Price discrimination: a challenge for travellers

In much of the world, discrimination is illegal. And rightly so.

But if you are a traveller, you’ve probably been the serial victim of one form of discrimination that is generally legal and extremely common — before you’ve even left home.

Continue reading Price discrimination: a challenge for travellers

Thailand visitors told: don’t ‘tip’ Immigration officers

Clouds over Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Updated:  October 8

A well-travelled friend once told me that the most blatant form of corruption he had ever seen was at an airport in India.

An immigration official simply put his hand out and refused to let my friend, who had all the necessary documents, through until a bribe was proffered.

Continue reading Thailand visitors told: don’t ‘tip’ Immigration officers

Should you suit up before you take flight?

Is this open-neck, short-sleeved shirt too casual for business class?

It’s an issue that ruffles a lot of feathers: how well should you dress when you fly?

Long gone are the days when everybody wears their Sunday best when they step on an aeroplane, but surely there must be some standards.

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When in Rome, should we speak Italian?

The Flavian Ampitheatre (Colosseum) in Rome.

Before I took my first European trip, I invested in a phrase book, and I taught myself how to order a coffee and a beer in four languages. As it turned out, it wasn’t necessary, although my tortured pronunciation did provide some light relief for the locals.

As a native English speaker, I have a big advantage everywhere I travel: I talk the language much of the world already knows or is keen to learn. But is it simply lazy, or even disrespectful, to try to get by with English when you travel?

Continue reading When in Rome, should we speak Italian?

Top travel tip: Don’t get put in prison abroad!

(Probably not) Socrates’ prison cell in Athens. 

We all like to let our hair down (in my case, figuratively) when we are on holidays. But sometimes a bit of harmless fun can go very wrong.

The latest case involves two young British women who spent three days in a Greek prison cell after what they claimed was a harmless prank. Such stories are not uncommon.

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Is it even possible to name a favourite travel experience?

Petra: one of the world’s may great destinations.

I recently got asked on Quora.com: Where did your favourite cruise take you?

I gave my answer and I stand by it — but, on reflection, I realise that it’s almost impossible to name a favourite cruise, or a favourite travel experience of any kind, because they are all so different. And that’s what makes travel fun and compelling.

Continue reading Is it even possible to name a favourite travel experience?

Some people like the middle seat, but I’m not buying it

Social media drew my attention to this story on Nerdwallet about why some  passengers actually prefer to sit in the dreaded middle seat on an aircraft.

Things ain’t what they used to be. when it comes to airline seating.
(Copyright holder unknown. Source: worksthatwork.com)

Yes, I know. You did read that correctly. 

Continue reading Some people like the middle seat, but I’m not buying it

Your holiday pictures don’t have to be perfect

One of the first investments many travellers make is a good camera. That makes sense, because we all want to share and take home some great memories. 

But is it really necessary to sweat about getting the “right” picture? Isn’t it sometimes better to just enjoy the moment?

Continue reading Your holiday pictures don’t have to be perfect

Why tourists are not always welcome

No sex please, we’re German. The Hofbrauhaus is at the centre of Munich’s festivities.

The tourism industry is a big contributor to the economies of many countries. But that comes at a price.

When you welcome a large number of tourists, you risk spoiling your own natural surroundings and sacrificing some of your cultural heritage.

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Five things to consider before you book your next holiday

Is this the kind of vacation experience you want?

Travel is cheaper than it used to be, so most of us can afford to take some kind of holiday. But no matter how flush you are with cash, or how time-rich you are, you can still make a costly mistake.

Here are a few things to consider before you commit:

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Travel is a pleasure for all senses

The hearty, warming food and drink add to the Russian experience.

When we travel, we usually talk about seeing new places. But the reality is that it involves just more than one sense.

I was reminded of this in a mundane way when a woman pointed at a stall on the side of a road in Ban Phe, near where I am currently staying in Thailand, and asked me if I knew what fruit was being sold.

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When you recline, are you stealing somebody’s space?

After a little hesitation, I think it’s time for me to address one of the hottest topics in travel: reclining seats on aircraft (and buses).

Some people judge a seat’s comfort by the amount of recline it allows. Other people have been taking devices on to planes to ensure that the person in front of them can’t recline at all.

Who’s right, and who’s wrong? Or is there no single correct answer to that question?

Continue reading When you recline, are you stealing somebody’s space?

Five things first-time visitors should know about Thailand

Thailand is one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, and it’s one of my favourite places.

Regardless of your interest — be it exploring temples, fine dining, water sports, jungle trekking or bar-hopping — you are more than likely to have a good time. But there are a few things you should know before you set out.

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Make sure you have the right medicine when you travel

(epipen.com)

If you rely on medicine or medical equipment — be it blood-pressure tablets, asthma treatment or EpiPens for allergies — don’t simply assume that it will be available everywhere you travel.

You will certainly find that some prescription-only drugs are available over the counter in other countries, but you may find that something you really need is unavailable, overpriced, often faked or even illegal.

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How I became a budget airline’s dream passenger

Recently, I became an airline’s dream customer — the person who booked and paid for a flight but didn’t turn up at the airport.

Everyone can, but I didn’t.

In all likelihood, the airline was able to sell my seat again and make a small but tidy extra profit.

Continue reading How I became a budget airline’s dream passenger

Five things you really can’t leave home without

“Once again, you forgot to mention the Imodium.” That was the Twitter comment about one of my posts that made me realise it’s time to go back to basics.

So, forgive me if you’ve read this before, but here are the five indispensable things to take on your travels.

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Five things that can get you arrested when you travel

Even though I love to travel, I’m the first to admit that it’s not without its pitfalls.

Recently, I’ve been reminded about some cases where travellers or expatriatess — usually Westerners — have got themselves into big trouble because they didn’t know what they were doing was illegal.

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Five reasons not to believe all that travel advice

This might seem like a strange thing to read on a travel blog, but you shouldn’t believe everything you read, or hear, about travel.

Some things last forever, others change.

It’s a big, bad world out there, and not everybody is being entirely honest in their posts, newspaper and magazine articles, podcasts, vodcasts, tweets, instas, Facebook Live broadcasts and so on.

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How to score a cheap flight by tricking the science of seat prices

It’s a mystery to most of us why airfare prices fluctuate so wildly. In this video, CNN’s Richard Quest (yes, I know, some people do find him irritating) explains why that is, and describes a newish way that you can score an upgrade.



Sadly, the video does not explain why return flights are cheaper than two one-way tickets — I believe it’s because airlines want to lock you in getting there and Continue reading How to score a cheap flight by tricking the science of seat prices