Jim’s Travel Tips

All frequent fliers have different ways to get over and deal with jet lag. Jet lag is something that is different for everyone. Some people really suffer from it while others barely notice a change at all. I’ve talked with lots of frequent travelers like myself and they all have slightly different methods of coping. But, they all swear by their own methods. So it is a good idea to try several different solutions on different trips to see what works best, or at all, for you. TIP: A fellow traveler used the following method, which he insisted was fool-proof. He would set his watch to the local time of his destination at takeoff. He would eat the meal as close as possible to fit the destination time schedule and take a Tylenol PM when it would be his destination sleep time.

Traveling within Europe by rail can be relaxing, efficient, cost effective, and fun. The web site provided here is a great way to check out schedules to see if your plans will allow the time and to check out pricing. Many of the large gateway cities in Europe (direct destinations from the US) have railway stations integrated into the airport. TIP: Check out this site for planning – www.raileurope.com/us/rail/fares_schedules/index.htm

When looking at foreign travel, it’s usually good to take some extra steps of planning and security. The State Department has made it easier than ever to register your overseas itinerary with them, thanks to the internet. It may seem unnecessary, but it doesn’t take long and is free to do. The ten minutes it takes you to fill out the report is well worth it should you ever need help in a foreign country. Here is what the State Department’s website has to say about it:

“Millions of Americans travel abroad every year and encounter no difficulties. However, U.S. embassies and consulates assist nearly 200,000 Americans each year who are victims of crime, accident, or illness, or whose family and friends need to contact them in an emergency. When an emergency happens, or if natural disaster, terrorism, or civil unrest strikes during your foreign travel, the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate can be your source of assistance and information. By registering your trip, you help the embassy or consulate locate you when you might need them the most. Registration is voluntary and costs nothing, but it should be a big part of your travel planning and security.”

TIP: Go to https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ to register your trip.

Traveling by subway can be a great cost effective method to get around a city. Many cities offer discounts to travelers for multi day passes. New York City and Paris are just two examples of systems which offer great multi day passes. TIP: Use this link to research subway systems in many cities around the world: www.reed.edu/~reyn/transport.html

Traveling internationally requires thinking in terms of different monetary values or currency exchange rates. The tip that I am providing here can provide you with the easiest exchange reference that I have come across. It makes it a lot easier to determine if you are getting a good deal or not abroad. TIP: Go to www.oanda.com/convert/cheatsheet. This site lets you pick the country to country exchange you desire, which you can print. With the click of a button you can print the reverse exchange. These can be cut out and taped back to back creating a credit card sized exchange reference. Just be sure to run the rates relatively close to your trip date as exchange rates will vary somewhat from day to day.

The State Department has a good site for international travel planning. This is an excellent site to check before you travel to any international destination. The Consular Information Sheets provide you with information on the countries you may be traveling to including entry requirements, medical services, crime, etc… The sheet also includes the US Embassy information in that country. They also list any travel warnings that may exist for a country, which are especially important to note, as some life insurance policies are nullified by traveling to a country with a warning. TIP: Check out this web site out before you travel internationally: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html

The major US airlines have marketing and ticketing agreements with many global airlines. TIP: This allows for “one-stop” shopping for a multinational trip. United is in the Star Alliance, www.staralliance.com ; American Airlines is in One World, www.oneworld.com ; and Northwest, Delta, and Continental are all in the Sky Team Alliance, www.skyteam.com . Happy trip planning!

If you don’t know the local language, traveling around a foreign city can be more carefree with assistance from your local hotel. Hotel personnel almost always have a command of the English language. TIP: Before you leave the hotel get a hotel business card or stationary that has the hotel name and address in both the local language and English. This helps if lost on walking excursions and getting local taxis.

Lost, confused, or need some travel assistance in a foreign country where you don’t speak the local language? Don’t try asking someone if they speak English; 9 times out of 10 they will say no or shake their head no. TIP: Politely ask someone with your finger on a map or in a travel book the question you want answered. I have found that most people know a little English to help.