We’re now a quarter of the way through #100days100traveltips and we’d like your help! What shoes are your favorite to pack for a trip? Whether it be form or function, what do you suggest to fellow travelers? Comment here to share your ideas!
Category: MicroBlog
Tip 24: The best Duty Free deals
Many airports now have an excellent selection of local and high-end shops. Duty free deals, which avoid some import duties and taxes, can be a great bargain…but it’s not always the case. Savvy shoppers know how the airport or duty free prices compare to the retail price at home.
Here are some comparisons:
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/duty-free-deals
More good advice:
https://www.skyscanner.com/tips-and-inspiration/when-to-shop-at-duty-free-stores-and-what-to-buy
https://www.tripsavvy.com/duty-free-a-good-deal-459050
Tip 23: Adjusting to time changes/dealing with jet lag
There is a saying about traveling through time zones that “west is best; east is a beast”, but I’ve found both are difficult and it varies by person. Honestly jumping forward 8 hours (even with super early European arrivals) is easier for me than traveling to the California falling back 3 hours.
We suggest making your arrival plans based on the time changes you’ll experience on the trip. For example, we recently flew overnight from Chicago to Amsterdam. When we arrived in Amsterdam it was 1:00am “body time” but 7:00am local time in Amsterdam. I had pre-arranged an early check-in at our Airbnb so we went there first and took a nap for a couple hours before heading out to sight see. I knew none of our party slept well on overnight flights so we planned accordingly and it all worked out for the best. That short nap helped us feel rested yet also allowed us to be sufficiently tired at the normal bedtime and just like that we were on European time for the rest of the week.
Here’s some more tips and tricks:
https://www.skyscanner.net/news/jetlag-15-tips-beating-timezone-tiredness
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/05/09/snyder.jetlag/index.html
Tip 22: Good ideas for traveling with medicine
If you are flying, you will want to be aware of how to best get liquid medicine, in particular, through security screening processes. You will also want to pack any critical medicines in your carry on so they are handy during flight.
The TSA site has a lot of good advice here: https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2014/09/05/tsa-travel-tips-traveling-medication
The CDC site has some advice on what to include in your travel health kit here: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/pack-smart
For driving trips, we also heard some advice on purchasing a cooler that is powered by your cigarette lighter or USB-powered to keep any necessary medicines cold. Here’s one example – https://www.amazon.com/NutriChef-Portable-Electric-Thermoelectric-Refrigerator/dp/B06ZXZ7PDC/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1525730407&sr=8-11&keywords=best+travel+cooler
Tip 21: Driving on the other side of the road takes some getting used to
Driving on the left side of the road in Ireland was a difficult mindshift. We recommend you visualize yourself turning out from gas stations and entering and exiting roundabouts before you hit the road. It is also helpful to find an empty parking lot to practice shifting with your left hand, if you end up with a manual transmission car in Ireland…like we once did.
Here is some more advice:
https://www.changesinlongitude.com/tips-to-drive-on-the-left-side-of-the-road/
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/driving-in-great-britain-and-ireland
Lead. Travel. Pray. 