Beitel travel advice

No one wants to be stranded.  In fact, it’s something of a nightmare for anyone who finds themselves trapped somewhere else, especially on your so called luxury holidays in a foreign country!  If you find that you’re stranded somewhere, here are some things to keep in mind. If you become stranded due to someone breaking into your hotel room, contact the management right away.  They may be able to help you find your missing belongings.  At the very least, they should offer you accommodations until you can get everything straightened out. You also need to contact the authorities and give them a very detailed list of exactly what was taken.  It’s important that you tell them as much information as you can, especially regarding your passport and credit cards.  You also need to alert your credit card companies and bank that the cards have been stolen.  This way, they can let you and the authorities know the instant someone tries to use the cards.  If your plane or bus tickets were stolen, notify the proper agency here, too, so that they can cancel the tickets. If you’re in a foreign country, you should also visit your government’s local embassy.  This may require travelling to a larger city; in that case, call the embassy and see if they can arrange travel or if someone can come meet you.  Your embassy will be able to assist you in wiring money or accessing your bank account so that you can get home. While being stranded does not happen too often, it never hurts to be prepared for it.  Leave a copy of your passport, identification, and all other important documents with a trusted relative or friend.  Also make sure this person has your itinerary, mobile phone number, and any other contact information you can give them (hotel phone number, room number, flight information, etc.).  You may also want to take a copy of this information yourself and secure it in a safe place, such as in the bottom of your toiletry bag or some other bag that no one would think to steal.

If you’re visiting San Francisco, you should take the time to check out Alcatraz Island.  This historic site has been a prison, a lighthouse, a military base, and finally a tourist attraction.  Taking the tour of the island is very interesting, and it’s certainly worth an afternoon.  You can take the ferry ride from Pier 33 straight to the island.  The pier is located near Fisherman’s Wharf, which is located on many bus and subway lines, so getting there from most San Francisco hotels is very easy.

There are two tours available: the day tour and the night tour.  Most people go during the day.  Both tours include the ferry ride to and from the island.  You can also purchase an Island Hop ticket that takes you out to both Alcatraz Island and Angel Island.  No matter which ticket you buy, it is recommended that you call ahead and reserve tickets.

The ferry ride will take about 15 minutes, and once you’re on the island, you can stay as long as you’d like to—just be sure to catch the last ferry back to the pier.  It’s important to note that there are no restaurants or concession stands on Alcatraz, so you won’t want to be on the island around lunchtime.

When you first arrive on the island, a tour guide will give you a short introduction and then turn you loose with a guide book.  You can also rent headphones for an audio tour if you’d like to hear all about the history of the prison and military base.  There are several educational films and exhibits you can visit as well.

Going on holiday with your pets can be a lot of fun, but it also involves a few extra things to take care of.  If you’re on top of these, however, going on a trip with your pet won’t be any more stressful than travelling alone. Check with whatever form of transportation you’re taking to see what their pet policies are.  Most will require your pet to be in a good-sized carrier with food and water, and many will require your pet to be placed in the checked baggage area.  You may need to give your pet a mild tranquilizer if he or she becomes too nervous or starts trying to escape. Note that you cannot take a pet on international trips – they will have to be held in quarantine upon arriving.  The quarantine period is usually four weeks or more. You will need to take bowls for your pet to eat out of and some food.  You will also need to take a leash and, if you’re taking a cat or small indoor dog, a litter box of some sort.  If you plan on taking your dog outside to use the bathroom, be sure to take gloves and a bag to clean up any messes.  You don’t want to leave any waste lying around where another person could step in it. Finally, try to come up with an activity to do with your pet each day while on holiday.  You don’t want to simply take your pet with you only to leave him or her locked up in your hotel room all day.  Go to a park or at least take your pet for a walk each day to give him some exercise.

Going on holiday alone, with friends, or with your significant other is very different from going on holiday with your children.  The experience of travelling with your entire family can be very rewarding, but it also presents some new challenges.

First, you have to keep an eye on your children.  In some locations, especially very crowded, busy locations, it can be easy to lose track of one another.  If your children get lost in a foreign city, they will probably panic, and you’ll be just as panicked as you look for them.  Always make certain your children know the name of the hotel you are staying at in case you do get separated.  Another good idea is to designate a meeting area in case you do get separated.  This might be the fountain in the middle of a public square, a specific store in a mall, or the gift store of a museum.

Obviously, having your children along on a trip is also going to impact your budget, but it may not be as expensive as you think.  Some hotels offer discounted rates for younger children, as do some airlines and train lines.  Inquire before you make your reservations.  Also look into children’s prices on tickets for events and admissions.

Travelling with children also may mean more luggage and that may mean extra costs.  To defer this, consider sharing a larger suitcase with your kids.  If you have two kids, they can share a suitcase.  If you only have one young child, you may be able to fit all of their clothes in your suitcase or split their clothes between you and your spouse.

Finally, remember that you will need to schedule some events just for your children.  Don’t expect them to sit through concerts and plays if you’re not prepared to go to children’s museums and theme parks.  Plan a trip that gives both adults and children things to do, and you’ll find the entire family will have a great time.

Visiting Madrid can be somewhat expensive, especially if you live in the United States or other far off locations.  You have to pay for airfare, for your hotel, and then for incidentals like food and any souvenirs you purchase.  However, if you’re in Madrid to see some of its famous museums and other top attractions, there is a way you can save some money: purchase a Madrid Card.

The Madrid Card gives you free entrance to a number of tourist attractions and discounts at others.  You can also get discounts at some restaurants.  There are 40 different museums that offer free admission to Madrid Card holders.  They include many of the most famous museums in Madrid, including the Reina Sofia, Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Prado.  Some of these museums and attractions can cost three or four Euros each.

Another service that takes the Madrid Card is the Madrid Vision tourist bus.  This bus circles the city and stops at all major tourist attractions, some shopping centres, and some Madrid hotels.  There are three different routes that run throughout the city, and if you don’t want to spend most of your day walking, you’ll want to take the bus. If you have your Madrid Card, it’s completely free.  Otherwise, you will pay 16 Euros per person for a day pass.  You also get access to the Discover Madrid walking tours.

In addition to these discounts, the Madrid Card comes with two guide books that highlight some of the best sights of the city and list all of the attractions that honour the card.  They also list the restaurants and clubs that provide discounts (generally 10 percent) to Madrid Card holders.

The Madrid Card can be purchased for one day (45 Euros), two days (58 Euros), or three days (72 Euros).  One of the nice features of the Madrid Card is that your “day” countdown doesn’t begin until you use the card, not from the moment you purchase it.  If you plan to see a lot of museums, take the bus, and eat out a lot, you will easily save money using the card.

Lodging is one of the most important aspects of a holiday or business trip.  While your company may select your hotel for you if you’re on business, if you’re going on holiday, you may have many different choices.  However, you want to be sure you select a hotel that best fits your needs.

What amenities do you need in your lodging?  Some hotels offer luxuries like fridges, microwaves, and even small kitchenettes, but you’ll find these rooms are sometimes more expensive.  You also have a choice in beds—do you need one large bed or two smaller ones?  Will you need a roll-in bed?  If you’re getting two rooms, can you get them with an adjoining door?  Take all of these considerations into account when you’re booking your lodging.

You also need to consider location.  Finding a hotel near places you want to visit is a good idea since it will cut down on transportation time.  You may even be able to walk from your hotel, saving you money on taxi rides.  Also check to see if your hotel offers shuttles to the airport or not.  Some hotels do have free transportation back and forth to the airport, but some do not.

If you’re travelling with children, inquire about discounted rates.  Some hotels charge less for children under 12, and some allow babies to stay for free.  Likewise, be sure to check how many adults are allowed in each room.  Some charge one price for two adults and a different price for three or four adults.

Many people like to purchase souvenirs when they’re on holiday or even on a business trip.  However, there are many different things to keep in mind when you’re purchasing souvenirs.  If you aren’t careful, you may end up spending either too much money or not having enough bag space for all of the souvenirs you purchased. One way to keep your souvenir buying under control is to make a list of everyone you wish to purchase souvenirs for.  By doing this, you won’t make any impulse buys.  You should also decide how much money you want to spend on each person on your list.  For some, like co-workers or acquaintances, you may not want to spend much money.  For your close friends, though, you might want to spend a little more.  Don’t forget to put yourself on that list—you’ll want a souvenir or two from your trip. Bag space is another consideration.  You don’t want to buy too many souvenirs or purchase too many large items.  If you do, you may find yourself without enough space in your luggage.  Think of small gifts for those people whom you don’t wish to spend a lot of money on.  Fridge magnets, small snow globes, pens, and pencils are good small gifts.  T-shirts can also be folded up fairly small.  Try to avoid purchasing fragile souvenirs unless you have room to put them in your carry-on bag.  Be sure you have something to use as padding for these breakables (such as t-shirts or heavy sweaters). If you don’t have much space in your luggage or that much extra money in your budget, think about sending postcards in place of a souvenir.  Often, you can find very interesting postcards or cards with great images on them.  If you don’t have addresses, you can even wait until you get home to distribute your postcards.

Many have heard of the famous novel The Bridges of Madison County, but travellers to Amsterdam will want to check out the bridges of the country.  They’re some of the most beautiful and architecturally interesting bridges in the world.  While you may not go to Amsterdam just to see them, if you can include visiting even one of these bridges in your trip, you should do so. You could even stay in one of the Vienna hotels along the river like The Bridge Hotel.

The first is the Magere Brug, the most famous drawbridge in the country.  It runs over the Amstel River and is located in the centre of the city.  This white bridge is made of wood, and while the current Magere Brug Bridge was built recently (1934), there has been a bridge at the same location since 1691.  One of the most interesting aspects of the Magere Brug is that, until 1994, the drawbridge was still opened by hand.  Since then, however, a mechanism has been used.  Today, only pedestrians and cyclists are allowed to use the bridge.  If you’re in town on V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day, May 7/8), you can attend a concert held near the bridge and may catch a glimpse of Dutch Queen Beatrix.

The Blauwbrug, or blue bridge, is another historic bridge in the city.  Like the Magere Brug, the Blauwbrug in use today is not the original bridge.  The original was built around 1600, while the current bridge was built in 1883.  This new Blauwbrug is a copy of the Alexandre the 3rd Bridge located in Paris.  However, even though it is not painted blue, the name stayed the same.  This bridge is open to vehicles and features a tramway.

While these two are the most famous bridges in Amsterdam, there are a number of smaller bridges.  The Python Bridge connects Sporenburg to Borneo Island.  This bridge was the winner of the 2002 International Footbridge Award.  Another often visited bridge the Jan Schaeferbrug, a 2001 bridge that was designed by architect T. Venhoeven.

If you’re travelling out of town for an extended period of time (or even for just a week or so in some cases) you may want to hire a house sitter.  However, there are some cases in which this really isn’t necessary.  How do you know if you need a house sitter?  Review these items and if you find that you answer yes to them, you should hire someone to stay in your home while you are out of town. Do you have pets?  If you do, you will need someone to come feed and water them each day.  With dogs, you’ll also need someone to let them out if you don’t have a doggie door.  You might be able to get a neighbour to do this, or you may have a friend or relative who live close enough to drop by your home each day.  If these aren’t options, you will either have to board your pets or hire a house sitter. Have neighbours been robbed?  If others in your neighbourhood have been robbed or if crime seems to be an issue, you should certainly think about getting someone to watch your home while you’re away.  While lights on timers and an alarm system may help deter thieves, it’s not the same as having someone visibly staying in your house. Will you be gone for longer than a week?  If so, you may want someone there to water your plants and do other small household chores.  You may also want to offer a long-term (more than a week) house sitter meals as well as a small payment for staying so long.  Items like milk, eggs, and fruit may go bad while you’re away, so someone might as well eat them.  You can even use this as a form of payment, allowing you to cut your budget a bit. If you answered yes to any of these three questions, consider hiring a house sitter.  You’ll feel better knowing someone is watching your home while you’re away, and you may even avoid coming back to a fridge full of rotten food!

With the many different baggage restrictions on flights, buses, trains, and ships, many people who travel, especially abroad, have had to learn to pack lightly.  While some may find this impossible, there are some ways to pack lightly that are quite simple.

First, examine the outfits you plan on wearing.  If you won’t be doing anything that requires formal dress, excellent.  That means you can pack much lighter.  If you are, you have a few obstacles.  For women, travelling with a formal dress may be difficult, and you should simply resign yourself to ironing it when you arrive or, if necessary, even dry cleaning it.  For men and women wearing dressy jackets, you may consider wearing them while travelling.  While it does mean you run the risk of getting them dirty, keeping them out of your bags both saves you space and keeps the garment somewhat wrinkle-free.  You can also wear your heavy coat instead of packing it.

Jeans are a great way of saving space simply because you can often wear the same pair for several days.  Likewise, you may be able to wear an over-shirt twice before washing it if you don’t get it dirty.  T-shirts and underwear, however, should be changed daily, especially if you’re in a warm environment and may be sweating.  However, if you don’t mind spending a little extra money, you can always go to a shop and buy new socks and underwear when you arrive and throw them away when you leave.  This can be expensive, but it does save space in your luggage.

If you’re travelling with someone, think about combining your luggage.  By going with a slightly larger bag, you may be able to eliminate a piece of luggage.  This can save you money since you won’t have to pay for shipping it plus make it easier to haul your luggage around.

Carry-on bags are another good way of saving space.  If you’re only going to take a book or a few snacks in your carry-on, think about adding your toiletries and other small items to the bag.  You may even be able to fit an extra pair of shoes in your carry-on.  Just be sure it still meets the size requirements for a carry-on bag.

Finally, don’t over-pack.  Think about what you’ll be doing, and don’t take too many changes of clothing.  If you know you’ll be buying a souvenir t-shirt, you may even take that into consideration and wear it after buying it.