2018 was one for the books! At the start of last year, I never would have guessed I’d be living in a foreign country as an expat and that the majority of the year would be spent traveling around Europe.
With so much spontaneous travel this year, I’ve definitely learned a few things about what to do and, more importantly, what not to do when traveling in a foreign country. Sometimes it’s the mistakes and missteps that lead to the most memorable parts of the trip, but that’s not always the case. And mistakes while on vacation (especially those that waste that all-important resource of time) are best avoided.
In this post I’ll share a few lessons I’ve learned this year with the hope that it will help you, my dear reader, from making the same mistakes!
1. Don’t Always Trust Google Maps
I am certainly guilty of fully relying on Google Maps to tell me where I am, where I’m going, and which route can get me there the fastest. 9 times out of 10, Google gets it right. But every now and then, it can lead you astray.
Case in point: our bike ride to Chateau Chenonceau on our trip to Amboise, France, this spring. The AirB&B host lent us bikes and said that the bike ride to the Chateau was a pleasant and easy ~1 hour trip. We decided to make a day trip of it and planned to leave the following morning. We went to sleep, woke up the next morning, plugged in “Cheateau Chenonceau” into Google Maps, selected the fastest route by bike, and off we went!
As we would later discover, Google Maps sometimes has a hard time differentiating between types and quality of bike paths. Its main goal is to draw the shortest line between point A and point B, which in this case meant we were sent down overgrown trails that were almost impossible to even identify as paths. We were amazed that Google Maps even knew these trails existed, much less that they thought it advisable to have someone bike on them!
In the end, what should have taken only an hour ended up taking us 2 1/2 hours. This unexpected delay resulted in us having to hurry our way through the Chateau, which was a disappointment since this Chateau ended up being our favorite of all that we saw in France on our trip.
On the way back, we opted for the main roads, which was just as the AirB&B host described: pleasant and easy and only an hour. In hindsight, we shouldn’t have relied 100% on Google Maps and would have been much better off asking our host or another local for their advise.
Full Disclosure: Unfortunately, we didn’t learn from our mistake the first time and fell into the exact same trap on our trip to Martha’s Vineyard this summer. You know what they say — fool me once, shame on you…
2. Always BYOM (Bring-Your-Own-Medicine)
There is nothing worse than being sick while on vacation, and I am one of those people that manage to get sick on every single trip. It doesn’t matter what season it is or if I’m well-rested and otherwise healthy — if I’m on vacation, I’m going to get sick. I even came down with a bad cold while on visiting Portugal’s beaches this summer!
By now I’ve learned that it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to preparing for the worst before your trip. Pills takes up virtually no space in your toiletry bag, so take my word for it and don’t skimp on the medicine. Trust me, if you end up coming down with a cold or something worse, you will thank your lucky stars you brought along that Dayquil.
Here’s my suggestion for your own travel First Aid kit:
- Ibuprofin
- Tylenol and/or Tylenol Sinus (I tend to have sinus pressure on planes, so I usually take a Tylenol Sinus before flights, especially if I already have a cold)
- DayQuil and NyQuil
- Imodium and Pepto-Bismol (especially if traveling to a country where you’re at a greater risk for foodborne illnesses)
- Zyrtec / Benadryl / Claratin
- Allergy eye drops
- Dramamine (especially if you’re going on a road trip or long boat ride)
A special note about allergies: When we arrived to Amsterdam in the Spring, my husband and I both had horrible allergies. I’ve had some seasonal allergies before, though never on this level, but my husband has never had an issue with them before so he was especially caught off guard.
Turns out foreigners will be more sensitive to certain allergens since their bodies aren’t accustomed to them yet. And what’s worse, many countries (certainly in the EU) don’t offer antihistamines as an over-the-counter drug, so don’t count on simply being able to pick them up at the local pharmacy while on your trip.
3. Be Prepared for Lost Luggage
I rarely check bags on flights these days, partly as a way to save money but also to avoid the hassle of baggage claim. But sometimes checking your bags is necessary, which was the case when Dan and I departed for a several-month-long trip around Europe earlier this year with bags much too large for the overhead compartment.
We ended up flying separately, and when I met up with Dan in Amsterdam I discovered that WOW Air had done the unthinkable: they had lost his bag containing all of his clothes for the next three months. Not exactly the best way to start the trip.
About a week and many frustrating phone calls later, he was finally reunited with his luggage. I’ll spare you all the play-by-play details, but I will pass on some pointers that we learned throughout the whole fiasco, namely:
- Luggage Tags — Make sure you have a luggage tag with the correct name and contact information. It’s a good idea to also include this information on the inside of your bag in case your luggage tag is lost.
- Know Your Luggage — Write down the brand, color, dimensions, and any other identifying characteristics of your luggage
- Know the Bag’s Contents — Have a sense of what inside of the bag, as this is one of the ways the lost luggage department will verify ownership. If you’re packing anything of value, it’s a good idea to make a list of all the contents in case you have to file a claim with the airline or your insurance company.
- Keep Your Essentials in Your Carry-On — It’s a good idea to take your essentials in your carry-on bag, such as toiletries and a day or two’s worth of clothing.
If your luggage is lost for more than a day, the airline will likely reimburse you for certain items that you need to survive (toiletries, underwear, etc.). However, different airlines have different guidelines and policies, so be sure to check with the airline first before going on a shopping spree as they may only reimburse you up to a certain amount per day.
Do you have any of your own travel lessons from this past year? Let me know in the comments below or by sending me a message on my Contact page!
