Admittedly, feeling this way, suffering from [...]]]> Are you bored with the same old travel destinations? Has that “been there, done that, bought the tee-shirt,” attitude taken a firm grip on you? Do you find Paris a bit tedious now, Rome crowded, smoggy, and too noisy, and London just a big urban sprawl with perennially soggy weather?

Admittedly, feeling this way, suffering from travel ennui or boredom as it were, is hard for many people to imagine, especially those that haven’t traveled much yet, or do, but still enjoy it thoroughly each time. How could someone not like London, for instance? After all, as Dr. Samuel Johnson once said, “He who is tired of London is tired of life.”

Dr. Samuel Johnson, Public Domain Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Yet, some travelers, me included, do find sometimes that we have done most or all of the big “touristy things,” that London has to offer. To a very real extent, this is also true for me of Paris, Rome, Monaco, and several other major European cities. I mean, once you’ve toured the Tower of London (three times for me), gone to Buckingham Palace, watched the changing of the guard there, been to the Parliament buildings, Harrods, Saint Paul’s Cathedral, museums, walked the parks, done Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar square, etc., it does get a little hard to find something new and fresh to see.

Of course, it took more than one trip for me to get to this sad state of affairs. I’ve repeatedly visited London, recently on an annual basis, and enjoyed it every time. Still, after a while, one does run out of things to do. And mind you, I still like London, but now I feel perhaps too comfortable there, almost too much at ease. Translation: I don’t feel the excitement I used to feel when going there. The same holds true for me with regard to those other places I’ve mentioned. Although still fun and enjoyable, I don’t feel a lot of the exhilaration I did when I first went to those cities; saw them for the very first time.

So what is the seasoned or even world-weary traveler to do to regain this sense of marvel at the new and the strange? How do we rekindle our once-innocent enthusiasm for simply stepping foot into a foreign land, when we’ve already been there so many times before?

Well, the answer is that there are two obvious alternatives, two possible solutions to the bored traveler’s problems. The first one is to try to find new things of interest in those same cities you’ve already visited. And don’t fool yourself into thinking this can’t be done. I don’t care how much, or how often you’ve seen Paris, London, or Rome, for example, there is still a wealth of hidden travel treasures to be found in each of those metropolises.

Temple Church, London, Author John Salmon Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

For instance, on my last trip to London, having recently viewed the movie, and then read Dan Brown’s, The Da Vinci Code, I decided to do a sort of Knights Templar tour of London, visit those places there that were in the movie and book. I made some marvelous discoveries in the process. And my sense of wonder and newness came back to me. So interesting was this whole idea to me that I even traveled on to Glastonbury Abbey, and then to Roslyn Chapel in Scotland. You see, there was something new and wonderful to experience, and I hadn’t even realized it, because my personal perspective acted as blinders for me, shut out possibilities that were right there for the taking had I but opened my eyes and bothered to look.

Knights Templar Effigies, Temple Church, London Public Domain, Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

So perhaps a traveler’s boredom may be nothing more than taking the wrong approach to things. Maybe, all the world-weary globetrotters need do is to change their personal perspective on things and a new world of wonders will open for them. I remember the movie, 84 Charing Cross Road, where Anne Bancroft said that whatever it is one seeks in London, they will find it there, whether it is the “literary London,” or whatever. This is true, I’ve found. And it holds true for all those other places as well. So the first solution for the tired traveler, the one bored with the “same old, same old,” is simply to reorient themselves, personally, to the possibilities of discovering new things in familiar places. They are there. Trust me!

The second solution is simply to strike out and discover something entirely new, to go to some place or land that is completely different. Explore a different part of the globe, not just one with which you’ve come to feel “comfortable” and safe. Exotic places still abound, are still there waiting for the bored globetrotter.

Yurt, Mongolia, Author, Bouette, Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

By exotic, I don’t mean extreme, although there are places for travelers who like that sort of thing, too. If you want something of this nature, there are plenty of such destinations, such as the steppes of Mongolia, the old Silk Road through Asia, the jungles of Borneo, a trip to the northernmost reaches of Canada or Alaska.

Frankly, such journeys are a bit too much, a little too rough and unpredictable for me. Although I don’t want to feel too comfortable in my travels abroad, neither do I want to feel too uncomfortable, either! I don’t wish to bribe border officials to gain entry when I have a perfectly good visa for the purpose, ride on the back of a camel for days, or sleep in a freezing yurt in the middle of a bitterly cold and barren plain. So I guess I’m a sort of “middle-of-the-road” kind of guy. For me, extreme travel is not to my tastes, although “exotic” is.

Paul Gaugin, Title “Cruel Tales” (Exotic Saying)Tahiti, Public Domain Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

By “exotic,” I mean places of real interest, out-of-the-ways ones, perhaps, and those that may be a little more difficult to get to, off the beaten path. For many Americans, even Cuba is an exotic place, because few of us get to travel there. But there are so many other possible destinations, as well. Here’s a brief, partial list of possible exotic destinations:

Argentina, Armenia, Bolivia, Cambodia, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Guam, Guatemala, Iceland, India, Jordan, Latvia, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Lithuania, Paraguay, Peru, Ukraine, Uruguay, Nepal, American Samoa, Siberia (Russia), Sicily, Sri Lanka, Tahiti, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Viet Nam, and Zanzibar.

See what I mean? There are many less-traveled places. Of course, always check with the US State Department (see Currate.com’s post related to Travel Warnings) as to how safe your particular destination may be. And remember, these are just a fraction of the available exotic places to which one can travel. There are so many more. Why don’t you go to Western Australia, rather than the eastern side for a change? Why shouldn’t you take a trip to Tasmania? There are all sorts of such possibilities worldwide. Did you know there is even a cruise to Antarctica available at times? So if you are tired of the well-worn tourist route, any of these places may make exciting alternatives to see something new and fresh.

Another thing to remember if traveling to new places, you must be careful to understand and know the currencies there to avoid unpleasant surprises. For instance, although you may be very familiar with the British Pound Sterling and its current exchange rate, what is the exchange rate for a country like Peru, Brazil, or Mali? What is their local currency? What does it look like?

Brazillian Currency, Author Felipe Micaroni Lalli, Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

To find this out, just go to Currate.com. There, you will find over 4,000 currency  images of the world’s currencies, an easy-to-use currency conversion calculator, regularly updated exchange rates, and even a Google Map of World Currencies. So, no matter how exotic the place you may be traveling to, you can go with the “comfortable” knowledge you know their currency by sight, and their exchange rate values. For those with a mobile phone that has Internet browser features, http://currate.com/m.php is the place to go. If your mobile phone has enhanced features, then use http://currate.com/e.php. Both give you instant access to Currate.com, and one shouldn’t travel without ready access to it, because although we may all want exciting trips, when it comes to exchanging money, surprises aren’t necessarily a good thing!

In addition, there is a caveat here for travelers who are bored and want something new and/or exotic to see. If you, as the traveler, cannot find it in yourself to marvel at the various places and things of this Earth, and are not filled with wonder by its wonders any longer, then you will be disappointed no matter where you go. You see, the wonder of traveling ultimately comes from within us, not from without. You, as the traveler, must have the right attitude, the right frame of mind in order really to “see” the marvels of this planet.

But then, for those of us who love to travel, we already do have that ability! But sometimes, just sometimes, we need that little extra stimulation, that additional touch of the exotic, to fire up our traveling imaginations once more. So, whether it’s the Knights Templar London you are looking for, or “literary London,” if you are willing to seek it, “then you shall find it.” Because when it comes to traveling, never were truer words spoken.

Rob Shelsky, Currate.com Contributing Editor
Robert Rademacher, Currate.com Editor-in-Chief

References:

Exotic Vacation Destinations
http://www.destination360.com/travel/exotic-vacation-destinations

Hidden Travel Gems
How To Get There, Where To Stay, What To Do
http://www.hidden-travel-gems.com/

Exotic Travel Destinations
http://www.infocustravel.com/

Tahiti Getaway.com
http://www.tahitigetaway.com/tahiti-islands.asp

Exotic Travel Destinations
http://www.popdex.com/exotic-vacations/exotic-travel-destinations

Antarctica Cruises
http://cruises.about.com/od/antarcticacruises/a/antarctica.htm

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Ever had a vacation virtually ruined and not by a disappointing destination, but by the flights themselves, either going there, or coming back? And I’m not talking about lost luggage here, which admittedly is always a major pain and statistically is happening more often with each passing year. Rather, I’m talking about the whole [...]]]>

Ever had a vacation virtually ruined and not by a disappointing destination, but by the flights themselves, either going there, or coming back? And I’m not talking about lost luggage here, which admittedly is always a major pain and statistically is happening more often with each passing year. Rather, I’m talking about the whole “horrible” flying experience.

O’Hare Airport, Chicago, Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

You see, if flying used to be “fun,” most of us don’t consider it so anymore. According to many sur­veys, most people would prefer to drive to their destina­tions, rather than to take flights to get there. Why? Well, let’s be honest – there are a whole host of reasons. From booking tickets, mak­ing sure you have some of the local currency to use when you get there, getting to the air­port, going through secur­ity, being packed into what feels like a sardine tin, and then perhaps being stuck there for hours waiting for a “slot” to take off, is no picnic.  Then, if you have a connecting flight, you get to look forward to racing to try to make that connection, if you can make it at all, because your first flight was so delayed. What’s worse, it all seems so unavoidable, because you simply can’t drive to most foreign destinations. You have to fly.

So, how do we avoid these scenarios? How do we have a stress-free flight?

Well, although no plan is fool-proof, there are steps you can take to avoid many of the standard problems, and/or alleviate others. Here are some good tips:

Long Night At The Airport Because Of A Missed Connection - "Work by User: Mattes" Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

• Take Care Booking Your Flight. This is of paramount importance. Many problems come from poor or incorrect booking of flights. Make sure you research the costs, that all fees are included in your final price. Then, be certain you’ve selected your seats both coming and going.  If you have children along, consider selecting seats closer to the toilets.
• Make Sure Your Layovers Between Flights Are Long Enough. Yes, we all hate those long layovers between connecting flights, but they are becoming more necessary for practical reasons. Flight delays are climbing in frequency and length of duration. So, make sure you allow enough time to make it from one connecting flight to the next. Often, an hour is simply not enough. It certainly isn’t if you have to go through customs. Besides, it’s better to spend an extra hour in an airport rather than an extra day because you missed that connecting overseas flight.
• Tag Your Luggage — Check The Weight Allowance. Different airlines allow different amounts of luggage. Many charge extra for checked bags. Be certain of the total weight limit. Get that wrong and you’ll think you are carrying gold in that “extra” suitcase, because it will cost so much to take it along! Often, online, as with Virgin Atlantic, you can find a website that gives you precise limitations as to maximum size of a piece of baggage, number of pieces, and total weight limit. Make sure you stay within those parameters. Tag your luggage clearly. If it gets lost, this will help them get it back to you. And remember those longer times between flight connections I’m promoting? They help to avoid lost luggage. Tight connections mean your luggage may not make it to that next plane, even if you do!
  

  Airport Security Check In Line - Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

• Have Some Local Destination Currency With You. This is important. At the end of several flights, perhaps a day or more in length, you will probably just want to get to your hotel and collapse. This usually involves a taxi, bus, shuttle service, train, or subway ride. You will need local currency for these. What’s more, you should have a good idea of what that currency looks like, what the current exchange rate is, be able to quickly calculate and compare costs. Otherwise, that taxi ride, as compared to a shuttle, may turn out to be prohibitively expensive. For help with this, go to Currate.com.

At Currate.com’s website, you will find everything you need to resolve the above issues. They have regularly updated exchange rates, a reliable onsite currency calculator. What’s more, they even have images of over 180 world currencies. So, if you need to know what an English pound looks like, versus an Egyptian pound, for instance – no problem! Besides all this, Currate.com has a Google-style, world map for you to use where all you have to do is point to your destination and click. As if that isn’t enough, Currate.com has another, wonderful feature, as well. If you have a mobile phone with Internet browser capability you can just go to, http://currate.com/m, or for phones that can handle enhanced capabilities http://currate.com/e. This way, among other things, you always have access to up-to-date information on the current rates of exchange and access to the currency conversion calculator. For this reason, I find Currate.com and my mobile phone indispensable tools when traveling.

• Always Have Your Paperwork Handy. This includes your tickets and photo identification. Two or more versions of photo identification are best, with one obviously being your passport and/or any visas you may need. Keep these in a folder, that you can quickly access, because just going through security, for example, can require you to show them several times. And, you will be required to display this paperwork coming and going, so truly – keep it handy!
• Carry Your Bag With You Onto The Plane. I’ve mentioned this before, but it is so important. Because luggage does get lost with ever-greater frequency these days, make sure you always pack an overnight bag to carry on the plane with you. This should include anything you consider an absolute necessity, including any paperwork, prescriptions, a change or two of clothing, cameras – anything you need to make sure that your holiday is a reasonable success.
• Relax And Dress Comfortably. You’re on vacation, try to enjoy it. Not everything will be perfect, but it can all be seen as an experience. Getting angry won’t resolve your problems. Staying calm and collected is a much better idea.  Clothes should be comfortable for those long flights. You can always change into something more formal once at the hotel.

Will all this guarantee you a stress-free flight? Sadly, no. That’s just not possible. For example, who might be seated next to you, or how they behave, is still up to fate. And super-long flight delays can still wreak havoc with your plans, those connecting flights. Weather can interfere. And lost luggage, again, is always a problem.

Commerical Airplane In Tow at OHare Airport Chicago - User: Arpingstone, Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Nevertheless, if you do remember always to take the above steps, you help to assure yourself that there will be fewer problems. They will occur less often, and usually will be less severe in nature when they do occur.  And that will go a long way to reducing your airline travel stress. And remember Currate.com. It will go a long ways to helping you reduce stress over knowing the most up-to-date rates on currency exchanges. Keep that mobile phone with Internet browser capability handy!                          

Rob Shelsky, Currate.com Contributing Editor

References:

Travel Trips For Making Airline Travel Less Stressful.
http://www.travelpost.com/articles/airline-travel-tips.aspx

Virgin Atlantic Baggage.
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/us/passengerinformation/baggage/index.jsp

Lost Luggage Count Rising: Airline Consumer Group.
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/03/17/baggage.html?ref=rss

How To Prevent Lost Luggage.
http://www.squidoo.com/lost-luggage

How To Reduce The Stress Of Traveling.
http://stress.about.com/od/situationalstress/a/travel_stress.htm

To Drive Or Fly? Top Tools For Choosing.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/070610/18driving.htm

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Traveling is one of the most exciting and pleasurable things to do in this world. That is, unless you have your valuables stolen from you. Then instead of a great trip, you have a great deal of trouble. It can be a disaster if someone steals your passport, tickets, credit cards, or money.

Believe [...]]]>

Traveling is one of the most exciting and pleasurable things to do in this world. That is, unless you have your valuables stolen from you. Then instead of a great trip, you have a great deal of trouble. It can be a disaster if someone steals your passport, tickets, credit cards, or money.

Believe me, it can and does happen – a lot! One couple I know lost their passports and tickets at Heathrow Airport in London, right after landing there. These were just lost, not stolen. The couple had laid them down on the roof of their rental car while loading their luggage. They drove off, forgetting about this. The folder holding the items fell onto the pavement of the car park. Luckily, an honest person found the packet and eventually returned it to them, intact. However, the couple went through days of anxiety, repeatedly called their embassy, had to alter their trip schedule, and had to fight London traffic at rush hour to meet the man to regain their passports and tickets. Then, of course, there was the cost of the “reward.” This whole scenario ruined days of their precious, once-in-a-lifetime trip! And that was just losing the items, not actually having them stolen. In such a case, their problems would have been far worse.

So, here are some quick tips to avoid having your valuables stolen:

• When arriving or departing airports, train stations, hotels, bus depots, or taxis, you should always be aware of your valuables. This, as with the couple mentioned above, is when a lot of losses and thefts occur. You are distracted. It’s easy to forget you laid your passports down somewhere, like on the seat next to you in the taxi that just drove off with them. So focus when in these situations. Don’t forget for a minute how important your passport, for example, is for your trip.

• Try to keep your valuables with you at all times. A small overnight bag, the type airlines allow with you onto the plane, is a good place to store valuables. Remember, you want them near you, or in your sight as much as possible.

• Don’t carry valuables where thieves can easily access them. This means avoiding using purses, outer specialty compartments of luggage easily accessed, or in outer pockets of your clothing. Men like to carry their wallets in their hip pockets. Thieves know and love this!

• Upon your arrival at a hotel, try to have your valuables, including your passport, placed in the room safe. If one isn’t available, perhaps you can use the hotel safe. Don’t leave your valuables in your room while not there! This is placing too much trust in sometimes-transient hotel staff.

• When you need your valuables with you, don’t be afraid to use a money belt. Yes, this sounds old-fashioned, but it works. Often, you might also want to use a wallet, as well, to carry a small amount of money, but keep the bulk of it, and other valuables, in a money belt.

• Try not to carry large amounts of money on your person and if you do, don’t display them in public. Pulling out a huge wad of cash to pay for something in a restaurant, hotel, or shop, is a sure way to garner the wrong type of notice.  Instead, obtain the local currency as and when you need it.

With this last bit of advice, the issue is raised as to where and what the cost of obtaining the currency will be. Currate.com can help you with this. With Currate.com’s daily updated and reliable conversion rates, you will always know what the current exchange rate is. And if you have a mobile phone with Internet browser capabilities, you can have the conversion rates any time, and practically anywhere. Just go to http://currate.com/m.php, or http://currate.com/e.php (for phones that can handle more enhanced features).

And as always, banks, or bank ATMS are usually the best place to get cash, offer the best conversion rates. But do remember there are fees, so balance what you think you will need with what these withdrawals will cost you in transaction fees.

Oh, and with regard to that “couple” mentioned earlier – I was the one who placed the folder with the tickets and passports on the roof of that car. And if a seasoned traveler like me can make such a mistake, anyone can.  So, please be careful.

Rob Shelsky, Currate.com Contributing Editor

References:

How To Protect Valuables While Traveling
http://www.ehow.com/how_4523951_protect-valuables-traveling.html

How To Keep Your Valuables Secure While Traveling
http://www.flights.com/tips/Keep-Your-Valuables-Secure-While-Traveling.html

Theft While Traveling
http://www.da.usda.gov/pdsd/Security%20Guide/T4travel/Theft.htm

Don’t Let Your Valuables Vanish On Vacation
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517331,00.html

Security While Traveling
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/crime-prevention/docs/Sectrav-web.pdf

Bookmark It

Hide Sites