Friends! I'm working on a big, important, very exciting project and I need your help! Said project is travel-related and I'd like to know: what questions do you have about travel? Really! No question is too small or seemingly obvious!
Like:
Can I bring pepper spray with me to South America?
How do I convince my parents to let me go?
How do I deal with men whistling at me all the time?
Can I bring my tiny dog in my carry on?
Ask away! If you feel shy about your questions, you can email me at sarah_vonbargen(at) yahoo(dot)com.
Like:
Can I bring pepper spray with me to South America?
How do I convince my parents to let me go?
How do I deal with men whistling at me all the time?
Can I bring my tiny dog in my carry on?
Ask away! If you feel shy about your questions, you can email me at sarah_vonbargen(at) yahoo(dot)com.
51 comments:
Well, I'd love to know if there's a site where all those unexpected-for-westerners laws are stated. Like the one saying it's illegal to kiss in public in certain Muslim countries, or to chew gum in Singapore. Anyone traveling should know such things in advance, don't you think?
I really want to go travelling, but have no idea where to start. I guess my most pressing issue is I'm scared to go alone, but all my friends are too busy or can't afford to go...
how do i get over my self-conciousness while using a foreign language? it took me ages to work up the courage to ask for a cafe con leche in barcelona and i only did it once because i got my husband to do it the rest of the time! and "just do it" will not work in my case!! thank you xx
How do you get a group of people who aren't big on travel to just relax and enjoy themselves? A couple of my friends are going to be studying abroad next year and we want to travel together since we'll be on the same side of the ocean for an extended period of time. The only issue I have is that some of them just want to see the tourist attractions and then sit in the hotel so all the scary natives won't abduct them or whatever. Whoa. Novel, much?
I want to travel to "scary" places like Africa, India, and the South Pacific, but I'm terrified of needles. What places do you have to get shots/bloodwork done for before you leave? It'd be good to be prepped for that kind of thing before I plan tickets. :3
Ooh good idea! I want to know how to cope on an 8 hour flight seeing as I've never been on a plane before :/
Must see places? NO idea where to start and what kind of budget to have.
How do you travel for free (or close to free)?
Would taking a ukulele on a two week interailing trip in Europe be a) a good way to relieve train boredom, use as a makeshift weapon, make youth hostel friends and, if desperate, earn busking money or b) an inconvenient and somewhat incongruous travelling companion?
By the way, I love your blog! its so full of life and good impulses!
@Ellie DI
Scary places like Africa...LOL
I live in South Africa and its really not that scary.
Give me a shout if you want to visit. Ill help you.
maya xxx
Well, I bet u, u will just go even if your parents aren't too thrilled.. My daughter went to visit a friend in Morocco and I wasn't too thrilled... she was ok tho, she did learn that Morocco is NOT a place she would ever in her life go back to.. As she said " I couldn't wait to get back on that train!"... she hated it... not that u will hate where u want to get to..lol
if im staying in a hotel how do i know which reviews to believe on trip advisor? every hotel has some amazing ones. and some disgusting ones....?! arghh.
I want to go to Europe with one of my really good friends for our senior spring break of high school. I speak Spanish, and she's traveled a lot, and Ill have money for the trip by then. So really, (not to take form the example) how do I get my parents to let me go?
A final verdict on the "ordering foreign currency in advance" vs. "just using the ATM when I'm there" argument? I can never decide which way the bank is screwing me over more!
"How should I handle a medical emergency when in a foreign country?" Or just getting sick in general.
This is one of my big fears about traveling! How do you handle it if you get a UTI in South America? Or a terrible stomachache in Asia?
My husband and I love to travel, and he has family all over the world, which is awesome. However, when we travel six hours on a plane to get there, all he wants to do is sit around the house and watch TV with them. I am in a new place, and I want to see new things! I can watch TV at home! So he thinks I don't like hanging out with his relatives now. There are a couple I adore, because they always want to DO things with us.
How do I get him to understand this is what I love about travel? Meeting new people is awesome, but staying in and doing nothing and not talking to them makes me crazed.
i do have a tiny dog any suggestions about traveling? i would like to go on some longer trips but it is hard for me to leave him behind, and can be expensive :(
on the other hand he can't sit in a car or plane for hours and hold his bladder like a human. or probably not sleep in a hostel. i think he would also deter me from some attractions.
whats the best choice?
Will learning a little of the local language really help at all? If so, what phrases/words help?
What steps do you take when traveling as a single young American woman, particularly in countries where the "American women are all dirty sluts" stereotype is strong and pervasive? What steps in general do you take towards ensuring personal safety? For the "how do I deal with men whistling all the time" question, can you include concrete steps you would take if the harassment reached threatening proportions (ie, don't just say "ignore it," like many people do, because although that's probably the best course to take most of the time, sometimes ish gets dangerous enough that you need to take action)?
Have you ever had to take care of a medical issue abroad?
If you know someone who would be able to talk about this - maybe for one of your True Story segments? - what is it like living or traveling for extended periods of time as a gay person in a non-gay-friendly country, perhaps even one where gay sex is punishable by prison or death? Are you out to anyone and if so, how did that happen? How did you deal with homophobia? Do you look for love - how so? As a foreigner/ex-pat type, were you able to access any support within your new country, and how did expectations for you differ from expectations for locals?
Another commentator above mentioned Morocco... I'm going this summer and am very excited but know that there'll be lots of street harassment to contend with, and to be honest I'm not quite sure yet how to contend!
Well I don't exactly have a question, but I do have an answer to something of which I always warn my fellow travelers out of experience.
Never ever put nail polish remover in your checked luggage. The pressure difference will cause the volatile chemical to vaporize and it will permeate through absolutely everything in your suitcase, making you smell like a nail salon and possibly ruining all your clothes. In fact, just plain don't bring nail polish remover at all-- if you must, buy it there.
I love your travel posts! I've been to western Europe, South America, the Philippines, and I'd love to spend a month or two traveling around Asia. The one thing holding me back is wondering how I can put my life here in the States on hold (and justify doing so!) - my husband-to-be and I both have school, jobs, etc. keeping us from fulfilling our (my) wanderlust!
How tough is it *really* to get around only knowing English and a the smattering of stock local phrases from a guide book? It sounds totally impossible and that is perhaps the most intimidating part of international travel to me.
What are good single-traveling-female locations?
- How to travel light
- Something that addresses travel anxiety, perhaps.
- How to have a great time when traveling without an itinerary.
- I second the which way is the best way to obtain currency without being charged the most.
The biggest question I'm trying to deal with now is how do you pull yourself out of the lonely traveler funk, when your traveling solo. You know that feeling you get when you haven't seen a familiar face for several months and every 'friend' you have made on your trips is really a stranger... Suggestions on getting back to that comfort, so you don't end up booking the first flight back home.
This is SO timely for me since I'm going to Europe (for the first time!) in the fall.
The question that comes up first for me is how does the EuroRail work? Is it easy to use? Stuff like that.
Thanks in advance, missy! :)
This question is always on my mind, because I'm not good at making decisions and I basically want to see EVERYTHING...
How to prioritize places to go (countries, cities) when you have an interest in nearly everything?
(That was broad, but hopefully you know what I mean.)
Thanks :)
-Aly
i'm a type 1 diabetic and need to carry insulin with me that needs to be refridgerated...i have always wanted to go to africa for a humanitarian/safari trip. can i do it with insulin?
also, is it irresponsible to save to travel (with your husband) instead of save to buy a house...? (perhaps this goes along the lines of "how can i convince my parents...")
thanks!
What are the best websites to check for good but cheap hostels/hotels? Is there a way to tell if they are in a good or bad part of town?
- When to go and where? Like a calendar of the best timing for places to visit all around the year
- How to optimize the travel budget
- The optimized itinerary to see a lot of different things, giving each the time it takes, and all in one holiday
- Bag or backbag? and how to pack
Hey! I'm a 16 year old with a lust for travel, and I'd like to convince my parents to let me stay in Paris alone for a couple of weeks next summer (when I will be 17). How do I convince them that I will be safe? Is it safe? I speak fluent French (through studies in high school) and am generally a super-responsible person. :) I've travelled extensively with family and school trips and etc, but I'd love to branch out into this new kind of adventure! Much thanks!
Are there any websites out there that will give me cheapest flights to whatever destinations ? I´m on a budget, and I´m not very particular where I travel to. I mean, I´m so curious about the world that I have no preference of Panama to Iceland. So I´d like something that would let me search for cheap flight deals, but without having to put in a destination city !
I'd love to know if those tours (contiki) etc are a good way to start travelling. I'm really scared about organising everything myself for my first bug trip and thought maybe they could be a good starting point.
But they seem so inauthentic,
How do you travel with a friend without wanting to kill each other.
And what's the best way to find a travel buddy. Because I don't want to do it by myself.
I'd love to know how to turn down the friend I love a lot in small doses but wouldn't be able to stand for a week, let alone months, of traveling with- she's convinced she's coming on my (planned to be solo) backpacking trip!?
Where the heck do you start?! i've never travelled and feel like it is so intimidating. How do you save? What's the best way to book - online or with an agent?!
I'm sure I just need to 'man up' and do it but I still feel like it is so far away.
I'd like to know any tips you have for staying in hostels. If i were to go traveling in the next little while I definately couldn't afford hotels, but how does one stay safe, keep their belongings safe, and stay healthy, etc. when staying at a hostel?
I'm planning a trip this year across countries with different climates, in different seasons. I'm thinking about shipping some stuff so I don't have to lug a heap of cold weather clothes around that I won't need until later, so I'd like to know about that - if it's a good idea and how to go about it.
oh yeah- staying in hostels, that's a good question!!
And (because I'm such a good advocate for this) you should include a section on scabbing accomm (i.e. couch surfing and such...) It really offers so much than just a free place to sleep! Instant friends! A locals' perspective! Insider knowledge!
1. I've heard loads of horror stories about travellers being exploited by crafty locals under the premise of friendship, e.g. asking them to send 'jewellery' home to be picked up by business partners, which are really drugs. Am I just being stupid in getting worried by these exaggerated stories, or are they based on fact? How do I avoid them without cutting out the oppertunity to make friends with local people?
2. I learnt a fair amount of German at school, but didn't take it to a really high level, so I'm by no means fluent. My mum did the same thing, and then moved to Germany for a couple years, where she learnt the language properly. I want to know if it's a good idea to do this, and whether it's even possible to live in a country when you can't speak the language fluently.
Thanks! Sorry for the lame, ignorant, long questions haha
xx
I'm going to be studying in Paris from September to May, and I want to see as much of Europe as possible while I'm there. What is the most financially efficient way to do this?
How do you find clean, affordable lodging when you're traveling for extended periods of time? As in, where can you go to find rentals that are not hostels?
How do I help show my mother that travel isn't terrifying?
questions... how can I wear my contacts while travelling... what should I carry on me rather than with me... what's the best for money... credit card, travellers cheques, taking money with me... should I take a mobile phone... what's best for girly maintenance e.g. shaving my legs, or taking nair, or going au natural, and how do I deal with having my period/ going to the toilet in different countries? I just realised these questions and pretty frivolous, but they are the sort of thing that worry me, things I need to know are OK before I can enjoy the rest of my travels...
questions:
1. I know all about traveling as a single person (love the hostels). But what about traveling as a couple? I think we'd be fine spending some nights apart but would prefer to be together.
2. I'd love more details about traveling in 3rd world countries. I've been to plenty but always as a guest of someone who lived there (mostly US diplomats because my family is all into the government thing). Can I go to Latin America or Africa on my own?
3. Is there a reasonably affordable way to visit Antarctica, or will that be a save up and big splurge kind of thing?
and my own answer to people who want to know about periods:
divacup! Or any other mentrual cup, but the diva is the one I know and love. I've used it camping and traveling all across the US tho I do have yet to test it overseas. It took me a cycle to get used to it, and now I'd never give it up.
I love to travel and do enjoy vacationing on my own. However, I'd love to experience some of these sights with someone else. My fiancé and my friends seem to have either zero time to leave their jobs or non-existent savings accounts. Some are workaholics and I barely see them as it is, and some just spend whatever they make as soon as they get it. These friends seem jealous that I take frequent trips, but I plan ahead and save for these occasions. They say "I wish I could come with you, but (excuse about work or money)." I love my friends and I'd love to travel with them but can't afford to pay their way. Any thoughts on how to make a trip like this happen or how to effectively propose the idea?
1. What got you interested in traveling?
2. How did you make something that was just a dream growing in your head into reality?
3. Did you family, friends, partners have problems with your traveling? Like did they ever want you to stay in one place and settle down? If so, how did you deal with this?
4. Did you ever feel out of place, if so, how did you deal with this?
5. Have you ever experienced reverse culture shock? If so, how did you deal?
6. What have you learned about yourself from traveling?
Thats all for now. Happy travels, Sarah
One thing that always seemed a little vague in my mind, is when do you need to have a return ticket to fly somewhere? (It's never affected me, but I know people who it has).
It seems pretty vague and up in the air, but apparently it can still be enforced. Sucks for people that can't plan a coordinating outfit, never mind some up in the air travel!
Most of my questions are boring, such as how to get the time off from work to take a decent-length trip, or where to go when your time is limited. I could also use advice on saving *for* the trip and saving *on* the trip (booking it, that is).
I'm leaving for a month long trip to Europe on May 29 and it will be my first time there! I'm so excited. I'll be going to London, Wales, Paris, Venice, Rome, Florence, and Cinque Terre.
What I'm most concerned about is money. I've heard that travelers checks are a thing of the past and debit and credit cards plus cash is the way to go. Is this true? Is exchanging money difficult? Where do you exchange it usually? Is a bank the best or do they have other specific places?
Also, I'm going to be taking a couple cameras and my FlipVideo Camera with me but I don't think I'm taking my laptop. What do you suggest to do about pictures and videos? Just hope that the flash card doesn't fill up or plan to upload them once in a while at a internet cafe? Or should I just take my laptop along?
I'll be traveling alone. I wish I had a travel buddy but none of my friends could go so I decided to do it anyways. No more putting it off! :)
I hope your post regarding these questions is up soon so I can read your travel advice before leaving! :)
I don't know if this question will make sense but I'll give it a shot anyway:
What does a home mean to you? Has it changed since your travels? How so?
After traveling and seeing other places and how they do things. How would you change your country? What wouldn't you change?
Thanks. And again happy and safe travels!
how do you find your way around in a country that uses a different writing system?
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