Going about as a traveller can be an adventure but it is also good to be aware of some of the pitfalls when travelling. Here is a list of tips.
Go to the local tourist office to get local maps, guides and tour spots for free.
Blend in like a local as much as you can and dress if you can like one. Don’t go around with a thick money belt or like a fnacy tourist.
Read a book on where you are going especially a history book as it will give you a deeper understanding of where you are going.
Also guide books are helpful too especially the key areas of interest and places to stay. Look on line at sites like Tripadvisor for some extra information and travellers advice.
Always get behind business travellers not families
they travel light and know the drill to moving fast when it comes to queues in custom,passport or airline check-in line ups.
Never eat in touristy part of town go to where the locals eat
in these areas you will pay top dollar and worst service and food quality. On recommendation of a hotel employee in Rome went to central Rome for a meal and got very little food for a large cost.
Eat out as a treat unless in a hotel with no cooking faciities
however some parks have barbeque areas where you can cook.
probably best to rent a place if there long enough so you have cooking facilities. Go grocery/market shopping as it is interesting to see what the locals eat.
Some takeaway places have specials on at lunch time which can be 60% cost of dinner time . so best to buy lunch menu for later on
Try the street food usually much cheaper than anything else but have to choose carefully.
If you want to know inside information on an area ask someone from a hostel/guide service ,as they usually are a local and know good areas to eat and see local attractions.
Carry a flashlight which can be charged by usb port.
some places on your travels don’t always have great lighting.
Take first aid kit for yourself or others, travelling can be painful with unintended falls, slips etc.
Carry ziplock bags to carry stuff you need to keep dry
Visit historical sites in the low tourist season or when the tourists are busy sleeping, eating or preparing. Usually early, late or lunchtime.
Join a tour to skirt long lineups at historic sites
they usually walk straight in without the queues
If you are paying to use wifi where you are staying go to a cafe which has free wifi. Don’t forget to have good security on your notebook as these places it is easy to steal your data , break into your accounts, a VPN is good, Some hackers sit on these free places pirating passwords and data.
Learn some of the native language before you go and find out what languages they understand, if you know some spanish or French that can go a long way. Learn basic phrases like “thankyou”, “hello”, most people would appreciate some effort.
If staying in a Hotel have a small security camera to monitor your room for unwanted visitors or staff, who may try on clothing perfume etc.
Never carry your pesonal data on you when going out or large amounts of money , limit your losses if the unknown happens.
Use banks and debit cards with little or no fees so that your money can go further. these fees can be atm or currency transaction fees.
Best to use a currency card with preloaded currency on it, a good mix of this with credit cards is good just in case you cant use one. Some places might take one particulat type of credit card. Always have a backup card just in case one gets stolen or broken or lost.
Make copies of important travel documents and send them
to yourself by email. Also carry a copy in your luggage. Take photos of everything you are travelling with , this is mainly for Police reports but for also for insurance reasons.
Take some passport photos with you digitally and some physical copies along with the copies of your passport, International drivers license normal car license and credit cards along with photos of serial numbers of cameras, ipads, and notebooks.
Carry some emergency cash with you somewhere it cant easily be found usually in American dollars.
make sure to let your banks and other institutes that you are going overseas so that they don’t mark you as a villian.
Wander about the area were you are staying to explore the houses and neighbourhood so get off the beaten track away from tourist influence.
Pack light and be prepared to wash clothes on a daily basis to keep clothes clean and ready to use. This may mean rinsing
out in a sink and hanging out to dry.
Connect with locals on websites where you can meet the locals
and get an insiders perpection on the area.
Carry a stainless steel water carrier as it can be refilled. Not too keen on plastic as it can taint the water especially as it heats up.If you can’t drink the local water use a portable water filter to filter the water. The water container should be at least one litre.
i always like walking tours like the one i had at the Coloseum with David, these tours give valuable insight into the site and also local knowledge and you can ask questions. It is worth the cost.
Learn to barter on goods, most sellers will charge the highest price first to see if tourists will pay it. Start low and go from there, walking away always helps. But have some idea what the value of hte goods would be so that you both get a good deal.
If you buy too mant goods for your own luggage you can always post it back to your home address so that it reaches you when you get home.