I’ve talked before on the 9 to 5 Wanderer about how to make your airport experience smooth or how to survive your long haul flight, but what do you do when you’ve prepared for everything, and things still goes awry? In honor of July 4th weekend, a big travel weekend, I’d like to talk about…
Category: Travel Tips
An Honest Guide to Visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza
I’ve now been to Egypt twice in the last 6 months and not written a word about it, so I think it is time to start unpacking my adventures in my beloved country. Egypt holds a special place in my heart, and each time I go, I find myself wanting more, already looking forward to…
Attack of the Pigeons: Taksim Square
This is my fake smile of fear because I hate pigeons. While in Taksim Square, a sweet old man thrust a plastic cup of bird seed into my hand. I resisted…because I hate being mobbed by a gazillion pigeons, nightmare scenario, but he was relentless. I said no at least four times, but eventually…
How to Fly Round Trip to Europe for $350
Stalking flight deals is one of my favorite hobbies. I do it on an almost daily basis and have at least 6 flight alerts running for hypothetical trips for me at any given time. I check Skyscanner like most people check Instagram. When you’ve got a lot of places on your travel bucket list, and…
How to Survive a Long Haul Flight
For me, preparation for a long haul flight always starts two days before takeoff. In high school, my coaches always told me that what you put into your body two days before has the biggest impact on your game time performance. On the field, this meant carbo-loading and lots of hydrating. While a pre-match pasta…
Something You Probably Didn’t Know About Your Stop Over in Istanbul
This post brought to you by my extremely high excitement levels over my recently booked trip to Istanbul. No, sadly Turkish Airlines is not showering me with extra special free perks, although I did get a free piece of baklava from them at a fair once, and the available-to-everyone perk I’m about to tell you about…
How to Maximize Your Entry Level Vacation Time
Getting your first “big kid” job is an exciting time. All of a sudden, someone is paying you more money than you’ve ever had in your life along with a suite of mysterious “benefits” like healthcare, 401K’s, commuter benefits, and other fun things that you aren’t quite sure what to do with. Among this list…
How to Minimize Stress at the Airport
Know your airport. Know what terminal you need to be in, and when the gate closes. Seems simple, I know. But getting to the airport and realizing that you’re in the wrong terminal is bad news. Especially if you’re in a large airport, it could easily take you 30 minutes to get over to the…
Note to Self: 10 Things Not to Forget Before A Trip Overseas
1. A toothbrush/toothpaste. Usually the toothbrush, the more crucial of the pair. This is my number one offender. You’d think I would learn and pack a spare in every travel bag or something clever, but I do not. Instead, I end up having to buy a new toothbrush as soon as I hit ground. 2….
The Budget Traveller’s Definitive Guide to Getting to Central London from the Airport
Arriving in London can be a bit tricky for the uninitiated traveller. Unless you’re arriving via the Eurostar to King’s Cross St. Pancras, chances are you are flying into one of London’s several airports, most of which also happen to be a little ways outside of the city proper. London is huge, the tube map can…
The Packing Diaries: Four Days in Philadelphia
One of the biggest pre-trip questions is always, what should I pack?! I love packing, and am always striving to pack lightly. There are lots of reasons to pack lightly. My constant attempt to pack minimally is partially derived from the fact that I seem to only have weekender and “pack all worldly possessions for…
How to Save Money At the Airport
Airports are some of my absolute favorite places in the world. I love (nearly) everything about them. I love people watching, I love perusing the duty free shops, and most of all, I love the feeling of excitement I get being in an airport, off on another adventure. Airports just have a feeling of promise. Some…
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