outlets so you'll need an adapter if you wanna plug your devices in. It is prolly cheaper to buy a local sim card from the country you are visiting to put in your phone and pay as you go.

Don't forget travel health insurance.



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11 Nov 2017, 8:59 pm

I've found it fairly easy to catch planes. It's just a matter of turning up with passport in good time before take-off, finding the right terminal, printing the ticket, going through the security check, finding the gate, and boarding. Most of my problems have been when there's a connecting flight, if they delay the first flight then there might not be enough time to comfortably find and get to the gate for the second flight, and if they've made it impossible, you have to talk to them and get them to give you a ticket for an alternative plane. They've always been fairly co-operative with me, but sometimes the communication gets garbled. The gate staff sometimes make barely-audible announcements. It's useful to know the layout of the airport, i.e. where the terminals and gates are, and where the rail shuttle is. Your gate number can change, so get it from the information screens at the time of travel.

I try to keep everything really important (irreplaceable, valuable or needed during travel) in my carry-on bag, because even if my wheelie case is small enough to take on board, the airline can run out of space and insist on sending it separately. It's important to get a receipt if they do that. At "baggage claim" they put everybody's luggage on a conveyor belt and passengers just pick their own cases up when they spot them. You'll want to know what belt number yours will be on - the staff behind the desk of your airline company should be able to tell you.

It's good to take everything you might need, obviously. They usually don't allow liquids over 100ml per container, or food. They expect you to keep all your liquids in a plastic bag that you remove when going through security so they can check it. I've seen people "smuggle" their own sandwiches in, which would save some money, but if they find them they'll confiscate them. They don't let you take electronic devices that have flat batteries (can't power it up for them to check what it is), so it's worth renewing them. But they don't often check that carefully. Metal sets off their detector, so try to be metal-free when you go through the security scanner, shoes off, nothing in pockets.

It can be hard to tolerate being in an economy class seat for a long time on a crowded plane. It's very cramped. It's not so bad if the in-flight movies are good, otherwise a small laptop loaded with good movies is helpful. I always take headphones and an mp3 player. I find that playing loud-ish, bassy music through large, closed-back headphones helps to avoid ear-popping from the height changes. Also useful for that is chewing gum. There's usually a vegetarian food choice, and you can order special meals in advance.

I tried telling them online that I was disabled, but they didn't understand ASD, they offered me a wheelchair, and they got somebody to take me to the gate, which wasn't necessary. So these days I don't tell them. You might be able to get priority boarding by telling them.

How to prepare for being in another country, depends on the country. For my USA trips I take clothes, computer, flash drives, 2 batteries, mouse, small wooden board to sit computer on, charging cable, mp3 player, headphones, several bank VISA cards, two currency cards loaded with money of the right denomination, plenty of cash, passport, driver's license, toothbrush, toothpaste, ibuprofens, written details of hotel reservation, written itinery, pens and paper, chewing gum, contact lens paraphernalia, sound recorder, camera, SD cards.

The immigration border control is usually easy, it's just a matter of knowing what you're there for, where you're going, having the money to finance what you're proposing to do, and a valid return ticket. You need to have the right visa in your passport, or to be on the ESTA visa waiver scheme. You'll be authorised as a tourist, so your proposed activities won't arouse suspicion if they're all plausible tourist-like things. I've heard of people getting into trouble for mixing tourism with business, they like it to be simple.

The hospitals and doctors won't do much for you without valid health insurance or a big fee, so don't get ill if you haven't got that. Hot countries can have some nasty insect-borne infections, and weather extremes can be a shock for UK people. Try to stick to reasonably safe parts of the place so you don't get mugged.



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11 Nov 2017, 9:53 pm

A good tip is to have copies of your passport, credit cards and any important papers in more than one place so if you lose anything, it's easier having the numbers to show people when you report anything lost or stolen.


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11 Nov 2017, 10:52 pm

I've given this some thought and I know a lot of people think cruises are for old people, but some of the best holidays I have ever had have been cruises. They are easy! You have your own cabin. Worth spending a bit extra to get one with a window and mid ship. If there is rough weather, being up the front feels worse and being at the back puts you nearer the engines which can be difficult if you are noise sensitive. Also it's worth booking a cabin away from the lifts so you don't have people standing around chatting near your door while they wait.
Cruises have various eating options. Breakfast and lunch tend to be buffets so you can pick and choose. They are also well versed in dietary restriction and understand vegetarian and vegan. If the big dining room is too much, they have smaller bistro type places and my Husband is very good at asking the staff for a table for two in the big dining room because I couldn't handle being at a table with lots of people I don't know. The staff have always been extremely helpful.
They also offer guided day trips from the different ports or you can explore on your own. It's so flexible. You can do as much or as little as you want and you only need to unpack once.
You could do a mediterranean cruise as it gives you a nice taster for different countries. If you don't go in high season it's nicer and cheaper too. :D


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