You Might Want Independent Travel

Independent travel or group tours? You’ve looked at tour groups during your trip planning and decided that you really want to be independent. You don’t want to be herded around. You want to sleep in when you want… find little local bistros to eat in… linger in a shop.

Independent travel is a great way to go. There are several ways to approach it. You can rent a villa for a week or a month… or make hotel reservations for every day. You can just arrive and find accommodations as you go… or you can make reservations for the first night or two then start finding your accommodations for the rest of the trip.

It takes less advance trip planning if you decide to find accommodations as you go, but some people don’t like the stress of finding a hotel every night. Part of the process is deciding what works best for you.

As an independent traveler, you can stay in small economical places that groups won’t fit into. It may cost more to stay in larger hotels… group tour operators tend to get good breaks on those rooms. But you’ll probably rub elbows with more locals in that small local place than you would in that big hotel. (Though sometimes that big hotel isolation can give you a little respite if you’re traveling in a rugged or third world area.)

You can use the internet to make reservations at museums and popular spots before you leave on your trip. This means you’ll be sure to get into those museums or other venues, but it also locks you in to a timetable. If you’re feeling a bit more independent, consider making phone calls or using the internet to make those reservations on the road.

You’ll get English speakers on the phone; you’ll probably still get the reservations you want and still have the flexibility of changing your timetable as you travel. (Getting those reservations can help you avoid lines just like the tour groups do.)

Independent travel allows for more adventure and spontaneity. If you end up in a village that looked charming in the pictures… but there really isn’t anything there for you… you can just move on. On the other hand, if you stumble on a great local festival, you can linger and enjoy it. You’ll miss what a tour guide might teach you, but if you feel you need it, you can always hire a local guide… or talk to a friendly local…. You never know what you might find out, and you could end up with a new friend!

If you decide you’d like to rent a car, it will be expensive if you’re traveling all by yourself…. It’s easier for a couple and better still if you travel with friends to share the expense. But traveling with friends and family takes some planning of it’s own!

So weigh you options, tour group or independent travel. Make all your reservations ahead or wing it? A large part of the joy of travel is the trip planning and anticipation.

Tips For Going Through Airport Security

OK… Let’s address the security line. You’re packed and ready for your trip. You need to start planning your strategy for getting through those security lines.

The first trick is to remember to check in online if you can. In the U.S. and many countries, you can do this 24 hours to flight time. Hopefully you have or can get your seat assignments. If you’re traveling on a no-frills airline, by checking in early, you’ll get to board in an earlier boarding group and grab a better seat.

The other advantage if you print your boarding pass at home is you can head straight to security and not have to stop at the ticket counter…. at least if you have a carry-on bag!

If your travel is international, you need to check what the rules are in the country of your departure.

In larger airports, head for the farthest out-on-the-side checkpoint. Generally these tend to be used less than the ones in the middle so the lines should be shorter. In the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration (the TSA) actually has a list that will tell you the quickest line at any airport… look them up online.

In this last year the TSA has been trying something new at a few U.S. airports to speed things up. They have lanes with a black diamond for “Expert Travelers” — for people who know the procedures and are in a hurry. There is a blue square for “Casual Travelers” and a green circle for “Families/People with Medical Liquids” for those who need more time. We’ll go into this further in another article. In the meantime, check with the TSA online to see where you can take advantage of these.

Once you get to the front of the line, just go along with the drill. If you’re a seasoned traveler, you know what to do. If you’re a novice, watch what the others are doing and follow their lead. The Security Officers will also tell you what to do. (Some will tell you nicely… others, well, sometimes they can be a bit brusk, but that’s because they have to keep repeating themselves.)

Take off your shoes and jacket. Empty your pockets of loose change. Cell phones and sometimes watches should go in the bin. Your “one quart/one liter clear plastic bag” of liquids (each 3 oz/100 ml or less!) must come out of your carry-on bag. (Remember, one bag per person,)

Your laptop must come out too unless you have one of the new approved laptop bags that allow x-ray machines to get an unobstructed view of your computer without removing it. You might want to consider investing in one.

Have your boarding pass available and wait for the Officer to wave you through.

BUT YOU’RE NOT DONE YET!

Now you have to put yourself back together. Hopefully you’ve allowed plenty of time for this process, and you’re not trying to rush to catch your flight. Take your time. Make sure you’ve picked up everything you put in the bin.

You don’t want to leave anything behind. Get it all put back where it belongs, and make sure it’s secure. And make sure your shoelaces are tied… you don’t want to trip as you run for the plane… only kidding… you have plenty of time, and you don’t have to run. Right?

Toilet Stories Are A Funny Part Of Travel

Toilet stories…. now here’s a part of travel you might not like to think about. If you’re traveling in rich, “first world” countries, you probably don’t need to worry too much about it. But if you’re traveling internationally, you’re probably going to run into a surprise or two. Talk to people who have been traveling internationally for a while, and they’re bound to have one or two amusing toilet stories.

In the U.S. almost all toilets will be “pedestal style”. Some may be a bit run down, but they will mostly look the same.

In Europe, most of the time you will find pedestal style toilets too. There are some pretty interesting flush mechanisms, so you may have to figure that out.

If you get out into the countryside or into less developed countries, it’s just possible that you’ll run into some WCs that are more like porcelain footprints with a hole. Seasoned travelers often say “Western style” and “Eastern Style”, but you can run into either anywhere in the world. You won’t always have that “throne”, so just make up your mind that you can deal with it.

It always pays to have some tissues or toilet paper in your pocket. Even if you find a toilet that has a dispenser, it could be empty. In more rural areas and more undeveloped counties, TP might clog up the plumbing. In places like that, you’ll see wastebaskets with dirty paper… put yours there too.

Finding a public toilet can be harder abroad than it is in the U.S. If you’re out wandering the street, look for train stations or department stores. If there is a U.S. style fast-food restaurant, you can find a toilet inside. Big hotels will have one tucked away in the lobby somewhere, and they are reliable for having TP. You can find one in restaurants too. If you’re not a customer, ask politely, most of the time they will let you use their WCs. Never leave a museum or restaurant without going – even if you don’t need to. Who knows when you’ll find the next facility.

Many big European cities have coin operated “toilet booths” on street corners. Public toilets often are pay toilets. Carry small change to pay for them. Some will be coin operated on the door, others will have attendants sitting by the door. Even if they don’t insist on you paying when you go in, it’s polite to leave a small tip… it’s usually only the equivalent of about 25 U.S. cents. Don’t expect them to have change… they might, or they might just keep the change if you don’t have anything small enough. It’s another way for them to make a little money… so plan ahead — don’t give away all of your “little money”. It’ll come in handy.

Get used to occasionally having women cleaners in the Men’s rooms and sometimes men attendants in the Women’s room. Lots of toilet stories come from these encounters, but they’re used to it, so you might as well just get comfortable with it too.

When you get beyond Europe, you’ll run into more and more of those “Eastern Style” porcelain holes-in-the-ground. Some will even be just that — holes in the ground. OK… if you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go. Just deal with it, and you’ll come home with some toilet stories of your own.

Sustainable Tourism

For sustainable tourism, we need to protect the cultural environment as well as the natural environment. We need to respect local cultures and ways of life, and contribute positively to local communities.

The potential negative effects of tourism are both local and global… but if we practice sustainable tourism, we can keep the negative effects to a minimum.

If we’re not careful, we’ll degrade the environment and the cultures we travel to see. Where ever we travel, we need to keep in mind that the local people have to profit from our visit. If you go someplace because there are wonderful native handicrafts, you need to buy some of those handicrafts from locals, so they get the money.

If you’re visiting a national park, you need to employ locals as guides so they will continue to value and protect the park. Those are the kinds of things that make for sustainable tourism.

Here are some more things to think about when choosing a hotel, a tour group or activity…..

Is the hotel locally owned and operated so that the profits stay in the community? If not, is it at least staffed by local employees?

How does the hotel contribute to the local community? Do they buy local produce for their restaurant? Do they sell local handicrafts in their gift shop?

If you’re taking a tour, travel with a tour operator who is environmentally responsible. Smaller group sizes make less of an impact… and make for a more enjoyable tour for you!

Is the group lead by a local guide? Does the tour company contribute to the local community in some way? To have sustainable tourism, the local community needs to benefit; not just some global tour company.

When hiking, stay on marked trails. Maintain safe distances from any wildlife you encounter… for your safety AND for theirs. “Leave only footprints”… carry your trash out or use trash bins.

If you’re snorkeling or diving, don’t touch the coral. Be careful with your fins, it’s easy to kick the coral if you’re not paying attention or to stir up sediment. Either way you can damage the reef’s fragile ecosystem… and most reefs are in trouble now, so they need all of our help.

Try to buy local products… You’ll support the local economy… and we all need that now no matter what country you’re visiting. Foods will be fresher, give you a taste of local cuisine and save fuel because they haven’t traveled half way around the world… only YOU have! Fewer imported products will be needed.

Don’t buy souvenirs or other products made from endangered animals or plants. You probably can’t get it through customs, and if you believe in sustainable tourism, you don’t want to contribute to the extinction of another species!

Treat locals with respect. You went there to learn about their culture! Learn a few words… at least hello, good-bye and thank you. Be open to our cultural differences. Read up on the area you’ll be visiting so you’ll know how to dress so you don’t offend anyone. Check to see if there are any behaviors or gestures that will offend your hosts.

Rejoice in our positive differences. Support them, and you’ll be contributing to sustainable tourism.

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