Questions tagged [tips-and-tricks]

Hints for solving a variety of travel issues, especially problems that require experiential knowledge to solve or are not covered by traditional travel books or resources.

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Is the bus Turin → Verbania working in 2018?

This a bus that goes from Turin to the Maggiore Lake area every sunday during summer months. The information about the bus schedule on the official bus company website is from 2017. I've seen that ...
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19 votes
2 answers
3k views

Can travel agents "reissue" tickets?

Story A friend once missed an international flight (USA => MidEast) because he mistook the flight number for the flight time on his itinerary. His flight number was something like "430", and his ...
28 votes
1 answer
4k views

Can my proof of onward travel from the US be to a country other than my country of citizenship?

I want to travel to the USA on August 11, and leave again on the 21st to Taiwan. I already booked a round trip from Germany to the USA. My return flight is on October 2, which I plan to miss because I ...
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22 votes
4 answers
14k views

How to pay for things in Greece?

My boyfriend and I are headed to Greece (Athens for some time and islands for some time). We plan on bringing euros that we ordered from our personal banks in the States. But I am curious what the ...
4 votes
1 answer
284 views

Campania Artercard from Pianura to Naples, Pompei, Vesuvius

I'm going to visit Naples (Italy) and will stay there for three days. Right now I'm trying to figure out what kind of card/transportation is more suitable for me in terms of price. I will live in the ...
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43 votes
15 answers
10k views

Tips to avoid forgetting a bag

I have recently left a bag behind in a train. It was a long travel day, and the last stage of it was a train ride with a change half way through. We were in a hurry to catch the connection, and were ...
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3 votes
3 answers
511 views

Economy ticket, but enjoy first-class service?

Recently, I've been watching YouTube videos of people reviewing First/Business Class seats/suites. I noticed that on some of the airlines (mostly non-US) airlines, there is a "companion" seat within ...
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5 votes
1 answer
473 views

How can I find out whether skipping the first flight in a booking will void the return?

Recently I had a return flight booked for me by a travel agency. The outbound flight was on Lufthansa, while the return was on British Airways. The booking had a unique PNR, and in the LH system it ...
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11 votes
2 answers
6k views

How to minimize cost for cash withdrawals at French ATMs with a Bank of America card?

If I need to withdraw cash at the ATM, what is the best practice to minimize fees? In the USA I bank with Bank of America.
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2 votes
1 answer
815 views

How do I enter a Portugal address into a Garmin Satnav?

The address is: Encosta Cabo Girao Quinta Girao Empreendimentos Turisticos Lda. Estrada 1 de Julho nú 2 9300 - 081 CÀmara de Lobos Madeira, Portugal When I enter the postcode that I assume is "9300 -...
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8 votes
1 answer
26k views

Should I keep my enhanced driver's license in its anti-RFID sleeve?

I have an Enhanced Driver's License from Washington, which comes with an RFID protective sleeve to keep it in. From the Washington Department of Licensing EDL FAQ page: The passive RFID tag ...
10 votes
1 answer
282 views

Safely disposing of agricultural contraband

I have the habit of taking an apple, orange, or other portable fruit from hotel breakfasts and tucking it into my bag to eat later in the day. I might do this each day of a 5-day conference, for ...
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3 votes
1 answer
878 views

Travelling with récipissé [closed]

Can one travel outside France with a récipissé? My card has expired in June 2017 then I got a récipissé from the préfecture until 26 December 2017. Can I travel to India on this récipissé?
73 votes
1 answer
9k views

My online friend is asking for money in order to visit my home country. Is this a legit request or a scam?

On Travel.SE we often see questions about a person (usually a love interest) asking for money to pay for airfare, visas, permits and other expenses. For example Visitor requesting a cash advance to ...
19 votes
4 answers
2k views

Avoid getting sick when traveling by plane

Nearly every time I travel I get sick. I have no doubt it is because I am stuck on a plane breathing recirculated air from 200 other people. Once I had an entire vacation to Venice ruined because I ...
8 votes
4 answers
1k views

What should I do if I get caught by corrupt police in Ukraine but never want to pay?

I'm a bit fearful of corrupt police in Ukraine, and I already read one of the great answers regarding how to avoid getting harassed by corrupt police. However, the problem is that my SIM card in ...
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1 vote
1 answer
249 views

Ways to reach "Todra Gorge" from "Fez" by public transport? (Morocco Travel)

I am going to travel to Morocco in November. We want to travel to "Todra Gorge" from "Fez". Can anybody suggest me how to reach "Todra Gorge" from "Fez" by public transport? Is it safe to travel to "...
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3 votes
1 answer
707 views

Traveling from Tbilisi to Kazbegi?

I would like to take a minibus from Tbilisi to Kazbegi, but I do not speak Georgian and not sure where is the furtherest point that the minibus will take me.. I imagine I will need a taxi to get to my ...
4 votes
0 answers
164 views

Canceled my flight to Miami and go to a different location in the U.S. does my ESTA work? [duplicate]

I recently asked about the safety of my travel to Miami. this thread Now I had to cancel my hotel in Miami and I will not take my flight to Miami. Instead I go to Vegas or NY. On my ESTA appliance I ...
2 votes
1 answer
86 views

What are the Copenhagen Card conditions?

I am failing at finding the specific conditions of the Copenhagen Card that allows you to travel through the city for (in my case) 120 hours, since I am going for 5 days. I have seen that it starts ...
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8 votes
0 answers
298 views

Passing through immigration with autism [closed]

Inspired by: Passing through airport security with autism Immigration officers are trained to assess a passenger's personal impact and articulation skills, in gauging if a person ought to be allowed ...
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98 votes
5 answers
23k views

How can black travellers deal with unwanted harassment from locals in China?

I recently took a trip to China with several friends. All of us are US citizens with US passports, and three of the people on this trip are black. (I am not) Throughout China, including in the most "...
user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
266 views

Cuba: How to find "higher class" apartments, not just hotel rooms. AirBnB? Internet?

We (as two German tourists, with limited spanish language skills) are planing a vacation in Cuba for October. We want to cook for ourselves, so we are looking for flats with kitchen, not just hotel ...
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22 votes
7 answers
9k views

How can I discern if a bottled drink is carbonated or not in Germany?

I have assumed that carbonated bottled drinks have the rugged base. But today I purchased a bottled drink in supermarket that doesn't have the rugged base, but it still was carbonated. So I can't ...
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5 votes
2 answers
6k views

What is the process for withdrawing money at the counter of a Thai bank with a foreign ATM/debit/credit card?

It turns out that Thailand now has some of the highest international ATM fees in the world! ฿220 baht ($6.50 USD, €5.70 EUR, $8.30 AUD) In searching the internet for info on how to avoid or minimize ...
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0 votes
1 answer
187 views

Moving inside Ohrid, Macedonia [closed]

I am planning to travel to Ohrid, Macedonia for 1 or 2 weeks in September. I will stay near the center of Ohrid. I know that there are a lot of points of views, churchs, monuments to see but what is ...
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2 votes
1 answer
542 views

Questions on the French long-stay visa (as visitor) [closed]

I'm an EU (Schengen) citizen living in Canada and my wife is Canadian. We plan to spend several months in Europe, starting this August, mostly in France. She currently has a visa appointment at the ...
11 votes
3 answers
6k views

How long does it take to drive from Heathrow airport to Covent Garden?

I am travelling with my family for a holiday in England. I am looking at renting an apartment in Covent Garden. What would be the drive time to and from Heathrow airport?
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0 votes
1 answer
118 views

Any tips and tricks to get a better Wi-Fi connection in airports?

Many airports offer free Wi-Fi but the strength and stability of the signal depends considerably on where you are. Sometimes you get 3+ Mbps (still too slow IMHO but acceptable given that it's free ...
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2 votes
2 answers
185 views

How long does the bus take to go from Viterbo to Orvieto?

I've found the timetables of COTRAL bus company at its website. However, I find them difficult to interpret. From Monday to Saturday, according to these timetables, there are three buses going from ...
  • 798
6 votes
2 answers
250 views

Tactics for filtering out fake hotel reviews

There is a popular question on how to spot fake reviews on TripAdvisor How to spot fake reviews on TripAdvisor? My question is if there are any tactics on how to leverage multiple review website to ...
12 votes
3 answers
971 views

How to prevent the hotel from giving me a new towel on each day?

I was on a business trip to the US recently. In my hotel there was a typical sign saying: save the planet by reusing your towels; hang your towel if you are happy to reuse it. Day 1, I hang my towel ...
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10 votes
3 answers
507 views

What is the French phone number for medical emergencies?

France has at least three numbers which can be called in case of a medical emergency: 15 (SAMU), handled by hospitals 18 handled by firemen 112 handled by someone else, or maybe one of the above ...
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0 votes
0 answers
31 views

Is it worth pre-booking for Vatican Museums etc.? [duplicate]

I've seen a link suggesting that I might want to pre-book a fast track to some of the attractions connected to the Vatican City. I'm not sure if it's just a way to lock me into paying for something ...
31 votes
3 answers
33k views

How to buy a car for a road trip in the United States?

For tourists coming to the US, getting a car is a great way to get around, especially if you want to see the national parks. Rental, especially for younger drivers, can be very expensive, so buying a ...
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35 votes
14 answers
38k views

How am I supposed to keep a toilet bowl clean without a toilet brush?

I am used to cleaning the toilet bowl with a toilet brush after use. In several hotels that I stayed in Asia there was none. I don't suppose they expect me to call the room service every time I use ...
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

How should one prepare for a business trip to Manila?

In the next few days I'm heading over to Manila, Philippines for work reasons. I have never been to APAC in my life and I'm looking for some non-Google answers that would help. What should I be ...
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9 votes
3 answers
3k views

Publicly-accessible electric sockets in Munich to charge dead devices?

Are there any places where I can find a publicly-available electric socket in Munich? I'm trying to charge my dead mobile device.
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4 votes
1 answer
310 views

Drinking tap water in a country where it is unsafe - anything to do after that?

Yesterday I drunk tap water in Ho Chi Minh. I knew it is unsafe to drink it, but only after I gulped down a cup of water did I notice it was tap water. Since it is safe in my country, I just drunk it ...
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18 votes
7 answers
7k views

Drawing cash as UK citizens while visiting US

We’re off to the States, East to West, and I have lots of credit cards etc. but have a problem. We used to have a Citibank account based in the UK but accessible in the States so that we could draw ...
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0 votes
1 answer
1k views

Changing a flight date through a booking agency by going through the airline hack?

So I have to change my flight dates that I booked through an online travel agency. The flight isn't for another month. The travel agency charges a lot of money for this and they also charge the ...
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13 votes
2 answers
1k views

Are there sources in Prague that have hand-held, printed maps?

For my bucket-list trip to Prague/Praha and with an architectural history background, I want to make the most of my time in this City of a Thousand Spires. I prefer to wander throughout a city, get ...
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2 votes
2 answers
435 views

How to tip a concierge or a hotel porter?

Tipping in a restaurant is simple enough, you give 0-20% depending on country, city and how good the service is. You are already handing someone money, so saying keep the change, or ask for 10 euros ...
12 votes
2 answers
15k views

When/where should I tell TSA that I have gunpowder residue on my hands?

I visit the gun range on a regular basis. If I have a flight the next day, when/where should I tell TSA officers that I have been shooting at a gun range and therefore might have gun powder residue on ...
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25 votes
7 answers
7k views

Keeping men's razor blades sharp for traveling

When I'm at home I use a double edged safety razor to shave. TSA won't let me fly with safety razors, so when I travel I use a Mach 3 razor. My problem is that when I open a package of Mach 3 razors ...
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19 votes
2 answers
7k views

Is there any "hack" to determine the exact itinerary of an Orbitz Bargain Fare flight?

Orbits often shows "Bargain Fare" flights above the normal search results: The trick is, of course, they don't tell you the details of the flight, including the exact departure or arrival times, or ...
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71 votes
11 answers
24k views

How to spend a night in an unknown city without a hotel? Is there a guide or resource online?

I had a late flight recently and due to a delay on the flight I was not able to get my transport to the city where I had my accommodation. Staying in the airport was not an option either since it's a ...
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0 votes
1 answer
172 views

How can I live and work in the UK? [closed]

I'm a Mexican computer science engineer, and an entry-level pen tester. I would like to emigrate to the United Kingdom. Initially, I would like to enter on a work visa but, ideally, I would like to ...
user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
222 views

How to always have Reverse Osmosis filtered water when travelling between apartments with varying plumbing? [duplicate]

My uncle will travel and stay at serviced apartments (whose structure and interior he must not change), across Canada for work where the tap water is normally safe, but he needs Reverse Osmosis (...
user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
345 views

Is there any benefit of getting international driver's license for traveling except the use of driving?

I wonder there is any advantage of getting an international driver's license in regard to traveling specifically. I have an experience of being stopped to get through the immigration, and in the ...
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