Travel Tips 101
Travel Tips 101
I travel a bit for both business and pleasure. So it’s not uncommon to be in a new town and for one reason or another have some extra time on my hands. Sometimes flights or meetings are canceled, delayed or whatever. Sometimes you’re in town the evening before for an early meeting the following morning. So when I ran into someone lamenting on Facebook how they had spent a whole day being totally bored in a hotel I figured it was time to offer a few tips from my experiences on the road.
Always presume you’re going to have a delay or some amount of down time. This is a great time to catch up on that book you’re reading, work on another presentation, etc. If you have a hobby that lends itself to travel by all means incorporate it in your travel plans. I collect insects and like to play chess so I have a good chess program on my laptop as well as my cell phone and I carry my bug collecting stuff with me when I travel and I always throw something to read into my suitcase.
When you fly, always take an extension cord with you. The standard 16 footer with three prongs that you can find at a local Home Depot works great. Also pickup one of those hard plastic 1 to 3 plug splitters. Invariably the plugs in the hotel rooms are never where you want them or they’ve not given you enough plugs for the stuff you’re carrying with you. Same goes for being at an airport and needing to charge up your laptop or ipod. Someone usually has both plugs occupied. So, with the small 1 to 3 splitter, you can share one of the wall plugs, then run the extension cord to wherever you want to be and everyone is in business and all are happy.
Now, you’ve finally gotten to the hotel and you’ve got a few hours on your hands. Instead of lamenting how bored you are, go down to the front desk and inquire as to what there is to do in the area. Most concierges are prepared for people just like you. Pickup a copy of the local paper and read through it. Chances are you’ll not only get a taste for the local flavor but you’ll find more than enough to occupy the time you have on your hands.
One of the first things I do when checking into a hotel in a city I’m not familiar with is ask for a copy of the hotel’s business card. The reason for this is that when it’s safe to do so, I like to walk around new areas. I’ll inquire at the front desk of interesting places to check out, then strike out on foot, get a Coke or some coffee and just walk a 4-8 block perimeter of the hotel or down the street. You’d be amazed at the interesting things you’ll find just walking. Find a coffee shop, sit down and do some reading and talk with the local folks. Most of the folks you’ll find are friendly and it’s really interesting to see what happens in other areas. If you get tired or lost, you have that hotel business card in your pocket and I’ve yet to not be able to communicate with a taxi to take me to the address on the card. It’s usually in the local language as well if you travel abroad.
Now’s the time to go catch that movie you wanted to see. Yes, even write those postcards and letters to the family back home or others you’ve not talked with in a while. Even in the internet age, people really love to hear from you and get a card from some place…even if it’s on hotel stationary.
Cabbies can be a great resource. Now you want a cabbie that’s been around a while and knows the town. I recall being in San Francisco with a few hours to kill. I found a cabbie that knew the town well and got my own personal tour of the city from a ground level perspective I’d have not gotten any other way. I could stop and take the pictures I wanted, catch all the major sites, learn a lot of local lore and history and it didn’t really cost me that much. And, his restaurant and entertainment recommendations were excellent!
Google and Yahoo are your friends when traveling. These sites, and others, have information on cities and geographic venues that is just amazing. If you’re looking for places to go and things to do, these sites have some great ideas.
With a little thinking and planning you can turn some dead time into some really productive or fun time. When traveling, plan ahead and take something with you to occupy those potential slack times in your schedule. But, if you run out of things to do, then look to where you find yourself for a lot of the answers. Chances are they’re as close as your hotel’s front desk.
I’m Don Rima, and that’s the way I see it, From Where I Stand.
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Don, these are great tips. I thought I’d share another handy resource for those who will be traveling for business. Getting yourself organized prior to heading out is sometimes challenging. This article goes through all the steps to make sure your documents are safe, secure, and available to you no matter where in the world you are: http://ask.officelive.com/workspace/blogs/workspace_team/archive/2009/03/23/travel-challenged-our-workspace-travel-template-to-the-rescue.aspx
Cheers and thanks for the great travel tips, Don!
Kim
MSFT Office Live Outreach Team
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Kim,
Thanks for the kind words and the good ideas!
Don