Travel Advice

Kevin Kelly wrote a piece recently entitled 50 Years of Travel Tips and while I agree with much of his imparted wisdom, I struggled with a few of his points which carry a level of inherent entitlement. I think I physically recoiled in horror when I read his suggestion of imposing upon a taxi driver and requesting that they take you to meet their mother.

Understand prevailing social norms. A simple show of respect engenders cooperation when people realise that you have taken time to understand a little of their culture. There is an increasing tolerance of western mores, particularly in conservative societies but boundaries exist and they should be understood and respected, no matter your feelings as to how progressive or not you feel the society you are visiting is.
Learn some of the local language. A universal greeting, please, thank you/no thank you, excuse me, amazing, delicious. Effort is a universal language and being able to express appreciation will more often than not delight a local host.
Do no harm. These words play in my mind whenever I see tourists climbing monuments or ignoring deterrent signs placed by authorities imploring people to behave reasonably when unsupervised. For every sign, barrier or restriction, there was someone who came before who didn't think beyond themselves or the moment.
Be aware of your surroundings. In many contexts, you will be conspicuously different and potentially vulnerable for it. This particularly applies if you're distracted by your mobile phone. Standing with your phone in hand is an invitation to have it stolen and a lit screen at night is advertising for it to be stolen.
Smile. Be friendly. Especially if you deal with check in staff at an airport. It costs nothing. It also won't hurt your chance of a discretionary upgrade. I've seen some spectacular adult tantrums at check in desks over the years and they are unified by a common trait. Just how ineffective they are.
Public charge points and free Wi-Fi carry risks. The same port that can carry charge can also carry data. Voltage fluctuations or overloaded circuits can also damage sensitive equipment. Carry a power bank. They come in various sizes but the larger capacity packs carry a weight penalty and may be subject to cumulative carry on limitations which can vary by airline. This is only a consideration if you're taking multiple devices with lithium ion batteries. If you're connecting with a partner airline, don't assume a universal policy applies and plan to the lowest threshold on the route.
When visiting a foreign city for the first time, take a food tour. Guides will foster local relationships to provide their guests with a great experience and this simplifies logistics and potential local language obstacles. That inside knowledge means you'll eat well, orientate yourself and you might meet some interesting people.
Limit your ambition and leave time for the unexpected. You might want to see it all but it's better to prioritise and plan for the unexpected. Otherwise, you're damned to slavishly complete a tick list time trial. The hard-to-accept truth is that it is far better to spend more time in fewer places than less time in a greater number of places.
Plan airport security. It's an inconvenient evil but people are still having to be told what they can and can't carry on. I appreciate there is variation in some airports (laptop and iPads in/out is a personal favourite) but if you're observant, you'll know what's expected based on the actions of those in front of you. Don't wait till you reach the front of the queue before you start organising yourself.
Pack a spork. They're light, occupy a nominal amount of space and can help keep your hands clean. You can get titanium sporks but I always feel that this is a gamble with airport security. AI image analysis on x-ray machines will likely red flag a metal object and you'll face confiscation or delay as your bag is hand inspected.
Take hand sanitiser & wipes. Despite the lessons of a global pandemic, I often wonder how much was learned based on behaviour I have observed since. I'm not a germophobe but taking reasonable precautions to avoid being ill on a trip has no downside. Equally, there is nothing worse than an ineffective napkin or the hassle of navigating public toilets with luggage. If you use moist wipes, use the biodegradable versions as many contain plastic which break down into microplastics with negative environmental impact.
Pack zip ties and duct tape. You can patch broken zippers, shoes, contain spills and seal damaged bags. Or you can use the zip ties and duck tape in combination to restrain misbehaving children on a flight when the parents don't give a damn. Joking not joking.
Your enjoyment of a trip will be inversely related to the weight and nature of your luggage. Take the right bag for the road. If you visit a city with cobbled streets, you will develop a deep contempt for a bag whose wheel gauge is unsuited to anything but the billiard smooth surfaces of an airport concourse.
Pack what you need, not your wardrobe. Most of us live in paradoxical fear of explosive diarrhoea. The extent of this anxiety can be precisely measured in the volume of spare underwear you pack. In most cases, you'll be able to buy something locally anyway. Also see 34.
Install the local airport app if there is one. Generally push notifications appear in the app before they arrive on networked display boards and this can be useful if you're running late or in a silent airport. It also means you don't have to keep getting up to check departure boards which allows you to setup in a peaceful corner of a departure lounge.
Use luggage trackers and monitor battery life. You don't want Airtags or their equivalent to die when you need them most. I have a lot of devices that use CR2032 coin cells so buy them in bulk. Stored properly, they'll lose 1% a year though.
Don't take drugs. What may be over the counter in one country, may be a controlled drug in another. Singapore is a good example of a destination where discretion is advisable, particularly if you are taking an extended course of treatment. Check admissible types and quantities, particularly if you're taking prescription or strong OTC pain killers (opioids). Have a copy of your prescription.
If you're taking photographs in a public place, ensure you are familiar with local privacy laws. Seeking consent, respecting local cultural norms and avoiding taking photographs of sensitive sites - government buildings or transportation hubs and the like. Flout this at your peril. The penalty for unauthorised photography in Dubai for example can lead to a fine of up to £100k and 6 months imprisonment. Ignorance is not accepted as an excuse.
Aircraft WiFi can be hugely variable in quality and is largely unreliable. To mitigate costs, you need to join the reward scheme for most airlines to access the service or get a free basic data tier. Airlines are actively working to improve this and Starlink is now being employed by several major carriers.
Install local apps. Many popular destinations offer great apps for transportation, food and entertainment. I'll publish a follow up article with some links to those I like.
Use a currency app for making payments. Gone are the days of traveller's cheques mercifully. While cash still remains king in many places, never undertake forex transactions at the airport, you'll get a terrible cross rate. If you do end up with local currency in cash at the end of your trip, try and convert the majority to notes for exchange into your local currency.
Be spatially aware. Stand on the left. Or the right, as appropriate. Just don't stand in the way.
Use a privacy screen if you use your laptop in a public space, particularly on an aircraft or in confined spaces. I've lost count of the number of presentations I've idly reviewed while travelling. Someone can just snap your screen on their phone and extract whatever data they need.
Make your luggage visually distinguishable. The next time you are waiting at a baggage carousel, count the number of black bags on the conveyor belt. Identifying features help protect against someone collecting your bag by mistake. The simple addition of a coloured luggage strap or luggage tag can avoid a lot of inconvenience and disruption.
Take photographs of your checked luggage. If it goes missing, it's the easiest way to help locate it. Also see 16.
Noise cancelling headphones can dull the extraneous hum drum of travel. Crying babies. The invasive drone of jet engines. The frenetic chaos of airport thoroughfares. They have a disproportionate impact in improving the quality of transit time.
Leave the local wildlife alone. I do not know what compels people to want to pet, feed or pose with wild animals. Anthropomorphism and Hollywood have a lot to answer for but in many instances, fed animals turn into problem animals having been habituated into expecting food from humans. By participating in 'Tiger Selfies', 'Walking with Lions' or 'Riding an Elephant', you're endorsing a stage in production line cruelty. Please don't give license to their continued existence. The most effective way to do so is by removing any financial incentive and avoiding local operators promoting these type of activities.
Be patient. I understand all the psychological drivers and anxieties that compel us to stand up before the plane has finished taxiing or to start moving toward the exits before the bus has pulled in. But you won't disembark the plane quicker nor will you miss your stop. Statistically, you're more likely to be thrown forward and injure yourself. That said, if you're flying a short leg in Europe, earlier boarding in your ticket class reduces the risk of your luggage ending up in the hold which is likely to delay you at your destination.
Assume all hotel irons are designed to destroy your clothes until proven otherwise. While rolling your clothing helps to reduce creasing, there is no substitute for a freshly ironed shirt. Test the iron before you use it and if there are scorch marks on the sole plate and it isn't completely smooth, don't even plug it in. Request another.
Have an open mind and ignore stereotypes associated with places. There will always be something to surprise you. One of my favourite examples comes from the UAE where the term 'disabled' doesn't exist as it does in the west - people with disabilities are referred to as 'people of determination'.
Save on network roaming charges with an e-Sim. Most modern phones allow an e-Sim configuration and it will save on excessive fees with your in country network provider. It's also worth turning off all pull updates on your phone as the background data payload can be quite substantial and it's an avoidable cost.
Take your rubbish with you. Many places minimise bins, whether this is a behavioural nudge or for security reasons. Carrying a large zip loc bag keeps your rubbish contained until you're able to find an appropriate recycling/disposal point.
Don't let taking a photograph separate you from the experience of the moment. Taking pictures may be a way of certifying experience but photography is as much about knowing when to press the shutter as it is knowing when to put the camera down.
Laundry detergent sheets or a pen stain remover for clothes take up virtually no space and are perfect for emergency laundry washing or dealing with stains. I've always been slightly circumspect about hotel laundry services and the risk of it going wrong. See also 14.
Carry a black ballpoint pen. If you have to fill in landing cards or entry documents, it'll speed up your transit.
Leave at least a metre from the edge of the baggage conveyor belt when waiting for your bag. It makes life easier for everyone.

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