Comments on: 10 Travel Lessons From A Wanderer

By: El Dario Cafe

El Dario Cafe — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 03:57:31 +0000

1. Make sure that your shoes are comfortable and functional for your trip. I left Kansas City for Lille France with new pair of western boots. I never wore them again.
2. Minimize your luggage. On each trip to work in Europe, I take as small a bag as I can get by with. On the return trip it is parked in a larger bag with souvenirs.
3. A daughter just got back from a business trip to eastern washington. She was robbed in her motel room as she slept. If you don’t need something any longer, and won’t need it for the remander of the trip – send it home. Have a commercial postal box to send it to that will hold on to these packages – that does not have your home address, etc. Money can be sent directly – registered mail to your bank or the private mail box.
4. Use a money belt.
5. Use full service banks for money exchanges. A friend changed US money in a foreign gas station – we figured she paid thirty-five dollars for a coke. And you will be in a hurry in stores or passing through airports – too busy to count your money. I almost lost a wallet with twelve hundred dollars at Le Gar Nord, Paris; next time – money belt. A lady in our group in France had a clutch purse loosely parked in a large bag. A bunch of girls gathered around her at a train station, and left with her purse, twenty-five hundred dollars, and credit cards These are expensive lessons.
6. In the future I will do my travel with a lot of zippered pockets or those with velcro. Dress casual – if you are wealthy, dress down. Don’t flash your money. And women traveling alone/with other women need to travel at least in pairs. Subscribe to travel magazines that offer warnings, cautions, suggestions to keep you out of trouble. Check the countries that you are to visit – more other countries as Mexico and Canada have new regulations.
7. If you are traveling in Mexico, and have an accent, keep your mouth shut, and let someone else do the talking. When the border people here you speak with an accent, they want a passport. That is dangerous on the Mexican border!

I need to write my own book – there is too much more.

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By: len

len — Sat, 08 May 2010 00:23:10 +0000

i always try to push “working holiday visa” ideas on anyone that crosses my path at work (i work at a cheese shop right now), and they’re always surprised that something like that even exists! i also agree with one of the reply posts above, that, actually living in a different city is much better than just traveling. i consider living, to be actual travel (the experience is much different, if you have to work as well), and the latter to be more, vacation/luxury travel. to each their own.

i call myself, “the wandering ch!nk” and when i travel, all i have, is a brief overview of the city/place, and all i find for myself, are two maps. public transit, and a full map with street names. wandering rocks!

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By: Backpackers' Karma And Travel Tips From A Wanderer - Backpackers.com

Backpackers' Karma And Travel Tips From A Wanderer - Backpackers.com — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 07:17:16 +0000

[...] second article backpackers might find interesting (and useful) is Shona Riddell’s 10 Travel Lessons From A Wanderer. In it, Shona offers her top ten travel tips for for newbies or people considering taking time out [...]

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By: Jacqueline

Jacqueline — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:21:20 +0000

Definitely a great post, and I totally agree on #7 – I’ve always found the best hostels/pensions, places to eat, and general experiences while just wandering or by taking the advice of locals.

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By: Marty

Marty — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 01:31:09 +0000

Great post. The tips are really good. I would also suggest that travelers spend some time in each place to get the real feel for the culture and atmosphere. Thats what traveling is all about!

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By: Sheila at Family Travel

Sheila at Family Travel — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 01:19:09 +0000

I would recommend finding a way to live in another country for awhile; teaching English, a government program like the Peace Corps, etc.

There is just no comparison to going as a traveler and going as a resident, plus if you’re already planted in Asia or Europe or Africa or whereever, it’s so much easier to launch yourself to other countries.

My family and I have lived in Japan and the Netherlands, and I’ve lived in Bahrain as a youth; the experiences are incomparable.

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By: Sergey

Sergey — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:37:39 +0000

Interesting points!

Especially 5,6 and 10 for those, who goes abroad for a first time.

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