So, you’ve been persuaded by your someone close to you to make reservations for an exotic place. But you can’t even say the name of that travel destination. You know almost nothing about your travel destination.
What’s your plan? When it’s time to travel, are you just going to jump on the airplane? Don’t you think a few minutes of research is going to pay great dividends? I promise you it will.
There are times when traveling ‘blindly’ may have it’s attractions and yes nice surprises too. But often times the key to your nice break from work is to know a little about your travel destination.
Look, you needn’t spend a huge amount of time finding out everything about a place but some basic information before you travel saves you a lot of time when you are at your destination. This in turn means that you will get the most out of your stay rather than to spend a big portion of your time searching and deciding what to do when at your travel destination.
Why not visit the travel section in your local library but do this online to save time. Don’t just look for where you are going but also look for nearby places too. Here are the question you will want to answer:
1. How far is it?
This will dictate whether you need to take more or less reading/entertainment material while en-route to your destination. Also if traveling with children or youngsters you’ll need to cater for their needs to.
2. What is the spoken local language?
You can’t imagine how flattered most locals are when a visitor makes an effort. Just hello, thank you, please, good bye, where is, what time etc make a huge difference.
I can’t tell you the number of times I have had locals bend over backwards to help me out of trouble when I used just three or four basic phrases … they have at times grabbed some local English speaker to help me out. Make this effort.
We’re talking about a tiny phrase book that you can even point to while at your travel destination and the locals will read your phrase in their own language. But learning the basic phrases will not take more than half an hour.
3. What is the currency and can you easily make conversions to your own currency for comparison purposes?
In most countries, your destination hotel is probably one of the most expensive places to exchange currency. Think about it. They don’t service all that many customers, so they make their money out of larger commissions and bigger currency differences than the average bank.
Add this to your list of things to do before or after you get to your travel destination: Where is the nearest high street bank and look for a main branch of a main bank. Hopefully their volume trade means you get better rates.
4. What are the customs regarding tipping?
Do not get ripped off. Find out what the tipping rate is so you don’t spend a big percentage of your money on over the top tips.
5. What, if any, is the time difference?
Don’t underestimate the effect of time difference on your daily schedule when you get there and when you get back from your holiday. If the difference is more than 2 hours, do try to alter your timing for sleep, wake up time, eating etc just slightly, before you go on your vacation.
When you get there, adjusting to local time is going to be much easier. You will spend less of your precious holiday time recovering from the journey.
Do the same adjustment a day or two before you get back and you lose less precious work time when you get back. Somehow I don’t think this one bothers too many people.
6. What is the expected average temperature, and how much does it rain?
You already know how much the weather affects our daily activities. Then you agree that the weather absolutely *rules* your vacation at your travel destination.
Be prepared in terms of clothing but also in terms of the activities you plan and possibly pre-book. For example, if you are going to Britain you will find rain is a year round certainty.
Knowing that in advance means you won’t pre-book a Shakespeare open air play unless you are allowed to cancel without penalties. You will just buy the ticket on the day, if the weather holds up.
Similar considerations go for pretty much any destination. Know what to expect and then you won’t be disappointed.
7. What places do the travel writers recommend visiting?
Many travel writers have got their work down to a fine art. They place the correct emphasis on the relative importance of one thing compared to another. They will pint you a good picture of what a place is like.
Just do a search in the online search engines for something like “London review” or “London holiday review” and you will find plenty of references. The search engines will probably show you the most “liked” reviews because these are the reviews that most people have enjoyed and therefore made popular.
Advanced consideration of these valuable questions will make all the difference to your enjoyment of your travel destination.
Watch the video related to travel destinations
RDA-DVD-PORTUGAL – The Best of Portugal From the Producer of the Television Series: “Goodtimes Travel”, ” Travel, Travel” and “Destinations”… Lisbon and area;Featuring visits to St. George Castle, Tower of Belem, Alfama, Cascais, Mafra, Palace of Pena, Sintra, Guincho, Santa Justa Elevator, The Monument of the Discoveries, The Jeroniamos monastery and more… The Algarve;Featuring visits to Albuferia, lagos, Sagres, The mountains of Monchique, Vale Do Lobo, Vilamoura, Tavira, Portimao …
Help answer the question about travel destinations
What are your ten “must visit” travel destinations around the world and why?If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? What are your ten “must visit” travel destinations around the globe if you could go anywhere in the world every year for the next decade? Would you choose ten different places? Or your favorite place every year? Tell us…
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the girls here is forced to wear that
“Vietnam- One visit is never enough…” Welcome!
watching this video made me want to go back there asap. Planning to go back on June and stay there for 2 months.
shame on you – nobody – and answerers to question the works being done in Makkah.
Isn't trade a blessing in itself and Makkah a city of traders and caravans and the center of major trade routes.
Now for your knowledge, many of the projects being done are endowments, which means the funds and profits from it go to charity organizations.
On the other hand, as the muslim population grows, the capacity and services provided to those visiting Makkah and Madinah as well should be improved and up to the standard.
I dont believe there is anything wrong in making Jeddah a modern city with huge buildings and towers and projects of world standard.
am budget conscious so i'd like fare prices, packages, budget fares and specials at the onset. if you got this for the initial display then i can be further urged to read on as to your other services
I absolutely love Vietnam and can’t wait to go there next year. I’m going to spend a few months really getting into the life and culture there.
how amazingly beautiful! i need to go there before i die:)
cant wait to go to Vietnam next year.
I'd suggest #16 first, followed by #8
Then you can do 4-6, 9-11, 17, 21, 22 and 24 (not necessarily in chronological order)
You can probably ignore 14, 15, and 39-44 for now
Never put anything of value in your check-in luggage, unless you don't want to see it again or don't mind having it damaged. Just leave them in your carry on bag and them put the bag through the x-ray machine. Any traveler that brings a watch must remove it before the metal detector and most people including myself put it in their carry on bag. I've traveled often with two watches and have never had a problem, there are no TSA restrictions regarding watches.
http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm
Trust me, the Ao Dai gives all the girls very nice curves
this man doesn’t know how to pronounce these vietnamese words!
Totally love the traditional dress. You guys are lucky you still wear that in everyday life. It’s beautiful!
would definitely love to visit next time I go home (I’m from Thailand, now living in Europe)
Can’t wait
Oh no, sorry to hear you had such a horrible experience in China! Next time you travel, maybe try http://viamigo.com/ You can connect with independent tour guides all over, and converse with them before agreeing to go on one of their tours. Also, they can customize the tour to what you want to do, so you don't get stuck on such a terrible trip.
Here's the link to the China tours:
http://www.viamigo.com/tours/china.html
Hope this helps!
Ok I am not sure if I did this right but I think the answer to part 1 is the faster car will arrive at the destination in 9.09 min and slower car at 10.909 min making the faster car arrive 1.819 min sooner.
1. It doesn't really matter whether you are considered domestic or international for the DC-to-Newark trip, except for baggage purposes. For baggage purposes, you should be considered international, if your entire itinerary is issued on one ticket (with one reservation code). If it's booked in two separate reservations, you will be considered domestic and charged a fee to check bags on United.
2. The carry-on and liquids restrictions are the same for domestic and international.
3. It depends. If United and Air India has a baggage interlining agreement AND the agent in DC knows how to tag a bag for interlining, you can check your bag through to India. But if United has no interline agreement with Air India, or if the agent doesn't know how to tag your bag or is feeling lazy (these days to cut costs many airlines are using staff who receive low wages and minimal training), you will have to collect and re-check your bag in DC. To have it properly tagged, you must check-in with a human at the airport (or if you use the self-check-in you still have to go talk to a human afterwards and explain the situation).
Also, Lady K's answer above is wrong. You do NOT clear customs, in any city, when leaving the US. You only clear customs when ARRIVING in the US. So, you will not clear customs in either DC or Newark. (But you will clear customs when arriving in India.)
No im not giving you the answer because you oviously are to lazy to do it, and i hate when people come on this website demanding homework answers when first they point out they dont want to learn the subject they just want answers and second they are so rude about it, " Give me the answer" ive hear that alot
OK, I unserstand all of that no problem, but maybe that's because I work at a major International airport in the UK (not Manchester). But what are you asking? What about it don't you understand? email me with more detail and I will get back to you.
My email address is jon.faro@flyglasgow.net