Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
there are people around you, for example, you might try to lighten the mood by suggesting
that the entire situation has been contrived to test how much stress we human beings can
withstand, and make humorous references to your imaginary tormentors. Travel challenges,
while inconvenient, are with very few exceptions not matters of life and death. Remember-
ing that fact will help you to begin to see the humor in a situation if bad goes to worse.
In addition to cultivating these three mental habits, you can also help yourself with
some precautions. For starters, create photocopies of all your sensitive documents, such as
passports, visas, and insurance information, and store the copies in a separate place away
from the originals. You may also wish to give copies to someone trustworthy who isn't go-
ing on the trip for safekeeping, and to upload digital scans of these documents to secure
online hosting services such as Evernote or Dropbox. It's also a good idea to arrive at your
destination with at least some of the local currency, in the event that there's a problem with
your bank or credit card upon arrival. Depending on your destination, foreign currency can
usually be obtained from your local bank with an advance order. Similarly, vaccination re-
quirements and corresponding documentation can and should be investigated well in ad-
vance. And finally, you'll want to invest in a secure document and currency holder that
will allow you to keep your valuables on your body and away from pickpockets. If you're
traveling with a partner, split your money and credit cards across the two of you to minim-
ize your losses in the unfortunate event of theft. Similarly, be sure to pack enough in your
carry-on that you can afford to lose your checked luggage altogether without experiencing
in the event your bag tag comes off in transit.
Another consideration of great practical importance is the need for communication.
For example, if a flight cancellation delays your trip by one day, make sure to contact your
hotel so that you'll still have a room when you finally arrive. More generally, whatever
happens, try to consider the practical impact of plan changes on your entire trip. Also be
sure to ask for compensation for any trouble that you incur—while being polite, of course.
It's entirely reasonable to return a day later, without a flight change fee, if you're forced to
leave a day later on account of a cancelled flight. I've had this very request granted myself,
in fact.
From the standpoint of safety, as mentioned before, you need to know which loca-
tions are safe at which hours, particularly in the evenings, and to take necessary precau-
tions. For example, a friend of mine once planned to rent a car and drive through the forests
of Honduras, before reading in one guidebook that he would certainly be kidnapped if he
did. Wherever your destination, gather as much information as possible, and never place
yourself in a potentially risky situation; inconvenience and danger are two different things.
By being patient and optimistic through inconveniences, and by avoiding actual
danger altogether through informed preparation, you can control to a very large degree
