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The Scott Shaw Guide to International Travel: PART II

By Scott Shaw

Though I have written a number of articles on travel since my piece, The Scott Shaw Guide to International Travel was initially published in 2011, since this is the second one I’ve put up on this site, for fun I will title this little ditty, The Scott Shaw Guide to International Travel: Part Two.
 
In part one of this series I discussed several of the more concrete factors that one should take into consideration when traveling internationally. And, I would suggest if you haven’t read that piece, you do so before you read this one. You can click on the title to get to it. In this segment, I will detail some of the more refined factors that should take place in order to make your international journey the most enjoyable experience possible.
 
The first thing to touch on is the fact that international travel is unpredictable—unpredictable no matter where you travel. Many people believe that simply by traveling to one of the more established international destinations, on one of the established air carriers, there will be no problem. But, this is not always the case. For example, just last month, I was scheduled to travel to Rome. The night before the flight I get a text then an email that my flight had been cancelled due to the pilots of Lufthansa airlines going on strike. They said that they would have their AI helper try to reschedule a fight for me but all they came up with was a Red Eye to Newark the next night, on a different airline, followed by a ten-hour layover, then a second flight to Rome. As this would have put me in Rome a day late for what I needed to begin, all I could do was cancel the flight and the trip. Meaning, you must always expect the unexpected when you travel internationally, and sometimes things will just not work out.
 
There have been other, more intense situations, where my travel plans did not work out. I was in Burma, now Myanmar, when a coup took shape. They shut down the airport just as I was about to fly out. We sat there for many hours, with the British traveler I made friends with continually reminding me, “You’re the only American here. You’re the one they will take away.”
 
There was Super Typhoon Noru, a couple of years ago, when I was flying out of Bangkok. They handed the plane in Manila, where I had to sit in the lounge for fourteen hours until the storm blew past.   
 
The point being, you must be willing to adapt. Adapt to situations you never expected. And sometimes, things will just not work out, and your plans for day or your entire journey may need to be cancelled.
 
In all of these situations, you will witness some people completely freaking out; getting mad at and/or yelling at the airline (and other) staff members. The fact is, this serves no purpose as it is not their fault.
 
I believe we’ve all witnessed people behaving in that manner. All that style of behavior does is to solve nothing, create generalized unease, and make the person who is behaving in that manner look very bad. Do not do it!
 
For the most part, international travel can be a fun experience. You must always keep in mind, however, that you simply must be willing and able to change your plans at a moment’s notice.
 
This leads me to the next subject and that is, the way you behave towards the staff and the crew of the airlines. The simple fact is, the nicer you are to them, the nicer they will be to you. That’s just human nature. I believe we all have encountered rude people, if not while flying, then in life. By behaving in that manner, all they do is to create a situation that negatively affects everyone who surrounds them.  Some people thrive on this behavior. But, it is not a good way to behave, especially while traveling. Therefore, always be kind, nice, helpful, and patient in all of your flight situations. It just makes everything better, for everyone.
 
Many people comment about airplane food when they are traveling. Or course, some airlines handle the dining experience much better than others. One of the key suggestions I can make, while ordering your in-flight food is, to ask the cabin crew member, who is taking your order, what do they suggest. As they know the menu of the air carrier inside and out, their insight is invaluable. Listen to what they suggest.
 
Once you’ve landed at your destination, safety is one of the main concerns you must consider. Many destinations promise a safe environment. This is a good thing. But, no matter where you travel you must always protect yourself and be as aware as possible of your surroundings.
 
Wardrobe is one of the most essential elements that you must take into consideration as you are planning your trip. You must decide on your wardrobe not only so you will have a comfortable and well-prepared experience, but also so that you can reflect the expectation of the culture you are traveling to. For example, clothing that overly exposes the body of a woman is looked down upon when visiting many religious shrines. Though it is not uncommon to see woman wearing short shorts and skimpy tops at Buddhist shrines in Thailand, due to the heat, it is explicitly stated that this should not be done. Meaning, though many cultures are forgiving, it is, in fact, disrespectful to disregard the traditions of other cultures. Therefore, you should study what is expected and dress accordingly.
 
In terms of what you bring on your journey, packing light is always one of your best bets. Me, I always travel with just one carry-on spinner suitcase and one backpack which is primarily used to carry my cameras, laptop and/or iPad. That way, I will always have my luggage at hand and there is no chance of the airlines losing it.
 
I discussed the wardrobe I suggest for travel in the previous piece on this subject, so I won’t go into it here. But, I always find there is no problem packing what you need to last you throughout your journey in one of these style suitcases. No problem, if you do it consciously.
 
One of the main things to keep in mind when packing for your trip is the weight and the girth of your clothing. The thing is, you can dress usefully and fashionably while still maintaining control over the size and the weight of your clothing. Whatever style you like to dress in, you can find clothing to match your needs, and you can do it with lightweight fabrics.
 
I know a lot of people like to wear jeans, but as discussed in the previous piece, they are not always acceptable in certain environment. Moreover, they are heavy and if they get wet, they take a long time to dry. Thus, they are not optimal clothing for international travel.
 
What you ideally hope to pack is clothing that is wrinkle free, easily laundered, and study enough to keep you protected from whatever environment you travel to.
 
In terms of items like coats, for colder environment, I recommended water-resistant down puffer jackets. They are warm and they compress to be very small in your suitcase.
 
The other things to always remember to bring is a lightweight, windbreaker style, rain jacket and an umbrella. 
 
Safety should always be one of your main concerns when you travel. In many countries, though you will be relatively safe, a lot of low-key crime does take place. For example, in many of the big cities of Europe, things like pickpocketing are very common. There are lot of way you can protect yourself from this. The most obvious is to never let anyone get too close to you. But, this may not always be possible, like if you are on a subway or some other form of public transportation.
 
The main thing you must do is to keep your valuables safe is to place them where they cannot easily be taken from you. For example, for me, there are a few companies that create men’s blazers with zippered pockets, both on the inside and outside pockets. TravelSmith and L.L. Bean are two examples. These are great. You can carry your valuables close to your body and not be worried about them being stolen from you. I often travel wearing one of these blazers.
 
Plus, many companies make pants with zippered pockets. These are a great way to keep you valuable safe if you do not wish to wear a coat.
 
For woman, a purse that has zippered compartments may be the best bet. But, just like backpacks, if one is not very conscious about how they maintain control over it, that purse can easily be stolen, grabbed, and run away with. Therefore, for women, it is essential that they always carry their purse, with a long strap, positioned across their body.
 
One of the main things that you must do when you travel, and I would list this as one of the most important rules of international travel, is that when you get up to leave any situation you are in, you look back and check the space where you had been sitting or standing. So many people lose so much stuff because it has slipped out of their pocket or they were using it and forgot to pick it up. Always, turn around and make a very conscious inventory of where you were sitting or standing before you leave.
 
With that, I believe I will end this piece. I hope it provides you with a few new thoughts for international travel and how to make it the best experience possible. Stay tune for part three. Hopefully it will not take fifteen years to appear. :-)

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