Your vacation should be the time of the year that you are looking forward to with eager anticipation, not anguished hesitation. This is when you should be for planning for the best time of your life, not preparing for the worst case scenario. Good preparation and planning before embarking on any journey, be it a weekend getaway or an extended vacation, should be common sense and very stress free. Staying safe on vacation is really more about being aware of your surroundings and applying the same basic precautions and guidelines you normally use to get around your own neighborhood and enjoy life day to day.
This may be the most obvious tip to point out, but planning ahead is always the most often overlooked in several ways. When you plan your vacation, car rental deals houston don't just focus on narrowing the travel itinerary down to the second. You know where you'll be every moment of the day, and you've calculated the length you will be visiting each attraction on your 'must see' list. That's all good, but how will you get from point A to point B? Sight hopping via taxi is fine, if you have budgeted for that expense, but perhaps everything on your list is on the local bus route. If you take the public transportation, make sure you know what you are doing. Be sure you pay the fare that you are required to pay no matter what mode of transportation you choose. When it comes to mass transit, the Paris Metro and New York subway are not the 'same concept/different city.' Hopping on the local public transit without a clue as to where you'll wind up is not an adventure; it is simply a very bad idea. Know your destinations before embarking on any excursions. Being aware of your surroundings doesn't necessarily mean taking on a heightened sense of vigilance, it simply means making all of the necessary preparations to insure that you are always in the right place at the right time.
There is a big difference between scare headlines and political activity/unrest in specific geographic locations. Major local strife is rarely an overnight thing and political climates are aptly labeled because they shift and change over the course of time. When making travel arrangements, know what is happening in the region you plan to visit. This is in no way meant to imply that certain areas are too dangerous to venture into, or that some regions of the world are overrun with violence car rental deals houston and danger. This is as simple as keeping up with the news. A visit to any major US city could be negatively affected by a transportation strike in that area, or perhaps major construction and detours near the places you wish to visit. The same applies to foreign travel. If the area you are visiting is experiencing any heightened unrest, with frequent public protests and demonstrations, do not approach this activity as just another tourist attraction and a great photo op with the locals. Once again, very bad idea. Since you didn't keep up on current events, you have no idea what the protest car rental deals houston is about and what any of the issues are. As you march defiantly, shoulder to shoulder with the locals, you may find yourself staring face to face with an effigy dressed up exactly like you.
You are taking this trip to experience new cultures, to see new sights and to learn new things car rental deals houston about the world around you. With this in mind, approach every experience as a sponge, observing car rental deals houston culture and events for the purpose of taking in the new experience, and not as an evaluator or nationalist; constantly comparing local customs car rental deals houston and beliefs with your own. Some areas you may travel to get so few US visitors that you may feel like a quasi-celebrity. This is when humility is paramount and respect is of the utmost. At the same time, be aware of the regions' iconic representations and symbols. That little statue in town looks great, won't it make a hilarious photo if all of us pose with it. Don't be a jerk. That quaint little statue that no one seems to pay any attention car rental deals houston to may actually be a deeply revered symbol or icon to the local people. Any kind of disrespect, no matter how unintentional, may garner you some very unwanted attention and interest.
By this I also mean locked in the hotel safe. But more importantly, car rental deals houston leave your really valuable stuff at home; don't take them with you on your vacation. Traveling light also means traveling smart, it means only taking the absolute essentials with you. It does not mean going without. Leave the expensive handbag at home, and take the simple traveling bag with you. Look at all of those credit cards, photos and mementos in your wallet. Do you really need all of them on your vacation? Carry only what you need to have with you. When you do go out, only take the amount car rental deals houston of cash you need for the day, such as lunch and taxi money. Depending on where you go on your vacation, you may encounter an opportunity to demonstrate your benevolence and generosity car rental deals houston right there on the street. This is a very unsafe practice no matter where in the world you are visiting. Handing out money when you are surrounded by people is the closest thing to guaranteeing that your wallet or other valuables will be gone once they all disperse. car rental deals houston If you feel you must do something for the local people during your vacation, stop into one of the local churches you may come across during your visit and make a donation.
Ignorance is no excuse, no matter where in the world you go. If what you have in mind is illegal where you are from, the chances are slim to none that it is considered a respected, heroic activity in the country you are visiting. Obeying the local laws is as simple as maintaining a mutual respect car rental deals houston for the area you are visiting. You don't have to bone up on every single ordinance either. Just be familiar with your surroundings. Get to know the local traffic rules and regulations, especially if you are planning on driving during your vacation. Sometimes the traffic car rental deals houston colors are the same, but the sequence and order are different. Know what the signs mean. Some of them can look very ambiguous. No, that sign is not directing you to the tanning beds, that is the designated severe weather escape route. Do they drive on the left side or the right side? You may have already found this out when you prepared for your vacation, but now that you are here, it has slipped your mind. Use the same caution you would back home when entering traffic.
That is one spectacular high rise hotel room you got for your vacation. So spectacular in fact, that the front desk had to draw you a map just so you could find your room. Hang on to that map. Once you are settled and your bags are stowed, grab your map and walk around the hotel. Learn where the elevators are and where the fire escape is. Locate the fire extinguishers car rental deals houston and fire alarms. Figure out your emergency escape route before you go out to do any sightseeing. Learn how the phone works right away. Don't wait for an emergency to try to figure out how to get a hold of the front desk or get an outside line. Don't plug anything in without making sure it is the proper voltage either.
This one always gets the most eye rolling response, but it is still one of the most important tips you will hear during your vacation. This does not mean you must confine yourself to what everybody else is doing and only engage in the standard tourist activities. Staying with the tour is really car rental deals houston more of a metaphor. In other words; your chances of encountering misfortune during your vacation are directly relative to your definition of 'adventure.' You want to ditch the tour and sneak off on a wild downtown excursion, partying with the locals and partaking in the full experience of a native. This doesn't always end badly, but this certainly increases the chances car rental deals houston of something bad happening and 'ruining' your vacation. Relax and enjoy the sights and sounds you came there to see. Stick with what you planned to do before you left on vacation. If you feel like you didn't see it all on this trip or you didn't get the 'full experience,' come back again. As you become more comfortable in your surroundings the more you will learn about the people and places car rental deals houston of your favorite vacation destination.
You want to enjoy your vacation and get away from all the distractions of back home, be it work or just life in general. But don't disappear. Know how to get in touch with people back home and make sure they know how to get in touch with you. Make sure someone back home knows where you are staying. If they tracked you down in the deepest, thickest jungles or high in the Himalayas just to ask you how to adjust the AC in your car, don't be angry. car rental deals houston Deal with that when your vacation is over. The important thing is that they can contact you and you can contact them if there is an emergency. Also, know how to get in touch with the Consulate/Embassy wherever car rental deals houston you are and have the proper contact numbers with you. Know what you need to do if you are a victim of a crime or experience an emergency.
Overindulging and overdoing it are two different things. One usually leads to a stomach ache while the other can lead to more severe consequences. car rental deals houston Know what your limits are and don't try to cram everything in to a short time. It won't be as enjoyable or memorable if you are racing from place to place frantically checking the sights off of your list. Take into account where you are. The heat or the altitude of your vacation destination can make a huge difference on your safety and is a factor that you may not have even accounted for. Give yourself some time to adjust first. Take it easy for a couple of days. As you become more acclimated, you'll spend more time out and about with fewer chances of any health problems. As far as overindulging, there are taste sensations and cultural experiences you may discover during your vacation that you simply can't get enough of. Pace yourself and do it all in moderation. You'll enjoy it more and may discover something new that you can get back home any time you want.
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