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Travel Tips

When to Renew Your Passport

By My Flying Fingers
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May 08, 2015
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Travel Tips

Even if your passport hasn’t expired, there’s no guarantee that it will be accepted as valid for travel. Many countries have rules requiring that your passport is valid for at least 3 months after your entry; Israel requires 6 months remaining on your passport. Even if you’re travelling to countries that aren’t as strict, your passport should be valid for your return flight and a bit beyond, as a safety measure.

Check Destination Passport Requirements in Advance

If you arrive at the airport and are denied boarding because your passport validity doesn’t meet the rules of your destination, who can you blame? With various restrictions around travel today, you should always try to be aware of the latest requirements. If you use the services of a travel agency, they should inform you of any quirks in a country’s policies. Still, with so much current information available online, you’d be well advised to research independently and confirm particulars with your agency or airline.

When to Renew Your Passport.

I always renewed my passport 7 months before the expiry date, which allowed for delays. As a crew member, I received priority treatment, but in most places, paying an extra fee will expedite the process.

Although passport requirements may make your 10 year passport technically valid for only 9 1/2 years, better safe than sorry is a good rule to follow when travelling and dealing with passport renewal.

My eBook Travel Like a Flight Attendant has more useful travel advice.

Bon Voyage!

Arrest or Detention in a Foreign Country

By My Flying Fingers
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Jun 05, 2012
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Travel Tips

Laws & procedures dealing with body searches or searches of personal belongings vary from country to country. While you must usually submit to customs or immigration searches, if they go beyond reasonable expectations for safety or security or are associated with arrest and detention, you should seek legal advice from a local lawyer or your consular officials.

Read the rest of this article on my new website Travel Like a Flight Attendant.

Jet Lag Remedy at Japanese Stone Spa

By My Flying Fingers
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Mar 16, 2012
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Travel Tips

Overcome jet lag symptoms by visiting Ishi No Yu Stone Spa near Tokyo for ganbanyoku, a spa treatment that involves lying on a hot stone bed and sweating.

The remainder of this article has been moved to my new website Travel Like A Flight Attendant.

Thanks for stopping by and see you on my new website!

Personal Safety When Travelling

By My Flying Fingers
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Feb 27, 2012
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Travel Tips

Situations that appear innocuous at home may result in tragic outcomes when travelling. Use common sense and caution and trust your gut instinct. The following safety tips will help.

Avoid rowdy gatherings and political demonstrations, which can quickly escalate into crushing stampedes or violent confrontations
Beware of overloaded boats, bridges, viewing platforms and stadium stands, especially in underdeveloped countries
Decline offers for unofficial guided bus or taxi tours to out of the way places as they could be a set-up for robbery
On tour buses, sit away from the doors to gain extra time if thieves should rush onboard
In some areas, robbers have also been known to smash windows when vehicles are stopped at red lights. Keep purses and totebags on the floor, not the window seat
Dress inconspicuously, especially where local customs mandate modest dress
Don’t stand on the street to examine maps or guide books – step into a store
If trapped in a hotel room due to political or security issues, close the curtains and stay away from the window. Speak quietly into the phone or send text messages from a cell phone

As flight crews know, taking extra precautions does not translate into paranoia. The old adage “better safe than sorry,” is especially valid when travelling.

What Not to Pack

By My Flying Fingers
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Apr 03, 2011
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Travel Tips

Airline employees and savvy travellers know better than to check their luggage. That means efficient packing is paramount. Though these tips may seem controversial and against accepted travel wisdom, you’ll be more comfortable, better dressed and less of a target if you follow this practical advice.

BLUE JEANS

Unless you’re going to a dude ranch, bulky blue jeans are a waste of valuable luggage space. They can also be uncomfortable to wear for long distance travel and can discourage gate agents from offering you that coveted upgrade. Designer or discount, jeans are still taboo in some clubs and fine restaurants. Instead, travel in non-wrinkle cotton or linen pants, which are classier and lighter to pack.

WHITE ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR

Runners, gym shoes, trainers, call them what you like but don’t call them stylish. There are many other ways to keep your feet happy while promenading along the boulevard. Try wearing a pair of chic loafers like the French do, and café waiters will assume you parlez like a local. If you must wear athletic footwear, at least avoid white.

BACK PACKS

Nothing says “tourist” louder than a bulging backpack. A more sophisticated way to travel around town is with a canvas messenger bag. Sling it over your opposite shoulder for better security than a backpack, which is often accessible to everyone but you. There will still be enough room to carry cameras, guide books and the ubiquitous bottle of water

Of course there will be times when you absolutely must check your luggage. In that case, bring your valuables onboard and use a comination lock and luggage straps on your checked bags. But if life is a journey, why not travel light?

The Perfect Travel Map

By My Flying Fingers
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Nov 05, 2010
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Travel Tips

MAP QUEST

Anyone who has ever used a free tourist map quickly learns it’s only worth what you paid for it. You’ll make the most of your time and travel dollars with a pocket-sized atlas filled with useful information, not glossy advertisements. Here are some of the best.

PARIS

L’Indispensable’s “Paris par Arrondissement” classifies the city by arrondissement, or neighbourhood, which is essential for carefree meandering. Though updates are published regularly, I still use my 1998 copy paired with a current RATP map for the Métro (subway).

www.ulyssesguides.com or at most newsstands and bookstores in Paris.

LONDON

Best selling “London A-Z” is both an atlas and a guide book. Clear, detailed maps of the city centre and nearby areas are broken into grids for easy reference. The central underground (Tube) route is on the outside back cover. A downloadable edition, “London Visitors’ and Tube Pocket A-Z Map” converts the paper version for your Windows based pocket PC.

www.a-zmaps.co.uk

BANGKOK & CHIANG MAI

Nancy Chandler’s maps look like what a diligent friend might bring back after a trip to Thailand. Brightly annotated with highlighters and rainbow ink, there is a method to her psychedelic madness as hotels, shops and markets appear in different colours. A separate compact guide details everything from accommodation to transportation. Worth ordering ahead of time. www.nancychandler.net

VENICE

Part of Venice’s charm is in getting lost, or so I like to remind my husband after we round another corner to nowhere. It’s true that maps aren’t much use in this beautiful, maze-like city. Once you’re familiar with the Grand Canal, use the vaparetto or water bus stations to get your bearings and follow the signs. The yellow markers are official, the rest are placed by helpful Venetians.

If we’re renting a car, a road atlas is essential, otherwise I pair a city map with a transit route guide. My husband likes to bring a map of the entire country, which usually provides other entertaining information.

Get your hands on a real map ahead of time and get your bearings as soon as you arrive, jet lag notwithstanding. For the best maps for other destinations, see what the experts, like Frommer’s, Lonely Planet or Condé Nast Traveler recommend.

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