Feb.
21/10

Tiny Book, Loads of Great Travel Advice

I’ve been leafing through the just-published second edition of Lonely Planet’s Best Ever Travel Tips, and though I don’t normally make a habit of reading books on travel advice — my tastes run more along the lines of the adventures of long-term footloose vagabonds – I must say that I’ve pretty much dog-eared this one on every page. Here’s a sample:

*”Scan your passport, driving license and insurance papers and upload them to a web-based email or file hosting service. You can then download them from any Internet cafe in case you lose them or don’t have handy when you need them.” Richard Hammond, founder of greentraveller.co.uk

*”When paying by credit or debit card abroad, you may be asked if you want to pay in your own currency rather than local money. Always opt for local funds — or you’ll be paying at the retailer’s unspecified exchange rate rather than your banks, which is usually better.”

*If an airport charges for wi-fi, here’s a sneaky tip: “Find a wall adjoining an airport lounge — you can often pick up wi-fi signals intended for elite flyers inside.”

*”If time is of less concern to you, you can make big savings on long-haul flights by connecting through a European, Middle Eastern or North American hub rather than flying direct. Pay attention to travel advertising: if an Arabian airline is spending big money telling you about their new planes they’ll almost certainly have tasty deals to get you on them.”

*”Taking courses on vacation usually leads to stories than can make the greatest trips, even if it’s not that necessary you ever learn to speak Quechuaa or how to play the Bulgarian bagpipes.”

Want more? Order the book — a mere C$10.80 — here.