Made any travel mistakes lately?

[Beano]

Oh, that's interesting. I do use TripIt pro but store PDFs of all my docs under a Trip xx_ under collections in Apple's 'Books' app.



I was going to suggest to start a thread 'Help me with ...' but if it was something like eSIMS, you'd get all sorts of people jumping in with the latest & greatest "Really cheap 50Gb from Hungarian Telecom offered through their Polish site..." and 10 others telling you how to do it 10 different ways. I can only just say I can just manage eSIMS but still have problems with them - like today.

Best if someone can show you in person. But you could try to start a thread for your particular phone type and destination BUT having said all that, I have thought KOLET is very good and simple. Great instructions. Search KOLET on AFF and you'll find a 'referral' thread & go from there.

But as far as docs are concerned, I get everything as a PDF - either scan it myself - passport page, doctors letter, drivers licence etc or e-mail downloads such as vax certificates, travel insurance, rail tickets, air itineraries, anything, and save it to the Books app in iPhone, then organise into each trip. I also carry a folder of hardcopies of the most important stuff, but I also know its on the phone at any time.

Personally I have everything on my Overdrive so can access all documents from any device.

 

[RooFlyer]

Personally I have everything on my Overdrive so can access all documents from any device.

You mean OneDrive? but anything in the cloud you are reliant on being on-line to access; I'm very reluctant to use airport wifi and I keep having issues with eSIMS - like today. I had a working eSIM (Flexiroam) when I landed in Barbados, but it was so crawlingly slow it was useless for bringing up a map to show my destination to the taxi despatcher. I was stuck for 20 mins (no airport wifi at all!)

 

[VPS]

You mean OneDrive? but anything in the cloud you are reliant on being on-line to access; I'm very reluctant to use airport wifi and I keep having issues with eSIMS - like today. I had a working eSIM (Flexiroam) when I landed in Barbados, but it was so crawlingly slow it was useless for bringing up a map to show my destination to the taxi despatcher. I was stuck for 20 mins (no airport wifi at all!)

You can have stuff offline. I have a lot of stuff in Dropbox and before I leave I make sure the relevant docs are available on the device

 

[Beano]

You mean OneDrive? but anything in the cloud you are reliant on being on-line to access; I'm very reluctant to use airport wifi and I keep having issues with eSIMS - like today. I had a working eSIM (Flexiroam) when I landed in Barbados, but it was so crawlingly slow it was useless for bringing up a map to show my destination to the taxi despatcher. I was stuck for 20 mins (no airport wifi at all!)

Sorry, yes, OneDrive, and you make a good point about the security of internet access. You should then carry two devices with access to the telecom service provider. An eSim still latches onto a local network so would be no different to a physical Sim, I would suppose.

 

[RooFlyer]

An eSim still latches onto a local network so would be no different to a physical Sim, I would suppose.

I've found by painful lessons is that some eSIM plans will only get you the lesser carrier in the place, or be limited to 3G or something in places (hence they are cheap). I think that's what happened to me today. Competing for 3G at an airport ....

 

[Cynicor]

I've found by painful lessons is that some eSIM plans will only get you the lesser carrier in the place, or be limited to 3G or something in places (hence they are cheap). I think that's what happened to me today. Competing for 3G at an airport ....

That’s not a problem limited to eSim. Physical can have the same issue. The problem is the sim carrier and whether it’s local vs roaming.

 

[Beano]

That’s not a problem limited to eSim. Physical can have the same issue. The problem is the sim carrier and whether it’s local vs roaming.

With roaming you still link through a local carrier.

 

[Cynicor]

With roaming you still link through a local carrier.

Yes and no. They often vpn home, and you have limited selection of local carrier. It’s not just the best carrier on the ground

 

[RSD]

Oh, that's interesting. I do use TripIt pro but store PDFs of all my docs under a Trip xx_ under collections in Apple's 'Books' app.



I was going to suggest to start a thread 'Help me with ...' but if it was something like eSIMS, you'd get all sorts of people jumping in with the latest & greatest "Really cheap 50Gb from Hungarian Telecom offered through their Polish site..." and 10 others telling you how to do it 10 different ways. I can only just say I can just manage eSIMS but still have problems with them - like today.

Best if someone can show you in person. But you could try to start a thread for your particular phone type and destination BUT having said all that, I have thought KOLET is very good and simple. Great instructions. Search KOLET on AFF and you'll find a 'referral' thread & go from there.

But as far as docs are concerned, I get everything as a PDF - either scan it myself - passport page, doctors letter, drivers licence etc or e-mail downloads such as vax certificates, travel insurance, rail tickets, air itineraries, anything, and save it to the Books app in iPhone, then organise into each trip. I also carry a folder of hardcopies of the most important stuff, but I also know its on the phone at any time.

You guys are waaaaaaaaaaaay more organised and tech savvy than I am. I just print everything before I go and store it in my laptop bag.

 

[VPS]

I rarely print anything when I'm travelling

 

[Beano]

Yes and no. They often vpn home, and you have limited selection of local carrier. It’s not just the best carrier on the ground

Often no selection of carrier.

 

[VPS]

Thought I only had to stay one night to get Accor gold but just realised it's three nights - I was OK with one night away but not three before the end of the year. Damn

 

[eric2011]

Thought I only had to stay one night to get Accor gold but just realised it's three nights - I was OK with one night away but not three before the end of the year. Damn

I've sent you a PM. Have a look

 

[VPS]

I've sent you a PM. Have a look

thanks

 

[JohnK]

Travelling Christmas Day.

Regular parking garage closed so took car there last night. Wasted close to 4 hours taking car there then walk, bus and bus back home.

Uber this morning checking between 3:90am-5:30am and UberXL was $51 and UberMax $66. Went to book at 6:15am and no UberMax but UberXL now $101. Managed to get price down to $93 and ordered UberXL. The charge came out to $108+! Is there a surcharge for Christmas Day the app does not show/advise before booking?

Checking again now and UberXL $56 and UberMax $70. They must have been waiting for me to surge prices.

Moral of the story. Book at Andrews for $400 under cover for 30 days and go there in my own car this morning. Alpha is $257 + Uber $111 which does not leave much saving at all factoring torture last night wasting around 4 hours.

 

[SydneySwan]

Managed to get price down to $93 and ordered UberXL. The charge came out to $108+! Is there a surcharge for Christmas Day the app does not show/advise before booking?

Uber prices never seem to be fixed. That is why I use Didi instead.

 

[JohnK]

Uber prices never seem to be fixed. That is why I use Didi instead.

It would appear that he charged us wait time which is not right unless he counts loading luggage as wait time and then charged for M7 toll as well.

I thought Uber included tolls in quoted rate and taking 3-4 minutes to load luggage should not be an additional charge.

 

[Lynda2475]

Uber shows you the planned route when you book, if the driver deviates from that route the price may change.

I usually find Uber ends up being cheaper as it will default to toll roads and if we take faster free roads then the tolls aren't charged/passed on. If the price is different they send an email with the reasoning.

If you pre-booked the price should have been fixed except for tolls which may or may not be incurred. If you just checked the night before but booked in the morning then yes the price could surge.

 

[drron]

I only remembered that I had to get the Christmas wine today at 1430. No alcohol sales between 1400 - 1700.
I am in deep do do.

 

[JohnK]

Uber shows you the planned route when you book, if the driver deviates from that route the price may change.

I booked at 6:17am and the price shown was ~$95. Loading luggage is not wait time, and adding on a toll is not acceptable either. I did not tell driver to use M7 instead of Inner City Bypass. I wasn't asked either.

Seeing $108+ st end of trip is not a good customer experience. P.S. As I mentioned price nearly half that either side and if I'd ordered a Maxi taxi they were offering $93 fixed rate at the time. Uber should be cheaper otherwise it's just another taxi service.