Forget stacking miles — there’s something even cooler you can collect if you’re flying Delta Air Lines.
21.11.2023 - 18:27 / insider.com
I've traveled solo many times in the past 10 years, and there are a few things I always do to try to stay safe.
As a solo traveler, I keep close family or friends in the loop back home by sharing my plans and my location.
This can help my loved ones know where I am, especially when I'm traveling with an open schedule.
I don't tell strangers I'm by myself when I'm adventuring around foreign places.
If someone asks about my plans, I make up stories and say I'm meeting a friend for dinner. I never share personal details or my itinerary with strangers, either.
And when I book Airbnb or hotel reservations I add a second person's email to my reservation so people don't think I'm traveling alone.
I regularly reference maps, whether I'm walking around a city, hiking on trails, or traveling on public transportation .
Internet connections aren't always reliable so I download maps to be accessible offline using Google, Apple Maps, and Maps.me.
That way, I can still find my way around even if I don't have Wi-Fi or an international phone plan set up.
I avoid pulling out my map or phone if I'm lost in a place I'm uncomfortable. Although using a map is very helpful, in most cases, it can also flag me as a tourist.
In these cases, I walk into the nearest café, restaurant, hotel lobby, or spot that looks safe before pulling my phone out to figure out my next move.
This is also important in countries where pickpocketing is common. I'm more focused and aware when my phone is away.
When walking around an unfamiliar place I try to look confident and stay assertive, even if I don't know where I'm going.
I keep my chin up and my head held high. I walk at a steady, consistent pace. I'm not afraid to make eye contact with anyone.
Looking lost or confused could signify you're not from the area and may be vulnerable, so confidence is key.
I think it works because I've even had other tourists ask me for directions in places I've never been.
I seek out certified and legal transportation options when I travel.
This helps me avoid travel scams, where uncertified drivers offer a lower prices for rides. Although this sounds nice, many people end up overcharged, dropped off in random places, or worse.
One way I avoid fake taxis is by checking for licenses and badges on a vehicle before I get inside.
This isn't always possible, but I feel a lot more comfortable flying into a new country or crossing a border when it's light out.
I can see a lot more and have a better idea of my surroundings.
If I'm checking into an accommodation where I have to wait outside with all my belongings, I'd also rather do that when I can see everything around me.
I always carry at least $200 in case of an emergency .
I keep this
Forget stacking miles — there’s something even cooler you can collect if you’re flying Delta Air Lines.
How do you live out of a suitcase? That's the second-most common question I get as a travel journalist. I'm on the road 365 days a year. And it's true: I manage to fit almost everything I own into a regulation-size carry-on bag.
I have traveled the world solo: I've hiked in Africa by myself; faced a humpback whale head-on in Australia as the only person in the water; and been lost for hours at a time in countries where I don’t speak the language. I'm used to dealing with the countless jabs aimed at solo travelers—a taxi driver needling about why I am not married with a wife waiting at home (I’m single and gay), or hotel reception wistfully informing me that only double rooms are available (as if I’m incapable of sleeping next to an empty bed without being deeply triggered). It takes a lot more to phase me at this point, yet few travel experiences have ever irked me so badly as when I was recently forced to change seats on a packed airplane in order to accommodate a couple.
Give your customers a trip to the greek tradition, in a place that has left the most powerful “footprint” in the course of Greek history at Missolonghi. The Holy City of Mesolongi, as declared in 1837, a benchmark in the culinary tradition with tastes from high quality materials with the most varied fish production center of Greece, the lagoon, formed between the delta of the rivers Acheloos and Evinos.
In January 2021, I traded in my NYC apartment for a carry-on and kissed much of my material possessions goodbye. What I thought was going to be an immensely difficult adjustment turned out to be one of the most freeing decisions I've ever made.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Melissa Mullett, director of operations for David's Vacation Club Rentals . It has been edited for length and clarity.
This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Chloe Jade, an influencer who has been documenting her travels around the world on Instagram . It has been edited for length and clarity.
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