September 22, 2025 • 54 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean and Harry Reif discuss this week's travel news and Hot Deals!
Think you know all the best travel tips? Think again! In this episode, we share unique travel hacks and insider advice that even seasoned travelers often overlook. From clever packing strategies and money-saving tricks to unexpected ways to make your journey smoother, these tips will change the way you travel.
Whether you’re planning a quick weekend getaway or a big international adventure, these practical and surprising travel ideas will help you save time, reduce stress, and get more out of every trip.
Think you know all the best travel tips? Think again! In this episode, we share unique travel hacks and insider advice that even seasoned travelers often overlook. From clever packing strategies and money-saving tricks to unexpected ways to make your journey smoother, these tips will change the way you travel.
Whether you’re planning a quick weekend getaway or a big international adventure, these practical and surprising travel ideas will help you save time, reduce stress, and get more out of every trip.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show and podcasts
from your friends at the wishing Well two forty three
f Avenue in Harsmert and online at the wishing Well
dot this. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcasts hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say hello, Chris, how
are you. It's Saturday. I know feel the same way.
I'm having a little bit of a summer resurgence, yes,
sort of enjoying the warm weather.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
But I'm looking at you.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
It's nice looking forward to follow officially getting here and
having some cool web O.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Well, Lah, I would be delighted if we could see
a drop of rain or so er three.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
And down in like Richmond and over in Virginia Beach
from our stand. It's been ragining NonStop for the last month,
is that right? Yeah, they can't get a dry day
over there.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well, how about that for our friends listening and we
have the farmers. Yeah, we need the r We're the
ones who need the ring. So for our friends listening
over on the eastern part of the Commonwealth, we appreciate
you checking in today. We're sor are you getting so much?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
So?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
What's going on this week? You know, it's been a
busy week. I am actually preparing in the next week
to take off and go to Baselona Space. So I'm
excited about the trip, looking forward to that. And my
partner in crime, Harry Rife, who's here with us today,
will soon be taking off here. You want to tell
them where you're going.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
I'm going a little further than Terry. I'm a little bit.
I'm on Jordan.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Oh that really nice.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Yeah, see some parts of the world that I haven't
seen yet.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, I think Jordan would be a fun place to visit.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Yeah, I think so too. I'll come back and let
you know how they went.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Every time, I think this is just going off on
a tangent here. There was a Jeopardy question about those
little travel stickers people put on the back of their cars,
little oval stickers with three letters, and it was h
K J stands for this country and everybody on the
show Guess Japan. I guessed the hash of Mike Kingdom
(02:09):
of Jordan. Oh, thank you were right. That was right,
So enjoy your trip to the Hashimike Kingdom.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Who have lost that contest, But I'm going to enjoy
my trip nonetheless.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Well, now that we know where everybody's traveling around the world,
let's find out what's going on in the news ary.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Absolutely so, we do want to know what's going on
in the rest of the parts of the world. I guess,
and I always enjoy this part, especially when I have
some good news to share with everybody. In the travel industry.
The August US travel agency air ticket sales set records
this past month. For August, the Airline Reporting Corporation reported
(02:47):
a record ready for this eight point three billion dollars
in US travel agency air ticket sales in August of
twenty twenty five. That was a two percent yearly increase.
August passenger trips settled by ARC reached twenty four point
(03:08):
six million. Despite decreases in online leisure and corporate agency
issued trips, the average ticket prices rose about three percent.
So these numbers really are amazing, considering that prices also
rose from the previous year with economy class tickets averaging
at about four hundred and eighty five dollars and premium
(03:30):
class tickets averaging about thirteen oh nine. And actually, interestingly enough,
I always like to sort of look at these figures
and these reports that I get and go, yeah, let
me do my own research. I want to see how
that compares with what we're doing at the Wishing Well.
These are spot on, So I'm really excited to see
that despite some of the bad news that we hear
(03:53):
about what's happening in the industry, the numbers don't lie
and they tell us a different story. So I'm really
happy about that. Also, Riviera Travel you may remember them, Chris.
We've talked about them here on a Life Less Ordinary before,
a relatively newcomer to the cruising industry, but they have
announced the world's first dedicated solo cruise ship. Now why
(04:19):
is this so exciting? Well, I'll tell you why is
because solo travel is also up about twenty four point
six percent this year year over year, and it's continuing
to rise in popularity. It's something that I think we're
going to see well into twenty twenty eight because there's
a lot of tour companies now that are making solo
(04:42):
travelers the focus of some of their attention. Riviera Travel
has unveiled plans for the first ever cruise ship dedicated
entirely to solo travelers. Beginning in June twenty twenty seven,
the Ms George Elliott will exclusively sales solo departures on
(05:02):
the Danube, the RHN and the Moselle Rivers, making the
first time a cruise ship has ever devoted its entire
season to solo guests. With growing demand for even more
solo departures, they said they knew it was just a
matter of time before they had to dedicate an entire
ship to this thriving segment of the market. With this announcement,
(05:24):
they say they are proud to take the next ship
in redefining solo travel and to offer an all new
luxury river cruise experience. Riviera Travel introduced solo land tours
in twenty seventeen and followed with a limited selection of
dedicated solo river cruises in twenty eighteen. Now, since then,
(05:45):
the demand for solo sailings has grown significantly. I just
said they are currently offering more than twenty dedicated solo
departures every year, the majority taking place during the spring
and fall, with every traveler enjoying a private cabin with
no additional single supplement. So by adding a dedicated solo
(06:06):
travelership to its fleet, Riviera Travel is giving solo travelers
the opportunity to choose whether they sail during peak River
Creuse season or at other times during the year.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, this comes as no surprise to me, Terry. We've
been talking about we've been seeing more and more of
the i'll call the big boy cruise lines offering solo
space on their cruises, and we've seen a lot of
promotions where they're offering single rates without a supplement or
with a very low supplement. And we're also seeing in
(06:37):
the demographics of, you know, of our country of the
United States, how many single seniors there are out there,
and those are the people that have the discretionary time
to be able to take some great cruises. So this
is all very, very logical, and I think listeners are
going to be nodding their heads when they're listening to
you talk about this.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yeah, And I think what's really exciting about this is
that what kind of comes to my mind is that
having been a veteran of this industry for forty eight years. Now.
This is unprecedented because before there were people who had
traveled together for years and years, one or the other
(07:18):
of them became widowed or a widower, and they then
suddenly didn't have the desire to go anymore because it
wasn't convenient, it wasn't as comfortable, if you will, to
go without their spouse or their significant other. And today
that's just not the case. As we look at more
of these escorted group trips that people can take part in,
(07:41):
there is a comfort, there's an ease, there's a everything
is handled for you kind of situation that they step into,
and that really is what calms the minds of a
lot of these people who would otherwise be very worried
about traveling by themselves.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
And we've seen so many friends traveling together and they
end up having our feeling like they have to share
a room in order to do economical travel. They can
still be on the same cruise and be in a
room across the hall or down the hall with their
high school friend and be able to take a cruise.
(08:16):
And what I think is going to happen, and mark
my words, you're going to see some of the itineraries
and the destinations, also finding experiences for single travelers and
thinking about things that single travelers might want to do. However,
that is a little bit differently. They're going to research
that and you're going to see that as a trend
over the next couple of years because it's only logical.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah, I love it. So Riviera Cruise Line one to
keep in mind for those of you all joining us
today here on a lifeless ordinary. Again, first of all,
we thank you so very much sincerely for listening to
us every Saturday morning here. We love knowing that you're
sitting there with your cup of coffee, maybe your little dog,
you're kitty on your lap, and listening to all the
(09:01):
ways that we invite you into the world of travel
in a very relaxed setting. And so if you're one
of those folks out there right now that is a
solo traveler, please do contact us at the Wishing Well
for some of these great, great opportunities to be able
to travel and still experience the world. We can actually
even use that opportunity and you can to connect yourselves
(09:23):
to other people who might be lifetime friends. So always
great to know that there are those opportunities on another front,
so to speak. Chris, we have a tropical storm that's
making their presence known, her presence known. I guess you
should say in the arena, we're in hurricane season. I mean,
(09:44):
that's where we are, and Gabrielle is certainly one that
is poised to intensify. We don't know exactly what's going
to occur here. We're still watching that even this weekend.
But that's storm formed on Wednesday in the Atlantic and
it's expected to pass north of the Caribbean Islands over
(10:06):
this weekend, reaching Bermuda by early next week. So according
to ACI Weather hurricane experts, current conditions indicate that tropical
Storm Gabrielle could become a hurricane over the next couple
of days as she makes her way on her course.
But based on the current path projections, it's really unlikely
(10:26):
that the US mainland will feel any direct impact from
this storm. However, currents and rough surf are likely going
to affect beaches along the East Coast sometime early next week.
Gabrielle is a forecast is forecast to pass north of
the Caribbean Islands as it curves to the north over
(10:46):
the weekend, and at this time we kind of expect
a storm to steer clear of the US East Coast,
so people in Bermuda should be on high alert and
closely monitor their forecast updates. The storm is currently forecast
to track east of Bermuda, bringing some rain and wind
to the islands, but nothing here significant on the East coast.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I'm glad we've had a quiet hurricane season this year.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Well brace yourself, my friend, because October is generally the
most active, let's say, of hurricane seasons, and that's.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
One of the reasons that when you're traveling with us
at the Wishing Well, we will always strongly, strongly, strongly
urge you to put that travel insurance on your trip
for situations like this. It can be very, very troublesome
if you've got a cruise and there's a hurricane coming
to wonder hell as my money at risk travel insurance
(11:41):
is out there to help you with that.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Yes. So, having got all the news out of the
way for us for yet another week, Chris, what do
you say we head into some tips and hacks.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
I would love that. One of my favorite shows we
did was All the Questions you were afraid to ask
a travel ation right. I feel like this show is
going to be similar to that, where we're going to
learn a lot of inside secrets. Hope.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
So I think some of this is going to be
things that maybe, especially our listening audience who are frequent travelers,
they probably already know. But I'm gonna make a wager
that by the end of this show you're gonna learn something.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Yeah, everyone, get out your pencil and paper and see
of al terry STIPs today. How many of them you
can check off and say I knew that. My guess
is that you're going to find a lot of new
ones because I've seen her list.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Well, I'm looking forward to this travel tips and hacks,
things you may never have thought of. We'll get into
that list next here on a lifeless ordinary.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Haven't taken your summer vacation yet or do you need
just one more? Let the wishing Wells Experts help. We
offer fee free travel planning with built in expertise. Listeners
voted us Valley's Best. Check out our group trips tab
on our website though wishingwell dot biz, or let us
create a trip just for you. Stop by two forty
three nef Avenue, visit us at the Wishingwell dot biz
(12:57):
or call us at five four zero nine zero eight
two three thwee three five four zero nine zero eight
two three three three.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Yeah, welcome back to a life less ordin area. This
is the travel show and podcast from your friends at
the wishing Well. His friends today Terry Dean and Harry Rife.
You can stop by and see him on f Avenue
in Harrisonburg. You can find them online at the wishing
Well dot biz or give them a call. They'd love
to talk to you today. Five four oho nine oh
(13:24):
eight twenty three thirty three. And our show today is
called Travel Tips and Acts Things you may have never
thought of, And I'm looking forward to seeing what I
already know on the list and what these new learning
opportunities are going to be.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, We're going to want people to really stick around
to the very end of today's show because not everything
is going to be all given in the upfront portion
of today's show, I held back some of the really
fun things for the very end, so you're gonna want
to stick around and listen to the entire show today. Chris,
how many times have you traveled? And kind of just
(13:59):
win you knew a few little secrets or trip tricks
that you could maybe get a better deal, or you know,
how do they do look at people traveling and go
how did they do.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
That every trip I've ever been on?
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Yeah? Yeah, So I want to explore a little bit
of that today. We're going to talk about a lot
of the realm surrounding the mysteries of travel, the how to,
the what you should do, and that kind of thing.
And also, after today's show, I encourage all of you
who are listening to us on a Life Less Ordinary
(14:35):
send us a couple more of your travel hacks and
maybe tips. We'd love to present them here on a
Lifeless Ordinary. I want to say, this whole show today
is because you did reach out to us and said, Terry,
why don't you cover a couple of tricks for people
and hacks that they can use when they're traveling. So
(14:55):
that's exactly what I did today.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
What's a good way for folks to email you and
ask those quot.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
We're easy to find there too, Harry. They can send
that to info NFO at the wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Yeah, and don't say wishing well, do biz. It's got
to be the wishing well dot biz. Just as Terry said,
don't forget that the in the front.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
So Chris, you ready to get started here? I'm ready
all right. So I wanted to start, you know, kind
of on the easy side of things, something that maybe
people have heard about before. Certainly we've addressed it here
on a lifeless ordinary. So tip number one is slow down.
(15:34):
Patience is a virtue.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Is this in the planning or the experiencing?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Yeah, well, it's especially true when traveling, and it can
be tempting to pack your schedule once you start traveling
with a full rush of things to do, going from
place to place, fitting in as much as you can possible.
But if you don't slow down when you're in the
(15:59):
middle of a trip, you might not fully enjoy all
the experiences that you'll always be thinking about and you'll
be saying, why did I miss that? How did I
miss that? Well, it's because you were in such a
rush that you just simply didn't have time to do that.
I had a conversation, actually, interestingly enough, with some clients
(16:19):
who just came into my office to pick up some documents.
They're going on a milestone birthday celebration to celebrate as sisters.
One of the sisters is turning fifty. So they're going
on a two week adventure to Italy. I thought it
was fabulous, and I will lie. They're go getters, okay,
(16:40):
they want to see everything, do everything while they're there
in Italy. They're making the circle, you know, they're doing
the whole boot, if you will. And so one of
the things that they were doing is they were getting
into Rome and they had a lot to do on
the second day they got there, but on the first
day not so much. And one of the questions to
(17:02):
me from one of the gals that was traveling was, hey,
can you help us fill up that time? I said, yes,
here's what I would suggest. Go into the center of town,
sit in front of a nice little Italian bistro, get
a glass of wine, a loaf of bread and some
homemade cheese, and sit and watch the people. You want
(17:26):
to talk about. The best way to enjoy a location
or a locality, especially an international one, is to observe.
I mean that's a gift to be able to add
some observation time into a trip. Fourteen days in Italy
and you're going going every day, that's a gift when
you can just sit down, relax and enjoy the scenery.
(17:50):
And I can't think of a better place than Rome
to do that.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Oh my gosh. Yeah, a sidewalk cafe. It's perfect. And
when you talk about saying, really the location, you're going
to see what goes on. You're going to see people
rushing home from work, or you're going to see people
milling about, or hopefully you'll see people living life a
little slower than maybe we do here at home in
(18:16):
the United States and see how happy they look.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Yeah, And it also it doesn't cause as much stress
and panic if things don't go as absolutely planned. I
also have those type A clients who really must have
a plan every single part of the day. They want
to know what's going to happen at eight, they want
to know what's going to happen at eight thirty, what's
going to happen at nine, what's going to happen at
(18:40):
nine thirty. Now, just imagine if that plan goes a
little off tilt, how panicked and out of control. A
type A personality like that is going to feel not
a good feeling, Yeah, exactly, It is exhausting, which brings
us to the next point, be flexible. And if you've
ever done much traveling internationally, you know things really never
(19:04):
go exactly is planned. Flights are delayed, bags can get lost,
reservations are missed, sometimes accidents happen, bad weather yep, and
sometimes you even don't feel good. It's important to go
with the flow, make backup plans so you can just
adjust accordingly and your adventure is going to be much
(19:27):
less stressful if you just learn how to be flexible.
That is my number two tip. Now number three leave
your comfort zone very important. This expert travel tip isn't easy,
but it's important. A major part of traveling involves being
uncomfortable sometimes. I remember, as a young girl some forty
(19:53):
couple of years ago, when my boss then said to me,
you're going to Ireland, and I'm like, okay, who can
I take? And she's like, you know, this is called
a fam trip and you are going by yourself. So
for the first time ever, I was a very young girl,
(20:13):
I got on a plane I boarded all by myself.
I flew into another country that I never I had
never traveled outside of Virginia before as a young girl,
and I got on this plane and I flew into Shannon, Ireland,
where I had to find my own transportation to my
hotel and meet the group that I was going to
(20:34):
meet there. It was out of my comfort zone, but
you know what happened as a result of that, I
felt like I could tackle anything after because it's not
as hard as it looks. It's not as hard as
we imagine things like that to be. So stepping out
of your comfort zone is really important. Being in a
new place, surrounded by different languages, even sometimes unfamiliar with
(20:55):
the culture, that can cause a lot of uneasiness. But fortunately,
most people that you go into these other countries, they're
friendly and they're patient. If you just keep a humble
and a positive attitude, that's really all it takes. You know,
present yourself as someone who's friendly, and many times people
will react in kind. Not all the time, but most
(21:18):
of the time. And trying new things can lead you
to fall in love with something or somewhere new, but
you need to be willing to be uncomfortable at first.
Another really true life experience. I remember my very first
trip to New York City. I remember it like it
was yesterday, and I left there going, my god, this
(21:40):
is the armpit of the world, and I will never
go back and correctness and actually afterwards and that you
know why I felt like that, because I was uncomfortable.
I didn't not like the city, I didn't like the
way I felt in the city. And so after a
couple of more there are hundreds of visits to New
(22:02):
York after that, I've gotten very familiar with the feeling
of being in New York, what New York City is
all about, and even found some places there that I love.
It is a different world, it most certainly is.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
It's a great world.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Yeah, I enjoy New York.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
I enjoy New York too. Is yeah, you know, I'm
not the tourist that I was the first time. My
head actually doesn't look to the sky every time I'm
walking down the street. That's how they tell the newbie tourists.
They're all looking up at the buildings. But tied with
that comfort zone. Leave some of your perceptions behind too.
There's so many people that have perceptions about places, and
(22:40):
that's part of getting out of your comfort zone is
walk in there and say, you know, I can do.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
This, Yeah, and that's great here. I think a lot
of people should take heart and do that too when
they travel. Tip number four. This one's going to surprise you.
I know it's going to surprise both of you. Maybe
everybody listening when I say this, because I like my sleep.
But guess what, when you're traveling, sleep can wait?
Speaker 1 (23:07):
What?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yeah, I'm not saying you shouldn't sleep. It's important to
take care of your health while you're traveling. So if
you enjoy your time there, you want to make sure
that you do sleep, but also don't sleep too much.
Be willing to wake up early or stay up late
so that you can make sure you accomplish everything you
(23:28):
set out to do. Getting up early also has another advantage,
you beat the crowds in the later part of the day.
Now this is especially important if you're traveling internationally, because
if you get caught in the jet lag, if you
don't follow the advice of travel professionals or other people
(23:50):
who have written great articles about jet lag, you're going
to wind up getting to your first destination in Europe,
I promise you, and all you're going to want to
do is go to bed. Now, let's just say you've
only got five days there. Do you really want to
spend whatever you've paid for this trip plus an airline
ticket in a bed. You can do that at home,
but you really do need to get up, get moving.
If that means an extra cup of coffee, if it means,
(24:13):
you know, trying to expose yourself to as much sunlight
as you can, because we have that circadian rhythm in
our bodies that respond well to sunlight. Do whatever you
can to make sure that you can maximize your awake
time in whatever place you're going.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
I like the idea of sleeping on an airplane. There's
not a thing that's going on that you'll be able
to help with. There's not a thing that's going on.
It's particularly interesting. There's not any scenery to see when
you're flying typically because you're up there at you know,
thirty forty thousand feet in the air. Use that time.
Go to sleep. They have great movies, they have great
(24:50):
you know, other things to get your attention. Go to sleep,
and when you arrive you'll be rested and you'll be
able to take advantage of what Terry's talking about.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Yeah, and that's so very important. Sleeping on the plane
is important, especially when it comes to managing jet lag,
because when you arrive into Europe at your first destination.
It's the morning, their time, and they expect you to
be ready and able to respond and get going, get
moving with your day. So a lot of tour operators
even organize their day for you that day so that
(25:23):
they do keep pushing you on beyond that limit of
sleep that you've got. Now, let's move on to tip
number five, and that is take some extra forms of payment.
Most people rarely use cash anymore, but we recommend always
traveling with some just in case, and you can always
(25:45):
use it as a backup. Also, take multiple credit cards. Now,
I'll tell you why this is important, so very important,
is because what happens if you have a credit card. Now,
if you're home and that credit card gets compromised, what's
the first thing you do?
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Cancel it?
Speaker 2 (26:03):
You call and cancel that card. You're right. So let's
just imagine now that you, like me, are over in
Barcelona next week and your card gets compromised and you
cancel it and you have no additional form of payment
with you. You're in trouble, You're up the creek. So
really it's very important that you have some other form
of back up card. So two credit cards is what
(26:27):
I'm recommending. And please, folks, MasterCard and visa. I don't
want to give American Express a black eye, but it's
not widely accepted across the world these days, and neither
is Dinners Club SO or Discover. So you just need
to make sure that you have a good MasterCard and
a visa that will likely take care of the charges
and incidentals that you're going to rack up while you're traveling.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
And you're going to want to make sure those cards.
Also if you can find cards that don't charge extra fees,
those international currency charges, because some options when you're oversea
will allow you to charge in US dollars, many many
will not. They want to charge in their local currency,
whether it's the Euro or the denial, whatever it is.
(27:11):
Have cards that don't have those extra fees, otherwise you're
adding another three four percent onto every single purchase you make.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Do I need to contact my credit card company and
let them know I'm going to be trampling.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
We always recommended the wishing well that you do that.
Now banks will tell their customers, hey, you didn't need
to do that, That's fine, We've got you. But I
always still think it's a good idea because you don't
want any unfortunate surprises when you get ready to pay
for something. And I always think that's a good idea.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
And one of the things I just found this last
week through one of our clients, Terry, is that if
you put your airline or your trip on a credit card.
I'm not sure how they're doing this yet, but some
of the credit card companies are actually looking and they say, oh, yeah,
Chris Carmichael, you charge this trip going to greed sort
to Italy on these dates. They sent this client a
(28:04):
message saying, you don't have to call us. We know
you're going to be out of the country during these dates.
And I thought that's fantastic. The card companies are becoming
more proactive, but Terry's advice stands call them, tell them,
ask them to just humor you, and you know, put
something on the card that says I'm out of the country.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Proactive, Yes, more intrusive. Also, yes, I don't know if
I really like that.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
Well, you know, we're out to try and provide some suggestions, Chris,
to your point for people to keep them safe while
they travel. And certainly some of these tips and hacks
that we're going to be sharing with you today are
based on that entirely. And that brings me to my
next one tip number six, which is record important information
(28:54):
before you go. It's good to carry around like a
little notebook, not a great, big when I'm not talking
about spot bound notebooks like we had in high school
or college, but just a little notebook. Keep that somewhere
with you. Write down the address of your hotel, your
flight numbers, a friend's phone number, other necessary travel information
before you leave. You never know when your cell phone
(29:16):
is going to act up. It might die, you might
have no signal. It's an incredibly hopeless feeling arriving and
not knowing where you're supposed to be going. Now one
of the things that we do for our clients, and
I'm going to talk about that a little later in
today's show, but we provide an app that helps people
with that. But to the point here, if your cell
(29:38):
phone dies, you really have none of that. So really
having some old fashioned notes doesn't hurt at all. And
that's something that a lot of people just plain forget
about doing they don't have. And how many times have
you called an actual phone number for a friend You
have it programmed as a contact, and you either say
(29:59):
content so and so, or call so and so or
it's a number on your phone and use this hit
one button and it calls them.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
I say, I only know a few numbers, my wife's
and your number at this point. Than it's all just
call that person.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah. So having a little notebook with you is a
great tip and a great way for you to keep
pertinent and relevant information, important information that you need at
your fingertips. Next tip, pack gear to help you sleep,
very very important. This expert travel tip is one that
(30:34):
I had to learn the hard way. Sleeping can be
challenging on the airplane. I am also a type a personality,
and you know, I don't know what it is. I
don't know how in the world I think I'm going
to be in control on the airplane. But you know,
somehow I think I might be able to be of
assistance if I'm awake. The truth is I cannot. So
whether you're on airplanes, buses, or you know, hotels, you
(30:58):
want a neck pillow, you want ear plugs, and I'm
talking about noise canceling ear plugs and an eyemask. That
can make a huge, huge difference between getting a decent
night's sleep and no sleep at all on these aircrafts
or hotels or whatever. And you want to experiment with
a couple of different types of sleep gear to discover
(31:20):
which one works best for you. You know, some people
prefer those noise canceling earbuds that you can get like
from bows. Other people, on the other hand, like some
of the little foam ones that sort of you push
into your ear and then they just meld right to
your ear pattern inside.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
So yeah, and the neck pillows come in all kinds
of you know styles. Also, there are some that are inflatable.
There's some that are that foam that you can, you know,
squish down to almost nothing. And I just hooked mine,
you know, onto my carry on bag so I don't
lose it. I've got a little what they called cure beaner,
a little hood. Just clip it on there so I
(31:59):
don't lose it and have it available. It's real simple, yeah,
to carry along with you, and that counts as your
carry on luggage. It fits. It's great to take long.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Now our next tip is pack light. I mean, I'm
telling you about all these things to take and I'm sorry,
but in the end, you really should be aware of
what you're packing. And my suggestion is pack light. A
lot of Americans, we all tend to overpack. I mean,
it just happens. We're always worried that we're going to
run out of clothes, and so we prepare for all
(32:30):
types of weather, and so most of the time we
don't even end up using everything that we pack, or
half of what we pack. So next time, maybe think
about bringing like those little disposable laundry detergent things, or
plan on doing laundry if you've got a long trip,
especially in order to bring a smaller suitcase. You can
also purchase a jacket, a sweatshirt or socks at your
(32:55):
destination if you have to. And I can tell you
this when I travel most places that I go and
have traveled to UH in my years of travel, I
love to actually buy one item of clothing from that
area that sort of every time I wear it reminds
me of where I've been.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Right, And I'm surprised you didn't share my favorite one.
I know you know it. Can I share my favorite one?
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Everyone's got that shirt in the closet that says that
that you look at and say, I like that shirt,
it's special. But then you look at that shirt a
second time or a third time, and you say, that's
got maybe one or two uses left on it, and
it's time for it to go. If you have, you know,
clothing that is at the end of its life cycle,
I pack that on trips because there's nothing wrong with
(33:43):
leaving something behind. You know, when you travel, make room
for something new, the new thing you're going to buy, terry,
and leave something behind if you can get rid of it,
get rid of on the road. Absolutely a great tip.
Chris is right in this one down.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Number eight was pack light with an addendum wear o clothes.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
Yeah, we take out And I didn't say on the
old clothes.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
I said, take a couple of things that are expendable
close to the end of their life cycle. Bay, then
you guys, you guys can laugh. I know there are
people at home that are nodding their head, going I
do that, and there are other people going, what a
great idea.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Make the people in the flight question how I paid
for a flight?
Speaker 3 (34:25):
No no, no number nine.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Here, we're gonna take a break and then we'll come
back and get the number none. Our show today is
called Travel Tips and Hacks. Things you may never have
thought of or, in Harry's case, you have it's next.
You're on a life Less Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Haven't taken your summer vacation yet, or do you need
just one more? Let the wishing Wells experts help. We
offer fee free travel planning with built in expertise. Listeners
voted us Valley's Best. Check out our group trips tab
on our website though wishing Well dot biz, or let
us create a trip just for you. Stop by two
forty three nef Avenue, visit us at the wishing Well
(35:00):
dot biz, or call us at five four zero nine
zero eight two three three three five four zero nine
zero eight two three three three.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Thanks so much for listening today to a Lifeless Ordinary,
the travel show and podcasts from your friends at the
wishing Well. You can find them online at the wishing
Well dot biz. And while you're on the website, you
can find the link in the upper right hand corner
to a Lifeless Ordinary all the former podcasts that we've
done over the years, and you can hit the little
search bar and you can find a show that will
(35:29):
pretty much answer any of your travel questions that we
haven't covered in today's show. You can also stop buy
on f Avenue or give them a call at five
four oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Today
our show is about travel tips and hacks. These are
all the things you may never have thought of. We
as we went to break we found out from Harry
we should wear old clothes and leave behind so we
(35:50):
can replace them with really nice, warm, cozy souvenirs to
wear back with us, which I think is a great
idea because every time I travel, I do bring back
some piece of clothing. Ye from our honeymoon, it was socks,
Is that right? My wife loves socks and every time
she puts them on, she's like, this reminds me of
our honeymoon, and I always think I didn't know where
(36:12):
they came from. So anyway, won't put that part on
my list of notes. So if you're just joining us
on our show today, here are the eight tips that
Terry has given us. Slow down, be flexible, leave your
comfort zone. The surprise entry was sleep can wait. Take
extra forms of payments like multiple credit cards, record important
(36:35):
info before you leave, Take a little notebook with all
that information written down. Pack here to help you sleep,
and pack light, which brings us to Terry's ninth tip.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Yep, and that is book your reservations early. Now, a
lot of people these days go they'll call me a
week or so before they want to go somewhere and go,
what are the last minute bargains? Well, the truth is
there are some, and that does happen on occasion, but
not always. If you're really planning a trip, you don't
(37:06):
have to plan every detail of your trip months in advance.
But it's wise to at least book your flight for
in advance because if you don't, you're going to be
paying top dollar for flight reservations. They don't typically put
those on sale last minute, and this is going to
give you better choices for flight days and times, as
well as lower prices just in general. So tip number nine,
(37:30):
book your reservations early.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
How early can you book a reservation?
Speaker 2 (37:34):
Yeah, that's a great question here. For the most part,
for airline tickets, you can book them eleven months in advance,
not twelve months. Because let's just say we were booking
for we wanted to book a year from now, we're
in September. We couldn't really book those flights for September
of twenty twenty twenty six. Sorry, until we got to
(37:58):
about the first of November.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
Are the rates that I'm paying locked in? Can they
come back and say they need more money because there's
a higher demand for a flight.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Also a great question. The answer is no. So once
you lock in a flight, that's it. It's yours, it
belongs to you. That's what you bought it for. It's
like anything else you buy off the shelf. Once you
buy it, you take it home. It's yours. That's exactly
what it's going to cost you on the day that
you fly, no matter what happens to the price of
that item later on. Okay, same is true with airline taps.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
It's a contract between you and the airline.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Okay. Tip number ten, pack extra chargers for your cell phone,
a tablet and other devices. And I will tell you
the reason for this is because the number one most
left behind item when people travel our cell phone charger
cords or laptop cords or whatever. So it's really important
(38:52):
that you take extras, especially if you have an itinerary
where you're moving from hotel to hotel to hotel. Those
ladies I told you about in the first part of
the show that are going on a two week trip
to Italy. They're staying in probably about ten different hotels,
so they're moving around a good bit, and I encourage
(39:14):
them to really remember to take extra charge cords with them.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Is there any worse feeling than as you're pulling the
door shut as you're leaving and you're like patting yourself
down to make sure you have everything that you came
in with, and just like an hour later thinking I
don't remember if I picked up yes charger or whatever.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
It is happens all the time. Really easy hack for that.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
When you get up in the morning, take that phone
charger and either pack it or put it in your shoe.
Oh it's good, it's in your shoe. You will find
it because it's something you want close with you. And
the other thing with charger, A lot of people like
those little power bricks. You can't check those in your luggage. Yeah,
but the extra battery packs are handy to have when
(39:58):
you're traveling, particularly if you're in a different country, because
your charger may not mint the power outlet there and
you don't want to have to carry a bunch of
adapters with you, so you've got your little lecture power
for your telephone.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
I really like Harry's advice that you know in the morning,
just put everything back in your luggage. That way you
know where it is. That's actually how I pack for
my travel. As I get up to go that day,
I use my truthbrush, put it in the suitcase. Use
my hair brush, put it in the suitcase.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Right right, And that's a great way to do it.
That's a great travel hack.
Speaker 1 (40:32):
Is that a tenB?
Speaker 2 (40:34):
That can be a tenB Chris, that's a good one.
Tip Number eleven Eat locally. Now, this relates again to
sort of leaving your comfort zone. It's easy and it's
comfortable to eat at fast food restaurants. We know what
they are, we know they're pretty consistent in what they deliver,
but you can enjoy those anytime back home. We want
(40:56):
you to get out there and enjoy the local cuisine.
That's really when are the best. When you go to
San Juan, eat Mufungo. Don't go to McDonald's, don't go
to Kentucky Fried Chicken, eat the dish of San Juan mufungo.
What oh, it is delicious. No, it's not a sandwich
a sandwich. It's actually not a sandwich at all. It
(41:18):
sort of looks like rice on a plate. It's piled
up sort of looks like a volcano, if you will.
And down in the center are all kinds of meats.
It's either going to be shrimp, chicken, or beef. And
then it has this absolutely decadent garlic sauce that goes
over it and it is to die for. It is
(41:38):
absolutely phenomenal, delicious, it is. It's fabulous, And so you
want to try that local cuisine. You might discover some
amazing dishes like that that you're going to want to
make after you return home. I've tried it, I can't.
It's a bust. So I have to go back to
San Juan to get really good mufungo. Plus, you'll be
supporting some local people instead of big businesses, and we
(42:02):
know they're doing all right, so support those local guys.
That's actually a very good tip. Number twelve. Learn a
few new words in the local language. This might be
the wisest expert travel tip in order to win favor
with the local people that you're going to be visiting.
Even spending about twenty to twenty five hours on an
(42:24):
app called Duo Lingo before you go on a long
trip and travel, you can at least greet and speak
a few sentences with the locals. They're going to often
welcome you with open arms. If you do that, that's
a great investment of your time. So Duo Lingo is
the app by which you can probably learn a little
(42:47):
bit about the local language and pick up a few
things if you're so inclined to spend just a little
time becoming educated.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
And on everybody's phone. I don't care what brand you have,
there's going to be something on there like a Go Translate.
If you've never explored that app, try it. That's a
great way to sit at home at night before your
trip and learn a couple of those phrases that Terry's
talking about, you know, to let you get around locally.
Speaker 1 (43:13):
You know, where is the bathroom? And some of those
apps where's a bus? Actually you can set them in
between you and they show both people and the party.
So you just talk and it translated and they hear it,
and then when they speak it translating, you see it.
Speaker 3 (43:28):
It's they're really great. But Terry's tip, I think the
point of that tip that's important for travelers is if
you can say a few words in that local language,
you gain some credibility. It says you're invested in that country,
that region, and it makes you a more attractive tourist
and people will be nicer to you. Is what I've found.
(43:49):
Is I'm traveling internationally. I don't know how to speak
too much in Arabic, but i have a few phrases
that I've learned, and I'm going to use those on
my next trip.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
I know else sis means the sun. Oh wow, okay,
because like the sun shimmers. Arry, you need a traveling companion.
You got a ready, ready set go guy.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
I carry my own bags.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
I'm sorry, I don't want to carry your bags. After
what you've told.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
Us exactly what's well, Let's move on to tip number thirteen,
and that is to stay hydrated. I tell my clients
this all the time. Water is magic, So don't go
anywhere without a water bottle. In many cases, I would
suggest anymore because the world is becoming very sustainable. We
(44:35):
like that plastic bottles are kind of out. The new thing.
Are these sustainable bottles refillables that you can take with you.
So we do suggest that you take that and drink
water profusely when you travel. Highly recommend that and drink
plenty of water on the airplane. Also, it's also a
great help for jet lag. So if you drink a
(44:58):
lot of water before or a trip, about forty eight
hours prior, double up on the normal amount of water
that you drink and while you're traveling, that jet lag
will go much easier on you. That's one thing that
a lot of people don't really realize about jet lag.
And I tell my clients this. It presents like the flu.
Many people don't know it's a real physical condition. You
(45:20):
can feel very sick with jet lag. You can feel
achy in your body, just like you have the flu,
kind of like your skin is sore, you get headachey,
sometimes a sore throat. You can just feel lethargic and
even nauseous. That's not the flu, that's jet lag, And
some people don't know the difference.
Speaker 1 (45:41):
So I've always joked that that's the benefit of I
sleep ATNA that's really bad. And so I've never slept
well through the night. I'm lucky if I get four
or five hours of sleep, sure, And so I've spent
most of my life walking through the world with I
think jet lag. So anytime I've traveled always been like, yeah,
this is easy because you know, if I can get
(46:03):
an extra hour sleep when I get there, I feel
like I'm ready to go.
Speaker 3 (46:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
You know, well, jet lag is pretty powerful and it
can jolt you when you get to certain locations.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
I've actually never traveled east. I always travel west, so
it may not be affecting me as much as how do.
Speaker 3 (46:19):
You get home?
Speaker 1 (46:20):
Well, I travel east, but I don't care if I
when I get home, if I've got to sleep a
half a day to get back on track, I don't care.
But heading you know, to Vegas, just get to stay
up a little later.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
One of the tips we give with those bottles too,
you can carry those through TSA empty.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (46:36):
You can carry any kind of water container through TSA empty.
Once you get through, fill it up, especially if you're
traveling again to a foreign location, you can fill it
up and you're departing airport that way, you've got some
i'll call it local water that's there because once you
get it a new location. One of the things to
be cautious and will help you. Depending on the locations,
(46:58):
you're going to have some idea of how much local
water you want to drink, too, because that can vary
from place to place as well, but if you bring
your own water to get started, you're in great shape
and then you can work from there all right.
Speaker 2 (47:12):
Tip number fourteen, Be sure you sign up for rewards programs.
This is very important, great expert travel tip to save
you money if you travel, especially if you travel often.
You can earn points for free flights and hotels, as
well as some other great perks like just free stuff
in general. Who doesn't like free stuff? So tip number fourteen,
(47:35):
be sure you sign up for those rewards programs. Tip
number fifteen and this is important, especially for all of
us ladies. Good walking shoes are a must. Most traveler
travel involves a good amount of walking, and you are
going to regret not bringing a comfortable pair of walking
(47:57):
shoes when your feet are aching and aching and aching.
I will tell you this, I made a big mistake.
And one of the things that you don't want to
do is buy a brand new pair of tennis shoes
and break them in on a trip that requires a
great deal of walking. I made that mistake once upon
a time when I went to Madrid and I had
(48:17):
bought these fabulous tennis shoes, but I hadn't broken them
in and so I got this just this irritation from
those shoes, and I wound up having to go into
a local shoe store and bought a pair of shoes
in Madrid and I wear those to this day. They
(48:39):
were fabulous. Let me just tell you, the Europeans know
how to sell good walking shoes. They're fabulous. So that's
a really good tip, and it's a worthwhile investment to
have good ones. Tip number sixteen, This one's going to
probably shock a lot of people. They don't have wash
clothes in Europe. So if you want wash cloths, if
(49:01):
that's normally the way you shower or bathe, be sure
you pack wash clothes, even sometimes a towel with you.
Not all hotels even provide towels. You might need one
if you stay in a hostel or less expensive lodging options,
so make sure that you take those with you.
Speaker 1 (49:21):
Also.
Speaker 2 (49:22):
Tip number seventeen, research your destination. You don't need to overplan.
I talked about that spending a few hours, though. Researching
your destination is going to help you make the most
of your trip. Most people who love adventure also want
to hit lesser known spots, which also takes a little
research Tip number eighteen. Prepare at some point for a
(49:46):
possible upset stomach. Okay, you're going to be eating new foods,
you're in new places. You might have a touch of
what I call jet lag, and it's really fun to
be in a new place, but it's also a little risky.
So if you eat a meal a hole in the
wall restaurant that was highly recommended to you, your stomach
might not appreciate it. So you want to bring some
(50:06):
things that are going to help with upset stomach, like
your own brand of pepto anti acids, papaya or even ginger.
The apothecaries in international destinations, or what we would think
of as a CVS or a otherwise pharmaceutical type drug store.
They don't have as many of those in Europe as
(50:27):
we have here in the United States. So take your
own tip number nineteen. Do what you actually want to do.
Don't go to an art museum. If you don't like art,
don't do that. Don't worry about what other people normally
do or think you should do at your destination, or
say you must go here. If you are in well,
(50:51):
let's take Barcelona, I'm going there. You must go to
the Cigaretta Familia. You must go there.
Speaker 1 (50:56):
You're to put the spire up.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
Yeah, I know, but what if you don't like that
sort of thing? You know what if you really just
want to take time on the cafe at the cafes,
you want to enjoy local cuisine, you don't care about architecture,
then don't do it. If you don't like it. Your
trip is going to be significantly more enjoyable if you
do what interests you most.
Speaker 3 (51:16):
But I went there, and I'm telling you you want
to go see that one. Write that one exactly quickly.
Do your research.
Speaker 2 (51:22):
Tip number twenty be friendly. A lot of places don't
mind foreigners, but that might not be the case if
you don't present yourself as a friendly individual. A portion
of the locals are going to be more friendly and
helpful if you are smiling and if you are being
polite plus knowing. As I said, a little bit of
the language can go a very very long way. And
(51:45):
as Harry reminded us before my last tip, purchase that
travel health insurance. This is a no brainer. Protect both
you and your loved ones from any unexpected things that
go on. Now, I want to be honest and completely
transparent with our listening audience. Today, I have probably about
fifty more tips. So what we're going to do, Chris,
(52:08):
is we're going to continue this on subsequent shows because
I think these travel tips are really just that important.
Speaker 3 (52:15):
It's a great beginning. And again, you gave an address
early on an email address. If you have one a question,
send us an email info at though wishing well dot
biz and we'll work to put that onto Terry's list.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
Absolutely, Chris, were there some surprises here on the show
for you today?
Speaker 1 (52:33):
Take a washcloth?
Speaker 2 (52:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (52:37):
How do they bathe?
Speaker 2 (52:38):
Yeah? Well, you know, and that's a great question. I
think they just use bars of soap. The other thing is,
along with the wash claus, you need to take some
local change because sometimes you even have to pay to
get into the public toilets in certain cities where you go.
That can be surprising to a lot of people.
Speaker 1 (52:55):
And with my sleep issues, I was surprised to hear
say pack here to help you sleep, because I would
never think of that. I'm always thinking about what I'm
doing when I'm awake, not how to rest to be
prepared for that.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
Right right, We'll.
Speaker 3 (53:07):
Talk about luggage too, because I think that's a big
thing you talked about, you know, sleep apnea. Let's put
that on our list. Make sure we talk about that
in the free luggage.
Speaker 1 (53:16):
We've only got a couple of seconds left. If we
have questions, if we need answers, how do we get
in touch with you.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
Any of that? You can reach out to us at
the wishing Well. We're easy to find, Chris. We're located
at two forty three NEP Avenue in the Valley Center
in Heresonburg, Virginia. You can call us at five four
o nine oh eight two three three three or look
us up on the web. We are at the Wishingwell
dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
This has been a life Less Ordinary, the travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three NEF Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions
on topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the wishing Well dot biz or five
four oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past
episodes are available on the iHeartRadio and we'll see again
next Saturday morning at ten for a life Less Ordinary
(54:04):
from the wishing Well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show and podcasts
from your friends at the wishing Well two forty three
f Avenue in Harsmert and online at the wishing Well
dot this. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcasts hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say hello, Chris, how
are you. It's Saturday. I know feel the same way.
I'm having a little bit of a summer resurgence, yes,
sort of enjoying the warm weather.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
But I'm looking at you.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
It's nice looking forward to follow officially getting here and
having some cool web O.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Well, Lah, I would be delighted if we could see
a drop of rain or so er three.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
And down in like Richmond and over in Virginia Beach
from our stand. It's been ragining NonStop for the last month,
is that right? Yeah, they can't get a dry day
over there.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well, how about that for our friends listening and we
have the farmers. Yeah, we need the r We're the
ones who need the ring. So for our friends listening
over on the eastern part of the Commonwealth, we appreciate
you checking in today. We're sor are you getting so much?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
So?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
What's going on this week? You know, it's been a
busy week. I am actually preparing in the next week
to take off and go to Baselona Space. So I'm
excited about the trip, looking forward to that. And my
partner in crime, Harry Rife, who's here with us today,
will soon be taking off here. You want to tell
them where you're going.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
I'm going a little further than Terry. I'm a little bit.
I'm on Jordan.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Oh that really nice.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Yeah, see some parts of the world that I haven't
seen yet.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, I think Jordan would be a fun place to visit.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Yeah, I think so too. I'll come back and let
you know how they went.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Every time, I think this is just going off on
a tangent here. There was a Jeopardy question about those
little travel stickers people put on the back of their cars,
little oval stickers with three letters, and it was h
K J stands for this country and everybody on the
show Guess Japan. I guessed the hash of Mike Kingdom
(02:09):
of Jordan. Oh, thank you were right. That was right,
So enjoy your trip to the Hashimike Kingdom.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Who have lost that contest, But I'm going to enjoy
my trip nonetheless.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Well, now that we know where everybody's traveling around the world,
let's find out what's going on in the news ary.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Absolutely so, we do want to know what's going on
in the rest of the parts of the world. I guess,
and I always enjoy this part, especially when I have
some good news to share with everybody. In the travel industry.
The August US travel agency air ticket sales set records
this past month. For August, the Airline Reporting Corporation reported
(02:47):
a record ready for this eight point three billion dollars
in US travel agency air ticket sales in August of
twenty twenty five. That was a two percent yearly increase.
August passenger trips settled by ARC reached twenty four point
(03:08):
six million. Despite decreases in online leisure and corporate agency
issued trips, the average ticket prices rose about three percent.
So these numbers really are amazing, considering that prices also
rose from the previous year with economy class tickets averaging
at about four hundred and eighty five dollars and premium
(03:30):
class tickets averaging about thirteen oh nine. And actually, interestingly enough,
I always like to sort of look at these figures
and these reports that I get and go, yeah, let
me do my own research. I want to see how
that compares with what we're doing at the Wishing Well.
These are spot on, So I'm really excited to see
that despite some of the bad news that we hear
(03:53):
about what's happening in the industry, the numbers don't lie
and they tell us a different story. So I'm really
happy about that. Also, Riviera Travel you may remember them, Chris.
We've talked about them here on a Life Less Ordinary before,
a relatively newcomer to the cruising industry, but they have
announced the world's first dedicated solo cruise ship. Now why
(04:19):
is this so exciting? Well, I'll tell you why is
because solo travel is also up about twenty four point
six percent this year year over year, and it's continuing
to rise in popularity. It's something that I think we're
going to see well into twenty twenty eight because there's
a lot of tour companies now that are making solo
(04:42):
travelers the focus of some of their attention. Riviera Travel
has unveiled plans for the first ever cruise ship dedicated
entirely to solo travelers. Beginning in June twenty twenty seven,
the Ms George Elliott will exclusively sales solo departures on
(05:02):
the Danube, the RHN and the Moselle Rivers, making the
first time a cruise ship has ever devoted its entire
season to solo guests. With growing demand for even more
solo departures, they said they knew it was just a
matter of time before they had to dedicate an entire
ship to this thriving segment of the market. With this announcement,
(05:24):
they say they are proud to take the next ship
in redefining solo travel and to offer an all new
luxury river cruise experience. Riviera Travel introduced solo land tours
in twenty seventeen and followed with a limited selection of
dedicated solo river cruises in twenty eighteen. Now, since then,
(05:45):
the demand for solo sailings has grown significantly. I just
said they are currently offering more than twenty dedicated solo
departures every year, the majority taking place during the spring
and fall, with every traveler enjoying a private cabin with
no additional single supplement. So by adding a dedicated solo
(06:06):
travelership to its fleet, Riviera Travel is giving solo travelers
the opportunity to choose whether they sail during peak River
Creuse season or at other times during the year.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, this comes as no surprise to me, Terry. We've
been talking about we've been seeing more and more of
the i'll call the big boy cruise lines offering solo
space on their cruises, and we've seen a lot of
promotions where they're offering single rates without a supplement or
with a very low supplement. And we're also seeing in
(06:37):
the demographics of, you know, of our country of the
United States, how many single seniors there are out there,
and those are the people that have the discretionary time
to be able to take some great cruises. So this
is all very, very logical, and I think listeners are
going to be nodding their heads when they're listening to
you talk about this.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yeah, And I think what's really exciting about this is
that what kind of comes to my mind is that
having been a veteran of this industry for forty eight years. Now.
This is unprecedented because before there were people who had
traveled together for years and years, one or the other
(07:18):
of them became widowed or a widower, and they then
suddenly didn't have the desire to go anymore because it
wasn't convenient, it wasn't as comfortable, if you will, to
go without their spouse or their significant other. And today
that's just not the case. As we look at more
of these escorted group trips that people can take part in,
(07:41):
there is a comfort, there's an ease, there's a everything
is handled for you kind of situation that they step into,
and that really is what calms the minds of a
lot of these people who would otherwise be very worried
about traveling by themselves.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
And we've seen so many friends traveling together and they
end up having our feeling like they have to share
a room in order to do economical travel. They can
still be on the same cruise and be in a
room across the hall or down the hall with their
high school friend and be able to take a cruise.
(08:16):
And what I think is going to happen, and mark
my words, you're going to see some of the itineraries
and the destinations, also finding experiences for single travelers and
thinking about things that single travelers might want to do. However,
that is a little bit differently. They're going to research
that and you're going to see that as a trend
over the next couple of years because it's only logical.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah, I love it. So Riviera Cruise Line one to
keep in mind for those of you all joining us
today here on a lifeless ordinary. Again, first of all,
we thank you so very much sincerely for listening to
us every Saturday morning here. We love knowing that you're
sitting there with your cup of coffee, maybe your little dog,
you're kitty on your lap, and listening to all the
(09:01):
ways that we invite you into the world of travel
in a very relaxed setting. And so if you're one
of those folks out there right now that is a
solo traveler, please do contact us at the Wishing Well
for some of these great, great opportunities to be able
to travel and still experience the world. We can actually
even use that opportunity and you can to connect yourselves
(09:23):
to other people who might be lifetime friends. So always
great to know that there are those opportunities on another front,
so to speak. Chris, we have a tropical storm that's
making their presence known, her presence known. I guess you
should say in the arena, we're in hurricane season. I mean,
(09:44):
that's where we are, and Gabrielle is certainly one that
is poised to intensify. We don't know exactly what's going
to occur here. We're still watching that even this weekend.
But that's storm formed on Wednesday in the Atlantic and
it's expected to pass north of the Caribbean Islands over
(10:06):
this weekend, reaching Bermuda by early next week. So according
to ACI Weather hurricane experts, current conditions indicate that tropical
Storm Gabrielle could become a hurricane over the next couple
of days as she makes her way on her course.
But based on the current path projections, it's really unlikely
(10:26):
that the US mainland will feel any direct impact from
this storm. However, currents and rough surf are likely going
to affect beaches along the East Coast sometime early next week.
Gabrielle is a forecast is forecast to pass north of
the Caribbean Islands as it curves to the north over
(10:46):
the weekend, and at this time we kind of expect
a storm to steer clear of the US East Coast,
so people in Bermuda should be on high alert and
closely monitor their forecast updates. The storm is currently forecast
to track east of Bermuda, bringing some rain and wind
to the islands, but nothing here significant on the East coast.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I'm glad we've had a quiet hurricane season this year.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Well brace yourself, my friend, because October is generally the
most active, let's say, of hurricane seasons, and that's.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
One of the reasons that when you're traveling with us
at the Wishing Well, we will always strongly, strongly, strongly
urge you to put that travel insurance on your trip
for situations like this. It can be very, very troublesome
if you've got a cruise and there's a hurricane coming
to wonder hell as my money at risk travel insurance
(11:41):
is out there to help you with that.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Yes. So, having got all the news out of the
way for us for yet another week, Chris, what do
you say we head into some tips and hacks.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
I would love that. One of my favorite shows we
did was All the Questions you were afraid to ask
a travel ation right. I feel like this show is
going to be similar to that, where we're going to
learn a lot of inside secrets. Hope.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
So I think some of this is going to be
things that maybe, especially our listening audience who are frequent travelers,
they probably already know. But I'm gonna make a wager
that by the end of this show you're gonna learn something.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Yeah, everyone, get out your pencil and paper and see
of al terry STIPs today. How many of them you
can check off and say I knew that. My guess
is that you're going to find a lot of new
ones because I've seen her list.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Well, I'm looking forward to this travel tips and hacks,
things you may never have thought of. We'll get into
that list next here on a lifeless ordinary.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Haven't taken your summer vacation yet or do you need
just one more? Let the wishing Wells Experts help. We
offer fee free travel planning with built in expertise. Listeners
voted us Valley's Best. Check out our group trips tab
on our website though wishingwell dot biz, or let us
create a trip just for you. Stop by two forty
three nef Avenue, visit us at the Wishingwell dot biz
(12:57):
or call us at five four zero nine zero eight
two three thwee three five four zero nine zero eight
two three three three.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Yeah, welcome back to a life less ordin area. This
is the travel show and podcast from your friends at
the wishing Well. His friends today Terry Dean and Harry Rife.
You can stop by and see him on f Avenue
in Harrisonburg. You can find them online at the wishing
Well dot biz or give them a call. They'd love
to talk to you today. Five four oho nine oh
(13:24):
eight twenty three thirty three. And our show today is
called Travel Tips and Acts Things you may have never
thought of, And I'm looking forward to seeing what I
already know on the list and what these new learning
opportunities are going to be.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, We're going to want people to really stick around
to the very end of today's show because not everything
is going to be all given in the upfront portion
of today's show, I held back some of the really
fun things for the very end, so you're gonna want
to stick around and listen to the entire show today. Chris,
how many times have you traveled? And kind of just
(13:59):
win you knew a few little secrets or trip tricks
that you could maybe get a better deal, or you know,
how do they do look at people traveling and go
how did they do.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
That every trip I've ever been on?
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Yeah? Yeah, So I want to explore a little bit
of that today. We're going to talk about a lot
of the realm surrounding the mysteries of travel, the how to,
the what you should do, and that kind of thing.
And also, after today's show, I encourage all of you
who are listening to us on a Life Less Ordinary
(14:35):
send us a couple more of your travel hacks and
maybe tips. We'd love to present them here on a
Lifeless Ordinary. I want to say, this whole show today
is because you did reach out to us and said, Terry,
why don't you cover a couple of tricks for people
and hacks that they can use when they're traveling. So
(14:55):
that's exactly what I did today.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
What's a good way for folks to email you and
ask those quot.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
We're easy to find there too, Harry. They can send
that to info NFO at the wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Yeah, and don't say wishing well, do biz. It's got
to be the wishing well dot biz. Just as Terry said,
don't forget that the in the front.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
So Chris, you ready to get started here? I'm ready
all right. So I wanted to start, you know, kind
of on the easy side of things, something that maybe
people have heard about before. Certainly we've addressed it here
on a lifeless ordinary. So tip number one is slow down.
(15:34):
Patience is a virtue.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Is this in the planning or the experiencing?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Yeah, well, it's especially true when traveling, and it can
be tempting to pack your schedule once you start traveling
with a full rush of things to do, going from
place to place, fitting in as much as you can possible.
But if you don't slow down when you're in the
(15:59):
middle of a trip, you might not fully enjoy all
the experiences that you'll always be thinking about and you'll
be saying, why did I miss that? How did I
miss that? Well, it's because you were in such a
rush that you just simply didn't have time to do that.
I had a conversation, actually, interestingly enough, with some clients
(16:19):
who just came into my office to pick up some documents.
They're going on a milestone birthday celebration to celebrate as sisters.
One of the sisters is turning fifty. So they're going
on a two week adventure to Italy. I thought it
was fabulous, and I will lie. They're go getters, okay,
(16:40):
they want to see everything, do everything while they're there
in Italy. They're making the circle, you know, they're doing
the whole boot, if you will. And so one of
the things that they were doing is they were getting
into Rome and they had a lot to do on
the second day they got there, but on the first
day not so much. And one of the questions to
(17:02):
me from one of the gals that was traveling was, hey,
can you help us fill up that time? I said, yes,
here's what I would suggest. Go into the center of town,
sit in front of a nice little Italian bistro, get
a glass of wine, a loaf of bread and some
homemade cheese, and sit and watch the people. You want
(17:26):
to talk about. The best way to enjoy a location
or a locality, especially an international one, is to observe.
I mean that's a gift to be able to add
some observation time into a trip. Fourteen days in Italy
and you're going going every day, that's a gift when
you can just sit down, relax and enjoy the scenery.
(17:50):
And I can't think of a better place than Rome
to do that.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Oh my gosh. Yeah, a sidewalk cafe. It's perfect. And
when you talk about saying, really the location, you're going
to see what goes on. You're going to see people
rushing home from work, or you're going to see people
milling about, or hopefully you'll see people living life a
little slower than maybe we do here at home in
(18:16):
the United States and see how happy they look.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Yeah, And it also it doesn't cause as much stress
and panic if things don't go as absolutely planned. I
also have those type A clients who really must have
a plan every single part of the day. They want
to know what's going to happen at eight, they want
to know what's going to happen at eight thirty, what's
going to happen at nine, what's going to happen at
(18:40):
nine thirty. Now, just imagine if that plan goes a
little off tilt, how panicked and out of control. A
type A personality like that is going to feel not
a good feeling, Yeah, exactly, It is exhausting, which brings
us to the next point, be flexible. And if you've
ever done much traveling internationally, you know things really never
(19:04):
go exactly is planned. Flights are delayed, bags can get lost,
reservations are missed, sometimes accidents happen, bad weather yep, and
sometimes you even don't feel good. It's important to go
with the flow, make backup plans so you can just
adjust accordingly and your adventure is going to be much
(19:27):
less stressful if you just learn how to be flexible.
That is my number two tip. Now number three leave
your comfort zone very important. This expert travel tip isn't easy,
but it's important. A major part of traveling involves being
uncomfortable sometimes. I remember, as a young girl some forty
(19:53):
couple of years ago, when my boss then said to me,
you're going to Ireland, and I'm like, okay, who can
I take? And she's like, you know, this is called
a fam trip and you are going by yourself. So
for the first time ever, I was a very young girl,
(20:13):
I got on a plane I boarded all by myself.
I flew into another country that I never I had
never traveled outside of Virginia before as a young girl,
and I got on this plane and I flew into Shannon, Ireland,
where I had to find my own transportation to my
hotel and meet the group that I was going to
(20:34):
meet there. It was out of my comfort zone, but
you know what happened as a result of that, I
felt like I could tackle anything after because it's not
as hard as it looks. It's not as hard as
we imagine things like that to be. So stepping out
of your comfort zone is really important. Being in a
new place, surrounded by different languages, even sometimes unfamiliar with
(20:55):
the culture, that can cause a lot of uneasiness. But fortunately,
most people that you go into these other countries, they're
friendly and they're patient. If you just keep a humble
and a positive attitude, that's really all it takes. You know,
present yourself as someone who's friendly, and many times people
will react in kind. Not all the time, but most
(21:18):
of the time. And trying new things can lead you
to fall in love with something or somewhere new, but
you need to be willing to be uncomfortable at first.
Another really true life experience. I remember my very first
trip to New York City. I remember it like it
was yesterday, and I left there going, my god, this
(21:40):
is the armpit of the world, and I will never
go back and correctness and actually afterwards and that you
know why I felt like that, because I was uncomfortable.
I didn't not like the city, I didn't like the
way I felt in the city. And so after a
couple of more there are hundreds of visits to New
(22:02):
York after that, I've gotten very familiar with the feeling
of being in New York, what New York City is
all about, and even found some places there that I love.
It is a different world, it most certainly is.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
It's a great world.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Yeah, I enjoy New York.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
I enjoy New York too. Is yeah, you know, I'm
not the tourist that I was the first time. My
head actually doesn't look to the sky every time I'm
walking down the street. That's how they tell the newbie tourists.
They're all looking up at the buildings. But tied with
that comfort zone. Leave some of your perceptions behind too.
There's so many people that have perceptions about places, and
(22:40):
that's part of getting out of your comfort zone is
walk in there and say, you know, I can do.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
This, Yeah, and that's great here. I think a lot
of people should take heart and do that too when
they travel. Tip number four. This one's going to surprise you.
I know it's going to surprise both of you. Maybe
everybody listening when I say this, because I like my sleep.
But guess what, when you're traveling, sleep can wait?
Speaker 1 (23:07):
What?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yeah, I'm not saying you shouldn't sleep. It's important to
take care of your health while you're traveling. So if
you enjoy your time there, you want to make sure
that you do sleep, but also don't sleep too much.
Be willing to wake up early or stay up late
so that you can make sure you accomplish everything you
(23:28):
set out to do. Getting up early also has another advantage,
you beat the crowds in the later part of the day.
Now this is especially important if you're traveling internationally, because
if you get caught in the jet lag, if you
don't follow the advice of travel professionals or other people
(23:50):
who have written great articles about jet lag, you're going
to wind up getting to your first destination in Europe,
I promise you, and all you're going to want to
do is go to bed. Now, let's just say you've
only got five days there. Do you really want to
spend whatever you've paid for this trip plus an airline
ticket in a bed. You can do that at home,
but you really do need to get up, get moving.
If that means an extra cup of coffee, if it means,
(24:13):
you know, trying to expose yourself to as much sunlight
as you can, because we have that circadian rhythm in
our bodies that respond well to sunlight. Do whatever you
can to make sure that you can maximize your awake
time in whatever place you're going.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
I like the idea of sleeping on an airplane. There's
not a thing that's going on that you'll be able
to help with. There's not a thing that's going on.
It's particularly interesting. There's not any scenery to see when
you're flying typically because you're up there at you know,
thirty forty thousand feet in the air. Use that time.
Go to sleep. They have great movies, they have great
(24:50):
you know, other things to get your attention. Go to sleep,
and when you arrive you'll be rested and you'll be
able to take advantage of what Terry's talking about.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Yeah, and that's so very important. Sleeping on the plane
is important, especially when it comes to managing jet lag,
because when you arrive into Europe at your first destination.
It's the morning, their time, and they expect you to
be ready and able to respond and get going, get
moving with your day. So a lot of tour operators
even organize their day for you that day so that
(25:23):
they do keep pushing you on beyond that limit of
sleep that you've got. Now, let's move on to tip
number five, and that is take some extra forms of payment.
Most people rarely use cash anymore, but we recommend always
traveling with some just in case, and you can always
(25:45):
use it as a backup. Also, take multiple credit cards. Now,
I'll tell you why this is important, so very important,
is because what happens if you have a credit card. Now,
if you're home and that credit card gets compromised, what's
the first thing you do?
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Cancel it?
Speaker 2 (26:03):
You call and cancel that card. You're right. So let's
just imagine now that you, like me, are over in
Barcelona next week and your card gets compromised and you
cancel it and you have no additional form of payment
with you. You're in trouble, You're up the creek. So
really it's very important that you have some other form
of back up card. So two credit cards is what
(26:27):
I'm recommending. And please, folks, MasterCard and visa. I don't
want to give American Express a black eye, but it's
not widely accepted across the world these days, and neither
is Dinners Club SO or Discover. So you just need
to make sure that you have a good MasterCard and
a visa that will likely take care of the charges
and incidentals that you're going to rack up while you're traveling.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
And you're going to want to make sure those cards.
Also if you can find cards that don't charge extra fees,
those international currency charges, because some options when you're oversea
will allow you to charge in US dollars, many many
will not. They want to charge in their local currency,
whether it's the Euro or the denial, whatever it is.
(27:11):
Have cards that don't have those extra fees, otherwise you're
adding another three four percent onto every single purchase you make.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Do I need to contact my credit card company and
let them know I'm going to be trampling.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
We always recommended the wishing well that you do that.
Now banks will tell their customers, hey, you didn't need
to do that, That's fine, We've got you. But I
always still think it's a good idea because you don't
want any unfortunate surprises when you get ready to pay
for something. And I always think that's a good idea.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
And one of the things I just found this last
week through one of our clients, Terry, is that if
you put your airline or your trip on a credit card.
I'm not sure how they're doing this yet, but some
of the credit card companies are actually looking and they say, oh, yeah,
Chris Carmichael, you charge this trip going to greed sort
to Italy on these dates. They sent this client a
(28:04):
message saying, you don't have to call us. We know
you're going to be out of the country during these dates.
And I thought that's fantastic. The card companies are becoming
more proactive, but Terry's advice stands call them, tell them,
ask them to just humor you, and you know, put
something on the card that says I'm out of the country.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Proactive, Yes, more intrusive. Also, yes, I don't know if
I really like that.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
Well, you know, we're out to try and provide some suggestions, Chris,
to your point for people to keep them safe while
they travel. And certainly some of these tips and hacks
that we're going to be sharing with you today are
based on that entirely. And that brings me to my
next one tip number six, which is record important information
(28:54):
before you go. It's good to carry around like a
little notebook, not a great, big when I'm not talking
about spot bound notebooks like we had in high school
or college, but just a little notebook. Keep that somewhere
with you. Write down the address of your hotel, your
flight numbers, a friend's phone number, other necessary travel information
before you leave. You never know when your cell phone
(29:16):
is going to act up. It might die, you might
have no signal. It's an incredibly hopeless feeling arriving and
not knowing where you're supposed to be going. Now one
of the things that we do for our clients, and
I'm going to talk about that a little later in
today's show, but we provide an app that helps people
with that. But to the point here, if your cell
(29:38):
phone dies, you really have none of that. So really
having some old fashioned notes doesn't hurt at all. And
that's something that a lot of people just plain forget
about doing they don't have. And how many times have
you called an actual phone number for a friend You
have it programmed as a contact, and you either say
(29:59):
content so and so, or call so and so or
it's a number on your phone and use this hit
one button and it calls them.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
I say, I only know a few numbers, my wife's
and your number at this point. Than it's all just
call that person.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah. So having a little notebook with you is a
great tip and a great way for you to keep
pertinent and relevant information, important information that you need at
your fingertips. Next tip, pack gear to help you sleep,
very very important. This expert travel tip is one that
(30:34):
I had to learn the hard way. Sleeping can be
challenging on the airplane. I am also a type a personality,
and you know, I don't know what it is. I
don't know how in the world I think I'm going
to be in control on the airplane. But you know,
somehow I think I might be able to be of
assistance if I'm awake. The truth is I cannot. So
whether you're on airplanes, buses, or you know, hotels, you
(30:58):
want a neck pillow, you want ear plugs, and I'm
talking about noise canceling ear plugs and an eyemask. That
can make a huge, huge difference between getting a decent
night's sleep and no sleep at all on these aircrafts
or hotels or whatever. And you want to experiment with
a couple of different types of sleep gear to discover
(31:20):
which one works best for you. You know, some people
prefer those noise canceling earbuds that you can get like
from bows. Other people, on the other hand, like some
of the little foam ones that sort of you push
into your ear and then they just meld right to
your ear pattern inside.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
So yeah, and the neck pillows come in all kinds
of you know styles. Also, there are some that are inflatable.
There's some that are that foam that you can, you know,
squish down to almost nothing. And I just hooked mine,
you know, onto my carry on bag so I don't
lose it. I've got a little what they called cure beaner,
a little hood. Just clip it on there so I
(31:59):
don't lose it and have it available. It's real simple, yeah,
to carry along with you, and that counts as your
carry on luggage. It fits. It's great to take long.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Now our next tip is pack light. I mean, I'm
telling you about all these things to take and I'm sorry,
but in the end, you really should be aware of
what you're packing. And my suggestion is pack light. A
lot of Americans, we all tend to overpack. I mean,
it just happens. We're always worried that we're going to
run out of clothes, and so we prepare for all
(32:30):
types of weather, and so most of the time we
don't even end up using everything that we pack, or
half of what we pack. So next time, maybe think
about bringing like those little disposable laundry detergent things, or
plan on doing laundry if you've got a long trip,
especially in order to bring a smaller suitcase. You can
also purchase a jacket, a sweatshirt or socks at your
(32:55):
destination if you have to. And I can tell you
this when I travel most places that I go and
have traveled to UH in my years of travel, I
love to actually buy one item of clothing from that
area that sort of every time I wear it reminds
me of where I've been.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Right, And I'm surprised you didn't share my favorite one.
I know you know it. Can I share my favorite one?
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Everyone's got that shirt in the closet that says that
that you look at and say, I like that shirt,
it's special. But then you look at that shirt a
second time or a third time, and you say, that's
got maybe one or two uses left on it, and
it's time for it to go. If you have, you know,
clothing that is at the end of its life cycle,
I pack that on trips because there's nothing wrong with
(33:43):
leaving something behind. You know, when you travel, make room
for something new, the new thing you're going to buy, terry,
and leave something behind if you can get rid of it,
get rid of on the road. Absolutely a great tip.
Chris is right in this one down.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Number eight was pack light with an addendum wear o clothes.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
Yeah, we take out And I didn't say on the
old clothes.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
I said, take a couple of things that are expendable
close to the end of their life cycle. Bay, then
you guys, you guys can laugh. I know there are
people at home that are nodding their head, going I
do that, and there are other people going, what a
great idea.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
Make the people in the flight question how I paid
for a flight?
Speaker 3 (34:25):
No no, no number nine.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Here, we're gonna take a break and then we'll come
back and get the number none. Our show today is
called Travel Tips and Hacks. Things you may never have
thought of or, in Harry's case, you have it's next.
You're on a life Less Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Haven't taken your summer vacation yet, or do you need
just one more? Let the wishing Wells experts help. We
offer fee free travel planning with built in expertise. Listeners
voted us Valley's Best. Check out our group trips tab
on our website though wishing Well dot biz, or let
us create a trip just for you. Stop by two
forty three nef Avenue, visit us at the wishing Well
(35:00):
dot biz, or call us at five four zero nine
zero eight two three three three five four zero nine
zero eight two three three three.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Thanks so much for listening today to a Lifeless Ordinary,
the travel show and podcasts from your friends at the
wishing Well. You can find them online at the wishing
Well dot biz. And while you're on the website, you
can find the link in the upper right hand corner
to a Lifeless Ordinary all the former podcasts that we've
done over the years, and you can hit the little
search bar and you can find a show that will
(35:29):
pretty much answer any of your travel questions that we
haven't covered in today's show. You can also stop buy
on f Avenue or give them a call at five
four oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Today
our show is about travel tips and hacks. These are
all the things you may never have thought of. We
as we went to break we found out from Harry
we should wear old clothes and leave behind so we
(35:50):
can replace them with really nice, warm, cozy souvenirs to
wear back with us, which I think is a great
idea because every time I travel, I do bring back
some piece of clothing. Ye from our honeymoon, it was socks,
Is that right? My wife loves socks and every time
she puts them on, she's like, this reminds me of
our honeymoon, and I always think I didn't know where
(36:12):
they came from. So anyway, won't put that part on
my list of notes. So if you're just joining us
on our show today, here are the eight tips that
Terry has given us. Slow down, be flexible, leave your
comfort zone. The surprise entry was sleep can wait. Take
extra forms of payments like multiple credit cards, record important
(36:35):
info before you leave, Take a little notebook with all
that information written down. Pack here to help you sleep,
and pack light, which brings us to Terry's ninth tip.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Yep, and that is book your reservations early. Now, a
lot of people these days go they'll call me a
week or so before they want to go somewhere and go,
what are the last minute bargains? Well, the truth is
there are some, and that does happen on occasion, but
not always. If you're really planning a trip, you don't
(37:06):
have to plan every detail of your trip months in advance.
But it's wise to at least book your flight for
in advance because if you don't, you're going to be
paying top dollar for flight reservations. They don't typically put
those on sale last minute, and this is going to
give you better choices for flight days and times, as
well as lower prices just in general. So tip number nine,
(37:30):
book your reservations early.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
How early can you book a reservation?
Speaker 2 (37:34):
Yeah, that's a great question here. For the most part,
for airline tickets, you can book them eleven months in advance,
not twelve months. Because let's just say we were booking
for we wanted to book a year from now, we're
in September. We couldn't really book those flights for September
of twenty twenty twenty six. Sorry, until we got to
(37:58):
about the first of November.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
Are the rates that I'm paying locked in? Can they
come back and say they need more money because there's
a higher demand for a flight.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Also a great question. The answer is no. So once
you lock in a flight, that's it. It's yours, it
belongs to you. That's what you bought it for. It's
like anything else you buy off the shelf. Once you
buy it, you take it home. It's yours. That's exactly
what it's going to cost you on the day that
you fly, no matter what happens to the price of
that item later on. Okay, same is true with airline taps.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
It's a contract between you and the airline.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Okay. Tip number ten, pack extra chargers for your cell phone,
a tablet and other devices. And I will tell you
the reason for this is because the number one most
left behind item when people travel our cell phone charger
cords or laptop cords or whatever. So it's really important
(38:52):
that you take extras, especially if you have an itinerary
where you're moving from hotel to hotel to hotel. Those
ladies I told you about in the first part of
the show that are going on a two week trip
to Italy. They're staying in probably about ten different hotels,
so they're moving around a good bit, and I encourage
(39:14):
them to really remember to take extra charge cords with them.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Is there any worse feeling than as you're pulling the
door shut as you're leaving and you're like patting yourself
down to make sure you have everything that you came
in with, and just like an hour later thinking I
don't remember if I picked up yes charger or whatever.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
It is happens all the time. Really easy hack for that.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
When you get up in the morning, take that phone
charger and either pack it or put it in your shoe.
Oh it's good, it's in your shoe. You will find
it because it's something you want close with you. And
the other thing with charger, A lot of people like
those little power bricks. You can't check those in your luggage. Yeah,
but the extra battery packs are handy to have when
(39:58):
you're traveling, particularly if you're in a different country, because
your charger may not mint the power outlet there and
you don't want to have to carry a bunch of
adapters with you, so you've got your little lecture power
for your telephone.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
I really like Harry's advice that you know in the morning,
just put everything back in your luggage. That way you
know where it is. That's actually how I pack for
my travel. As I get up to go that day,
I use my truthbrush, put it in the suitcase. Use
my hair brush, put it in the suitcase.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Right right, And that's a great way to do it.
That's a great travel hack.
Speaker 1 (40:32):
Is that a tenB?
Speaker 2 (40:34):
That can be a tenB Chris, that's a good one.
Tip Number eleven Eat locally. Now, this relates again to
sort of leaving your comfort zone. It's easy and it's
comfortable to eat at fast food restaurants. We know what
they are, we know they're pretty consistent in what they deliver,
but you can enjoy those anytime back home. We want
(40:56):
you to get out there and enjoy the local cuisine.
That's really when are the best. When you go to
San Juan, eat Mufungo. Don't go to McDonald's, don't go
to Kentucky Fried Chicken, eat the dish of San Juan mufungo.
What oh, it is delicious. No, it's not a sandwich
a sandwich. It's actually not a sandwich at all. It
(41:18):
sort of looks like rice on a plate. It's piled
up sort of looks like a volcano, if you will.
And down in the center are all kinds of meats.
It's either going to be shrimp, chicken, or beef. And
then it has this absolutely decadent garlic sauce that goes
over it and it is to die for. It is
(41:38):
absolutely phenomenal, delicious, it is. It's fabulous, And so you
want to try that local cuisine. You might discover some
amazing dishes like that that you're going to want to
make after you return home. I've tried it, I can't.
It's a bust. So I have to go back to
San Juan to get really good mufungo. Plus, you'll be
supporting some local people instead of big businesses, and we
(42:02):
know they're doing all right, so support those local guys.
That's actually a very good tip. Number twelve. Learn a
few new words in the local language. This might be
the wisest expert travel tip in order to win favor
with the local people that you're going to be visiting.
Even spending about twenty to twenty five hours on an
(42:24):
app called Duo Lingo before you go on a long
trip and travel, you can at least greet and speak
a few sentences with the locals. They're going to often
welcome you with open arms. If you do that, that's
a great investment of your time. So Duo Lingo is
the app by which you can probably learn a little
(42:47):
bit about the local language and pick up a few
things if you're so inclined to spend just a little
time becoming educated.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
And on everybody's phone. I don't care what brand you have,
there's going to be something on there like a Go Translate.
If you've never explored that app, try it. That's a
great way to sit at home at night before your
trip and learn a couple of those phrases that Terry's
talking about, you know, to let you get around locally.
Speaker 1 (43:13):
You know, where is the bathroom? And some of those
apps where's a bus? Actually you can set them in
between you and they show both people and the party.
So you just talk and it translated and they hear it,
and then when they speak it translating, you see it.
Speaker 3 (43:28):
It's they're really great. But Terry's tip, I think the
point of that tip that's important for travelers is if
you can say a few words in that local language,
you gain some credibility. It says you're invested in that country,
that region, and it makes you a more attractive tourist
and people will be nicer to you. Is what I've found.
(43:49):
Is I'm traveling internationally. I don't know how to speak
too much in Arabic, but i have a few phrases
that I've learned, and I'm going to use those on
my next trip.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
I know else sis means the sun. Oh wow, okay,
because like the sun shimmers. Arry, you need a traveling companion.
You got a ready, ready set go guy.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
I carry my own bags.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
I'm sorry, I don't want to carry your bags. After
what you've told.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
Us exactly what's well, Let's move on to tip number thirteen,
and that is to stay hydrated. I tell my clients
this all the time. Water is magic, So don't go
anywhere without a water bottle. In many cases, I would
suggest anymore because the world is becoming very sustainable. We
(44:35):
like that plastic bottles are kind of out. The new thing.
Are these sustainable bottles refillables that you can take with you.
So we do suggest that you take that and drink
water profusely when you travel. Highly recommend that and drink
plenty of water on the airplane. Also, it's also a
great help for jet lag. So if you drink a
(44:58):
lot of water before or a trip, about forty eight
hours prior, double up on the normal amount of water
that you drink and while you're traveling, that jet lag
will go much easier on you. That's one thing that
a lot of people don't really realize about jet lag.
And I tell my clients this. It presents like the flu.
Many people don't know it's a real physical condition. You
(45:20):
can feel very sick with jet lag. You can feel
achy in your body, just like you have the flu,
kind of like your skin is sore, you get headachey,
sometimes a sore throat. You can just feel lethargic and
even nauseous. That's not the flu, that's jet lag, And
some people don't know the difference.
Speaker 1 (45:41):
So I've always joked that that's the benefit of I
sleep ATNA that's really bad. And so I've never slept
well through the night. I'm lucky if I get four
or five hours of sleep, sure, And so I've spent
most of my life walking through the world with I
think jet lag. So anytime I've traveled always been like, yeah,
this is easy because you know, if I can get
(46:03):
an extra hour sleep when I get there, I feel
like I'm ready to go.
Speaker 3 (46:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
You know, well, jet lag is pretty powerful and it
can jolt you when you get to certain locations.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
I've actually never traveled east. I always travel west, so
it may not be affecting me as much as how do.
Speaker 3 (46:19):
You get home?
Speaker 1 (46:20):
Well, I travel east, but I don't care if I
when I get home, if I've got to sleep a
half a day to get back on track, I don't care.
But heading you know, to Vegas, just get to stay
up a little later.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
One of the tips we give with those bottles too,
you can carry those through TSA empty.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (46:36):
You can carry any kind of water container through TSA empty.
Once you get through, fill it up, especially if you're
traveling again to a foreign location, you can fill it
up and you're departing airport that way, you've got some
i'll call it local water that's there because once you
get it a new location. One of the things to
be cautious and will help you. Depending on the locations,
(46:58):
you're going to have some idea of how much local
water you want to drink, too, because that can vary
from place to place as well, but if you bring
your own water to get started, you're in great shape
and then you can work from there all right.
Speaker 2 (47:12):
Tip number fourteen, Be sure you sign up for rewards programs.
This is very important, great expert travel tip to save
you money if you travel, especially if you travel often.
You can earn points for free flights and hotels, as
well as some other great perks like just free stuff
in general. Who doesn't like free stuff? So tip number fourteen,
(47:35):
be sure you sign up for those rewards programs. Tip
number fifteen and this is important, especially for all of
us ladies. Good walking shoes are a must. Most traveler
travel involves a good amount of walking, and you are
going to regret not bringing a comfortable pair of walking
(47:57):
shoes when your feet are aching and aching and aching.
I will tell you this, I made a big mistake.
And one of the things that you don't want to
do is buy a brand new pair of tennis shoes
and break them in on a trip that requires a
great deal of walking. I made that mistake once upon
a time when I went to Madrid and I had
(48:17):
bought these fabulous tennis shoes, but I hadn't broken them
in and so I got this just this irritation from
those shoes, and I wound up having to go into
a local shoe store and bought a pair of shoes
in Madrid and I wear those to this day. They
(48:39):
were fabulous. Let me just tell you, the Europeans know
how to sell good walking shoes. They're fabulous. So that's
a really good tip, and it's a worthwhile investment to
have good ones. Tip number sixteen, This one's going to
probably shock a lot of people. They don't have wash
clothes in Europe. So if you want wash cloths, if
(49:01):
that's normally the way you shower or bathe, be sure
you pack wash clothes, even sometimes a towel with you.
Not all hotels even provide towels. You might need one
if you stay in a hostel or less expensive lodging options,
so make sure that you take those with you.
Speaker 1 (49:21):
Also.
Speaker 2 (49:22):
Tip number seventeen, research your destination. You don't need to overplan.
I talked about that spending a few hours, though. Researching
your destination is going to help you make the most
of your trip. Most people who love adventure also want
to hit lesser known spots, which also takes a little
research Tip number eighteen. Prepare at some point for a
(49:46):
possible upset stomach. Okay, you're going to be eating new foods,
you're in new places. You might have a touch of
what I call jet lag, and it's really fun to
be in a new place, but it's also a little risky.
So if you eat a meal a hole in the
wall restaurant that was highly recommended to you, your stomach
might not appreciate it. So you want to bring some
(50:06):
things that are going to help with upset stomach, like
your own brand of pepto anti acids, papaya or even ginger.
The apothecaries in international destinations, or what we would think
of as a CVS or a otherwise pharmaceutical type drug store.
They don't have as many of those in Europe as
(50:27):
we have here in the United States. So take your
own tip number nineteen. Do what you actually want to do.
Don't go to an art museum. If you don't like art,
don't do that. Don't worry about what other people normally
do or think you should do at your destination, or
say you must go here. If you are in well,
(50:51):
let's take Barcelona, I'm going there. You must go to
the Cigaretta Familia. You must go there.
Speaker 1 (50:56):
You're to put the spire up.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
Yeah, I know, but what if you don't like that
sort of thing? You know what if you really just
want to take time on the cafe at the cafes,
you want to enjoy local cuisine, you don't care about architecture,
then don't do it. If you don't like it. Your
trip is going to be significantly more enjoyable if you
do what interests you most.
Speaker 3 (51:16):
But I went there, and I'm telling you you want
to go see that one. Write that one exactly quickly.
Do your research.
Speaker 2 (51:22):
Tip number twenty be friendly. A lot of places don't
mind foreigners, but that might not be the case if
you don't present yourself as a friendly individual. A portion
of the locals are going to be more friendly and
helpful if you are smiling and if you are being
polite plus knowing. As I said, a little bit of
the language can go a very very long way. And
(51:45):
as Harry reminded us before my last tip, purchase that
travel health insurance. This is a no brainer. Protect both
you and your loved ones from any unexpected things that
go on. Now, I want to be honest and completely
transparent with our listening audience. Today, I have probably about
fifty more tips. So what we're going to do, Chris,
(52:08):
is we're going to continue this on subsequent shows because
I think these travel tips are really just that important.
Speaker 3 (52:15):
It's a great beginning. And again, you gave an address
early on an email address. If you have one a question,
send us an email info at though wishing well dot
biz and we'll work to put that onto Terry's list.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
Absolutely, Chris, were there some surprises here on the show
for you today?
Speaker 1 (52:33):
Take a washcloth?
Speaker 2 (52:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (52:37):
How do they bathe?
Speaker 2 (52:38):
Yeah? Well, you know, and that's a great question. I
think they just use bars of soap. The other thing is,
along with the wash claus, you need to take some
local change because sometimes you even have to pay to
get into the public toilets in certain cities where you go.
That can be surprising to a lot of people.
Speaker 1 (52:55):
And with my sleep issues, I was surprised to hear
say pack here to help you sleep, because I would
never think of that. I'm always thinking about what I'm
doing when I'm awake, not how to rest to be
prepared for that.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
Right right, We'll.
Speaker 3 (53:07):
Talk about luggage too, because I think that's a big
thing you talked about, you know, sleep apnea. Let's put
that on our list. Make sure we talk about that
in the free luggage.
Speaker 1 (53:16):
We've only got a couple of seconds left. If we
have questions, if we need answers, how do we get
in touch with you.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
Any of that? You can reach out to us at
the wishing Well. We're easy to find, Chris. We're located
at two forty three NEP Avenue in the Valley Center
in Heresonburg, Virginia. You can call us at five four
o nine oh eight two three three three or look
us up on the web. We are at the Wishingwell
dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
This has been a life Less Ordinary, the travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three NEF Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions
on topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the wishing Well dot biz or five
four oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past
episodes are available on the iHeartRadio and we'll see again
next Saturday morning at ten for a life Less Ordinary
(54:04):
from the wishing Well
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