MR Travel Thread

[applegirl]

Wow, all these tips are really helpful.

I'm jetting off from Pittsburgh to sunny Cancun in a little over 5 days, and I'm staying for 3 weeks all on my lonesome. All of the advice I could give is all pretty much Cancun-specific, but I guess the biggest piece of advice is if you're planning on booking a hotel in Cancun (or surrounding area) through a third-party company make sure you call the hotel directly first to make sure it's still standing after Hurricane Wilma. I was there in January and I'd say only 30% of the hotels are open, and there were a lot of folks who booked through websites that didn't check first and had no place to stay and no refund. Avoid getting sucked into timeshare pitches; they tell you it will be 90 minutes but it ends up taking 4+ hours (or so I've heard). Shop around for tour packages if you plan to go to Xcaret, Chichen Itza or Cozumel. I got $45 per person knocked off the price to Chichen Itza because I shopped around.

Ahhh, I can't wait to go back!

Edit: A couple of good websites to go to are tripadvisor.com for hotel reviews, statravel.com for student tickets and hostels, and lonely planet thorntree forums for destination-specific advice/information.

 

[-hh]

General - "Emergency" Packing

I also carry an extra plastic bag (i.e., grocery or some plastic shopping bag) with me to use to separate out my dirty clothes. I keep one in one of the small pockets of all my travel bags so I don't have to remember to pack one.

If you forget to pack one - - or you don't have enough for some reason, you can often find a disposable plastic bag you can grab right in your hotel room. Three places to look for one are:

1. room's trash cans ... they often have plastic bags for a liner
2. the ice bucket ... these sometimes have a plastic bag liner too
3. in the closet ... the bag for laundry service


-hh

 

[~Shard~]

General - Packing for the Plane

If you forget to pack one - - or you don't have enough for some reason, you can often find a disposable plastic bag you can grab right in your hotel room. Three places to look for one are:

1. room's trash cans ... they often have plastic bags for a liner
2. the ice bucket ... these sometimes have a plastic bag liner too
3. in the closet ... the bag for laundry service


-hh

Good tips, I think I've used each one of those locations before myself on my many travels.

It's a good idea to pack your shampoo, hair stuff, whatever, in a separate plastic bag as well - due to the temperature and pressure changes of the airplane, anything stored beneath the plane could ooze out or explode.

Oh, and do not put your contact lens solution or your contact lenses themselves under the plane - the extreme cold can essentially "damage" them, and I wouldn't want "tainted" solution or wrecked lenses sitting on my eyeballs for the rest of the trip. Take them with you in your daypack/carry-on on the plane.

 

[-hh]

General - Packing

Good tips, I think I've used each one of those locations before myself on my many travels.

BTW, this is a really odd travel tip, but...

A cloth bag is better than plastic bags for putting leather shoes in, because it lets them breathe.

How to get one?

Well, the Glenlivet (scotch whiskey) mailing list ("Glenlivet Society") runs a couple of promotions per year for their mailing list members, and some of these have been pretty good. A couple of years ago, their giveaway was a really nice (tartan pattern, of course) drawstring cloth shoe bag.

This past year's swag was a free 32MB USB memory stick. It will vary by where you live as to if you have to buy any of their product, but in some States (such as New Jersey), such promotions have to be free.


-hh

 

[floriflee]

BTW, this is a really odd travel tip, but...

A cloth bag is better than plastic bags for putting leather shoes in, because it lets them breathe.

How to get one?

Well, the Glenlivet (scotch whiskey) mailing list ("Glenlivet Society") runs a couple of promotions per year for their mailing list members, and some of these have been pretty good. A couple of years ago, their giveaway was a really nice (tartan pattern, of course) drawstring cloth shoe bag.

This past year's swag was a free 32MB USB memory stick. It will vary by where you live as to if you have to buy any of their product, but in some States (such as New Jersey), such promotions have to be free.


-hh

If you've got a sewing machine and a little ability making a cloth shoe bag isn't that hard either. My mom used to make them for our shoes growing up. She always used flannel material to make them.

 

[bgd]

Parking Heathrow (and other BAA airports)

Motorcycles park for free.

Chain the helmet to the bike and put your bike kit in the spare bag (you thoughtfully brought) to take with you to avoid the £5 / day left luggage charge.

With the limited luggage space on a bike you are forced to use the 'travel light' techniques already mentioned.

 

[robbieduncan]

...
Actually, in London, I'd recommend avoiding most of the street food-sellers.
...

In addition do not eat in any "Aberdeen Angus Steak House". These only seem to exist in London (I'm from Aberdeen where Angus steak comes from and there are none there). They exist soley on the money from tourists who don't know any better. The food is poor, the service is terrible and they are expensive. The only people I ever seem to see going in are American tourists about to get ripped off who will then go home and tell everyone how bad the food was!

 

[XIII]

Not that relevant, but..

Not really a travel tip per-say, but I felt it wasn't big enough for its own thread.

Just booked tickets (me, family, and cousins) for New Zealand, ages away. Leave December 16th, flying into Auckland, come back January 14th, leaving from Christchurch.

I'm excited, but its a kinda long time to wait.

 

[Applespider]

The food is poor, the service is terrible and they are expensive.

You mean you've been in one to find out? Or did you just look at the congealed plates and looks of horror from those poor people trying to eat beside a plate glass window next to a major bus stop?

 

[robbieduncan]

You mean you've been in one to find out? Or did you just look at the congealed plates and looks of horror from those poor people trying to eat beside a plate glass window next to a major bus stop?

To my great shame I ate in one not long after I came to London. Once. And it was terrible.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Not really a travel tip per-say, but I felt it wasn't big enough for its own thread.

Just booked tickets (me, family, and cousins) for New Zealand, ages away. Leave December 16th, flying into Auckland, come back January 14th, leaving from Christchurch.

I'm excited, but its a kinda long time to wait.

Congrats on the trip. I know the feeling, was the same way booking a 7 day cruise for my sister and myself in Nov of 2005 for an Oct 2006 sailing.

Now I am bargain hunting for long weekend trips to almost anywhere. On a month is my goal.

 

[floriflee]

Travel - Money storage

Keep your wallet in your front pocket (if you have one) or deep in your bag so as to prevent pick pockets from stealing it out of your back pocket.

 

[~Shard~]

Keep your wallet in your front pocket (if you have one) or deep in your bag so as to prevent pick pockets from stealing it out of your back pocket.

Actually, I'll do one better - get yourself a money belt and store all your important documents and money in it. If someone tries to steal something from it, at least you'll get a cheap feel out of it...

Front pockets are better than back pockets, but still not very challenging to an experienced pick pocketer, I wouldn't recommend that. Bags are alright, but a simple knife can cut open bags pretty quick as well, especially if it's just sitting on the ground by your bed in a hostel.

Money belts are hands down the best way to go when it comes to money and passport storage.

 

[floriflee]

Actually, I'll do one better - get yourself a money belt and store all your important documents and money in it. If someone tries to steal something from it, at least you'll get a cheap feel out of it...

Front pockets are better than back pockets, but still not very challenging to an experienced pick pocketer, I wouldnt; recommend that. Bags are alright, but a simple knife can cut open bags pretty quick as well, especially if it's just sitting on the ground by your bed in a hostel.

Money belts are hands down the best way to go when it comes to money and passport storage.

Well, that goes without saying... However, I use the money belt to store everything I don't plan to use that day, and then use a wallet for everything else (see earlier post in this thread). The wallet, if you carry one, should be stored in front rather than back.

 

[~Shard~]

Well, that goes without saying... However, I use the money belt to store everything I don't plan to use that day, and then use a wallet for everything else (see earlier post in this thread). The wallet, if you carry one, should be stored in front rather than back.

Oh yes, absolutely, if you're carrying a wallet that's the way to go. I've done the same - if I know I'm out on a day trip snorkeling, scuba diving, etc. and it's not practical to bring my money belt, I'll lock it up and only take what I need.

 

[Clix Pix]

Well, that goes without saying... However, I use the money belt to store everything I don't plan to use that day, and then use a wallet for everything else (see earlier post in this thread). The wallet, if you carry one, should be stored in front rather than back.

As mentioned in an earlier post, on a recent trip to SF, I used a money belt under my clothing and then carried a limited amount of cash and one card in my wallet, which I tucked into a Le Sportsac waistbag. No purse dangling from my shoulder because I always had the camera bag with me. Sometimes I use the camera bag for stashing my wallet if I'm tootling around town here at home or going to a party or wedding, but never on a major trip. The money belt worked out excellently and there was only one time when after making a purchase I realized that I was going to be a bit low on cash and knew I'd be taking a cab later that afternoon, so just stepped into a ladies' room and fished some more cash out of the money belt, put it in my wallet and I was good to go.

A money belt is a very good thing...it is your friend.

 

[whooleytoo]

UK - Heathrow, London; Security/Privacy

If travelling through Terminal 4 (long distance flights from Heathrow airport), be wary they have been using the new security cameras which have the ability to see through clothes, but not through skin.

Personally I wasn't too bothered by the privacy invasion here (particularly as it meant I skipped perhaps 20 minutes of queuing!); but even I was a little surprised at how revealing the shots were. I wouldn't be surprised if many people (women, particularly) might take offence. The potential health risks are still a tad worrying though.

 

[zimv20]

If travelling through Terminal 4 (long distance flights from Heathrow airport)

that walk is reason enough to keep carry-ons small and light. i've also found that w/ some speedy walking, it's possible to pass up nearly everyone else on your plane and greatly reduce the time needed to clear immigration.

 

[~Shard~]

that walk is reason enough to keep carry-ons small and light. i've also found that w/ some speedy walking, it's possible to pass up nearly everyone else on your plane and greatly reduce the time needed to clear immigration.

Very good tip - I am always conscious of that as well. Much time can be saved in general by increasing the pace of your walk, you'd be surprised.

 

[RideIt]

Also if you carry a back pack, carry it in front of you instead of on your back.

 

[~Shard~]

Also if you carry a back pack, carry it in front of you instead of on your back.

Well, it depends if it's your main pack or not. As long as you've properly adjusted the straps, support, etc., your main pack will be fine on your back and there are no issues with this. And then, if you have a day pack, that is the pack you can wear on your front. I suppose there is nothing wrong with wearing your main pack on your front though as well if you don't have a day pack...

 

[~Shard~]

Pet Peeve - Boarding an Aircraft

Not really a “travel tip” per se, but more of a pet peeve or at least an observation if nothing else.

Why is everyone always in such a rush to board an aircraft when there is assigned seating? Sure, I can see if it’s an EasyJet flight or something, but otherwise, what’s the point? But no matter what, once they announce pre-boarding, everyone queues up like there’s some big rush or something.

Number one, the plane isn’t leaving without you, so what’s the rush?
Number two, you have to wait for everyone to get on the plane anyway, so again, what’s the rush? Why be the first one on board?
Number three, you’re probably going to be stuck sitting on that plane for several hours, so why are you rushing to get on it? So you can extend how long you’re going to be sitting in your cramped seat while breathing stale recycled air?
Number four, why are you standing in line waiting to get on the plane when you could be walking around, sitting down somewhere else, etc.? Again, what’s the rush?



I always chuckle when people exhibit this behavior, which is pretty much every single flight I’ve ever been on. I am quite content to wait until they announce “final call” or until there is no line-up at all, and I am the last person waiting to board the plane before I get on. I'll go fro a walk, stretch my legs, whatever. I just don’t get people’s “hurry up and wait” attitude when it comes to this. I love just walking onto the plane, not lining up, taking my seat, and pulling out my book/iPod/whatever for the flight.

Just thought I’d share that – I have to assume I’m not the only one who has observed this.

 

[gekko513]

~Shard~ I agree with you, but there is one reason to be among the first to board and that is if you have cabin baggage that you want to go in the over head compartments. If you're unlucky your baggage will have to be stored somewhere that's not near your seat because all the space has been occupied.

 

[zimv20]

Why is everyone always in such a rush to board an aircraft when there is assigned seating?

it's reaction to a resource allocation problem. there are enough seats, yes, but overhead space is limited (especially with all the jackasses who greatly exceed their carry-on limit, nearly always w/o a word from any personnel). also limited are pillows and blankets on many flights. and the first one there can plant an elbow on that armrest!

but i think the mentality goes beyond thinking, in that we all feel a need to establish our own space. getting there before others allows one to establish their territory.

i'm with you, though, it's ridiculous. and the number of people allowed to pre-board for various reasons, plus the scofflaws, makes the "board the back first" concept nearly obsolete. i think a better method would be to board the window seats first, then work towards the aisles.

 

[Applespider]

Why is everyone always in such a rush to board an aircraft when there is assigned seating?
I am quite content to wait until they announce “final call” or until there is no line-up at all, and I am the last person waiting to board the plane before I get on.

I fall between the two camps - my ideal is to get on a relatively quiet plane just before it's scheduled to depart but if I've been at the airport for a while, then I just want to get on the plane and get comfortable. I tend to choose window seats and I like to get myself organised before the person sitting in the middle/aisle show up.

What I hate most is waiting til they make the Final Call and there's no queue when you arrive at the gate only to find that there's a line most of the way up the air-ramp. I'd rather be cramped in my seat for an extra 10 minutes that standing in a pokey concertina!