151 Travel Tips for Seniors

Before you travel, download city apps on your mobile device for the cities where you will have free time or an extension where much time is on your own.  These city apps give museums, historical sites, dining options, and other interesting places to visit.  These apps give maps and directions on how to get to the best sites and other information. Download the app Flightboard or similar app for your mobile device.  It duplicates the arrival and departure boards at the airports you will be traveling through and is updated every few minutes.  It gives you arrival and departure times as well as gate info, delays, and other essential information for your travel.

Tip submitted by 2-time Vantage Traveler, Rodney S. from Neosho, MO

What travel apps do you use? Let us know with a comment below!

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You may think the language barrier is a large wall to climb, and it can be, so why not start small? Some important and common phrases you’ll want to know before traveling to a foreign country are: “hello,” “please,” “thank you,” “excuse me,” and “good-bye.” Once you’ve mastered those try: “Food,” ‘hotel,” “airport,” “train,” and “bank.” Although it is estimated that 1.8 billion people in the world can speak some amount of English, we think connecting with the culture and learning a thing or two isn’t so bad!

There are countless resources for learning a new language, but to get you started, try Google Translate and take a couple languages and words for a test drive!

What words or phrases do you think are most useful when traveling to a foreign country? What resources have you used to help you break that barrier?

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You know those pesky perfume paper samples they stick in the magazines? Put them in your suitcase(s) in between trips.  It  makes the bags smell nice and keeps them from smelling musty in storage.

You can also save these perfume samples and bring them along with you instead of a bulky perfume bottle that could leak! Just rub them on and toss them out!

-Tip submitted by a 5-time Vantage traveler from Greenville, RI.

Do you have any great travel tips? Feel free to share them with a comment below!

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We know avid travelers like you are bursting with great insights – and we want to hear them! To get started, visit our Facebook page, Like us, and submit your best travel tip to our Travel Tips at you Fingertips Contest! You have until Wednesday, November 9th (11:59pm EDT) to submit your best travel tip.

On November 10^th voting will be open– so get your friends and family involved so they can help you win by voting for your tip! You can vote once per day, so return often! Remember: MOST VOTES WINS!

The travel tip that receives the most votes will win an iPad 2®! The second place winner will receive a Barnes & Noble gift card for $250, and third place will receive a $100 gift card to Barnes & Noble. All participants’ travel tips will be considered for publication in our new Travel Tips eBook!

Submission period: 10/26/11 @ 4pm EDT – 11/9/11 @ 11:59pm EDT

Voting period: 11/10/11 @ 10am EDT – 11/22/11 @ 4pm EDT

Winners announced: 11/23/11 @ 4pm EDT

Prizes:

1st Place: iPad 2®

2nd Place: $250 Barnes & Noble gift card

3rd Place: $150 Barnes & Noble gift card

ENTER NOW!

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1. Don’t request a non smoking room; request a non smoking floor: If you have breathing problems or just don’t like the smell, a non smoking room isn’t enough. Smoke can still fill the hallways around your room. Make sure you request a non smoking floor so you are comfortable in all areas of the hotel.

2. Avoid the mini bar: Ask the hotel to hold the mini bar key at the front desk. It can be very tempting and those little bottles come at a hefty price. Instead, go out to a bar to enjoy a drink. You’re getting more for your money with a better atmosphere and people watching!

3. Bring your own snacks: Bring something nutritious like nuts and dried fruit. Snack on healthy foods often to keep your energy and mood up!

4. Toss the bedspread: Hotels don’t often clean the top quilt. They can have bugs and allergens.

5. Disinfect: Bring some disinfecting wipes and wipe down the remote control, light switches, phone and other areas that may have been overlooked by the cleaning staff.

6. Use the gym: If the hotel has a gym, use it! If the hotel doesn’t have a gym, invest in portable exercise equipment to keep you fit. You can also bring good walking/running shoes and take a long walk around the city you’re visiting.

7. Avoid reusable glasses in your room: These glasses often collect dust and might not be clean. If you need a cup, stick to the cups that are packaged in plastic or use your own reusable water bottle.

8. Bring a fan: Incase you have a noisy neighbor, bring a fan for white noise. You’ll want a good night of sleep!

9. Renovation check: Nothing is worse that a jackhammer on a vacation. Ensure that your stay will be uninterrupted by checking in with your hotel prior to your stay.

10. Know the emergency exists: You never know when there could be an emergency. Make sure you know where the exits are!

(the list above was from a Today.com/travel)

What tips or tricks to you use to ensure you have a great hotel stay?

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You may think the language barrier is a large wall to climb, and it can be, so why not start small? Some important and common phrases you’ll want to know before traveling to a foreign country are: “hello,” “please,” “thank you,” “excuse me,” and “good-bye.” Once you’ve mastered those try: “Food,” ‘hotel,” “airport,” “train,” and “bank.” Although it is estimated that 1.8 billion people in the world can speak some amount of English, we think connecting with the culture and learning a thing or two isn’t so bad!

There are countless resources for learning a new language, but to get you started, try Google Translate and take a couple languages and words for a test drive!

What words or phrases do you think are most useful when traveling to a foreign country? What resources have you used to help you break that barrier?

• Read More »

Packing for a trip can be a daunting task. What to bring? How much to bring? With help from a blog post by Jack Thomas, here are a few tips to get you started.

Pick two basic colors of clothing.

• Picking two basic colors of clothing will allow you to limit the number of shoes and accessories you have to bring.

Plan on doing laundry.

• Try to bring no more than a weeks worth of clothing.  When you run out of clean clothes, just do a quick wash!

Bring washable silk

• Washable silk is as good as cotton. It keeps you warm and cool. Washable silk dries overnight and 10-15 pieces take the same space as 2 pairs of jeans.

Bring a rain coat

• A plastic rain coat can double as a bathrobe or windbreaker.

Bring old clothes

• If you bring old clothing, you can discard it along the way! That way you can have more room for souvenirs!

Plan ahead

• Make sure you check the weather before you leave. Although weather can be unpredictable,  this should give you a good indication of what’s ahead.

Do you have any other great packing tips? Let us know!

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Part two of the Enjoying Air Travel Tip is about entertainment. Here are some ideas on how to sit back relax and have a fun flight.

Book Shop Swap
As you make your way down the airport corridors to get to your terminal, stop and take a look. You may find this to be a surprise but many bookstores at airports are now encouraging book swaps. Bring your latest read and leave it on the shelf. Take a book left by another passenger that looks interesting to you. It will give you something to do in downtime and could become your new favorite and best of all it is FREE!

Traveling with Vantage Deluxe World Travel? Go to your MyAccount Page to check out your trip specific reading list.

In Flight Raffle
Here is a suggestion many of you may have never heard! On your next flight, try this out. When you’re allowed, get up from your seat and start the collection process. As you travel through the plane, ask people if they want to participate. Not everyone may want to join. If someone wants to join into the raffle they should take a 1-dollar bill and write their seat number on it fairly small, have them place it in a hat or a bag whichever is more suitable. After collecting the participants entry dollars, have someone pull 1 dollar from the bag. This dollar will have a seat number listed and will be your winner of all of the money collected! Congrats to John Q in seat 3C!

This tip may especially be helpful for group leaders who travel with their groups as a whole and want to get everyone involved.

Movie Magic
It is surprising how an in flight movie can make time fly! Plug into the movie provided by your airline for a chance to escape the noise of the plane or even the noise of the person next to you. Many flights may offer multiple selections so pick the one that suits you best. It may be a movie that you have never heard of but give it a shot. Airlines would not play movies that people are not interested in! In Flight television is now available on some airlines. If you travel on one of these planes, this is a great way to enjoy your time. Flip to the food network, the news, the sports channel and more with this enjoyable in flight activity.

Thanks for reading this week’s 151 travel tip, check back next week for more information on how to make the next trip of yours, the very best!

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Here are a few tips on how to make your time in the air relaxing!

Create a Flight Necessities bag

Don’t worry about getting out of your seat to grab items from your stowed away carry on! Bring a small bag with you on your travels just to eliminate these instances. In this bag, pack the items that you will need throughout your entire flight. When you use a small bag, you will be able to access everything you need without leaving your seat. Stow it under the seat in front of you or if small enough, store it in the seat pocket in front of you. Pack items such as gum, necessary medication, water bottle, headphones, and a pillow or blanket if you need them!

Bring Headphones

When trying to relax on a flight, the first thing that may come to your mind is the noise of your plane. Eliminate the sound by plugging in your headphones to a music player or the in flight movie. You will not hear the noise of people talking around you and the roar of the plane engine. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight!

Quick Tip: For better noise cancelling purposes, try noise-canceling headphones. Find an electronics store closest to you for a set of noise canceling headphones that will allow you to enjoy your flight to the fullest!

Drink Water

You should drink water before and during your flight to help you fight headaches and jet lag that may come from your travel. Drink water until you get to the security gate at the airport but remember, you cannot bring liquids through customs. Buy a water bottle after you clear through the security checkpoint or ask for water on the plane (free). Dehydration is common in travel because people get very caught up in visiting a new destination and may forget to hydrate. Drinking many fruit juices can help you hydrate, try for juices with less sugar to stay a little healthier! Stray away from coffee during your flight. In some cases it will help you stay awake but typically, coffee dehydrates. So if you do not drink enough water and you drink coffee, you may not feel so well.

Tag your Bag

Throughout your travel, your luggage is a key component. It is important that you can keep track of your luggage. One of the best ways to identify your bags is to tag them. Put a tag or a marker on your bag that will let it stand out from other luggage. This lets you identify it immediately and will prevent situations of false luggage identification from happening. Tag it using airline provided ID tags or use identifiers such as a piece of tape around the handle or a ribbon tied to the exterior of the bag. You could either buy a tag or you could personalize your own. Be creative!

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Don’t Skip Meals!
You are going to need the energy for sightseeing! If you want to save money, try going to a local market and buying snacks such as bread, cheese and fruit to keep you going. Enjoy it at a nearby park instead of eating in a restaurant!

Don’t Overeat!
Since eating is a delicacy of many foreign countries, it will be tough to turn down the large array of cuisine offered. Try eating the healthier options provided!

Drink Plenty of Fluids
Bring water bottles with you everywhere you go! This will help keep you hydrated and ready to explore what your destination has to offer. Along with drinking bottled water, fruit juices can also help hydrate. Depending on your destination, there may be precautions to take with drinking tap water. Some countries do not have a clean enough water source to drink from. Be careful when ordering drinks to make sure you are not drinking water directly from the tap or drinking anything with ice cubes. Drink bottled water to ensure your personal health. You can never be too safe!

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
When eating out, do not be afraid to try new foods. If you are hesitant, ask the waiter of the restaurant or your program manager on how certain foods are prepared. This will help you find which foods are right for your diet.

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