Travel Tips

Is it rude to give up your seat in Japan?

10/3/2014 5:41:21 AM I live in Japan and every day commute with trains and metro. And can assure you that nobody will think you are rude by offering the seat. From my personal experience: I have a rule to always give up my seat to Disabled/injured people Pregnant women (in Japan they wear a badge […]

How to Reduce the Price of an Awards/Points 'Free' Flight?

How to Reduce the Price of an Awards/Points 'Free' Flight?

9/24/2016 12:14:52 AM Disclaimer: I work at Flightfox To understand how airlines calculate fees and taxes on an award ticket, first you need to understand what makes the price of a cash ticket. Let’s use a one-way AA ticket from NYC to London an example: Total price of the ticket is $1,498.90 and it consists […]

Is it OK to play the piano housed in the lobbies of hotels?

Is it OK to play the piano housed in the lobbies of hotels?

5/17/2015 5:01:59 PM In the Netherlands, NS, the national rail company, has been putting pianos in some of their busiest stations lately. They are always accompanied by a “Graag spelen mij” sign. I think it roughly translates to: please play me. On many occasions I have seen travellers sit down and play. And almost every […]

Any trouble at Florida customs for not paying a California speeding ticket from 5 years ago?

4/2/2015 3:04:25 PM As other posters have said, failure to show up for your traffic infraction is a misdemeanor which will not prevent your entry into the United States. That said, there most likely is a bench warrant issued for your appearance in court in California and they will arrest you in California. This will […]

Travelling LaGuardia – Manhattan with children and bags

8/4/2016 4:40:45 PM I would not take public transportation with bags and kids. We were in NYC recently for a long weekend (no kids). We took a shuttle from LGA to where we were staying near Times Square. I think it was run by NYC Airporter. We had to wait a bit at LGA but […]

How much cash am I supposed to prepay at gas station in the US?

10/31/2016 2:15:55 PM The issue over using a debit or credit card is that if you are a traveler from Europe or Australia, the blessed gas pump asks for your non-existent zipcode. We have postcodes with alphanumerics. Apparently some Canadian cards have been accepted by using the numbers bits of the postal code and right […]

Entering and exiting Canada with different travel documents

8/3/2016 12:29:16 AM This is not an issue because there is no system yet. The current state of exit reporting in Canada is described here. While Canada does get reports of third-country nationals exiting via the land border, Canada and the US do not yet exchange information about their own citizens nor does Canada (officially) […]

Is it rude to talk on a mobile phone for the whole journey, when travelling alone in a London black taxi?

2/8/2015 8:03:04 PM Once a cab driver told me if you sit behind him that means you don’t want to talk. If you sit diagonaly in the back, you want some chating, and if you sit in front with him, you want to talk. Tipping in Europe when paying by credit card? 2/8/2015 10:16:45 PM […]

What's the best way to take a cold shower?

8/21/2015 12:18:42 PM This may be sounds strange but I think it depends a little bit on how cold the water is. I spend some time in a small hut in the Alps and the only water supply came via a tube from a small river nearby. I think the temperature of the water was […]

Tipping in Europe when paying by credit card?

Tipping in Europe when paying by credit card?

3/2/2017 7:47:22 PM I live in the UK and the only restaurants that are known for taking a tip via card are chains like Pizza Express, Outback Steakhouse, Wagamamas, ect. You can write the tip amount on the bill that they give you before you pay. sometimes they bring a PDQ terminal to the table […]

Is hotel deposit deducted from available limit in credit card?

8/1/2016 3:07:20 PM While the hold does come off your card’s credit limit, there are a TON of variables. In short I would consider it money spent at check in, but that has not always been the case. A common example for me is: Check in places a hold, for the entire stay The hold […]

Should I give my Japanese host omiyage/gift when meeting them first or when I'm leaving?

2/14/2019 9:02:03 PM You give it as soon as things have settled down and you’re at their home. They WILL give you something back when you leave, and the value of their gift to you will depend on the value of the gift you give them. Thus, while it is important to not get something […]

Can I fly with a gold bar?

Can I fly with a gold bar?

7/9/2015 8:14:10 PM Anecdotally, you can buy gold at a vending machine in Abu Dhabi airport, in the outgoing terminal. Whilst policies at destinations will vary of course, it’s highly unlikely to be widely illegal whilst being sold at an airport. Gold ATMs are available across the world – not sure I would have believed […]

Can I get Oyster cards at Gatwick airport in the evening?

7/31/2016 6:57:30 PM This site says that you can buy Visitor OysterCards at the GatwickExpress ticket office, and also pre-order them and have them delivered. The Gatwick Express site says that the ticket office at Gatwick is open 24 x 7. You may not need an Oyster Card at all if your debit card does […]

How to check a large backpack?

How to check a large backpack?

9/10/2019 3:23:42 AM What you are looking for is not called garbage bag although it certainly looks similar but a contractor’s bag. Your typical garbage bag will be 0.7-0.9 mil where a contractor’s bag will be 3 mil in other words 3-4 times as thick. Also, they are typically some 42 gallons meaning you will […]

How to sleep in twins beds that are pushed together?

How to sleep in twins beds that are pushed together?

1/14/2015 7:00:57 AM Bring with you a roll of duct tape (Gorilla brand tape would be ideal) and a king size bottom and top sheet. Pull off the bottom sheets from the mattresses, run duct tape around the circumference of the mattresses a couple of wraps, and re sheet with the king sheets using the […]

Wearing shorts with hairy legs in Moscow

9/13/2016 12:32:22 PM I’d strengthen the point by Karlson and the comment by Willeke: Not only does noone care if you have hairy legs, but in Russia, as a guy, you’d probably be getting odd looks and your sexuality would be questioned if you would be found to have shaved legs. Electric razors (Philips OneBlade) […]

Electric razors (Philips OneBlade) onboard in carry-on luggage

Electric razors (Philips OneBlade) onboard in carry-on luggage

2/5/2019 5:39:33 PM Yes, you can certainly carry it in your hand luggage because it’s an electric shaver not a traditional blade shaver. I have one from Remington and never faced any issue in carrying in handbag. Rather I would argue that carrying it in check-in bag can be a trouble because your electric shaver […]

Long term travel without being wealthy – how is it possible?

6/5/2021 7:30:47 PM How to do it? Probably almost as many possible answers as there are travelers. My approach may not work for others, or they may find it distasteful: Pay off all debts including late wife’s medical bills. Get rid of TV and car; learn to bicycle or walk everywhere. (Bus/train/car rental/plane only when […]

My ESTA application was denied, can I go to the US by land instead?

7/25/2016 2:11:27 AM ESTA approval “authorizes a traveler to board a carrier for travel to the United States under the VWP”: see https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1072/~/about-the-electronic-system-for-travel-authorization-(esta). Lacking this approval, technically you’re only prohibited from boarding such a carrier under VWP, but not prohibited all travel under VWP. However because you were denied, this means you were found ineligible […]

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