Travel Tips

Street Food
Street Food 1920 1000 Greg Ellifritz

I make it a point to eat street food as often as possible whenever I travel in third world countries.  Contrary to popular belief, the food is fresher and prepared in a more sanitary manner than the food you will find in most tourist restaurants.

 

Read this article for some tips and then go get some street meat!

 

How to Eat Street Food Without Getting Sick

Useful Travel Apps
Useful Travel Apps 1600 900 Greg Ellifritz

This is a list of some very useful travel apps. I would encourage all of you who don’t have Global Entry Status to download the “Mobile Passport” App.  In my international travels, I would estimate that only 10% of travelers coming back to the USA have Mobile Passport.

 

In many airports the Mobile Passport users get their own special immigration lane.  It’s not quite as fast as Global Entry, but it is much faster than using the paper forms like the rest of cattle class.

 

Highly recommended.

 

The 12 Apps Every Traveler Needs to Download

Advice from my Favorite Travel Writer
Advice from my Favorite Travel Writer 300 200 Greg Ellifritz
Robert Young Pelton is my travel idol.  He is one of a very small number of journalists who travel to war zones all around the world, fearlessly documenting things that the average US citizen can’t even begin to contemplate.

 

In this article, RYP provides some great third-word travel advice.  If you haven’t read his book The World’s Most Dangerous Places, your travel education is incomplete.

 

Robert Young Pelton’s Travel Gear And Equipment Tips

 

You’ll also want to take a look at the same author’s followup article.

Cycle Touring
Cycle Touring 701 404 Greg Ellifritz

Although I don’t think I would enjoy a long term cycle tour, the idea of biking around the world seems pretty cool.

 

This article covers the basics you need to understand before embarking on this unique mode of travel.

 

How to Travel by Bike – A Beginners Guide to Bikepacking & Cycle Touring

 

 

European Car Rental?
European Car Rental? 150 150 Greg Ellifritz

When I travel, I rarely rent cars.  Driving is a hassle in many countries.  Driving is exceptionally dangerous in others.  For me, relying on public transportation has always been my go-to method for foreign travel.

With that said, I realize some of my readers would rather have the freedom associated with renting their own cars on vacation.  If you are moving around a lot on your holiday, it may be more convenient to drive yourself.

I found this article to be exceptionally valuable.  It covers all aspects of European car rental.  Most of the tips are also useful for other continents as well.  If you are considering renting a car in a foreign country, it will be a useful resources.

 

Everything You Need To Know Before Renting A Car In Europe

 

Google Hotels
Google Hotels 1279 576 Greg Ellifritz

This might be an exceptionally useful resource for those of you interested in getting good hotel deals.

 

Google Hotels: A Best Features Guide & Slick Tips

 

This site may revolutionize the choosing of foreign hotels when traveling.  I urge you to check it out.

 

 

Traveling with Pets
Traveling with Pets 640 457 Greg Ellifritz

The rules with regards to traveling with your pet as an “emotional service animal” have recently changed.

 

This article explains everything you need to know about flying with your pets.

 

Flying With Pets? Read This Guide Before You Book Your Next Trip

 

 

Be the Grey Man
Be the Grey Man 316 160 Greg Ellifritz

This article contains some great information.

How to Travel Grey

 

It’s very good advice for travelers, even those of you who only travel domestically.  Lose the tactical pants, Molle-covered backpack, and ballcap advertising your favorite gun company.  When I fly, I wear a loose fitting T-shirt and jeans.  My carry-on is an Arcteryx Blade backpack that looks like something a business traveler would carry.

 

My size attracts some attention in foreign countries, but I can’t do much about that.  T-shirts and jeans are the uniform of the day for young men in every country where I travel.  If I’m wearing that, I usually don’t attract too much attention even when I am walking around at twice the average weight of a local male in my host country.

The author’s comments about the beard are right on as well.  Several years ago I remember being constantly asked if I was a cop by immigration and customs officials when traveling.  I think it was the fact that I was big, clean shaven, and had a very short haircut.  I decided to grow a beard during an exceptionally long trip.   It didn’t work.

 

I still got lots of attention from the local cops and immigration officials. When I came home, my then girlfriend’s teenage son asked me about the beard.  I explained how I was trying to avoid looking like a cop, but somehow it didn’t work.  He said “Of course it didn’t work.  Now you don’t look like a cop.  You look like a terrorist!”

 

Be aware of what your appearance says about you in other countries.

Tourist Visas
Tourist Visas 800 533 Greg Ellifritz

Visa requirements can be a real pain in the ass for world travelers.  Every country is different.  Some do not require visas.  Some provide visas on arrival.  Some require that you send your passport to the country’s embassy to apply for a visa before you travel.

 

The article below covers almost all the issues you might need to understand with regards to foreign visas.  Read it and learn.

 

The Longest Tourist Visas for U.S.A Citizens, How to Extend Visas and More

 

 

Street Food
Street Food 720 960 Greg Ellifritz

I make it a point to eat street food as often as possible whenever I travel in third world countries. Having just returned from a month in Mexico, I can assure you that I took advantage of the nearby food carts and taco trucks for lunches and dinners several times a week.

 

Contrary to popular belief, street food is usually fresher and prepared in a more sanitary manner than the food you will find in the tourist restaurants. Read the article for some tips and then go get some street meat!

 

How to Eat Street Food Without Getting Sick

 

How can you pass up a Belgian fry truck in Playa del Carmen?

 

I had to draw the line at the dude selling sushi out of a cooler from his ATV on the street. Not quite that adventurous.