I've done a lot of traveling, and continue to do so. Why would I travel in such a dangerous world you ask? What if a hurricane comes by my destination? What to bring? How to book? I have a few answers!
1. Let's talk about what you carry with you when you travel, and how you carry it.
Every time you turn on the news, which you probably shouldn't even do, you hear about how many criminals there are in the world, and everything bad that can happen to you if you put yourself out there. I've been hearing it my whole life. International travel comes with many stigmas. The State Department website will warn you against going just about anywhere if you're a woman. It's scary. Unless you learn a few simple things.
First and foremost, don't buy the average black suitcase of any kind and check it at the airport. They all look alike. In America, anyone can walk into a baggage claim area. If your black bag comes around someone might take it. It looks like everyone else's. Be aware. You are more likely to have your luggage stolen in the United States at a baggage claim than in any other country, pretty much.
Mark your luggage so it doesn't look like anyone else's.
Then, there's the whole issue of behind you. People pull their luggage behind them. They wear back packs. Why are you doing this? Always get a piece of luggage with four wheels, so it will go along beside you or even in front of you like a well trained dog. This is for crowds. Airports have crowds, as do train stations, subways, ferries and on and on. Keep an eye on your luggage. Let it walk with you, not behind you.
Another one of my pet peeves is the back pack. That's fine for books and school. However, if you bring a backpack into a crowd and it has all kinds of cool pockets on it for different stuff; you're a target for petty theft. If it doesn't even zip, then shame on you. What were you thinking? If that very back pocket on your back pack is where you keep your passport and wallet so you can easily get to it in an airport, find the person who taught you that and punch them in the face.
You cannot walk into a crowd and keep an eye on things that are behind you. That's a simple fact. Make that bag stand out and follow along beside you on its four wheels. Carry a cross body bag in front, or at the very least, don't leave valuables in the back pack. It's just common sense. I see this all the time in airports and train stations, and I see that even I could steal your stuff without you knowing all day long. I'm not even a criminal.
https://travel.yahoo.com/advice/safety/articles/dangerous-reason-best-avoid-black-014500793.html
https://www.islands.com/1541664/think-twice-traveling-with-backpack-why/
https://www.buzzfeed.com/elizabethlilly/hands-free-bags-for-adventures
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/luggage-theft-a-persistent-problem-at-airports/57506/
2. Where you get your news can affect just how aware you are of what's really going on in the world.
If you watch a cable news channel or network news, you're probably missing a lot and what you do hear is going to sound like the end of the world is coming on a regular basis. I don't like to say it, but it's true. I'm a journalist. There's something I bet you never knew about me. That's what my degree says.
I tend to read my news. I discovered a long time ago that our local and national news is skewed at best and at its worst, it's an outright lie. YouTube is a great place to find the news in its purest form and surprisingly accurate analysis. There are even some channels that are barely supported by the platform, because they are considered rebellious. What they are is a fresh perspective, and sometimes it's even on topics that no one ever talks about here in the United States.
Did you know that Russia is attempting to import North Koreans to help fight Ukraine? Did you know that Canada is making deals all around the world economically, because they are trusting the United States less and less? Did you know that Poland just built a canal so that their ships can enter the Baltic Sea without asking permission from Russia? There's a lot of stories out there that we don't hear or that we hear wrong. Did you know that India's youth formed a political party to battle the government over a corrupt Education minister? Interesting stuff.
Check out some of the listings I've provided, all on YouTube that might just give you the fresh perspective you need. It's imperative that you have a clear picture of what's really going on in the world when preparing to travel.
https://www.youtube.com/ThePlanetD
https://www.youtube.com/@PulsePointReport
https://www.youtube.com/@JonnyTickle
https://www.youtube.com/@euronews
3. Always do research before you book a trip when traveling the way I do; as a budget traveler.
If you read articles and watch vlogs about travel as I do, you've probably heard a thousand different ways that you can get the most out of your trip and do it for an amazingly small amount of money or even free. There's no such thing as a free lunch. It's an old saying but it's absolutely true.
The people you see who travel around and make videos for a living, also work. They may not have a conventional job, but they do work. Some of them start their own businesses. Some of them get a lot of sponsorships. Some of those sponsorships allow them to earn money for referring you to get a specific credit card. Think about that. Some of them rack up a lot of views on YouTube and work on their videos all the time. If you think it's all fun and vacation all the time; you're just wrong.
Can you save money with a points card? Yes, but you won't earn a lot of miles unless you spend a lot of money. You have to watch out for that. I do that a little bit, but not a lot. Here's what I know. I use my credit card instead of a debit card or cash. I just do my regular shopping and get a fair amount of points that add up and eventually I can use them for a trip. It takes time. Unless you go bankrupt spending money on the card; you won't build up points that quickly. Be aware.
What you need to do is always check your options. I do it with every trip. Amtrak will cost different amounts depending on what station you board at. Check different stations in your area before booking. You could save a lot of money.
When you book a flight, I always start with Expedia. It's my preference, but there are a dozen of these kinds of sites and they all do kind of the same thing. I look at packages most often. Sometimes just a flight. I always find the package that I think looks good, but then I also check it against the airline and accommodations listed to see if I can book direct and get a better price. Sometimes yes and sometimes no, but worth looking.
I even look at different routes on the commuter trains with MTA in New York City. Timing and cost can differ. Always look around the app. This is the same with most commuter trains and express buses.
Would you like to travel for less? We all would. There are a lot of ways to do that. Do your research. There's CouchSurfing, Trusted Housesitters, and all kinds of oddball ways to have lodging. It won't work for everyone, but if you have more time than money, one of these could be for you.
Always do research before traveling. You'll be surprised the deals you might find.
https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/
4. Why would you skip the most popular spot?
In a word; crowds. There's also cost, lodging availability, seasonal pricing, and special events that fill up the venue. I've spent a lot of time traveling around the world, and I've learned that quite often the most popular spots aren't the best. It's just a fact. I joked for years that part of my choosing a destination was to look for the most popular destination in a country and take a hard left. It's really worked out for me. I do it to this day.
Recently, I went to Bratislava, Slovakia. It's a mouthful, but it's a great city. There was so much to do, great places to stay, some of the best local food I've had in a while, and a distinct lack of crowds and high prices. Most people go to Vienna, Austria and visit Bratislava on a day trip or they take a Danube River Cruise and stop by there for the day. By dinnertime, any crowds are gone. You have a local city. It's fabulous. We saw castles, old town, churches, parks, riverfront, and had great food and drink. We even took a boat trip for the afternoon to castle ruins up the Danube. We also easily took day trips around to other towns and even to Vienna. It was relaxing and a great trip. I'd happily do it all again.
Another time we did this was when we skipped Lisbon, Portugal for its second city, Porto. We loved it so much, we might move there when we retire. Never be so set on that popular location that you can't take a hard left and experience something that not everyone else does. It's unique and uniquely yours.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/least-visited-countries
https://www.visitorscoverage.com/blog/5-of-the-worlds-less-traveled-tourist-destinations/
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/least-visited-countries-travel
5. What about the weather? This is something that will always plague travelers. However, modern technology has come a long way. Most reports still don't really know what the weather will do pretty much anywhere but a stone hard desert. But there are ways that I monitor it before and during a trip.
Get yourself an app. You can still watch the daily forecasts on the local news if you want and if you speak the language where you are. I always have my sign in for YouTube with me so if I have a streaming TV, I can sign in and watch my favorite weather there.
But, I always have an app. It doesn't really matter which one you have as long as it's updated 24/7. That's the important part. I plan a trip ahead, but I also leave room for change. I have indoor activities planned for a trip, but it's the app that helps me decide when we do those. I check it more than once a day, so it should be on your phone. It changes as the day goes on and you need to be aware. It's part of being a trip planner. I also periodically take a peek at the radar section. Once in a while, the app's prediction and what I see on the doppler are the same. Weather is something you cannot control, so finding a way to live with it is important and can make or break a trip.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/weather/id1069513131
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.weather.forecast.weatherchannel&hl=en_US
There you have it. If you're planning a trip for yourself or your family, there's a lot of pertinent research to do. Get an app for weather. You shouldn't leave home without it. Make sure you have the proper luggage and that you keep it where you can keep an eye on it. Check the news. It's important, but don't always buy into the American news. They seem to like to scare us. Remember, there are a lot of countries out there that are safer the the United States. Think about that. Check everything for the best prices and don't have your heart set on Paris, when Lyon is far better for a trip. I can't stress enough that your trip is in your hands. Make wise choices for you. Stay informed, and I mean truthfully informed. You can have a really good time traveling if you prepare, educate yourself and be flexible.
Hope this helped. Follow me for more good advice! Check out what I'm doing right now on my YouTube channel, "Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon"
https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026
Thanks for joining me! Enjoy!
