In 32 years, I’d never had an alarm go off in a hotel, and three in the last month.  I realized the first time that it happened that I had absolutely no idea what to do. While I’m lucky in that there was no real fire nor did I have to evacuate, I have come to some conclusions about the how to handle the situation. Since I think a middle of the night fire alarm in a hotel would surprise and possibly fluster many travelers, here are some of my tips to stay on top of things if this should occur.

• As cliché as it sounds, don’t panic. Who has ever made a better decision in mid panic?  If you need to associate an emotion with it, get annoyed at it disturbing your travels.

• Listen to the person on the loud speaker.  Don’t run outside frantically in your pajamas until told.  It might have just been some kids playing a prank.

• While you’re waiting to do as you’re told, make sure you’re appropriately dressed in the event that you do have to evacuate.  You might be out there a while and you don’t want to be in a t-shirt if it’s 30 degrees outside. This also speeds up the evacuation process.

• Think about what you’d absolutely need if you did have to evacuate and there was an actual fire. They don’t generally let you bring large items with you, so put your ID, phone, cash/credit card and anything absolutely necessary (ie medication) in your pockets. If the hotel were to go ablaze, these are the basics you’d want to have in your position.

• If you have to evacuate, there is a reason for the “in a fire, take the stairs” signs – can get trapped in an elevator and die of smoke inhalation. Go down the stairs in an orderly fashion – it will slow down the process if people try to trample each other and no one will get anywhere.

• Come up with a plan before you travel. If you are traveling with a child or a pet, how are you to make sure they get out safely in the event of an evacuation? Don’t wait until the alarm is going off to figure this out. If it’s scaring you, it would certainly scare a little kid. This may sound silly, but it’s better than something going wrong because you don’t have a plan.

Resolution: I will start taking off my metal items before I get to the metal detectors at the airport so that I don’t slow down the whole line.

Result: I’m so quick that if they made us walk through security naked I could get through without delaying the line. I’ve learned to wear slip on shoes, take my jacket/outer layer off before I even get into security and have my laptop out as I approach the line.

Resolution: I will opt for either the pat down or the scanner, or not to fly. I will make my crusade against these at a time other than while at the security check point, once again delaying everyone.

Result: I might be the only person excited to go through the full body scanner. I love technology, and if they’re really going to try to stare, joke’s on them. Security looks at me funny when I say “yes, the scanner!”.

Resolution: I will plan my small trips at least two to three months in advance, and my large trips (think two weeks through Europe, honeymoon) at least five to six months in advance, so that I don’t give my travel planner a heart attack.

Result: I did about 70/30 on this. My trip to Peru for March 2012 is basically all planned and I started months ago. I’ve had a few business flights that I should possibly have planned earlier. But since I don’t book just flights for clients, I feel I’m in the clear on this when it comes to my expectations/guidelines for clients.  In my defense, the delay in booking was all for business travel, and most of the time I was waiting for organizational approval/details before I could book.

Resolution: I will not try to pass off items that really should be checked luggage as carry-ons, taking up all the room in the overhead bins and forcing others to check their bags that really shouldn’t need to be.

 Result: I never brought aboard something that should have been a checked item. I pushed the limit a time or two but they were all the appropriate size and I made sure one of my two bags could always fit under my seat.

Resolution: I will travel to a new destination, even if just for a long weekend (for pleasure – business trips don’t count!)

Result: Yes! I spent time in an area of Virginia this year that I’d never been to.  Relaxed, visited, boated and unplugged (literally, my email spontaneously erased my inbox so, ironically, I couldn’t have worked if I’d tried)

Resolution: I will try a new type of local food when traveling (ethnic food, not just something off the local chain menu that you’ve never ordered before).

Result: I definitely tried some Puerto Rican fare. Delicious.

Resolution:  I will budget for inflated prices, particularly on flights, and be flexible in adjusting my plans to fit these new prices. Varying from the norm might even make for a more enjoyable vacation!

Result: The only inflated fares I had were for business and I didn’t really have a choice but to budget for them, so I guess this is yes by default.

Resolution: I will take pictures and videos when traveling and more regularly share my thoughts and photos through my preferred social media outlets.

Result: You all know I love social media (if not follow me on twitter and like Chimera Travel on Facebook). I also got a new digital SLR this past fall and I took/shared so many pictures that I had to get more memory on my computer!

Resolution: I will make a new friend in a destination that I travel to and keep up with the friend after I return (again, this is where social media comes in handy).

Result: I met a lot of new people on my trip to Vancouver recently. Some American, some Canadian, but I am already friends with them on Facebook and we’re sharing pictures.

Resolution: I will take place in some type of immersion experience when I travel, and keep an open mind when doing so. This could be attending a local sporting or music event, a food and/or wine tasting, a non-traditional tour by a local guide, a lesson on creating a local craft, or any other type of activity that gets me off the beaten path and truly gets me involved with the culture.

Result: I did a market tasting tour in Vancouver, and I went snowshoeing on Cypress Mountain there, which I’d never done before. In Puerto Rico, I did a lot of local dining and participated in events that had true Puerto Rican flavor.  As I didn’t travel much outside of the US this year, this was a little harder to accomplish but I did the best I could!

I find it helps to have a plan. Of course, being a planner, I might be a little biased, but I believe can assist in diffusing what can sometimes be an almost overwhelming decision. I’m not gearing this article towards those who plan to buy a Eurail multi-country pass and see where it takes them. The appeal of those types of trips is spontaneity, and a precise plan would, quite frankly, ruin that.  That being said, if you are looking to take that type of vacation, you can add that in to your overall travel plan to make sure you do, in fact, get to take that trip.

So how do you make a travel plan? Here are some steps to at least narrowing down your options. A travel professional can certainly help you in this process, especially since they are familiar with up-to-date destination information (exchange rates, destination news, travel trends, etc), which might affect your decisions.

• Make a rough draft list of your desired destinations. If there are too many to count, pick the top 10, or even 20 (depending on how often you plan to travel each year and how far out you want to plan).

• Examine this list and arrange them in order of “priority” – where you’re dying to see versus where you’d like to get to if you can.

• Look at this list again and arrange with respect to time and budget. If you’d like to spend a month exploring Australia but know that won’t be a possibility this year, move it down a few places on the list.

Once you’re here, it’s time to start formulating a more precise plan. This is where a travel planner can particularly be helpful, as the next steps allow you to create a more concrete, yet flexible, timeline and it’s important to know which times of year are best to visit which destinations, visa requirements (which can affect timing), and other factors that may influence your plan.

• Take your list reorganized list and divide it into years (if you’re lucky enough to travel more than 4 times per year, divide it into seasons or months as applicable).

• Look at the countries in each year (quarter) starting with year one and proceed chronologically. Discuss features such as climate, time desired at the destination, price points, and overall feasibility. Rearrange the destinations/trips as needed according to these factors adding potential time frams (month, seasons) to each.

• You should now have a solid, yet flexible plan. Take one final look. Is there anything that slipped through the cracks – a destination on your must see list that should be of highest priority yet somehow isn’t? Adjust as needed.

• If you have trips you plan to take in the next quarter, or even the next six months, it’s time to start planning.

• Your plan should be a living document that can be rearranged as needed. If you get the opportunity for travel that you weren’t expecting, rearrange the list as needed/desired. The plan should be a guideline to help make your travels more of a reality instead of a lofty goal. A travel plan that ties you down, however, would pretty much defeat the purpose.

Your plan may, and most likely will, change slightly as you go, but you now have a solid idea of your travels.  Of course, you should adjust for major life events that come along the way. Still, this makes the destination decision more manageable, and allows you the excitement of looking forward to future travels without the anxiousness that can often come during the early stages of the planning process. Need help creating your travel plan? Send me an email!

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I’m a hotel connoisseur, if there is such a thing. I love hotels. One of my favorite aspects of  traveling is finding a great place to stay. I thoroughly enjoy exploring the property – however large or small it may be, dropping down on the bed to feel how cushiony the mattress is, playing with fancy bathroom accessories (whirlpool tubs, fancy shower heads), looking through the room service menu. I feel very at home in a good hotel. Naturally, when I am planning travel for myself or others, choosing accommodations is key. I’m an upscale hotel person. 3.5 stars is about the lowest I go and many of my clients are the same way. I sell luxury travel after all.  So here, from around the world, are some of my top picks among those I’ve stayed in, along their pros and cons. These aren’t the only good hotels I’ve found by any means, just some of my favorites. I’m dividing my hotel suggestions up into two categories – this blog will focus on the larger hotels with parent companies. The next will focus on more stand-alone properties.

Ambassador Hotel, Vienna

Pros: Ideal location, on a pedestrian street with shops, restaurants and beer gardens literally as you step out of your hotel. Beautiful hotel in every possible respect; spacious rooms including some two room suites which do not cost any extra; attentive service and though I was entirely not upscale enough to stay there, I didn’t feel looked down upon. Above all, the location is key.

Cons: Vienna is an expensive city. You pay for quality. This isn’t really a con, just an acknowledgement.

Castille Hotel, Paris

Pros: Around the corner from the Champs Elysees, but on a quieter street so it’s the best of both words location wise; helpful, friendly, attentive service; for Europe, decent sized rooms.  The hotel seems to have a lot of good sales (discounts, free room nights, packages, etc) – take advantage of these!

Cons: The restaurant is quite expensive, especially for dinner, and you aren’t stuffed when you leave. I’d suggest dining elsewhere for dinner. Their breakfast buffet is quite tasty and expansive though also pricey.

Radisson SAS, Edinburgh (formerly Crown Plaza)

Pros:  Located directly on the Royal Mile, close to basically everything: shops, restaurants, bars, within walking distance of Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. Good service and good-sized rooms for Europe.

Cons: Location equals higher price tag, but worth it in my opinion. Also, in the summer, make sure your room as air conditioning if the weather requires it.

La Blanc Palace, Cancun

Pros: adult-only, all-inclusive, impeccable service, modern design, delicious food for an all-inclusive, swim up bars, jacuzzi/hot tub in each room.

Cons: Obviously this type of place comes with a high price tag. That’s basically the only “con” I found.

Intercontinental, Tahiti (Papeete)

Pros: very personalized service: they arranged a half-room-rate so that we could stay in our room until our 10 PM flight out which meant basically that we were depriving them of a guest in that room for the following night.  Plentiful grounds with amazing sunset views, spacious rooms with a tropical feel (it’s Tahiti).

Cons: Other than price, I couldn’t find any. It is more appealing on the inside than the outside (unless it’s been redone since I was there). When you arrive at night, it might not look as impressive as it actually is.

Park Hyatt, Mendoza, Argentina

Pros: Luxury from every angle, and it looks the part. Modern, well-sized rooms, outdoor dining terrace, proximity to wine region (15 minutes to some wineries) are all big pluses.

Cons: While not necessarily a con, it definitely feels like a luxury hotel – meaning that if you like to stay high end but don’t want to feel like it’s an exclusive hotel, you might feel a bit out of place here. If you don’t mind walking around in jeans when you feel like you should be dressed up, you’ll be fine. No one made us feel out of place at all, nor did they talk down to us. We just felt a little under-dressed and under-salaried.

*Note: not all of the pictures here are of the hotel or hotel grounds. Many are from the surrounding areas, to highlight the location.  Scroll over each photo to see the description. 

In a pervious post, I mentioned that I’m doing a two part-blog about some of my favorite hotels around the world. As I focus on luxury travel, most of these hotels fall into the upscale/luxury category. In the first post, I focused on hotels that are part of a chain or group. In this post, I’m focusing on hotels that are more stand-alone properties.  Because I believe in full disclosure, while these are amongst my top choices, no hotel is perfect (though some seem close) so I’m listing both the pros and the cons of each. Of course this is my interpretation, my pros might be other people’s cons and vice versa, but from my perspective, these are some of the top places to stay around the globe. These are not in any particular order, other than the one in which I came up with them!

Capo d’Africa, Rome

Pros: Standing in front of the hotel, you can see the Coliseum. The rooms are a large size for Europe, Internet is included in the room price and it’s all together an interesting concept with a modern African theme. Quality customer service is also a big plus.

Cons: I’d advise against getting your laundry done here – it’s very expensive! While in walking distance from the Coliseum, it is slightly farther to sites like the Spanish steps and the Trevi Fountain.

Plaza Lucchesi, Florence

Pros: Located on the Arno River, near the Ponte Vecchio and close to many of the squares and cathedrals.  The service is great and they have a fun hotel bar. Rooms are a decent size as well.  Full buffet breakfast is included with most room options.

Cons: It’s an older hotel, so some furnishings might look a little outdated.

Le Sirenuse, Positano

Pros: Noticing a theme – Italy has some amazing stand-alone hotels. The view is to die for. It’s practically worth staying here for the view alone. Almost every room has a private terrace or balcony that overlooks the beach, bay and hills of Positano. The rooms are very large, even by U.S. standards, the large soaker tub with jets is quite enjoyable the rooms have a clean, white washed décor. Service is impeccable and very friendly. The location is quite accessible to Positano’s shops, restaurants and bay.

Cons: This is hotel near a beach – it’s décor, though clean and airy, might not suit those looking for chandeliers and fancy furniture. I didn’t consider this a “con” but some might. Check that the hotel is open during your stay if you are there in the winter – it was not during mine, though there are so many wonderful places to eat it really won’t matter if it is closed.

Chobe Game Lodge, Botswana

Pros: Large A-frames with walkouts right to the lawn, where (non-dangerous) animals are allowed to wander and graze; 2 daily game drives and river safari plus all (very good) meals included in room rates; personal safari guide assigned to your party; personalized service

Cons: It can be tough to access. Flew into Victoria Falls airport in Zimbabwe, had to switch vehicles to an open-air jeep once we crossed the border into Botswana and it was a several hour ride total. Part of the adventure, but does increase travel time.

Victoria Falls hotel, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Pros: Gorgeous old hotel with a ton of history – multiple famous and royal figures have stayed here and many of their visits are documented by photos throughout the hotel; can view and hear the Falls from the back terrace/restaurant, top-notch, friendly service.

Cons: As with most luxury, high quality hotels, it comes with a hefty price tag. It’s an old hotel, and therefore some of the amenities aren’t quite as up to date as they might be in a new modern hotel, though that can be part of the charm.

Seat Selection

• Choose a seat when you book (or if you’re booking through a planner, let them know your seat preference.) Some airlines automatically assign you. Some do not and you may end up in a middle seat near the bathroom, away from your traveling companions. You generally cannot reserve the bulkhead or exit rows far in advance. You may be able to reserve exit rows when you check in online 24 hours before, though the bulkhead usually isn’t available. Airlines do vary slightly on the availability of these.

• The seats in front of the exit row usually do not recline. Basically, if there’s an emergency, they don’t want the evacuation space in the exit row to be smaller than it already is. Some airlines won’t let you store anything under your seat in the exit row. If you’re a fan of needing your personal belongings within arms length, the exit row may not be for you. The seats in the last row also often do not recline much or at all.

• If you fly Southwest, they have an option to pay $10 per person per way and they’ll automatically check you in. This means no sitting at the computer and stalking the SWA website exactly 24 hours before your flight in hopes of getting an A boarding. In my opinion, it’s well worth the extra $20 round trip. Better yet, it’s good for all legs of the trip – it’s not $10 per leg, it’s $10 per way, total, as long as you’ve booked all legs as part of the same flight.

Luggage and Boarding Pass Check-In

• You must arrive and check in your luggage 30 minutes before a domestic flight and 45 minutes before an international flight (I suggest way more than this). By “you must”, I mean literally, you must. They will give away your seat to a standby passenger. This is a rule of the airline. And if you’re banking on no standby passengers, you’ll be disappointed. With the consolidation of flights recently, there are nearly always standbys.

• This rule generally goes for connections as well. The airlines need to make a call at a certain point as to whether or not you and your luggage will make the plane. You may be able to sprint for it, but you are not allowed on a flight that your luggage is not on (and vice versa, for security reasons) so if they don’t think they’ll have time to transfer your luggage, you’ll get bumped. There are plenty of hopeful standby passengers that will fill that seat. I can’t stress enough, if you have a choice of layovers and one option is an hour or less, go for the longer layovers. It sucks to wait 3 hours in an airport. It sucks more to have to spend the night because you missed your flight and there is no room available on later flights.

Food and Beverage

• Some airlines take cash only for purchasing food and drinks on board. Some airlines take credit card. This seems to continually be changing. Best option – have both on you just in case. If you need to get cash, do so prior to coming to the airport to avoid the outrageous service fee charges on airport ATMs. Better option, bring something on board, though you’ll have to buy drinks at the airport, since they can’t go through the security checkpoint.

Flight Change Notifications

• Most airlines offer an option to be notified of flight changes/delays/cancellations via phone, email or text. The default setting is often email. If you will have access to email up until the time of your flight (even at the airport) this might be the best option. If not, you may opt for phone or text. Be warned, the phone almost certainly won’t be a live person- imagine the staff needed for that – but a recording about the change in your flight, so it won’t necessarily help you in getting any issues resolved quicker in the event of a flight change.

Seat Selection:

• Choose a seat when you book (or if you’re booking through a planner, let them know your seat preference.) Some airlines automatically assign you. Some do not and you may end up in a middle seat near the bathroom, away from your traveling companions. You generally cannot reserve the bulkhead or exit rows far in advance. You may be able to reserve exit rows when you check in online 24 hours before, though the bulkhead usually isn’t available. Airlines do vary slightly on the availability of these.

• The seats in front of the exit row usually do not recline. Basically, if there’s an emergency, they don’t want the evacuation space in the exit row to be smaller than it already is. Some airlines won’t let you store anything under your seat in the exit row. If you’re a fan of needing your personal belongings within arms length, the exit row may not be for you. The seats in the last row also often do not recline, either much, or at all.

• If you fly Southwest, they have an option to pay $10 per person per way and they’ll automatically check you in. This means no sitting at the computer and stalking the SWA website exactly 24 hours before your flight in hopes of getting an A boarding. In my opinion, it’s well worth the extra $20 round trip. Better yet, it’s good for all legs of the trip – it’s not $10 per leg, it’s $10 per way, total as long as you’ve booked all legs as part of the same flight.

Luggage and boarding pass check in

• You must arrive and check in your luggage 30 minutes before a domestic flight and 45 minutes before an international flight (I suggest way more than this). By you must, I mean literally, you must. They will give away your seat to a standby passenger. This is a rule of the airline. And if you’re banking on no standby passengers, you’ll be disappointed. With the consolidation of flights recently, there are nearly always standbys.

• This rule generally goes for connections as well. The airlines need to make a call at a certain point to whether or not you and your luggage will make the plane. You may be able to sprint for it, but you are not allowed on a flight that your luggage is not on (and vice versa, for safety reasons) so if they don’t think they’ll have time to transfer your luggage, you get bumped. There are plenty of hopeful standby passengers that will fill that seat. I can’t stress enough, if you have a choice of layovers and one is an hour or less, go for the longer layovers. It sucks to wait 3 hours in an airport. It sucks more to have to spend the night because you missed your flight and there is no room available on later flights.

Food and Beverage

• Some airlines take cash only. Some airlines take credit card only (this seems to continually be changing). Best option – have both on you just in case. If you need to get cash, do so prior to coming to the airport to avoid the outrageous service fee charges on airport ATMs. Better option, bring something on board, though you’ll have to buy drinks at the airport, since they can’t go through the security checkpoint.

Elephant Back Safari guides & elephants, Zimbabwe

2. Those things that you might be the most nervous about or wary of might just turn out to be the things you enjoy the most and remember for a lifetime.

3. Life’s short and you never know when you’ll have the opportunity to be somewhere again (literally or figuratively) – take advantage of every minute.

Sugarloaf Mountain high above Rio

4. There are a few basic rules that are inflexible (ie bring your passport), but all of the others are made to be broken. In fact, they shouldn’t be there in the first place and are more or less in our heads, not imposed by the law.

5.  It’s ok to get lost. In fact, sometimes this is the best part.

Hilltop temple in Busan - completely unplanned

6. Always bring an extra pair of underwear – “just in case”, as my family would say. i.e. be prepared for the unexpected.

7. Take a snapshot, either literally or figuratively, of the big moments, and even the little ones that touch you. You’ll want to remember them.

Thailand floating market

8. Allow yourself to doubt your logic. You can learn a lot from others. Don’t just give up on values and morals you truly hold dear, but allow yourself to consider that your way may not always be the best, or at least the only, way. Open your mind.

9.Dance. Literally. So much of the world bonds through music and dance. If you’re not a dancer, let go and try it. It’s not important that you’re a good dancer, it’s important that your trying to join in.

10. Don’t let imperfect conditions stop you. Some of the moments I look back on and laugh at the most are those that started off as less than ideal.

Flooded Venice

Runaway Train: It wasn’t really the train that ran away, but in fact its passengers. After heading to the train station in Prague and giving our remaining cash to the drivers as tip (they were not on the Euro at this point, so we had no use for the rest of our currency there) we realized we were at the wrong station, on the complete opposite side of the city. We flagged down new taxis and as our drivers drove like maniacs in cabs so small that our luggage was falling out the back and we had to lean over the back seat to hold onto our bags for fear of losing them, we anxiously looked at our watches. Upon arriving at the right train station, we were on the wrong side of the tracks and our drivers jumped down onto the tracks to throw our luggage (and us) into the train, while everyone else watched from the platform and inside the train. Sadly, we didn’t even have the cash to pay them their full fare because we’d given it all to our previous drivers – we gave them the few American dollars we still had on us.

London immigration: Every time I go through immigration entering a country I get nervous. There’s never been a reason for this, it’s just one of those unexplained feelings. That was, until I headed to London last year. I was visiting someone who had already checked into the hotel so had no need for the hotel confirmation, and I had somehow misplaced the sheet detailing my return flight. Despite the fact that I clearly had a bag that could fit no more than three changes of underwear, I must have looked like I secretly planned to “miss” my flight home and move to London, because they would not let me through without proof of my return flight. For some reason, the immigration officer was convinced I was going to try to stay in the country. He wouldn’t let me turn on my phone to show them the email confirmation, so I finally got through by laying out every credit card I had to prove that I could support myself if I got stuck there. Probably the most embarrassing part of this was everyone seeing it and asking me if I was ok once I finally got through. Lesson learned: it’s way easier to get into Zimbabwe, South Korea, Argentina and basically anywhere else I have travelled than it is to get into London. Next time, I’ll be bringing 10 copies of my flight reservations.

Bathroom squatting: Did you know that many of the toilets in much of Southeast Asia are holes in the floor? I did. Did you know that there’s a proper and improper way to squat (for women) to use these bathrooms? I did not. Of course, my first go at these “toilets” was in the US Consulate in Singapore, dressed in a business suit – not the most ideal circumstances in which to learn how to us a squat-over-the- hole-in-the-floor toilet by trial and error. Did you further know that they do not have toilet paper in the stalls themselves and you have to grab it from a general source in the sink area and bring it in with you. Again, that was another “no”. Thank goodness for travel tissues! As a tip, I highly suggest bringing travel toilet paper to Southeast Asia. I also recommend wearing skirts and working on your quad muscles before you travel there. For the record, the correct way is to squat all the way down, as low as you can – not as if you were sitting in a chair. Live and learn! (Please note, the image below is an example of one of the much nicer versions, they did not all look this way).

The un-flushable toilet - Clearly, I have trouble with bathrooms. I’m not quite sure why. I realize that toilets around the world have different flushing mechanisms – the chain hanging from the ceiling, the foot petal, the button (one of many) on the toilets in South Korea and Japan. But there should, in theory, be some way to flush the toilet, right? Dining at a restaurant in Lyon, I found a bathroom in which there was no perceivable way to flush the toilet. I looked up, down, sideways inside out, nothing. My traveling companion (who will remain un-named for embarrassment factor) didn’t believe me so took her bathroom break to try to figure out the toilet mystery, sure that it was something obvious I missed. By the look on her face as she came up I could tell it still remained a mystery. We spent the a good portion of the rest of dinner talking about the toilet flushing possibility. Other people came and went from the bathroom, so clearly, there was a way. We to this day have no idea how we were supposed to flush it. Luckily, we found a bathroom when we stopped for ice cream on the way back. One that actually flushed. If anyone knows what we may have missed, I’m still curious so please share!

Currency conversions: I was traveling in Geneva as part of a multi-country trip, and the changing currency conversions must have been confusing me a bit. I know Switzerland is relatively expensive and was already a nervous about emptying my pockets on this portion of the trip. When I got my bill at dinner the first night (I was dining with just one other person) I did the quick conversion in my head and realized that our check came to…. $700 in USD! We almost passed out on the spot. Panicking, I scanned to see what we’d gotten and how this was possible while we fumbled with our Swiss Francs. Finally I whipped out my smartphone to double check the exact conversion and realized, to my relief and embarrassment, that the currency conversion was just over 1:1, not the 4:1 which I’d for some reason was stuck in my head and with which I’d mentally calculated the cost of dinner. It was still highly expensive for what we’d eaten, but at least it wasn’t $700. I’m really glad I kept my panic (relatively) to myself and didn’t bring it to the attention of my server or anyone else at the restaurant. Even seasoned travelers make mistakes once in a while!

Compass anyone?: If you’ve been to Venice, you know that the winding streets often look similar to one another and it’s relatively easy to wander off track. If you’ve never been to Venice, take note of this and invest in a good street-by-street map. The first time I went to Venice I was were traveling with 8 people and to save money stayed near the train station, rather than near the square. After dinner our first night, we split up as each several of us wanted to wander in different directions. Lesson number 1: this was a bad idea. Myself and one travel companion headed back in the direction of the hotel – I think; I’m still not entirely sure. We must have passed the same woman hanging her laundry, the same gondolier, the same seafood restaurant that by the smell of it no doubt was offering the fresh catch of the day at least 5 times – no exaggeration. We wandered, and wandered, and got frustrated and wandered some more. Finally, after an hour and a half, we arrived at our hotel. If you know the size of Venice, you know that it shouldn’t take you an hour and a half to get anywhere on the island. Embarrassed, we knocked on the rooms of the rest of our family to see how they’d faired. We were the only ones back! It took some of our group almost 3 hours to get back to the hotel from St. Mark’s Square. Now when I go to Venice, I stay by the square. I want to see the ins and outs of the city, but on my own terms.

Massage mishaps: This truly deserved its own blog post, so that’s exactly what I did. A few weeks ago I posted a blog all about my massage embarrassments. If you’ve not read it, I highly suggest it for two reasons: 1. You might learn something about what to do, and not do, when you get a massage in various countries. 2. To see how my love of massages never fails to embarrass me over, and over, and over again and to get a good chuckle out of this. Check it out here. I promise, you’l get a good laugh at my expense.

I’ve now shared some of my ridiculous travel moments. I know you must have yours – please share!

1. Bring extra changes of clothes and undergarments. We have a joke in my family because once when packing for a trip, one of my family members – I won’t embarrass them here – remarked “I think I’ll bring extra underwear, just in case.” The obvious counter to this statement was “just in case what?” While we joke about this, it actually was a smart decision. Think about walking around all day in 85-degree (F) heat. Then think of wearing those clothes to dinner the same night. Would you be comfortable? Would anyone want to actually sit next to you? Clothes can get sweaty quickly in the warm weather, especially if you’re used to cooler temperatures. Best to bring a few extra changes of clothes – not just underwear but shorts/bottoms and shirts as well.

2. Choose your footwear carefully. It can be easy to throw in a couple of pairs of sandals if you’re headed to a warm destination, but consider what activities you’re planning while there. If your destination is an all-inclusive resort where you plan to lie on the beach and relax the entire time, than sandals should do the trick. If you plan to do a decent amount of walking, though, make sure you have shoes that have some sort of support and aren’t likely to cause blisters, which is what often happens when the straps of sandals rub against your foot. If you’re determined to only bring sandals or open-toed shoes, make sure at least one pair is fit for more than sunbathing by the pool.

3. The fabric debate. It’s well known that fabrics like cottons and linens are well known for keeping one cool. It’s also widely observed that these light materials, cotton in particular, are more likely to show sweat and dry less quickly than some other materials. In addition, linen is very quick to wrinkle which you can almost guarantee will happen in a suitcase. Other fabrics might not keep you as cool, but they may be better with showing sweat and drying more easily. Look at your activities and pack accordingly. If you have a fancy event, or are planning a nice dinner out, it might be best to go with something that will not wrinkle and look sweaty. For the times that you’re just relaxing and sightseeing, comfort might be more key. In addition to fabrics, colors are important. Dark colors draw in heat but show less sweat. Light colors are the opposite. Red is rather bad for both (unfortunately for those of us who love red).

4. Sun screen, sun screen and more sunscreen! I will admit I’m one of those people that resists it in the name of a good tan. However, I’ve seen people’s vacations ruined because they get sunburned or worse sun poisoning on the first few days of a vacation and are miserable the rest of the time. Just because you’re not lying on a beach doesn’t mean you won’t get burnt. In fact, you may be more likely to because you’re not as conscious about it. A hat also helps, as keeps sun off of your face – an area that’s most likely to burn on many people. If you’re concerned about it’s affect on your skin, choose a sunscreen that’s specifically for the face or sensitive skin, or a natural organic sunscreen that will be kinder to your skin.

5. Pack a bathing suit. If you know me, you know this is my personal favorite, as I love bathing suits. However, it’s a handy tip as well. You never know when the hotel might have a great pool or hot tub that you can take advantage of on a rainy day, when you might stumble upon a lake, river, waterfall (the small kind you can swim near, not Niagara) where you can swim. So many times I have heard people say that they wish I’d brought their bathing suit. It takes up a small amount of space and there’s really no other item of clothing to replace it, unless you’re in a country where nude beaches area common and even then the feasibility might depend on who your traveling companions are.