Welcome Home

               

 

Our travels on Welcome Home have taken us from New York to Paris, Mumbai to Maui and London to Los Angeles.  In reporting for the trade, we've learned what every traveler discovers for themself. . . Travel can be one of the most memorable times in your life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your patrons will develop differnt travel desires over the years - a desire for adventure, for peace and quiet and sometimes just a yearning to change  cultures.  By following some of the same travel tips we share with our customers, we can make sure these memories are golden for us as well.  Have fun with your clients, do your research and enjoy the journey.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Reserve a good seat. Even within the same class and fare, some seats are far superior to others. Consider an aisle or exit row seat for leg room, or a window if you want to sleep. 

 

It is important to be comfortable on a long airplane trip.Bring something to entertain yourself. Usually, movies don't start for some time, and the built-in music selection can be quite poor.   Don't look at the time during the flight, you can't do anything about it

and the flight will feel much longer if you keep looking at the time. Don't check your watch regularly and avoid looking at the in-flight map showing the current position of the plane.     

 

Bring your own headphones. The headphones available on the plane (whether for purchase or for free) are usually of poor quality. Noise-canceling headphones and in-ear headphones are great if you have them, and can help block out engine noise and the conversations of other passengers. But even standard headphones or ear buds will be a big improvement. 

 

Minimize your carry-on luggage. One backpack is fine for the plane. Bring a toothbrush, and anything else which isn't a liquid or a gel, that you need to help freshen up before meeting your loved ones at the end of your long flight. They, and your neighbors in-flight, will be glad you did.  Consider bringing your own food on board if you care about taste or health. On some airlines, plane food is quite poor. Check airlinemeals.net before and look through the reviews and decide if you should buy food before the flight.

Whenever you arrive in any country, whether it be by boat, plane or whatever you are vulnerable. You have all your cash, cards, documents and anything else valuable on you right at that moment. It is even worse if you have never been there before and look like you haven't, there are always people who are willing to "help". Every precaution you take will help to avoid any potential problems. After all you do not want someone to "help" themselves to your belongings, when you have just arrived. Here are a few tips that should help.  Before leaving for your trip, try to get some prior information as to the rough layout of the airport where you will be arriving. This will help, to have a vague sense of where you should be going and where the taxis are located etc.

 

Whenever possible, especially in certain countries we recommend taking either the airport limousine, or a hotel pick up. Never take a taxi that seems just to be hanging around, offering its services when there is a taxi queue available. Try to keep your wallet and valuables safely secured in a handbag or in one of your hand luggage.

Change some money into the local currency before you depart. This gives you one less thing to worry about, and will stop you from pulling a large amount of money out at the airport arrivals. Keep a small amount of this local currency, easily accessible in a pocket or something, and away from the majority of your well earned money. You will need sufficient for the ride into town, a tip (perhaps) and a little for unforeseen needs

like toll ways or a bottle of water.

 

Taking along a portable GPS can be a great help in keeping you from getting lost.  You can pre-load your GPS with the countries or cities you will be visiting.  Many have a data base that includes the entire globe.  If you have not been able to find anything out about the airport that you are visiting then ask one of the airline staff, or the government tourism booth (if they have one at the airport) for some assistance, or tips on the best way of travelling. Most countries really are very safe, but in others it is really very advisable to take to take as many precautions as possible. No matter what, the most important is that you have a great holiday.

 

1. Coordinate your clothes around one or two basic colors. This cuts down on the number of shoes and accessories you have to bring.

 

2. Take as few clothes as possible. Plan on laundering. One person suggested one week's worth of clothes.  Take fewer unless they are washable silks.

 

3. Wear and carry washable silk clothing whenever possible. It is as warm as and as cool as cotton. It dries overnight and 10-15 pieces take no more room than two pair jeans. There are some other manmade fabrics that travel as well if not better, but they cost quite a bit more.

 

4. Take older clothes that can be discarded along the way. Great for growing children. Many places, the local people are pleased to get these castoffs. There are travelers who take nothing but old clothes so they have that much more room for bringing souvenirs home.

 

5. Jeans - Jeans take a long time to dry.  If both the time and money for laundering are concerns, take lighter weight pants.

 

If you have any food allergies, learn the names of those foods in the languages used in the countries you’ll be visiting. This way you’ll be better equipped to stay on the look out for them. Find out what types of diseases are common to the area you’ll be visiting and take actions to prevent your exposure to those diseases.

 

Find out what types of vaccinations you will need to enter the country, there may also be medications you’ll need to take before, during and even after your trip. Get your vaccinations early in case you have a reaction and need some recovery time.

You should consider a dental appointment if you haven’t had a check up in a while.   Be careful what you eat and drink. Carry complete health information with you on your trip. Where can I find information that will help keep me healthy while traveling?  Check out the website for the Centers for Diesease and Control.  There are a great number of things that you should make yourself familiar with.  You don't want to miss out on the "must see" opportunities of your trip and you also want to keep informed on what's going on wherever your travel will take you this year. 

 

www.cdc.gov/travel/ - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travel Information web page. This site contains updated information and articles on diseases. It also includes guidelines for travel to areas that have suffered a

recent natural disaster. The most valuable section of the site is the destinations section. This area of the site contains detailed specific information on diseases common to particular regions of the world, along with the recommended

precautions and vaccines advised to avoid those diseases.

 

www.who.int/ith/ - The World Health Organization’s Geographical distribution of potential health hazards to travelers web page. This site contains information, divided by regions of the globe, on potential health hazards for travelers within that region.

How can I protect myself from traveler’s diarrhea while traveling abroad?

When you are traveling abroad, don’t forget that drinking another country’s water can be dangerous. Stick with bottled or boiled water and carbonated soft drinks.
Remember that the ice in your drink turns into water, so order them with out ice.
Wipe off the tops of cans before you drink from them, or better yet, bring some straws to use for drinking. Avoid raw foods, as they can also be a good way to get sick.
Only brush your teeth with bottled water and keep your mouth shut when you’re in the shower, even an accidental spray can get you sick.

What credit cards do I need to take with me?  Take your major credit cards, such as, Visa, Master Card and American Express. Make sure they are really credit cards and not just debit cards with a credit card company’s logo on them. Many locations require a credit card and will not accept a debit card, so they may have limited use on your travel. Leave all your local store credit cards in a secure location at home; there will be no need to carry them with you.

 

Why should I contact my credit card companies before I leave?   You want to notify them of your trip. They may delay you if they are unaware you are traveling. The unfamiliar spending patterns might cause them to suspect that the card is being used fraudulently and delay your approvals. They will be able to explain many of the services that they can provide while you are on your trip.

 

How can my credit card company help prepare me for my trip?   You can arrange to pay bills that will come due while you are gone. They will be aware that you will be making charges from another country. They will be able to give you an idea of how acceptable their credit card is in that particular country. They can verify acceptance at certain foreign locations. They’ll be able to see if your PIN number will work in the countries you are visiting. They can also issue you another PIN number if your current PIN is unacceptable to the foreign bank’s system. They can explain cash advance, ATM, foreign purchase and foreign exchange rate policies and fees. They can explain any services they offer, such as, extra insurance for your rental car, luggage or purchases. Make sure the coverage offered extends outside the United States and will be valid in all the countries where you’ll be traveling. Also, be sure to note any other exceptions. They may need to give you another phone number to call in case you need to reach them. The 800 number listed on the back of your card may not work from foreign locations. You can find out if they charge a currency conversion fee, so you can find the most economical card on which to place your foreign purchases.

 

Should I use my ATM card while traveling?     Yes, you’ll have access to cash during your trip so you won’t have to take as much cash with you and using your ATM

card can also be a good way to get cash in foreign countries. The ATM will issue money in local currency. You should exchange at the bank’s wholesale exchange rate. You may still want to shop around to different banks since some will charge a high usage fee for their ATMs. Although, even high ATM fees may be less than others will charge for currency exchanges. Don't wait until you're out of money to go to an ATM, the machines can run out of money or break down.

 

What should I know about using travelers checks?   If the particular brand of travelers checks are accepted in the country you’ll be visiting. How widely they are accepted within the countries you’ll be visiting. Any fees for purchasing and using the travelers checks. The travelers check company’s loss, replacement and refund policies.

 

How can I protect my travelers checks while traveling?    Take the same precautions you would to protect your cash. Be sure to learn and follow the procedures required if you lose your travelers checks. You’ll also need to make copies of your travelers checks before you go and keep separate from them the following information:

The serial numbers of the travelers checks.

The denomination of the travelers checks.

The date and location of their purchase.

The phone number to call to report them missing.