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London's famous Trafalgar Square is pigeon-free only at night

Advice for Travelers

  • Always bring two pieces of photo ID to the airport (a passport and a driver's license, for example) just in case of heightened security measures.
  • Use your debit card (with the VISA logo) in foreign ATMs to get cash. You will be charged an access fee ($1 or $2) but no cash advance fee (as you would with a credit card). Plus you'll get the best exchange rate for that day. Make sure your PIN is four digits, as the machines in some countries won't accept longer ones.
  • Always check to see if your hotel has a curfew. Also make sure that you can leave when you need. I was stuck in a hotel in Milan that had a 1am curfew but also wouldn't let me leave before 7am. I needed to catch a 4:30am bus to make my plane, so I instead had to leave for the airport the previous night.
  • Volunteer at the check-in desk to give up your seat on the plane in case of overbooking. Then wait to board the plane until the agent announces that volunteers aren't needed or you get lucky and get a voucher for free travel.
  • In some countries, on some airlines, you might need to call in and reconfirm your reservation before your return flight. In Peru, we called in 72 hours, 48 hours, and 24 hours in advance to be safe.
  • Get to the airport early! Two hours for international flights; one hour for domestic.
  • Bring bottled water and a snack on the plane. More and more airlines are offering less and less food, and the airplane's recycled air really dries you out. But if forget your snack, be sweet to the stewardess. She may give you extra peanuts.
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