Travel Tips

I would definitely not consider myself to be a ‘seasoned’ traveler compared to other people, but I have traveled internationally a few times.

I have a few tips that I’d like to share.

1.  Do your research.  Research EVERYTHING.  After you plan the ‘guts’ of your trip (place to stay, transportation, activities), research EACH AND EVERY ONE of those things.  Research where you’re staying.  Do they have laundry facilities?  Do they have specific check in/check out times?  Do they have wi-fi?  Make a note of all of these things.  Write down (or print off) confirmation numbers, address, all the details.  Start a trip folder.  Do NOT rely on technology.  Traveling internationally is stressful enough without having to worry about your phone having a spotty connection when you’re in line to board the plane and need to scan your boarding pass.

2.  Culture.  Read up on the culture of whatever country you are going to.  And read a LOT.  For example:  France.  In French culture, it is considered rude for the waiter to deliver your bill when you are finished eating.  In France, eating is SUCH a large part of their culture and way of life that they think it’s rude to interrupt you by dropping off the bill.  So it’s actually a very nice and considerate thing.  You will never feel like you’re ‘camping out’ at a table in France.  They encourage slow eating and good conversation.  But….if you didn’t know this, as an American, you might get annoyed at the service and wonder where in the heck your waiter went and why aren’t they bringing you the bill????  But if you’ve read up, you know to just raise your hand or make some kind of eye contact with the server and your bill will be promptly delivered.

They also consider it extremely rude if you enter a store and do not greet the storekeeper.  A simple ‘Bonjour’ is all that is needed.  And you have NO IDEA how much this simple word can go.  The way you are treated can improve by leaps and bounds by two words:  Bonjour and Merci.   

In Iceland:  Everyone speaks English.  But still…don’t ASSUME that everyone speaks English.  Even though they do.  Politely ask if they speak English.  And even though everyone speaks English, it is still polite to ask.  And again….attempt to learn at least one or two phrases if you’re visiting a foreign country.  When we said ‘takk’ (thank you) in Iceland, the locals were so happy and said ‘very good!’.  It’s such a small thing and can really make a difference in your experience.

3.  Weather.  If weather is a BIG deal to you, then be sure to research the climate of the country at the time that you are visiting.  In the countless hours of research I did about Iceland, there were so many people (on different websites) that were asking “does it really rain ALL THE TIME in Iceland?” in a ‘whining’ type tone.  The answer?  It rains every day in Iceland.  But ALL THE TIME?  No.  It’s intermittent.  And some days hardly at all.  DON'T LET THE WEATHER STOP YOU from doing the things.  When we visited Skogafoss (a great big waterfall), it was raining, windy and chilly.  But did that stop me from walking as close to the waterfall that I possibly could and getting sprayed right in the face as I stood there and just looked at this beautiful waterfall that took my breath away?  Nope.  And it was my favorite part of the trip.  My husband and I were talking and laughing and stumbled into the little restaurant nearby to warm up.  As I was peeling off the wet layers and staring out the window at the waterfall my husband appeared with a hot chocolate for me as we waited for our piping hot lamb stew to arrive.  It was just one of those moments that I will never forget.  And that was the worst weather we had on the trip!  So again….know the weather.  And DON’T LET IT GET TO YOU.  If certain weather makes you miserable and affects your mood, then try to visit the country in a more desirable season.  We could have gone to Iceland in the summer and probably would have had better weather, but then we would have had to deal with way more tourists.  No thank you.  I’d rather deal with a little rain.

4.  Jet lag.  This is a big one.  Try to sleep on the plane if you can.  If you’re like me (and can’t), then just be prepared for a VERY long day.  The best way to get over jet lag quickly is to adjust to local time immediately.  We left Denver at 4:30 p.m. local time on Friday.  We arrived in Iceland at 6:00 a.m. local time on Saturday.  Our flight was about 7.5 hours.  I did not sleep a wink on the plane, so by the time we landed, I had been awake for about 16 hours.  But I kept telling myself ‘it’s 6:00 a.m. it’s 6:00 a.m. it’s 6:00 a.m.’  And then we got our rental car and headed straight to the Blue Lagoon (which helped, but also made me suuuppperrr relaxed, which was not great for my tiredness).  By the time we checked in to our cottage it was 2:00 p.m.  And after exploring a bit, unpacking and winding down, we went to bed around 10:00.  And then the next day we slept until about noon.  Which was okay.  Because after that….we were totally back on schedule.  So sleep when you can, but FORCE YOURSELF to adjust to the local time.  Don’t nap!  Stay up until your regular bedtime.  And if you have to sleep a little later the next morning, that’s okay too.  It will set the tone for your entire trip.

5.  Food.  Research the type of food that is commonly found on restaurant menus.  If it’s a lot of different food and not something you would typically like, have a backup plan.  I’m all for trying things new, but I will NOT try things like fermented shark (which is a HUGE deal in Iceland).  We did not plan to eat out a lot (hardly at all) in Iceland, so I did research on grocery stores.  Like which grocery store chains were the cheapest (Bonus!) and what types of food could typically be found there.  Embrace the different brands of food.  In my research I discovered that alcohol is not sold in the grocery stores in Iceland.  It was highly suggested to buy it duty free before you leave the airport (which we did).  I also brought (in my checked bag) a gallon sized ziplock bag full of trail mix, granola bars, protein bars, etc.  And bottled water?  In Iceland this is the biggest joke of all.  The native Icelanders get a kick out of selling bottled water to tourists.  Because tourists will buy it, even though the water in the bottle is the EXACT same water from the tap.  Iceland has some of the cleanest, purest water in the world.  We saved money by bringing our own water bottles and filling them up at home before we left for the day.   I would also recommend getting one of those water bottles that has a filter.  That way you can fill it up on the go if you’re not sure about the tap water.  When we went to Europe in 2015 these bottles were LIFESAVERS.  It was so hot and we could fill up pretty much anywhere and not have to worry about buying bottled water.  Also….tipping.  In most European countries (if not all), you do NOT tip at restaurants.  They pay their servers enough of an hourly wage that they don’t rely on tips (which again…makes sense).  Also…a lot of the restaurants are ‘order at the counter’ and then they deliver it to you.  Research, research, research. 

6.  Money.  Know the currency of the country.  Download a currency converter app so you can figure out how much things will be in USD (U.S. dollars).  Research the average price of things so that you don’t get sticker shock.  I am SO GLAD I did this before Iceland.  Iceland is incredibly expensive.  Gas is at least twice as much as it is here (if not more…they do it in liters so I could never really figure it out).  And food?  A dozen eggs is $5.  A loaf of bread is $5 (at least).  A bag of gummy bears is $3.  And eating out?  Oy.  We ate out 3 or 4 times.  I think the most expensive was our snack at the waterfall.  We ordered one bowl of lamb stew (which came with bread and butter), one beer, and one hot chocolate.  It was $40 total.  Our lunch we had at a scenic hotel was $58 (two entrees).  We had water.  A beer is at least $10.  At LEAST.  And clothing?  T-shirts were $50 (even in the duty free shop).  But because we did research on these things, we weren’t in total sticker shock.  We didn’t let it get to us, because we KNEW that’s how it would be and we planned accordingly. 

7.  Electronics.  Research what type of plug adaptors/converters you will need.  And get more than one!  In Europe 3 years ago, our hotel in Belgium was right across the street from an Ikea, so we picked up an extension cord thing that had 3 European outlets on it.  So we could plug our converters into that and charge/use 3 outlets for the price of one so to speak.  You never know how many outlets you will have, so try to consolidate.  I have a little USB tower thing that can charge up to 6 different devices off of one plug.  It was PERFECT for this trip.  My husband and I could charge our phones, ipads, and his earbuds and our portable battery all from one outlet in the living room.  Adaptors/converters can be found inexpensively on Amazon.  So can the little multiple port USB chargers.

Speaking of chargers, bring one of those portable charges along.  They are inexpensive (usually under $20) and can completely recharge your device wherever you are.  We brought two along with us, but didn’t use them because we were able to charge our devices in our car as we were driving.  But I had one in France and it got used daily.  When you are using your phone for a camera and video camera all day, it will drain your battery pretty quickly.  So that charger was so nice to have!  We would just charge it each night and then I could stick it in my purse each day.  They are pretty small too…about the size of a tube of lipstick.

8.  Health.  About 3 days before we left, my husband and I took those Airborne chewable gummies, which I believe are just mega doses of Vitamin C.  I did NOT want us to get sick on our trip.  Airplane cabins use recycled air (I mean, you can’t just open a window, you know?).  And people travel when they’re sick all the time and you’re breathing in recycled air for 7+ hours.  Ewwwwww.  So load up on vitamins before you go AND during your trip if possible.  I packed all of our gummy vitamins in ziplock bags (vitamin bottles take up way too much space).  And it worked…we didn’t get sick!  Also remember all of your meds, and pack a day or two extra just in case.  But don’t OVER-pack your meds….some countries are fussy about the amount of medication that you can bring in.

9.  Safety.  Iceland is one of the safest countries in Europe.  Most people don’t lock their cars (or houses).  We did of course, but we were not fanatical about hiding all of our bags and stuff (like we do here).  But other European countries are not so safe.  WATCH YOUR STUFF.  NEVER ever ever carry anything in your back pocket (like a phone or wallet).  Or your front pocket.  European countries are notorious for pick-pocketers.  They prey on tourists.  Pay attention to yourself and to your belongings.  Get a purse that zips and carry it cross-body.  Be aware of your surroundings.  If you are in a crowded area and decide to take a picture, make sure your handbag is zipped and secure and preferably in the front of your body.  If you do these things, and PAY ATTENTION, you shouldn’t have any problems.

10.  General.  If you’re going to a non-speaking English country, download the local language from Google Translate for offline use.  This was SUPER helpful at the grocery store.  While some things are obvious, there was tons of things that weren’t.  Like cheese.  Yes, we knew it was cheese, but thanks to our Offline Icelandic Google Translate app, we were able to find Gouda, Swiss, etc.  Same with milk.  Regular, Soy, Almond, etc.  And nut butters!  Peanut, almond, sunflower, etc.  Everything was in Icelandic (as it should be).  The translator was a lifesaver!  We didn’t have any food surprises.

Try to travel light.  I know, I know, I am TERRIBLE about this.  But it just makes things sooooo much easier.  I brought some castile soap with me to do some handwashing if necessary.  And we did handwash a few things.  I brought 3 pairs of boots, and I wore 2 of them.  I brought two pairs of gloves (why?!?).  And then I ended up buying a pair of wool gloves there.  Sigh.  So….travel as lightly as you can.  And use pouches in your carry-ons!!  Have a pouch for your liquids (required).  Have a pouch for your cosmetics.  Have a pouch for your pills.  Have a pouch for your cords, earbuds and chargers.  Have a pouch for your snacks.  This will make locating items so much easier.  If you don’t have old makeup bags lying around, Target sells really cheap ones in their travel section (where all the mini bottles of shampoo and stuff are) for like $1.99.  I bought a clear one for my cords and chargers which was super helpful.

11.  EMBRACE THE COUNTRY.  Try to be a TRAVELER, not a TOURIST.  Try to go with the flow.  Try not to get annoyed or frustrated if things aren’t like they are at home (spoiler alert:  they won’t be).  Don’t constantly compare the country to America.  Don’t whine or be negative that things are different.  Because they WILL be different.  But in a good and refreshing way.  The rest of the world (particularly Europe) seems to have things (and life in general) figured out WAY better than Americans do.  Try new things.  Try new food.  Learn the local customs and cultures.  Try to learn at least one phrase or even one word in the local language.  Chat with the locals if you’re able to.  One night, we went to a burger joint in Reykjavik.  It kind of reminded me of the Route 66 diner here in ABQ…hamburgers, hot dogs, diner food, milkshakes, ice cream, etc.  Anyways…the menu was only in Icelandic.  So we asked (after politely asking the gal behind the counter if she spoke English) for a recommendation on a good burger.  She told us which one was HER favorite (it had kale and cucumber on it) and so we decided to give it a try.  This is something that I would have thought very odd and that you most likely wouldn’t see here (we top our burgers with bacon and onion rings ha ha).  It was one of the BEST burgers I’ve ever had in my life.  I’m still thinking about it!  We also got some phenomenal tips from our Air B&B host.  We were in contact with her before we left, and she gave us some good tips.  She told us to buy the discount tunnel pass for the underground tunnel that goes under Hvalfjorour fjord.  It shortens the distance from Reykjavik to the Western and northern parts of the island by about 30 miles.  I think we used the tunnel 8 times.  And get this….each way costs about $10 USD.  EACH WAY.  So $20 round trip.  So the first time we had to use it, I asked to buy the 10-pack, which was $60.  So, $40 saved right there.  We used all but two of our tunnel passes (which we left with our Air B&B host).  Most of the things we did were in Southern Iceland, and while we could have bypassed the tunnel, it would have taken more time and we would have been more inland and didn’t have the proper car for inland driving.  I'm rambling.  My point is, chat with the locals.  They will know the BEST places to go and do.

Those are my tips!  I hope they are helpful!