If you are looking for more awesome travel hacks check out these videos!: th-cam.com/play/PLBmF7uPtI-4FkVJVfUeYExFKdSK7z60NA.html For more expert advice with planning your travels, check out my how-to-travel e-book: bit.ly/httravel-ebook
life/travel hack: after lots of walking/skating/leg activity at the end of the day lay on the floor, legs up, butt against the wall to help drain the lactic acid, do it for a long time so they will be less sore in the moment & the next day
pro tip on WiFi: make sure to use a VPN. Open access public wifi (even password protected ones) can easily be intercepted. If youre entering passwords or logging onto a site, it's really important to protect your accounts, specially when traveling. Sincerely, your local good girl hacker. ;)
+Mel Ordonez my show TekThing breaks it down, or Hak5. But basically a VPN privatises your internet traffic by creating a virtual tunnel from your computer to the website you wanna visit. Anyone outside the tunnel can't see what you're doing, they just see random bits of computer speak. There's tons of VPNs available but read their terms of service because some cheaper ones log your information while you're using their product.
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If you're getting souvenirs do it toward the end of your trip because if you start right away you end up collecting too many things or later find the same item somewhere else for much cheaper. Definitely don't over schedule!
my travel rules: 1. always bring an extra pair of underwear, just in case.... (inherited from mom, she sat in a puddle and now its a rule) 2. always bring at least 2 pairs of shoes-- after a year of traveling i thought i was being savvy and packing light by just having one pair, until my favorite walking shoes betrayed me with blisters on a 5 day trip. now its a rule. 3. always bring granola bars. i have a limited diet, so these are my backup if i cant find something i can eat. i also made a habit of taking note if i saw a place with stuff i could eat, in case i couldnt find anything at meal time i could go back to the place i saw earlier. for the "forgetting your cords" thing, i always make a sticky note list of stuff im bringing that isnt packed so in the morning i can just check them off and go. at hotels/hostels (and tbh like cafes and benches too), always look behind you and make sure its e.m.p.t.y. check your camera battery at night so you can charge it overnight. also once when i was a kid i had my camera literally lifted off my shoulder and didnt notice, so now i constantly do the "pocket-tap/shoulder check" thing, even when im out at home. i think its a goos habit to have. i found downloading maps (i used the google maps app) really helpful as well, even without data or wifi i always could see my location, and i would save my accommodation location so i could see where i needed to be. Also helpful to know what public transit stops are near where youre staying, cuz then you can use the transit maps to get you back to where you can find your way. double check dates. my whole group might have had to pay double cuz i booked the wrong day, but thankfully as soon as i realized i called and they changed it even thought the site said nontransferable.
From a veteran traveler who has been to over 50 countries: don't worry about "laundry days/facilities". Bring a little powdered detergent and wash your clothes in the sink. Many hotels even have clothes lines! Saves a LOT of time and money. Also, make a copy of your passport in case yours is stolen. And always wear a cross-body bag and be aware of your surroundings. There are a lot of thieves who target Americans and can easily swipe your belongings without you knowing if they're not secured....
yes. just download google translate. and then you can download the languages for offline use. also, you can take pictures of something in another language and translate it into English. I did in Spain this summer when I was looking for hair care items lol
One way I found to avoid jetlag when going international is flying at night (if it's 5+ your flight)...I book the latest flight possible which usually means I arrive in the morning to my foreign destination. This gives me the opportunity to sleep all night while flying and I wake up ready to land and explore my new destination.
I actually have done this and did not enjoy it, we travelled for about 13 hours and even overnight it was very broken sleep. We arrived in the morning and wanted a nap so badly but NOPE, can't check in until 2pm 😭😭😭
1. Choose your travel companions very, very wisely 2. Keep track of your budget When travelling for a longer period of time even small habbits happen to become extremely annoying and even ruin trips + friendships. A good solution would be to start together and plan a destination where you consider walking seperate ways... These were my biggest mistakes probably, asking my parents to buy my flight home wasn't a pleasure.
I'd add hydration. traveling makes you very dehydrated and that makes you run down. Also if travelling in groups antibiotics, people living so close breed sicknesses.
Also make sure that a.) the water is sanitary b.) you have currency to pay for bottled water if it's not. I was stranded once in an Eastern European country, extremely parched without being able to obtain local currency and despite going to 3 currency locations in country (that didn't carry it's local currency). I ended up drinking water out of a tap- biggest mistake of my life. I got giardia and was sick for 3 months after. Lesson learned: bring an extra bottle with you at all times if you're in a place with sketchy water. And always make sure there is a seal on the lid. Some vendors will refill bottles and try to sell you "used" water....
Erin Harbaugh ya and drink bottled water or water you know is sealed and wasn't opened or airplane coffee/tea because they use tap water for the coffee/tea and the tap water on planes has so much bacteria like it's horrible and deathly
Antibiotics? Don't you get them AFTER you get sick from your doctor and not beforehand? Might be different in your country but to me that sounds irresponsible, the bacteria will create resistance.
I'd already made most of these mistakes lol In addition, don't forget to bring a universal travel adapter! Bringing a charger is useless if it doesn't fit the foreign electrical sockets :)
I'm not a rookie, but I've learned to be hyper efficient in airport security. Stretchy clothes, separate packs for liquids and battery packs and cameras, ready to whip out, and rubber soled shoes. You gotta be ready so you aren't holding up the line. Nothing is worse than having to send your bag back through the machine. Know what they want to look at separately from your bag, and have it ready. Anyways. Thanks for these tips chickadee! I love your videos. We should collab one day! You have such a good energy. byeeee! peace and hugs from China!
My tips: 1) Plan rest days, especially if you're going to be traveling for a couple of weeks. You NEED down days. It helps if you can do laundry on these days. 2) Rent an apartment so you can cook some of your meals. Grocery shopping in a foreign country is an experience that will take you from tourist to traveller, and it saves you money. If you're going to be in an area for a week or more, get a place to "live" for that time, not just "stay." 3) Pack light. You will never wear everything you bring. Except for underwear-pack a few extra pair.
I'm going on a bus tour of Europe this summer for 3 weeks. I am very nervous for the logistics of traveling. This video is a huge help and gives me some peace of mind. Thanks for keeping it real!
No Nadine lol. Americans tip because hospitality workers in America are paid below a minimum wage. Countries where tipping is not a thing pay their workers a liveable wage. But because the American government is not interested in compensating it's working class a liveable wage, those who go out to dinner, hop in an uber or cab or use any number of services are forced to compensate workers wages so that corporations and those at the top can get richer. So essentially they work for next to nothing and only get paid if customers tip. That's why Americans tip. Because they have to.
I love how you can talk about being an experienced traveller without sounding patronising, and give advice without making others feel like they know nothing. :) Awesome video xox
but if you are a photographer then being behind the screen is what you do- but for everyone else yes live in the moment. I try to always sit down where I am and just take it in as well.
thestaceofspade True, but to see how a photo is going to end up, doesn't need a camera -- atleast in my personal opinion. If you can atleast observe or perceive the magnificence of what you're planning to take a picture of, you won't need to be capturing the moment behind a screen like Robert said. You will know it's good photographic material just by creating a potential composition about how it will look in your mind.
I know this is an older post, and someone probably already said this, but learning at a minimum some key phrases and basic words in the local language. When I started studying Spanish I decided to take a trip to Spain for my vacation, and I can't tell you how many laughs I got out of watching people struggle because they were so dead set on not not speaking Spanish when any travel guide will tell you it isn't widespread.
Yes! Some countries don't allow Ibuprofen without a prescription. If that is your headache drug of choice, bring it with you! Plus, when you have a headache, the last thing you want to do is walk a strange city looking for a pharmacy.
Great video Nadine, for me the most important and underrated Rookie mistake is travelling with a preconceived notion of the place where you're going or hyping things like you said . For instance if you're traveling to a place where you think it will only going to be sunny because of some photos you saw online, just a little bit of rain can be enough to make you regret your choice or activities for that day. Don't travel thinking things can only went ONE WAY, that's the fastest way to get disappointed.
Pro tip: check the local economy before deciding on carrying all cash or depending on your ATM. I've been travelling since 2001 (so actually watched this to decide if you would have some newer tricks that I could use for potential business travel - aka 2-3 days - vs the long vacation trips I'm used to) and I have found as I have gotten more adventurous that you cant depend on access to an ATM everywhere you go (and some places they just arent safe to use even if you find them). If the place where you are travelling is way outside normal touristy places and doesnt have reliable electricity you wont find any ATMs (even more so when you know they have NO electricity!) and so you need to carry all your money in CASH. I have a friend in the Foreign Service (we were friends before she got the job) and I have visited her in some out of the way places and most of the time it has been really hard to get money and no one takes cards. If you are going somewhere with a very low standard of living, where the money isnt worth much and people are living on a couple dollars a day, then you wont find ATMs or you will have to travel quite a ways into the wealthy neighborhoods to find a safe one (because the touristy areas tend to have skimmers on theirs). My first trip to see her was to Cairo while she was still a student (she is a Mideast specialist), it took us over an hour and a half to get to the nearest safe ATM from her apartment. No one we interacted with (including the Pyramids!) took credit or debit card or had any way of doing so (this was just before the Arab Spring) so I needed all the cash I was going to use - which I took out in one big transaction. The key to carrying all that cash is to divide it up - small bills are best as you said - and hide it all over your body. Put just what you are going to use that day in your wallet the rest goes inside your clothes in internal pockets or a hidden money belt (under tucked in clothing!). I was lucky that only my friend and her one roommate who was also an American student had keys to her apartment because I could leave the bulk of my money there but that wouldnt have been possible with a hotel. And Cairo was a very touristy place at the time! Visiting her in Nigeria I could only get money by paypalling it to her and having her get it out of her account at the embassy for me. So again - carried all cash. We spent a few days way out in the jungle at a nature rehabilitation preserve where the only electricity they had was from a couple solar panels and it was just enough to run the electric fences that kept the groups of primates they were rehabbing and breeding separated (no running water either unless you counted a rain barrel with a rope that you held down to open a small spout for a shower as running water). The local village where many of the non-scientist, non-veterinarian workers lived had no electricity at all (neither did most of the town we went through on the 8 hour drive out there) so no ATMs but lots of good food to buy and some amazing souvenirs too. So yea, really look at where you are going before deciding that you dont need to carry all the money you will need for your stay in cash and that you dont need to exchange currency before you go (always better to do through a bank in your home country a couple weeks in advance if possible) or at a currency exchange at the destination. And if you have read this long - my biggest "rookie" mistake - made when I was definitely not a rookie sadly: check all the required vaccines and meds (like anti-malarials!) way ahead of time (did that was ok there) AND double check when to start them and how long after you need to take them (also did that was good there) AND most importantly check for any pertinent SIDE EFFECTS - namely ones that wouldnt matter in your home climate but become extremely important in climates you arent used to as it is. I learned this the hard way as the anti-malarials I was prescribed and took cause extra sun-sensitivity, and the sun in Nigeria is a bit (ok a LOT) stronger than the sun at home. I got sun poisoning my last day there when we went to the beach for the day even though I reapplied SPF 100 (cause I knew the sun was stronger and I burn in New England as it is) every hour or so. Flying with your skin melting off from sun poisoning is NOT fun. And if I had read the pamphlet insert that came with the meds instead of just packing them and going I would have brought a cover up and a hat to wear when we were not swimming and made sure I spent more time in our beach hut shelter thing and maybe reapplied my sunscreen every half hour that day, instead of hanging on the sand in a bikini all day. So know the side effects of anything different that you have to take on your trip!
I really enjoyed Nigeria but I was visiting my best friend who is in the Foreign Service and was stationed there. She made all the arrangements and I stayed at the consulate with her besides when we went to visit a nature preserve way in the jungle. We hired a local driver to take us from the airport out to the preserve and to pick us up at the end of the 3 days and the staff at the preserve showed us around and gave us suggestions of hikes to do - including a guided tour of the canopy led by a ranger (outside the preserve in a national park). They also drove us into the village where most of the local (nonscientist) workers live who showed us around there. We did see Calabra on our own - stayed a night in a hotel there which was decent and the museum was nice - all on colonial history. We took cabs around the city as they were more reliable than buses or walked places close to the hotel. In Lagos we mostly did the Foreign Service circuit and she had a driver (its how they support the local economy) and cook so we generally just went out for lunch and dinner on his night off. The beach was amazing - really warm water and we were able to rent a pavillion of sorts (permanent roof structure but shaped more like a giant umbrella) with chairs and spent most of the time out of the water just because it was so bright that day and we wanted to minimize burning. We walked across the island to see the shipwrecks and to take in the nature around it (a tiny barrier island - we had to take a water taxi from Lagos city) and did swim on and off a few times. It was a great trip but probably not typical because of who I was with and where. The fabric market was amazing and I bought a ton of fabric to make into clothing when I got home, but no pictures as it isnt a safe area to have a camera or phone out.
TL;DR: check the economy to make sure they have ATMs or somewhere you can access your money. Yiu may need to carry all the cash you'll need. Dont trust sketchy ATMs in poor areas. Make sure you get all your vaccines and know what the side effects are. All good advice.
Factful video. Thanks Nadine. 3 tips to piggyback on your ideas. 1) Water. You never know when the city you are staying at shuts off the water, like it happened to me in Poland. Keep hydrated. 2) Small pack of laundry soap. Laundrying is expensive like you pointed out. Rome was crazy expensive and confusing. 3) Twine or bungie cords. They come in handy for all types of misc. needs, like hanging said laundry or tying down your pack when it busts oven with souvenirs . Added tip - post cards from your home town. It's always a nice ice breaker, besides beer, to show people a postcard of where you are from. Bon voyage. See you on the road.
I always rely on wifi from airports and hotels im staying. I always check on schedules and best route before I head out. Once I'm out I don't use my phone anymore to check the Internet or social media. I just want to be disconnected from the world and enjoy the current country I'm in.
Last month I flew from LAX to Algiers, and I had about 1h20min to catch my connecting flight in Italy, and not only was I held up in customs, but there was a 2 hour delay before I even left LA! I totally missed the flight but the airline compensated for the delay of course and got me on the next flight to Algiers, which was nine hours later. I was stuck in the airport for HOURS. So yes. Allow some reasonable amount of time for your connecting flights lol.
Rookie Mistake: Not knowing what the local currency looks like, especially coins. On my first trip to London I learnt quickly that it’s not uncommon to have to pay to use the restroom. After trying to take the tube into central London, another rookie mistake, and learning there were “improvements” on the route turning a 1 hour trip into 2, I really needed to go when I got to St. Pancras. I had a 10£ note and was worried that the change machine would give me 10£ in quarters but went for it after all the merchants told me they didn’t have any change. Once I got my change, I was lost. I think I ended up paying for three others to use the loo too! Moral to the story google what the local currency looks like before you go. :)
Me and my girlfriend are around two months into our backpacking adventure. One thing we have learnt is try to not do loads of activities all day everyday because you do end up burning out. Try to give yourself rest time. It makes travelling so much more enjoyable. Happy travels! :)
I used to work in a hostel and we have a drawer full of chargers and travel adapters left behind by our guests, and we have to get rid of them once the drawer is full lol Anyway I'm doing my first solo travel to London soon! Nervous and excited for that :S
You share some really great tips! - I never take a flight with a connection time under 1h30min ever since I missed a flight… - I used to always buy vending machine drinks in Japan, like 2-3 a day (it was summer), but that cost a lot of money in the end. Now I just buy a big bottle and re-fill in with water at the hostels. - Always check bus and train schedules! Especially if you are going to less touristy places that don’t have frequent connections.
As a new traveler this is an amazing video. I'm taking notes on the second view. You mentioned overbooking your time. I do that all the time at home. How do you not plan so much/overbook? If you had 2 months to travel. How many countries would you try and see an for how long?
I'm off to O'ahu in 8 days!! It's my second trip there in two years...my daughter's third time. We're bringing two newbies with us. Seven days of Paradise!! Heck yeah!!
Another point on tipping (which I've experienced in Nicaragua), be mindful of where your tips go. Sometimes the server doesn't actually get it and it goes to the owner of the restaurant.
If you're going to be using hotel and restaurant wifi a lot, most ask for your email address, so it might be a good idea to have a second email for this so your regular email does not get clogged with spam
Hahaha I love this: "unrealistic expectations about your physical fitness." So true! For me, when I think I can walk everywhere... but also as a yoga teacher in Hawaii & previous hiking tour guide, I saw people think they were way more fit than they were ALL the time
Oh BTW with some tmobile plans have free data around the world but it will be at slower speeds. So you might only need to upgrade to a faster speed or not have to pay Extra
Get an unlimited/larger SIM card/data plan or just survive an hour or so without Wifi/Data. I never miss a good food opportunity just because the place has shitty wifi, that's coming from a foodie!
Great video and advice for a rookie like myself, im going to solo travel from Texas to Beijing in June of 2017 and have been consuming allot of travel vids on utube for my trip. Thanks for the great tips and happy travels.
It is horrible advice unless you're hoping to get mugged (or worse). Follow it, and you end up being a tourist who is obviously drunk early in the evening when everyone else is sober, and you'll be a target for any pickpocket or rapist who happens to notice you stumbling around. Getting wasted on cheap supermarket liquor and then going out on the town is a great plan if you're an alcoholic who doesn't want to remember anything from her travels. A better idea is to know what you can afford to spend and be disciplined about sticking to your budget.
Thank you so much! I'm planning a 3-months journey as a solo and I've written them all down on a Word document including the added details for me to bring with! A lot of them are very good advice!
Wow just watched my first hey nadine video. You seem like a super rad person!! Amazing content! Lots of great information, as a long time traveler myself
Hey Nadine! I completely agree to not over schedule. It's exhausting walking, standing, taking public transpo in a city you don't know for 8-12 hours a day!! But it's fun!
I've done a little traveling (I had to wait until my children got older). My main advice as a newbee traveler, is be selective in your traveling companion(s). Go with people who are on the same page, or at least in the same "chapter", as you. If you are the adventurous backpacker sort, you might not want to go with someone who prefers resorts. If you are a quiet and reflective person, you may not want to go with someone who wants to teach you about everything you see - they mean well, but it's not a good fit... (for example - I'm soaking in a piece of art, meanwhile my companion is explaining it - things like that can make it hard to enjoy yourself). Good friends are not always good traveling companions. Heck - your significant other is not necessarily a good traveling companion. :D Personally, I think I'm better off solo, which has its advantages (less expensive, you're on your own itinerary, etc). Just something to think about. :)
I know this isn't a travel related question, but your nails always look amazing! Do you get them done or do you do them yourself (specifically filing because the shape is on point)? Again, sorry for the non travel related question. Love your channel! xoxo
I always have a little notebook with me. This honestly saved my life last year when I was in Prague and lost my phone, and had two more cities to go to (without prebooked rooms and transportation, because I am such a last minute person) before I was back in my hometown... I used the computer in my hostel to find important numbers that I needed to have, and to book the accomodation for the next city. All the information I wrote in my notebook, and I even drew little maps how to get to places...Lifesaving indeed 😄
Hey Nadine, So so so love this video! Just started my own channel about my traveling videos and I'm super excited. I always watch your videos and I've learned a lot from them, especially this video! Thanks for your advice:)
Im going across the ditch to Melbourne, Australia in a week!! So excited. Im staying with a friend but will be on my own on the weekdays while shes at work
Check your medical plan for overseas coverage. If you are in a non European country, know where the best hospital is (which is usually private and will make you pay up front to be treated, including life-threatening situations). Even with the best medical coverage, I was in a very bad accident overseas and required immediate surgery, which they wouldn't do until my credit card cleared. Even through my insurance would have paid to medivac me, I was in such bad condition, I needed to stay in country. Fortunately my insurance finally reimbursed me, but if I wasn't covered, I would have been out quite a bit of money for an 8 day hospital stay! It's always good to have a credit card with a significant limit, because you never know what might happen....
This video is crazy on point! I've made and learned from these rookie mistakes! The laundry one I do! I do my best to plan my laundry days in advance, knowing how much of something I can pack. I usually take like minimal clothes but enough socks and underwear.
And don't forget your card in the ATM! Where I'm from, the card comes out first and then you get your money, but many other places (for example Southeast Asia where I'm traveling at the moment) you get your money first and then your card. I've met soooo many people who've lost their cards this way! Sometimes you can call the bank and get it back, sometimes you can't.
One of the best worst mistakes I've made, was booking a hostel at the end of a trip in London and not getting to stay in it (when it was ridiculously expensive against the dollar) and accidentally not checking baggage fees for easyJet. Ended up losing $100~ to easyJet when I was already incredibly low on cash, got into London after the expensive tickets to get into the city from the airport, came to check into the hostel and literally being out of money. The hostel didn't care and kicked us out. Thought we'd be stuck on the streets; ended up finding wifi to contact my parents at Starbucks, got wired money. Used that money for food and a bus back to the airport after walking around London to see the free sights. Eventually ended up sleeping in the airport. While it wasn't the best sleep, it was free. So what seemed a big mistake at first, turned into a novel idea.
@@iiAngelic Honestly? Do your research and plan a budget with a safety buffer in case something goes wrong. I also recommend ordering some of the local currency from the bank before you leave so you can do things like buy a coffee or food when your land or money for transport to the accommodation. Don't stress though, it's hard to know what questions to ask like baggage allowances for airlines, you'll learn as you go.
Another great video with great advice! Saying no is only acceptable if you need to sleep (or if it's illegal, dangerous, physically impossible, or proven to be not fun for you)
guys!if your hotel dosent have laundry facilities you can buy a small tube from a grocery store called travel wash and you just add a small amount to a bath full of water and soak your clothes in it!problem solved ;)
Your a seasoned traveler, soooooo... Can you do a video explaining more about traveling by train... mostly Europe? I'm planning a my first trip and I NEED HELP!!!! I know you've discussed it briefly in other videos but can you please do a more comprehensive video about Euro passes and transportation in general. Like for example can I use my pass for local transportation as well as to and from each country? How do you go about making reservations for trains? PS my biggest rookie mistake was when I went to Puerto Rico and before coming home I decided to buy like 10 fresh mangos to take home with me. I placed them in my carry on so they wouldn't get smushed. However, when I was going through security they took them away because your not allow to transport the seeds outside of Puerto Rico. 😡 So I had to leave them with the TSA guy...who probably ate them! 😡😡😡lol
HI:) I traveled Europe by train last year so I have a few tips to share. Eurail is the site I used to buy my tickets. I was going to a bunch of countries so I got the Global Pass, but which pass you get depends on where you are going and for how long. You can reserve some trains in advance if they are popular routes. Some trains require reservation, some allow it if you want (but if you NEED it, reserve it ((my rookie mistake)) ), and some are just a first come, first serve kind of thing. The Eurail Pass doesn't give you much extra when it comes to other local transpiration, but it varies by country. Some passes even give you a couple of free boat rides. They also offer discounts on some local transportation. One thing to be aware of is not all trains are covered by the pass. Each country has different trains that partner with Eurail or whichever site you use. The only trouble I had was in Switzerland where they checked my ticket on a train to see the Matterhorn and said my pass wasn't good. Cost an extra 40 EU to get in to the city and then again to get out. Just make sure to research before you buy and make sure the companies who run the trains you need are part of the pass. Happy traveling :)
+Tania Molina if you stay in Europe you won't have to worry about borders (apart from a few exceptions). All countries that are part of the Schengen Agreement don't have borders. You can move and travel freely.
Can you do a video about how to use your iPhone while abroad? I have a Canadian phone plan and have no idea how to go about being able to use it when I travel outside of the country. thanks for another great video, Nadine!
you should try asking your phone company, its different for everyone and they probably have specific information for the countries they are partners with
Hey Nadine, I just found your channel and I really really like it! ☺️ You're really pretty and I can tell that your friendly. Glad I found ur channel and u just got a life long subscriber ❤️
If you're bringing clothes home that you never wore on the trip, you're packing way too much. I pack very little and plan to wear every piece multiple times, especially underwear and socks: invest in "travel" undies that dry *fast* so you can wash them in the sink at night and they'll be dry by morning. I never check bags, so everything I bring has to fit in a carry-on (rolling suitcase) plus a small backpack, even when traveling for a month or longer.
Can you explain the Opal Card a little more please? :D Where's the difference to an ordinary bus ticket? Only possible difference that comes in my mind is a card like in turkey you can load and use for public transportation
Why wait to travel abroad to disconnect from electronics? You can unplug yourself whenever you feel like it. Some of us unplug for a full 25 hours at least once a week. No electricity, no phone, no internet, no shopping of any kind. Just talking, thinking, eating, napping, reading (real books, not screens).
The fitness stuff is so true. My wife and I went to Thailand on may this year. We had a full schedule but after 3 temples we were so tired. We had to decide which ones were worth a visited, I mean, which one were a must, priorities over the others.
That's because your *bank* doesn't care that you're traveling. Your credit cards, otoh, care a lot, and since they can get shut down if they see unusual spending patterns that look like your card has been stolen, alerting them before a trip is a good idea. I've had my card rejected by mistake even after I've alerted the cc company: when that happens, there's an international number to call (collect) to let them know that your card hasn't been stolen and that they need to turn your card on again immediately.
Damn! We don't have that in Sweden. :( By the way I love your videos, I have been subscribed for (I think) 3 years now and have watched everything. Let me know if you you are traveling to Sweden. The west coast is absolutely beautiful in the summer and Stockholm is beautiful year around. :)
I really hyped up Paris and was disappointed when I got there. Such a dirty city. I hopped on the Eurostar and went to London and had a way better time there.
I guess it depends where you come from. To me home is Los Angeles, and I go to New York City a few times a year (work), so I didn't find Paris and London dirty at all. If you've been to the artist district and Venice beach in LA, and NYC Subways, then the smell of pee is no big deal. But Paris like an other city has its good and bad parts.
+Sophie T went to Paris twice last year, going again in 3 weeks. I grew up in a city where the subway smells like pee and bad stuff so I'm "used to it" , though I think it depends on which line. e.g. Line 1 to the Business district (in Paris) is very clean. Also you have to know where to go. If you plan stuff in advance and do research you can avoid "dirty places" :)
Don't forget to set alarms if you have to catch planes trains boats etc the next day, especially if your departure is very early. When visiting Peru my friends and I had to catch a train from Cusco to aguas calientes (the town nearest to Machu Picchu) at 5:30 am, and we forgot to set our alarm to wake up. It was a stroke of luck that a rooster crowed at like 5 and woke us up, and we were staying at a hostel that was very near the train station, but our adventure came very close to having a very disappointing dead end. Always double check your alarms right before going to bed
I love bringing tiny bags of bio tex which is a powder you can use for hand washing clothes, I throw them in the sink or the tub (depending on how much clothes I have) and let them soak and sit there for about 30 min up to an hour before i rub and rinse them, might not be 100% clean like from a washing machine, but you don't have to worry about prices or odours :)
If you are looking for more awesome travel hacks check out these videos!: th-cam.com/play/PLBmF7uPtI-4FkVJVfUeYExFKdSK7z60NA.html
For more expert advice with planning your travels, check out my how-to-travel e-book: bit.ly/httravel-ebook
life/travel hack: after lots of walking/skating/leg activity at the end of the day lay on the floor, legs up, butt against the wall to help drain the lactic acid, do
it for a long time so they will be less sore in the moment & the next day
pro tip on WiFi: make sure to use a VPN. Open access public wifi (even password protected ones) can easily be intercepted. If youre entering passwords or logging onto a site, it's really important to protect your accounts, specially when traveling. Sincerely, your local good girl hacker. ;)
can you explain this to me in a simpler way please? sorry but I am very clueless when it comes to these sort of things.
+Mel Ordonez my show TekThing breaks it down, or Hak5. But basically a VPN privatises your internet traffic by creating a virtual tunnel from your computer to the website you wanna visit. Anyone outside the tunnel can't see what you're doing, they just see random bits of computer speak. There's tons of VPNs available but read their terms of service because some cheaper ones log your information while you're using their product.
great tip. Yes, I use a VPN, expressVPN it's a paid services, but it's the only one that works in China! which ive been a few times.
WHERE HAVE U BEEN ALL MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!
I'M SO HAPPY THAT I FOUND YOU!!!!🙂🙃🙂🙃
I WISHED I'VE FOUND YOUR CHANNEL EARLIER WHEN I WAS AT UNIVERSITY!!!
XX BS CS GRAD GIRL🙌🏼
SOOO HAPPY THAT YOU LIKE WATCHING NADINE TOOOO!! I JUST FOUND U AND I'M A FANGIRLING RN..: WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME..☺️☺️☺️
If you're getting souvenirs do it toward the end of your trip because if you start right away you end up collecting too many things or later find the same item somewhere else for much cheaper.
Definitely don't over schedule!
+Maritza Zavaleta yup!!!great advice, forget to mention that one
Hey Nadine y
Actually, If i find something I LOVE, I get it and don't worry about it. I may not see it again.
my travel rules:
1. always bring an extra pair of underwear, just in case.... (inherited from mom, she sat in a puddle and now its a rule)
2. always bring at least 2 pairs of shoes-- after a year of traveling i thought i was being savvy and packing light by just having one pair, until my favorite walking shoes betrayed me with blisters on a 5 day trip. now its a rule.
3. always bring granola bars. i have a limited diet, so these are my backup if i cant find something i can eat. i also made a habit of taking note if i saw a place with stuff i could eat, in case i couldnt find anything at meal time i could go back to the place i saw earlier.
for the "forgetting your cords" thing, i always make a sticky note list of stuff im bringing that isnt packed so in the morning i can just check them off and go. at hotels/hostels (and tbh like cafes and benches too), always look behind you and make sure its e.m.p.t.y.
check your camera battery at night so you can charge it overnight. also once when i was a kid i had my camera literally lifted off my shoulder and didnt notice, so now i constantly do the "pocket-tap/shoulder check" thing, even when im out at home. i think its a goos habit to have.
i found downloading maps (i used the google maps app) really helpful as well, even without data or wifi i always could see my location, and i would save my accommodation location so i could see where i needed to be. Also helpful to know what public transit stops are near where youre staying, cuz then you can use the transit maps to get you back to where you can find your way.
double check dates. my whole group might have had to pay double cuz i booked the wrong day, but thankfully as soon as i realized i called and they changed it even thought the site said nontransferable.
From a veteran traveler who has been to over 50 countries: don't worry about "laundry days/facilities". Bring a little powdered detergent and wash your clothes in the sink. Many hotels even have clothes lines! Saves a LOT of time and money.
Also, make a copy of your passport in case yours is stolen. And always wear a cross-body bag and be aware of your surroundings. There are a lot of thieves who target Americans and can easily swipe your belongings without you knowing if they're not secured....
and its a great saver too timewise & $$$$
pro tip: you can pre download languages on google translate and use without data.
ck is there an app for it?
yes. just download google translate. and then you can download the languages for offline use. also, you can take pictures of something in another language and translate it into English. I did in Spain this summer when I was looking for hair care items lol
ck Even better pro tip: learn a few languages ;)
THANK YOU! I am going to Athens (stop) and needed it!
You can even translate with a picture (if online) is awesome for languages like chinese and so
One way I found to avoid jetlag when going international is flying at night (if it's 5+ your flight)...I book the latest flight possible which usually means I arrive in the morning to my foreign destination. This gives me the opportunity to sleep all night while flying and I wake up ready to land and explore my new destination.
I actually have done this and did not enjoy it, we travelled for about 13 hours and even overnight it was very broken sleep. We arrived in the morning and wanted a nap so badly but NOPE, can't check in until 2pm 😭😭😭
1. Choose your travel companions very, very wisely
2. Keep track of your budget
When travelling for a longer period of time even small habbits happen to become extremely annoying and even ruin trips + friendships. A good solution would be to start together and plan a destination where you consider walking seperate ways...
These were my biggest mistakes probably, asking my parents to buy my flight home wasn't a pleasure.
PRO TIP: underwear is easily washed in your room. Use the shampoo or body wash provided by your hotel and wash each day when you shower!
Smart lol
I did this so many times.
Throw it directly in the shower while you shower. Kick it around a little and then rince and dry.
Tomáš Repiský 😂😂
also can bring small container of laundry detergent
I'd add hydration. traveling makes you very dehydrated and that makes you run down. Also if travelling in groups antibiotics, people living so close breed sicknesses.
Also make sure that a.) the water is sanitary b.) you have currency to pay for bottled water if it's not. I was stranded once in an Eastern European country, extremely parched without being able to obtain local currency and despite going to 3 currency locations in country (that didn't carry it's local currency). I ended up drinking water out of a tap- biggest mistake of my life. I got giardia and was sick for 3 months after. Lesson learned: bring an extra bottle with you at all times if you're in a place with sketchy water. And always make sure there is a seal on the lid. Some vendors will refill bottles and try to sell you "used" water....
Erin Harbaugh ya and drink bottled water or water you know is sealed and wasn't opened or airplane coffee/tea because they use tap water for the coffee/tea and the tap water on planes has so much bacteria like it's horrible and deathly
Antibiotics? Don't you get them AFTER you get sick from your doctor and not beforehand? Might be different in your country but to me that sounds irresponsible, the bacteria will create resistance.
That's absolutely true. One should NEVER take antibiotics without a medical prescription.
I'd already made most of these mistakes lol
In addition, don't forget to bring a universal travel adapter! Bringing a charger is useless if it doesn't fit the foreign electrical sockets :)
+MyLifeAsLouis yup!!
Ask the front desk, they'll lend you one ;)
Better to keep your videos short, sweet 'n straight to the point. Overall, luv all your pointers. Peace up!
Thailand sockets are universal :D
MyLifeAsLouis iuiiiiu
I'm not a rookie, but I've learned to be hyper efficient in airport security. Stretchy clothes, separate packs for liquids and battery packs and cameras, ready to whip out, and rubber soled shoes. You gotta be ready so you aren't holding up the line. Nothing is worse than having to send your bag back through the machine. Know what they want to look at separately from your bag, and have it ready. Anyways. Thanks for these tips chickadee! I love your videos. We should collab one day! You have such a good energy. byeeee! peace and hugs from China!
My tips: 1) Plan rest days, especially if you're going to be traveling for a couple of weeks. You NEED down days. It helps if you can do laundry on these days. 2) Rent an apartment so you can cook some of your meals. Grocery shopping in a foreign country is an experience that will take you from tourist to traveller, and it saves you money. If you're going to be in an area for a week or more, get a place to "live" for that time, not just "stay." 3) Pack light. You will never wear everything you bring. Except for underwear-pack a few extra pair.
I'm going on a bus tour of Europe this summer for 3 weeks. I am very nervous for the logistics of traveling. This video is a huge help and gives me some peace of mind. Thanks for keeping it real!
No Nadine lol. Americans tip because hospitality workers in America are paid below a minimum wage. Countries where tipping is not a thing pay their workers a liveable wage. But because the American government is not interested in compensating it's working class a liveable wage, those who go out to dinner, hop in an uber or cab or use any number of services are forced to compensate workers wages so that corporations and those at the top can get richer. So essentially they work for next to nothing and only get paid if customers tip. That's why Americans tip. Because they have to.
I love how you can talk about being an experienced traveller without sounding patronising, and give advice without making others feel like they know nothing. :) Awesome video xox
Don't take too many pictures. You could spend your time behind a screen trying to capture the moment instead of living in it.
but if you are a photographer then being behind the screen is what you do- but for everyone else yes live in the moment. I try to always sit down where I am and just take it in as well.
thestaceofspade True, but to see how a photo is going to end up, doesn't need a camera -- atleast in my personal opinion. If you can atleast observe or perceive the magnificence of what you're planning to take a picture of, you won't need to be capturing the moment behind a screen like Robert said. You will know it's good photographic material just by creating a potential composition about how it will look in your mind.
I know this is an older post, and someone probably already said this, but learning at a minimum some key phrases and basic words in the local language. When I started studying Spanish I decided to take a trip to Spain for my vacation, and I can't tell you how many laughs I got out of watching people struggle because they were so dead set on not not speaking Spanish when any travel guide will tell you it isn't widespread.
GPS your taxi rides in foreign countries. They may not speak your language and may not take you where you intend on going. (this happened to us)
Always bring medicine for headaches.
Sarcasticat 6 And diarrhea...
Is that in case of food poisoning and ideal to take then?
zakosist It's always good to have them. It doesn't have to be food poisoning-it could be climate change or water change etc.
Yes! Some countries don't allow Ibuprofen without a prescription. If that is your headache drug of choice, bring it with you! Plus, when you have a headache, the last thing you want to do is walk a strange city looking for a pharmacy.
Great video Nadine, for me the most important and underrated Rookie mistake is travelling with a preconceived notion of the place where you're going or hyping things like you said .
For instance if you're traveling to a place where you think it will only going to be sunny because of some photos you saw online, just a little bit of rain can be enough to make you regret your choice or activities for that day.
Don't travel thinking things can only went ONE WAY, that's the fastest way to get disappointed.
She's a travel blogger, of course she needs wifi people.
Pro tip: check the local economy before deciding on carrying all cash or depending on your ATM. I've been travelling since 2001 (so actually watched this to decide if you would have some newer tricks that I could use for potential business travel - aka 2-3 days - vs the long vacation trips I'm used to) and I have found as I have gotten more adventurous that you cant depend on access to an ATM everywhere you go (and some places they just arent safe to use even if you find them). If the place where you are travelling is way outside normal touristy places and doesnt have reliable electricity you wont find any ATMs (even more so when you know they have NO electricity!) and so you need to carry all your money in CASH. I have a friend in the Foreign Service (we were friends before she got the job) and I have visited her in some out of the way places and most of the time it has been really hard to get money and no one takes cards. If you are going somewhere with a very low standard of living, where the money isnt worth much and people are living on a couple dollars a day, then you wont find ATMs or you will have to travel quite a ways into the wealthy neighborhoods to find a safe one (because the touristy areas tend to have skimmers on theirs). My first trip to see her was to Cairo while she was still a student (she is a Mideast specialist), it took us over an hour and a half to get to the nearest safe ATM from her apartment. No one we interacted with (including the Pyramids!) took credit or debit card or had any way of doing so (this was just before the Arab Spring) so I needed all the cash I was going to use - which I took out in one big transaction. The key to carrying all that cash is to divide it up - small bills are best as you said - and hide it all over your body. Put just what you are going to use that day in your wallet the rest goes inside your clothes in internal pockets or a hidden money belt (under tucked in clothing!). I was lucky that only my friend and her one roommate who was also an American student had keys to her apartment because I could leave the bulk of my money there but that wouldnt have been possible with a hotel. And Cairo was a very touristy place at the time! Visiting her in Nigeria I could only get money by paypalling it to her and having her get it out of her account at the embassy for me. So again - carried all cash. We spent a few days way out in the jungle at a nature rehabilitation preserve where the only electricity they had was from a couple solar panels and it was just enough to run the electric fences that kept the groups of primates they were rehabbing and breeding separated (no running water either unless you counted a rain barrel with a rope that you held down to open a small spout for a shower as running water). The local village where many of the non-scientist, non-veterinarian workers lived had no electricity at all (neither did most of the town we went through on the 8 hour drive out there) so no ATMs but lots of good food to buy and some amazing souvenirs too.
So yea, really look at where you are going before deciding that you dont need to carry all the money you will need for your stay in cash and that you dont need to exchange currency before you go (always better to do through a bank in your home country a couple weeks in advance if possible) or at a currency exchange at the destination.
And if you have read this long - my biggest "rookie" mistake - made when I was definitely not a rookie sadly: check all the required vaccines and meds (like anti-malarials!) way ahead of time (did that was ok there) AND double check when to start them and how long after you need to take them (also did that was good there) AND most importantly check for any pertinent SIDE EFFECTS - namely ones that wouldnt matter in your home climate but become extremely important in climates you arent used to as it is. I learned this the hard way as the anti-malarials I was prescribed and took cause extra sun-sensitivity, and the sun in Nigeria is a bit (ok a LOT) stronger than the sun at home. I got sun poisoning my last day there when we went to the beach for the day even though I reapplied SPF 100 (cause I knew the sun was stronger and I burn in New England as it is) every hour or so. Flying with your skin melting off from sun poisoning is NOT fun. And if I had read the pamphlet insert that came with the meds instead of just packing them and going I would have brought a cover up and a hat to wear when we were not swimming and made sure I spent more time in our beach hut shelter thing and maybe reapplied my sunscreen every half hour that day, instead of hanging on the sand in a bikini all day. So know the side effects of anything different that you have to take on your trip!
Jen D how was Nigeria? Did you travel alone? What was your experience?
I really enjoyed Nigeria but I was visiting my best friend who is in the Foreign Service and was stationed there. She made all the arrangements and I stayed at the consulate with her besides when we went to visit a nature preserve way in the jungle. We hired a local driver to take us from the airport out to the preserve and to pick us up at the end of the 3 days and the staff at the preserve showed us around and gave us suggestions of hikes to do - including a guided tour of the canopy led by a ranger (outside the preserve in a national park). They also drove us into the village where most of the local (nonscientist) workers live who showed us around there. We did see Calabra on our own - stayed a night in a hotel there which was decent and the museum was nice - all on colonial history. We took cabs around the city as they were more reliable than buses or walked places close to the hotel. In Lagos we mostly did the Foreign Service circuit and she had a driver (its how they support the local economy) and cook so we generally just went out for lunch and dinner on his night off. The beach was amazing - really warm water and we were able to rent a pavillion of sorts (permanent roof structure but shaped more like a giant umbrella) with chairs and spent most of the time out of the water just because it was so bright that day and we wanted to minimize burning. We walked across the island to see the shipwrecks and to take in the nature around it (a tiny barrier island - we had to take a water taxi from Lagos city) and did swim on and off a few times. It was a great trip but probably not typical because of who I was with and where. The fabric market was amazing and I bought a ton of fabric to make into clothing when I got home, but no pictures as it isnt a safe area to have a camera or phone out.
This is was great to read. Thanks!
TL;DR: check the economy to make sure they have ATMs or somewhere you can access your money. Yiu may need to carry all the cash you'll need.
Dont trust sketchy ATMs in poor areas.
Make sure you get all your vaccines and know what the side effects are.
All good advice.
Factful video. Thanks Nadine. 3 tips to piggyback on your ideas. 1) Water. You never know when the city you are staying at shuts off the water, like it happened to me in Poland. Keep hydrated. 2) Small pack of laundry soap. Laundrying is expensive like you pointed out. Rome was crazy expensive and confusing. 3) Twine or bungie cords. They come in handy for all types of misc. needs, like hanging said laundry or tying down your pack when it busts oven with souvenirs . Added tip - post cards from your home town. It's always a nice ice breaker, besides beer, to show people a postcard of where you are from.
Bon voyage. See you on the road.
I always rely on wifi from airports and hotels im staying. I always check on schedules and best route before I head out. Once I'm out I don't use my phone anymore to check the Internet or social media. I just want to be disconnected from the world and enjoy the current country I'm in.
Last month I flew from LAX to Algiers, and I had about 1h20min to catch my connecting flight in Italy, and not only was I held up in customs, but there was a 2 hour delay before I even left LA! I totally missed the flight but the airline compensated for the delay of course and got me on the next flight to Algiers, which was nine hours later. I was stuck in the airport for HOURS. So yes. Allow some reasonable amount of time for your connecting flights lol.
Rookie Mistake: Not knowing what the local currency looks like, especially coins. On my first trip to London I learnt quickly that it’s not uncommon to have to pay to use the restroom. After trying to take the tube into central London, another rookie mistake, and learning there were “improvements” on the route turning a 1 hour trip into 2, I really needed to go when I got to St. Pancras. I had a 10£ note and was worried that the change machine would give me 10£ in quarters but went for it after all the merchants told me they didn’t have any change. Once I got my change, I was lost. I think I ended up paying for three others to use the loo too! Moral to the story google what the local currency looks like before you go. :)
Me and my girlfriend are around two months into our backpacking adventure. One thing we have learnt is try to not do loads of activities all day everyday because you do end up burning out. Try to give yourself rest time. It makes travelling so much more enjoyable. Happy travels! :)
I used to work in a hostel and we have a drawer full of chargers and travel adapters left behind by our guests, and we have to get rid of them once the drawer is full lol Anyway I'm doing my first solo travel to London soon! Nervous and excited for that :S
I live here- i advise going to camden lock market
Will check it out. Thanks! :D
when are you going to London? I'm going to be there also towards the end of July.
Aww man... I'll be there early Sept :)
brick lane is high on the list as someone who lives in london, good place to start but also try outside of london for a true idea of the uk :)
You share some really great tips!
- I never take a flight with a connection time under 1h30min ever since I missed a flight…
- I used to always buy vending machine drinks in Japan, like 2-3 a day (it was summer), but that cost a lot of money in the end. Now I just buy a big bottle and re-fill in with water at the hostels.
- Always check bus and train schedules! Especially if you are going to less touristy places that don’t have frequent connections.
As a new traveler this is an amazing video. I'm taking notes on the second view. You mentioned overbooking your time. I do that all the time at home. How do you not plan so much/overbook?
If you had 2 months to travel. How many countries would you try and see an for how long?
This was probably the BEST video about travel I've looked at. Whether experienced or not, we need these reminders.
I'm off to O'ahu in 8 days!! It's my second trip there in two years...my daughter's third time. We're bringing two newbies with us. Seven days of Paradise!! Heck yeah!!
Another point on tipping (which I've experienced in Nicaragua), be mindful of where your tips go. Sometimes the server doesn't actually get it and it goes to the owner of the restaurant.
If you're going to be using hotel and restaurant wifi a lot, most ask for your email address, so it might be a good idea to have a second email for this so your regular email does not get clogged with spam
Hahaha I love this: "unrealistic expectations about your physical fitness." So true! For me, when I think I can walk everywhere... but also as a yoga teacher in Hawaii & previous hiking tour guide, I saw people think they were way more fit than they were ALL the time
Oh BTW with some tmobile plans have free data around the world but it will be at slower speeds. So you might only need to upgrade to a faster speed or not have to pay Extra
great advice!! this young lady is on point with these travel tips!!
I work in a hotel at the front desk and people leave their chargers ALL the time!
+Melanie 🌴
Once a friend of mine forgot his phone & the charger at the hotel, i reminded him many times not to forget.
I watch this every now and then as a refresher. Always good tips!
Get an unlimited/larger SIM card/data plan or just survive an hour or so without Wifi/Data. I never miss a good food opportunity just because the place has shitty wifi, that's coming from a foodie!
I agree. Unplug and enjoy where you are and what you are doing instead of being obsessed with wifi. People traveled without before, you'll survive!!
sometimes it is indeed awesome to unplug for a few days or just simply an evening to socialise or spend quality time with your travel companion
Right. Even if your job relies on wifi, an hr or so won't hurt
Great video and advice for a rookie like myself, im going to solo travel from Texas to Beijing in June of 2017 and have been consuming allot of travel vids on utube for my trip. Thanks for the great tips and happy travels.
Love the tips emphasis on the Pre-Drinking instead of drinking out!
It is horrible advice unless you're hoping to get mugged (or worse). Follow it, and you end up being a tourist who is obviously drunk early in the evening when everyone else is sober, and you'll be a target for any pickpocket or rapist who happens to notice you stumbling around. Getting wasted on cheap supermarket liquor and then going out on the town is a great plan if you're an alcoholic who doesn't want to remember anything from her travels. A better idea is to know what you can afford to spend and be disciplined about sticking to your budget.
Thank you so much! I'm planning a 3-months journey as a solo and I've written them all down on a Word document including the added details for me to bring with! A lot of them are very good advice!
Thanks for the tips!!
Wow just watched my first hey nadine video. You seem like a super rad person!! Amazing content! Lots of great information, as a long time traveler myself
I work in a restaurant in the UK, we love it when Americans come in
Hey Nadine! I completely agree to not over schedule. It's exhausting walking, standing, taking public transpo in a city you don't know for 8-12 hours a day!! But it's fun!
I've done a little traveling (I had to wait until my children got older). My main advice as a newbee traveler, is be selective in your traveling companion(s). Go with people who are on the same page, or at least in the same "chapter", as you. If you are the adventurous backpacker sort, you might not want to go with someone who prefers resorts. If you are a quiet and reflective person, you may not want to go with someone who wants to teach you about everything you see - they mean well, but it's not a good fit... (for example - I'm soaking in a piece of art, meanwhile my companion is explaining it - things like that can make it hard to enjoy yourself). Good friends are not always good traveling companions. Heck - your significant other is not necessarily a good traveling companion. :D Personally, I think I'm better off solo, which has its advantages (less expensive, you're on your own itinerary, etc). Just something to think about. :)
I know this isn't a travel related question, but your nails always look amazing! Do you get them done or do you do them yourself (specifically filing because the shape is on point)? Again, sorry for the non travel related question. Love your channel! xoxo
SUPER guilty of carrying too much cash with me. I get paranoid and don't want to use foreign ATMs but I should be more trusting.
Kaylee Reppel usually airport ones are reliable, especially at international airports
I always have a little notebook with me. This honestly saved my life last year when I was in Prague and lost my phone, and had two more cities to go to (without prebooked rooms and transportation, because I am such a last minute person) before I was back in my hometown... I used the computer in my hostel to find important numbers that I needed to have, and to book the accomodation for the next city. All the information I wrote in my notebook, and I even drew little maps how to get to places...Lifesaving indeed 😄
what about know your allergies if you have them
Hey Nadine,
So so so love this video! Just started my own channel about my traveling videos and I'm super excited. I always watch your videos and I've learned a lot from them, especially this video! Thanks for your advice:)
This tips are great but I can't stop looking at her shirt, its so lovely :) Where did you get the shirt?
ClickAnna Roots. sold out i thnk
billion8 oh :(
Im going across the ditch to Melbourne, Australia in a week!! So excited. Im staying with a friend but will be on my own on the weekdays while shes at work
Also, would you get travel insurance? And if so... what company would you suggest?
I've been using insuremytrip.com for a couple years now. I like that I can compare plans and find one that fits my needs.
Check your medical plan for overseas coverage. If you are in a non European country, know where the best hospital is (which is usually private and will make you pay up front to be treated, including life-threatening situations). Even with the best medical coverage, I was in a very bad accident overseas and required immediate surgery, which they wouldn't do until my credit card cleared. Even through my insurance would have paid to medivac me, I was in such bad condition, I needed to stay in country. Fortunately my insurance finally reimbursed me, but if I wasn't covered, I would have been out quite a bit of money for an 8 day hospital stay! It's always good to have a credit card with a significant limit, because you never know what might happen....
I would never travel without insurance.
Idk butvI heard good things about triple AAA
This video is crazy on point! I've made and learned from these rookie mistakes! The laundry one I do! I do my best to plan my laundry days in advance, knowing how much of something I can pack. I usually take like minimal clothes but enough socks and underwear.
And don't forget your card in the ATM! Where I'm from, the card comes out first and then you get your money, but many other places (for example Southeast Asia where I'm traveling at the moment) you get your money first and then your card. I've met soooo many people who've lost their cards this way! Sometimes you can call the bank and get it back, sometimes you can't.
Gownsandroses that happened to me in Phuket!
hey. I am leaving for 3 months in Thailand in a few days and want to say thanks for the tips. lots of inspiration to just do it...
One of the best worst mistakes I've made, was booking a hostel at the end of a trip in London and not getting to stay in it (when it was ridiculously expensive against the dollar) and accidentally not checking baggage fees for easyJet. Ended up losing $100~ to easyJet when I was already incredibly low on cash, got into London after the expensive tickets to get into the city from the airport, came to check into the hostel and literally being out of money. The hostel didn't care and kicked us out. Thought we'd be stuck on the streets; ended up finding wifi to contact my parents at Starbucks, got wired money. Used that money for food and a bus back to the airport after walking around London to see the free sights. Eventually ended up sleeping in the airport. While it wasn't the best sleep, it was free. So what seemed a big mistake at first, turned into a novel idea.
that's like one of my biggest fears of traveling but this story made me feel better because either way you found a solution lol.
Mel Ordonez Aww, definitely don't let that deter you from traveling! Worst comes to worst, the airport really isn't that bad. Happy travels! :)
Amber Eff Any advice for people wanting to avoid this situation?
@@iiAngelic Honestly? Do your research and plan a budget with a safety buffer in case something goes wrong. I also recommend ordering some of the local currency from the bank before you leave so you can do things like buy a coffee or food when your land or money for transport to the accommodation. Don't stress though, it's hard to know what questions to ask like baggage allowances for airlines, you'll learn as you go.
Another great video with great advice!
Saying no is only acceptable if you need to sleep (or if it's illegal, dangerous, physically impossible, or proven to be not fun for you)
guys!if your hotel dosent have laundry facilities you can buy a small tube from a grocery store called travel wash and you just add a small amount to a bath full of water and soak your clothes in it!problem solved ;)
Caty O thanks (:
Caty O this is something I always do, in fact I have a couple of tubes in reserve because I buy them when they are on offer.... 3 for 2 etc
For rental cars is it better to rent them before hand or when you get to the airport?
Your a seasoned traveler, soooooo... Can you do a video explaining more about traveling by train... mostly Europe? I'm planning a my first trip and I NEED HELP!!!! I know you've discussed it briefly in other videos but can you please do a more comprehensive video about Euro passes and transportation in general. Like for example can I use my pass for local transportation as well as to and from each country?
How do you go about making reservations for trains?
PS my biggest rookie mistake was when I went to Puerto Rico and before coming home I decided to buy like 10 fresh mangos to take home with me. I placed them in my carry on so they wouldn't get smushed. However, when I was going through security they took them away because your not allow to transport the seeds outside of Puerto Rico. 😡 So I had to leave them with the TSA guy...who probably ate them! 😡😡😡lol
HI:) I traveled Europe by train last year so I have a few tips to share. Eurail is the site I used to buy my tickets. I was going to a bunch of countries so I got the Global Pass, but which pass you get depends on where you are going and for how long.
You can reserve some trains in advance if they are popular routes. Some trains require reservation, some allow it if you want (but if you NEED it, reserve it ((my rookie mistake)) ), and some are just a first come, first serve kind of thing.
The Eurail Pass doesn't give you much extra when it comes to other local transpiration, but it varies by country. Some passes even give you a couple of free boat rides. They also offer discounts on some local transportation.
One thing to be aware of is not all trains are covered by the pass. Each country has different trains that partner with Eurail or whichever site you use. The only trouble I had was in Switzerland where they checked my ticket on a train to see the Matterhorn and said my pass wasn't good. Cost an extra 40 EU to get in to the city and then again to get out. Just make sure to research before you buy and make sure the companies who run the trains you need are part of the pass. Happy traveling :)
+Samantha Wright thanks for the advice!
+Samantha Wright this might be a stupid question but do you go through customs each time you enter into another country?
I never had that experience when I was there, but it's def not a stupid question!
+Tania Molina if you stay in Europe you won't have to worry about borders (apart from a few exceptions). All countries that are part of the Schengen Agreement don't have borders. You can move and travel freely.
I'm gonna be travelling on my own to hong kong next year and I didn't even think about half of these stuff! Thank you so much!
Can you do a video about how to use your iPhone while abroad? I have a Canadian phone plan and have no idea how to go about being able to use it when I travel outside of the country. thanks for another great video, Nadine!
you should try asking your phone company, its different for everyone and they probably have specific information for the countries they are partners with
The best thing to do is use wifi. Download to your phone as much info possible, so it can work without data if you don't have wifi.
+Lesley Loves Travel really?? so they should unlock for free or we should pay?
I uploaded a video about using data abroad.. Check it out to know what I usually do =)
+Where Is Mirna ok
Thank you for this video ,will sure use it when I start my solo travelling. So nervous but excited!😁
Nadine where did you get that shirt?
Yes, where?
yes, I wanna know too..great shirt!
+Kiara Sinara Roots Canada :)
OMG YOU REPLIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU :)
+Hey Nadine Thank you! O found it!!! Here's the link everyone:
www.roots.com/us/en/coastal-boyfriend-t-shirt-04022324.html?headermsg=redirected
Love the shirt! Oh, and great tips in the video. ;)
Hey Nadine, I just found your channel and I really really like it! ☺️ You're really pretty and I can tell that your friendly. Glad I found ur channel and u just got a life long subscriber ❤️
Where did you get your phone case? I love it. (And the video of course. Great tips!)
But how does one know if they've packed more than they need??
If you're bringing clothes home that you never wore on the trip, you're packing way too much. I pack very little and plan to wear every piece multiple times, especially underwear and socks: invest in "travel" undies that dry *fast* so you can wash them in the sink at night and they'll be dry by morning. I never check bags, so everything I bring has to fit in a carry-on (rolling suitcase) plus a small backpack, even when traveling for a month or longer.
planning your outfits can help you not overpack
Love it!! I never stop to think about everything we should or shouldn't do! Comfy shoes are definitely the most important thing!!
"You can have data everywhere in the world" except for my house
Even 7 years later, these tips are helpful, relevant and timely! Great job, fellow Canuck!
When you come to Sydney, Australia and are planning on taking public transport, you must buy an Opal Card.
Caitlin good to to know! Canadian student heading to Sydney in July :)
Yes, it's in nearby convenience stores, the cards are free :)
Can you explain the Opal Card a little more please? :D Where's the difference to an ordinary bus ticket? Only possible difference that comes in my mind is a card like in turkey you can load and use for public transportation
Opal Cards are what some say to be our version of an English Oyster Card. It covers ferries, buses and trains.
Caitlin
Thanks for the answer though I don't know "our" version of an English Oyster Card, because I'm from Germany haha
But I think I got it
Im a new subscriber and i love your videos! I love traveling and all of these are great! And i LOVE LOVE LOVE your shirt!😍😍 Where did you get it???
My favorite part of traveling abroad is disconnecting from electronics...no phone and if I don't have wifi, whatever..lol
Why wait to travel abroad to disconnect from electronics? You can unplug yourself whenever you feel like it. Some of us unplug for a full 25 hours at least once a week. No electricity, no phone, no internet, no shopping of any kind. Just talking, thinking, eating, napping, reading (real books, not screens).
Excellet tips! Super great video! Thanks for the useful advices!
can't wait to travel someday :)
The fitness stuff is so true. My wife and I went to Thailand on may this year. We had a full schedule but after 3 temples we were so tired. We had to decide which ones were worth a visited, I mean, which one were a must, priorities over the others.
WHERE CAN I FIND A WATCH LIKE THAT I LOVE IT @ 3:05
i want to know too!
Even 7 years later, these tips are helpful, timely and relevant. Great job, fellow Canuck!
I've never even thought about notifying my bank and I've travelled quite a lot. Oopsie! Thanks for the tip. :D
That's because your *bank* doesn't care that you're traveling. Your credit cards, otoh, care a lot, and since they can get shut down if they see unusual spending patterns that look like your card has been stolen, alerting them before a trip is a good idea. I've had my card rejected by mistake even after I've alerted the cc company: when that happens, there's an international number to call (collect) to let them know that your card hasn't been stolen and that they need to turn your card on again immediately.
Thank you for the helpful content! I know we were face-palming at half the things you said, as we are currently making those mistakes now!
OH!! I love your shirt! Where is it from?!
+Sanne Fredriksson Roots
Damn! We don't have that in Sweden. :(
By the way I love your videos, I have been subscribed for (I think) 3 years now and have watched everything.
Let me know if you you are traveling to Sweden. The west coast is absolutely beautiful in the summer and Stockholm is beautiful year around. :)
.
Where is that t shirt from!!! Want one soooo bad!!!!!
IKR
I'm a rookie traveler. So I greatly appreciate this. Thanks Nadine
Drinking out does kill the budget. I remember going to a club in Italy that had €3 shots and ending up blowing €75 😫
what camera do you use? and also who films for you when you are not holding the camera? are you trusting randoms with your far away shots?
You don't need wifi or a data plan! Do your homework and enjoy without being connected. This will make your experience much better.
itsgabrielle_e I agree
itsgabrielle_e no it won’t
Absolutely agree!!!!! 👍
Maybe *you* don't need wifi or a data plan.
Agreed I just used the wifi that was provided in restaurants and such and I was able to enjoy travelling much more
As a beginner traveler, this video was soo helpful!! Love your videos!!
You look so pretty in bright lipstick 😊 -Christine
What are your recommended sandals for hot weather and for walking a lot?
I really hyped up Paris and was disappointed when I got there. Such a dirty city. I hopped on the Eurostar and went to London and had a way better time there.
IKR
yes paris is so dirty! all the subway line is smelling like pee urgh, other are in france are so clean n beautiful, worth it , just not paris
I never was in Paris, but for me London was also very dirty in some parts of the City.
I guess it depends where you come from. To me home is Los Angeles, and I go to New York City a few times a year (work), so I didn't find Paris and London dirty at all. If you've been to the artist district and Venice beach in LA, and NYC Subways, then the smell of pee is no big deal. But Paris like an other city has its good and bad parts.
+Sophie T went to Paris twice last year, going again in 3 weeks. I grew up in a city where the subway smells like pee and bad stuff so I'm "used to it" , though I think it depends on which line. e.g. Line 1 to the Business district (in Paris) is very clean. Also you have to know where to go. If you plan stuff in advance and do research you can avoid "dirty places" :)
Don't forget to set alarms if you have to catch planes trains boats etc the next day, especially if your departure is very early. When visiting Peru my friends and I had to catch a train from Cusco to aguas calientes (the town nearest to Machu Picchu) at 5:30 am, and we forgot to set our alarm to wake up. It was a stroke of luck that a rooster crowed at like 5 and woke us up, and we were staying at a hostel that was very near the train station, but our adventure came very close to having a very disappointing dead end. Always double check your alarms right before going to bed
alcohol can screw your budget, very true👍
2 years ago in New Orleans Bourbon St i blew all my 2weeks budget in 3 days... Not cool lol
I love bringing tiny bags of bio tex which is a powder you can use for hand washing clothes, I throw them in the sink or the tub (depending on how much clothes I have) and let them soak and sit there for about 30 min up to an hour before i rub and rinse them, might not be 100% clean like from a washing machine, but you don't have to worry about prices or odours :)
you need to make text lists of these really long videos, not everyone has a third of an hour to spare