oliviatamccue

It has been less than a month since we traveled in Scandinavian countries. Yet it felt so long ago.   As memory begins to fade, these are the travel tips to the future self.

1. Bring a water bottle.  In quite a few countries, the tap water is good enough for drinking.
2. Bring some face masks.  It is a bonus to be healthy in your trip.  Health cannot be taken for granted.
3. Put extra attention for a comfortable stay in the first leg of the travel, to have a good night sleep to overcome travel fatigue, time difference, jet lag.  Find a place to fit your need, it is not just the price and the number of stars.  It brings you extra travel pleasure when your preference matches up with where you stay.
4. Take it easy in the itinerary for the last leg, especially you plan to be back to work immediately after.   You don’t want to look like your passport photo after your time off,
5. If you travel to places famous in fresh seafood, consider a home-away-from-home with kitchen.  You can enjoy a meal with self-cooked yummy dish.
6. Make small plans for laundry arrangement.  In additional to a washer, you also need a dryer or a facility to dry the clothes. 
7. Pay airfare with credit card that provides travel insurance.
8. Couple more things about credit card.
   • Some merchants in foreign countries charge extra fee for your credit, even though your credit card company does not charge foreign transaction fee.   Cash can be a better option than the extra fees.  
   • Some merchants in foreign countries allow you to choose to pay in local currency or your home currency.   The credit card company seems to provide a better conversion rate than the merchants; it is better to pick the local currency, and let the credit card company does the currency conversion.
9. Allow some time to wander off the tourbook routes.  In many countries, it is a treat to just walk around and experience the ambience.
10. Consider a guided tour from time to time.   We like our 2-hour guided city tour in Copenhagen, the 1-hour city hall tour in Stockholm and the 2-hour museum tour in Bergen.  

Posted in Dear Diary