Travel Hacks/Tips

[PatMcrotch]

A few random things that I do. Common sense stuff:

1)Always take a dual sim phone. I use a sim card for the country I am in and also have my sim card from home in at the same time. I block the calls from home but I have to use the SMS function often for online banking and paying bills etc.

2)Wear one of those money belts with cash hidden inside:
That has saved my butt once already when my cc was blocked.

3)Always carry a copy of my health insurance policy in my wallet. If an accident happens and I am unconscious I want to be taken to a good hospital and I want them to know I can pay for it!

4)Have scanned images of passport,credit cards and travel insurance stored on google drive. Easily accessible from phone or laptop.

5)Use one of those wallets with chain (harder to get lifted with the chain attached to belt loop)

6)Always carry one of those rechargeable power packs in my backpack. Another item that has saved my butt when my phone has gone flat and I needed the GPS!

 

[OzEire]

Divert mobile number to a voice mail service that will email messages to you.

Turn off Data Roaming.

Alby, can you recommend a good one? I
assume these work for Australian numbers?

 

[Chicken]

Check the boot/trunk of your hire car to see if there is

I thought you were going to say check for dead body, in case the car was last hired by some criminal ......

Took me 2 attempts to read your comment properly .......

 

[cove]

Have been lucky with no bodies found in my hired cars!

 

[clazman]

Have been lucky with no bodies found in my hired cars!

The best i have found is a set of false teeth

 

[dmitri]

Just remembered a good hack for Paris- if you can't get a table a Joel Robuchon L'atelier in St. Germain, stay at the Hotel Pont Royal, the restaurant is at the bottom of the hotel and you can get room service from the restaurant. (it's also a good hotel)

 

[TheRealTMA]

Just remembered a good hack for Paris- if you can't get a table a Joel Robuchon L'atelier in St. Germain, stay at the Hotel Pont Royal, the restaurant is at the bottom of the hotel and you can get room service from the restaurant. (it's also a good hotel)

One of my favourite Paris restaurants!

 

[pagingjoan]

Just remembered a good hack for Paris- if you can't get a table a Joel Robuchon L'atelier in St. Germain, stay at the Hotel Pont Royal, the restaurant is at the bottom of the hotel and you can get room service from the restaurant. (it's also a good hotel)

Adding to dmitri's tip: You can also put your name on the Wait List at Robuchon, go next door to the hotel bar for an aperitif, and the restaurant will send someone in to escort you back when places are available. Works a treat!

 

[TheRealTMA]

When needing to get from central London to Heathrow, use Just Airports. Nice new Mercedes van, £30 vs £80+ by taxi. Prompt efficient reliable service IMHO.

 

[pagingjoan]

When needing to get from central London to Heathrow, use Just Airports. Nice new Mercedes van, £30 vs £80+ by taxi. Prompt efficient reliable service IMHO.

That's a good tip!
We use Monarch, at a similar price. Has been totally reliable, over the past few years of multiple visits.

 

[QF029]

I don't understand the paranoia around carrying money. Aside from an initial backpacking trip I just use a wallet and take the same precautions as home with the exception of having a spare card or 2 in the hotel safe or carry on. So far so good...

Edit: I don't explicitly differentiate between cash and cards I just mean for me it's the same as being at home. In the US I use mainly cards. In less developed or policed countries I use mainly cash.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I don't understand the paranoia around carrying money.

Further to that, I now refuse to fly without a reasonable amount of local currency as that's the only reason I was saved from some major drama once when CCs didn't work! Having cash on arrival, is one of my Travel Tips!

 

[TheRealTMA]

I don't understand the paranoia around carrying money. Aside from an initial backpacking trip I just use a wallet and take the same precautions as home with the exception of having a spare card or 2 in the hotel safe or carry on. So far so good...

Edit: I don't explicitly differentiate between cash and cards I just mean for me it's the same as being at home. In the US I use mainly cards. In less developed or policed countries I use mainly cash.

Simple paranoia IMHO. Much more chance of getting mugged in Sydney or Melbourne than in most overseas cities.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Simple paranoia IMHO. Much more chance of getting mugged in Sydney or Melbourne than in most overseas cities.

I am not paranoid and I never carry largish sums of cash - largish to me is >$100 in Oz - >A$200 equiv o/s - I have Prestige and it's worked overtime here and o/s - I just never spend cash unless absolutely imperative both here in Oz and o/s so not paranoid it's just my spend habits - of course others will differ and have the absolute right to do so.

I have a mate who regularly goes on holidays with us to SEA - he exchanges his A$ here in OZ before departure for US$ and then into the currency of country we are visiting - do I think he is a lunatic? Absolutely! Do I tell him so? Absolutely! Does it alter his spend patterns? Not in the slightest - totally up to him - his hard earned / his choice.

 

[Pushka]

I was mugged in Vietnam - bag slashed off me as I crossed the road in HCM by a passenger on a bike. A couple of years later a woman in Thailand died from a similar situation where they missed the bag and slashed her. You call that paranoia?

 

[TheRealTMA]

I was mugged in Vietnam - bag slashed off me as I crossed the road in HCM by a passenger on a bike. A couple of years later a woman in Thailand died from a similar situation where they missed the bag and slashed her. You call that paranoia?

Yes, but s**t happens as our ex-pm was wont to say. Don't walk on the outside of the footpath with a bag hanging out. Put MrPushka on your outside facing roadway.

 

[albatross710]

Simple paranoia IMHO. Much more chance of getting mugged in Sydney or Melbourne than in most overseas cities.

Can be mindful without being paranoid of course. The difference when you are travelling is that you are moving cities and transiting places much more frequently. I do not want to get bogged down waiting for re-issue, calling into local banks, delaying departures, changing flights, extending hotels etc etc.

Something coming unstuck in your home port is easy to deal with as you have your support network and know the systems.

Another travel hack, is to carry a medical kit of basic medicines, broad spectrum antibiotics. A tummy bug can be dealt with easily rather than spending a few days sick somewhere. I use the recommended list from Deb the Travel Doctor. I notice this other thread has some good info : http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/open-discussion/medicines-kit-34408-5.html

 

[TheRealTMA]

Can be mindful without being paranoid of course. The difference when you are travelling is that you are moving cities and transiting places much more frequently. I do not want to get bogged down waiting for re-issue, calling into local banks, delaying departures, changing flights, extending hotels etc etc.

Something coming unstuck in your home port is easy to deal with as you have your support network and know the systems.

Another travel hack, is to carry a medical kit of basic medicines, broad spectrum antibiotics. A tummy bug can be dealt with easily rather than spending a few days sick somewhere. I use the recommended list from Deb the Travel Doctor. I notice this other thread has some good info : http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/open-discussion/medicines-kit-34408-5.html

Oh absolutely. Be very mindful of your environment and treat it with caution appropriate.

 

[Pushka]

Yes, but s**t happens as our ex-pm was wont to say. Don't walk on the outside of the footpath with a bag hanging out. Put MrPushka on your outside facing roadway.

Theres the thing. MrP was walking to my right and slightly ahead of me as we crossed the road where cars were approaching from our right. So he was shielding me. Then this motorbike zoomed ahead straight at MrP. He stepped back or maybe stopped? Bit of a blur, to avoid being hit by it. They zoomed past him and that left me 'exposed'. It was a very planned act.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I don't understand the paranoia around carrying money.

+ 1.

I've no hesitation carrying large sums of cash.