foXnoMad » Lodging

4 Ways To Track And Recover Your Stuff If It Gets Stolen When Traveling

Anil P. — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:00:50 +0000

We’re beginning a new era in the cycle of travel theft in favor of the victim despite the amount of coverage of what thieves can do to you with technology. Yet, our stuff that is so tempting to steal, is also getting smart enough to protect itself, fight back, and find its way home. You’re probably carrying smaller, more expensive electronics today than you ever have – two good reasons to prepare yourself in the craftiest ways possible.

1. All Around Laptop, Tablet, Mobile Phone Recovery: Project Prey

I am a huge fan of Project Prey and if there’s one solution you should use as part of a physical security plan for your gadgets, Project Prey is it. This free piece of software runs on your laptop (Windows, Mac, and Linux), mobile phone (iPhone and Android), and tablet (yes, iPad too); remaining hidden until you activate it. If your gadget gets stolen, you activate Project Prey remotely (through a free account on their website) and you can track it, get secret screenshots, steal passwords, and even get pictures of the crooks covertly with any built-in camera. Need more convincing? Project Prey helped Matthew recover his Macbook Pro in Panama.

Mac users can also take a look at iCloud (although it doesn’t work nearly as well).

2. Set A Decoy Wallet Trap To Surprise A Pickpocket

I’ve talked about decoy wallets before as part of a broader travel security plan to reduce your loses if you’re unfortunate enough to be pick-pocketed. Decoy wallets also make good dummy targets but if you want to add a small chance of catching the thief, be sure to leave an unused – but activated – credit card in yours. This won’t work in every country but if the pickpocket decides to use that credit card somewhere and you’ve reported it stolen, police can use surveillance footage from stores to track them. More criminals are caught this way than you might think. Plus your credit card company likely won’t hold you liable for unauthorized transactions.

You probably won’t get your wallet back but justice may still be served.

3. Find Lost Or Stolen Luggage With An Inexpensive GPS Tracking Unit

Although controversial, GPS tracking units are often used to follow the movements of criminal suspects in many countries around the world. These small-palm sized devices broadcast radio signals that can be used to track them from a computer. ~~Place~~ Hide one of these (the Winplus AC13268-72 Beacon GPS Tracker is $29 or the Telespial TrackStick $149) in your backpack or checked luggage to find out where it is when it’s not where it’s supposed to be.

4. Keep A Digital Eye On Your House With Your Desktop

There are plenty of uses for that clunky desktop when you’re traveling; one of which is to act as security guard. Both Yawcam (Windows) or iAlertu (Mac) can snap and email you photos when they detect any motion – especially useful when things should be motionless. A picture of a potential burglar may help you get your stolen things back. Plus, you’ll finally know if you’ve really trained your cat not to jump on tables when you’re at work.

In addition, iAlertu (and Laptop Alarm for Windows) can put some muscle on your laptop so it sounds a loud alarm if moved. Useful for those times you’ve just got to hop up for a napkin or your 6th cup of coffee in a cafe with your laptop just within visual range.

Hope For The Best But Plan For The Worst

No security is absolute – the first rule of security – and that’s why any plan without a backup is doomed to fail eventually. Remember, your data is more valuable than any piece of electronic equipment you own so don’t screw up your vacation by preparing for mini-disasters. Recruit your gadgets and technology to work on your side for protection and preparation just in case.

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Turn Your Smelly Socks Into Mosquito Traps After A Long Day Of Traveling

Anil P. — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:00:59 +0000

It turns out that your stinky socks may deter your hostel-mates, significant other, and often yourself, but are irresistible to blood-sucking mosquitoes. Attracted by a compound of 8 chemicals (primarily carbon dioxide and octenol) that combine for a pungent cocktail in our shoes, mosquitoes are 4 times as likely to go for smelly feet than elsewhere in the body. There is now enough data behind this phenomena that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $775,000 to developing traps with feet smell as the lure.

You, however, don’t have to wait for a trap when you can make your own – or at least use the latest research about the mosquito olfactory system to give yourself some relief from their itchy bites.

When You’ve Got Room To Breath

Mosquitoes use their noses – in a sense (receptors are found around the abdomen) – to find out where you’re hanging out. That long-range detection system is then tuned to the highest concentrations of carbon dioxide and other smells in the immediate area. The mosquito is looking to get the best blood meal for the risk it takes of being smashed out of existence by swatting hands.

A mosquito’s sense of smell is about 30 meters (100 feet) wide; so if your concentration of pests in that radius is low, your best bet is to eliminate odor, not intensify it. (More on that in the next section.) When you do have a bit of space to work with, or have other bodies attracting mosquitoes with you in the same room (like a hostel dorm) you can mislead mosquitoes at close range.

By wrapping duct tape, with the sticky side out, around a pair or two of your worst smelling socks you may be a 75% less attractive mosquito target than others sleeping in the same room. This method isn’t completely effective but it can divert a number of hungry mosquitoes to the duct tape trap rather than the back of your neck.

In Empty Rooms, Go Mosquito Stealth

When you’re staying in a dormitory with several other human beings, you can essentially guarantee that your collective smells will have already broadcasted the blood-buffet you represent to mosquitoes nearby. When you’re the only human around however, it doesn’t hurt to mask your scent to reduce the number of mosquitoes that can pile in through an open window overnight.

What’s the answer in a bottle for mosquitoes you ask? Vodka, which can kill smells, stinky feet, mosquitoes and your sobriety if there’s enough left over.

3 of the 4 great travel uses for vodka can help you mask your smell, effectively reducing the number of mosquitoes who will pick up on where you are sleeping. Vodka, when sprayed on socks, kills the bacteria that makes them smell like gross feet. Vodka can also be used to actually clean your feet, disinfecting them at the same time. Finally, if a mosquito happens to be bold enough for a face-on confrontation, one good spritz will send them to mosquito heaven.

Repelling Who You Want To Attract And Visa-Versa

Depending on how far you want to take your mosquito protection, knowing the effect that foot odor has on the pests can at least help you plan where you leave your dirty laundry. Sealing your dirty clothes in plastic bags can make you slightly less attractive to mosquitoes and less repulsive to other human beings who you may be sharing a room with. Finally, there are countless things you can use duct tape for so that roll in your backpack isn’t likely to go to waste on your next trip.

[top sock photo by bark]

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Circumvent Booking Sites By Calling Direct To Save Money On Hotel And Hostel Reservations

Anil P. — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:00:04 +0000

You can often find much lower rates on rooms at hotels and hostels by doing a little dialing after an online search. It’s no secret that pretty much anything you find in an online aggregator like, Kayak, adds some cost to your total price. Much of that additional cost comes from fees that aggregtors charge establishments that are benefiting from being available to a wider audience.

Understandably, the hostel you might be staying at enjoys the exposure but would rather forgo skimming any percentage off their bottom line. So, while they may not tell you directly, most would prefer doing business with you minus the middlemen. That’s especially true for smaller hostels and hotels who’ve got more to gain; with one more important variable that can work in your favor.

Use The Search, Skip The Click, And Pick Up The Phone

Aggregators and online hostel booking engines provide you, the consumer, the wonderful benefit of being able to find a bunch of lodging options all in one place. Reviews, photos, and price comparisons are great though to save money on booking, stop there. Jot down the contact information for a few of the places you’re interested in and give them a call. Get in touch with the person in charge of reservations and let them know you’ve found them via a booking site and are interested in hearing their best rate.

Chances are very good that the rate will slightly lower often with deals you may not have heard about otherwise. (Don’t forget to ask for them.) Also, it’s never a bad idea to flex your bargaining skills to see what’s the best price a hostel can offer – especially since you’re considering their competition down the street. (Never hurts to mention that either.) This tactic doesn’t only work for hostels and hotels but other common travel bookings like airfare as well.

And although it’s a bit counter-intuitive, a direct call to the hostel can give you a better idea of what rooms are like, including your options, by asking the clerk for details. Voice tone can tell you a lot about how honest a person is and if you want to learn how friendly the staff is – well, there you go. They’re right on the phone for you to find out.

Time Versus Cost With No Guarantees

The trade you make by trying to circumvent the aggregators is by adding a number of minutes to any booking. You’ve got to call and talk to people, both time consuming and potentially cumbersome when you’re traveling frequently. On top of the added time, there are no guarantees that you’ll actually get a lower price. Finally, you should consider that there are limits to how much you can save on the cheaper end of the hostel spectrum – it might not be worth 15 minutes of your time to try and save $10 on a $8 dorm room in Ecuador.

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A Digital Pocket Guide On Visiting Northern Iraq: Part 2

Anil P. — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 06:00:59 +0000

In Part 1 of A Digital Pocket Guide On Northern Iraq, you learned that the KRG-controlled north is relatively safe, to bring your cash, and where to start looking for a place to sleep.

Now that you’ve laid down the foundations for a trip to Iraq, you’re ready see the unexpected sights and work your way through many-a-checkpoint.

Shared Taxis Through Checkpoints, Checkpoints…And More Checkpoints

Unless you take a flight from Arbil to Sulaymaniyah, moving between northern Iraqi cities requires making use of shared taxis. (Though yes, there are still other ways.) Shared taxis are basically that – a taxi 1-4 people share and split the cost of – to get from one city to another. The average cost, assuming 4 people in the car, between Arbil and Sulaymaniyah is 20,000 Iraqi dinar (~$20) to give you an idea.

Waiting In Garages – Every city has a main garage for shared taxis between cities. Where a given car is going will be loudly announced and they’re lined up by destination. You’ll have to wait around for about 10-15 minutes hoping the car fills up with other passengers, otherwise you’ll be off with a higher rate.
Checkpoints – You will go through several checkpoints on any given trip. An off-hand calculation would be about 1 per 45 minutes if not more. Cars are inspected often, occupants required to get out, and passports checked at these heavily armed checkpoints.
Questioning – It’s also not uncommon to be questioned at checkpoints depending on your nationality. Your intentions and reasons for traveling in northern Iraq will be the primary focus; expect much more scrutiny if you have an Arabic surname.

It’s also a good idea to note the route a given shared taxi will take. Many direct routes leave the KRG-controlled areas and skim the borders for legs of the trip. While you can pay (3-4 times) more to stay within the borders of KRG-Iraq; which is considered safer, the extended drive time might not be worth the unquantifiable amount of added protection.

What To See And Do In Northern Iraq

Being a large geographic area, this is a section that really deserves to be its own (or several) posts. That said, most travelers will only have 10 days in the area and it may help you to plan your sightseeing around these particular experiences.

Walk Around The Arbil Citadel – Sitting more than 30 meters above the rest of the city you can meander around this ghost town with great views of below.
Ankawa In Arbil – The Assyrian/Christian district in the city is quite active at night.
Deutscher Hof Erbil – Entering this German restaurant located on the site of an old United Nations (UN) base in Arbil is surreal.
Halabja Memorial – Located in “old” Halabja (make this clear at the shared taxi garage) this memorial stands to recognize the thousands that were killed in a 1988 gas attack by Saddam Hussein. The Amna Suraka Museum in Sulaymaniyah also shows part of this dark history.

There are also the Gali Ali Bag waterfalls in the north, Sulaymaniyah’s bazaars and parks, and my personal favorite for free wi-fi and relaxation, the Shawany Maliek Cafeteria shisha cafe in that same city.

Looking For Food In Northern Iraq

Many of you asked about the food in northern Iraq and when it comes to eating out, things vary widely between cities. Most budget travelers looking for a bite in Arbil will be hard pressed to find anything more convenient than plentiful doner kebab and falafel sandwiches. While there are restaurants with a bit more variety in and around town, the culture of eating out isn’t quite in place yet.

The cuisine in Sulaymaniyah was much more varied; although admittedly it’s difficult to ascertain what’s local to such a cosmopolitan city.

Keep in mind that in northern Iraq, places to eat close down fairly early (around 7pm). For those of you who like to snack however, finding a corner store at most hours of the night won’t be tough at all.

Finally, alcohol is readily available and for sale at a number of liquor stores and small shops around the major cities. The prices, rather surprisingly, are incredibly cheap with major brand bottles of vodka and whiskey for sale from $5-15 and beer for about $1 a bottle.

Basic Travel Safety

Most of the safety questions about traveling in northern Iraq revolve around the violence associated with the country in general. However, in terms of general safety, scams, and street crime, it’s far and few between. In fact, one surprising thing was how consistent the prices I was quoted were. From meter-less taxis, hotels, and markets, none of the prices were above and beyond what I was told they should have been. The streets at night, although quiet, were peaceful and was told as much by everyone I encountered.

In fact, if you were just to fly into Arbil, or be dropped off in the center of Sulaymaniyah, you wouldn’t even realize the instability of war was so recent. The checkpoints and border controls are the few obvious signs of a war zone that’s right outside. Inside, all you see is that the Kurdistan-controlled north is looking forward – even if it’s still got a way to go in terms of tourism.

This Is Only A Rough Start

Such a large and complex area can’t be covered in a single post or two, but this digital pocket guide should get you off to a good start if you’ve ever considered traveling to Iraq (or are now!) It’s not the most straightforward place to navigate – which might be appealing to many travelers looking for a trail that’s not yet well worn.

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A Digital Pocket Guide On Visiting Northern Iraq: Part 1

Anil P. — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 06:00:31 +0000

It is often said that northern Iraq is the gateway to the rest of the country and the areas under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) are a relatively stable place to start for adventurous travelers. Traveling in northern Iraq is easier than you might suspect – albeit with some drastic differences from many other destinations to take into account.

This digital pocket guide will have you prepared for a trip to this world inside a war zone.

Some Basic Questions Answered First

It’s important to understand that all of northern Iraq is not equally stable or as relatively safe. This digital guide focuses on the areas administered by the KRG; primarily the cities of Arbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok. Also, it should be noted that while there might be a thrill in traveling to Iraq, it’s certainly not a trip for everyone.

Is Traveling In Northern Iraq Safe? – Depending on your movements within northern Iraq, you’re unlikely to feel unsafe and targeted violence (against tourists) is remote.
Understanding Kurdistan – Even the name of the semi-autonomous north is controversial in a neighborhood that’s in flux but under high tension.

Finally, before you hop on a flight to northern Iraq, it’s critical you have enough cash on you for the duration of your trip.

There are no ATMs in the KRG-controlled north, not even at the most common entry-point of Erbil International Airport. US dollars and Turkish lira can be exchanged easily by (the abundant) street vendors once you arrive, however don’t count on using plastic – credit cards won’t be accepted anywhere.

Getting To Northern Iraq By Land And Air

Flights to Arbil are probably the easiest way to arrive in northern Iraq from several connecting cities, including Istanbul, Turkey. Currently your best bets are with AtlasJet, Lufthansa, and Austrian Air.

Keep in mind when searching for flights that “Arbil” is often spelled “Erbil” (in English) with “Irbil” also occurring from time to time.

Finding good deals on flights to northern Iraq isn’t easy, with those from Istanbul on average floating around $600 for a round-trip ticket. The cheaper – yet much more involved – method of crossing overland from Turkey is another option; particularly for intrepid travelers.

How To Travel Overland To Iraq (Kurdistan) – Wandering Earl‘s incredibly detailed guide to making the crossing, including specific costs along the route.

Visas And Visiting The Directorate Of Residence

Visas upon arrival are issued by the Kurdistan Regional Government for US, EU, and several other nationalities for visits up to 10 days.

These entry stamps are separate from Iraqi national travel visas and also make note that you must “visit [the] Directorate of Residence within 10 days” – which can be a point of confusion.

Upon exit at Erbil International Airport, I was told that this was only necessary for those applying to stay beyond 10 days; though there didn’t seem to be a consensus among the officials I asked. I recommend consulting with your embassy if you have any questions or receive conflicting information upon arrival.

Hotels And Finding A Place To Stay

Booking hotel arrangements online prior to a trip to northern Iraq isn’t easy since most are independently owned and not to be found on the Internet. While there are some luxury hotels on the outskirts of the 3 major cities, the majority are the 1-2 start variety. The most straightforward way to find a hotel (there are no hostels) is to make your way to the given city center – in Arbil around the Citadel - walk in and ask.

Rates – Obviously they vary but $20-25 is the going price per day.
Rooms – Many places only have double rooms, though you can book them for a single at the double rate, you might have to look around if you’re traveling solo.
Reception – Although Arabic and Kurdish are the primary languages in north Iraq, basic English is usually enough to book a room. It’s a good idea to brush up or carry a European-to-Arabic numeral chart (shown below) for rates and phone numbers though.

Also remember that in Arabic, numbers are read from left to right (opposite of everything else).

Wi-Fi – Most of the budget hotels will not have wireless Internet, though Internet cafes and shisha bars with wireless can be found in Arbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok.

You can begin your hotel search by seeking out Hotel Shahan in Arbil, Hotel Chrakan in Sulaymaniyah (with good food immediately next door), and Hobo Traveler also has a great set of hotels for you to consider in northern Iraq.

In Part 2: Hopping Cities, Checkpoints, And Spaetzle

Now that you’ve got an idea of how to get to northern Iraq, tomorrow in Part 2 I’ll show you how you can move between the major cities of the Kurdistan-controlled region. As you make your way through checkpoints you’ll discover there’s quite a bit to see and do, with the journey undoubtedly being a memorable part of the experience.

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How To Get Keys To Couchsurfers, Friends, And Visitors When Traveling

Anil P. — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 06:00:28 +0000

There are a host of services in place for travelers to move large things like suitcases, musical instruments, and even dogs and cats around the world; but getting little things from one place to another when you’re on the go can be a cumbersome mess. As many couchsurfers have come to realize, even a simple key swap can be a tough game of timing and coordination that doesn’t always fall into place.

Swapping Keys The Old-Fashioned Way

Couchsurfing, the free accommodation swapping network, is a simple concept – yet can leave many members wondering how to swap keys when the host is traveling. Simple tried-and-true methods work best in these situations as the small size and flat profile of a house key make them easy to hide just about anywhere.

Under The Doormat – This is probably the most common method of leaving keys for people when you’re not around but as Alex mentions, using a bit of tape to secure the key is an effective improvement.
Key Camouflage – You can take your key hiding to the next level by disguising them as rocks, thermometers, or sprinklers.
Leave Them At The Front Desk – Usually only an option for apartments and condos but if you’ve got a front desk or building security you can trust, John suggests leaving keys with them.

Wall Mounted Key Safes

Key safes are small lock boxes that mount to the exterior wall of your home and a common form of key exchange at holiday cottages and cabins (thanks Dee and Heather for the tip). A basic one like this Master Lock model runs around $20 making it an inexpensive way of leaving keys for visiting family, friends, and home swappers when you’re not around.

If you go this route however, be absolutely sure you purchase a key safe that lets you chance the combination after each visitor. It’s good a good habit to get into to secure your home and lock down your laptop as well.

Real Estate Locks – Common on for-sale homes throughout the US, these locks get the job done at the same price as wall-mounted key safes but may give off the impression that you home is always vacant to unscrupulous folks.
Combination Door Locks – With both the option of a physical lock as well as a numerical password you can let couchsurfers and other visitors in by giving them the key code, skipping the physical key all together. Many of these combination door locks (which cost around $75) also let you program specific times outside of which even a valid combination won’t work.
SmartKeys – Most lock manufacturers like Kwikset make deadbolts that can be easily re-keyed at home with inexpensive kits. A bit more involved than the other options, it lets you create a new set of physical keys for each visitor.

You might be thinking wall-mounted key safes are easy targets for potential thieves and buglers but anyone who’s willing to tear a piece of your wall off to deal with a key locked in steel is probably more likely to smash in a window instead.

Key Shipping And Pickup

Keys are small enough to fit into envelopes but if you do mail them locally it might be a good idea not to include a return address (or at least a real one); lest someone along the line of communication decides to pay an unexpected visit.

Use Free Priority Mail – Shipping keys using priority or express mail typically isn’t expensive, but according to Get Rich Slowly, the USPS will send free Priority Mail boxes to your home, saving you even further.
UPS Or FedEx Pickup – Understandably you might not want to ship house keys half way around the world for every visitor. Rather send or keep them at your local UPS or FedEx store, most let you specify packages must be picked up there.
Take Packages With Your iPhone And Online – Of course if you ever send your keys through any mail service, it’s a good idea to confirm they got to the person you sent them to. Since you might be traveling, consider tracking your packages for free with the iPhone version of Packagetrackr.
Airport Lockers – This method might involve a bit more work for you but if you’ve got a flight scheduled, an airport (train, or bus station) locker makes a great place to drop off a set of keys for arriving guests as Chris suggests.

Poste Restante

One of the easiest to use and most internationally available methods of package pickup and delivery is called “poste restante” or aka. general delivery. As Upgrade: Travel Better describes it,

Poste restante is an old fashioned mail-pickup service that most countries’ postal services still provide. Mail is addressed to a person, but in lieu of an address for delivery, the mail is sent to a post office branch, where you pick it up. You’ll usually address mail to Name, Poste Restante, the specific name of the post office (usually the main, central office), that branch’s street location, city, postal code, and country.

A simple Google search of “poste restante [country name]” should turn up the information you need. Once it’s set up, you send the keys to a local office and let your couchsurfers know to pick them up there while you’re out shopping or getting a tan in Panama.

Secure Your Preferred Methods

It may initially take some trial and error to figure out the best key swapping method for you but once you get it consistency keeps things simple. Finally, if you’re not home for part of your couchsurfer’s stay be sure and keep your home safe while traveling and implement a personal security plan for you and your house.

[photos by: novelgazer (handing over keys), cheerfulstoic (combination door lock), cindy47452 (Tunnelton post office), elephantkitty (poste restante)]

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How To Get To North Cyprus From Turkey And Abroad

Anil P. — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 06:00:44 +0000

The Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is a de facto state which occupies the northern part of the island of Cyprus. Since the TRNC is only officially recognized by it’s neighbor to the north, Turkey, getting there from just about anywhere else is cumbersome to say the least. Learning all of the ways to get there is where most of the work lies but once that’s out of the way adding North Cyprus to your Turkish travel plans opens up a beautiful and rather inexpensive Mediterranean paradise for you.

North Cyprus Tourist Visa Information

Keep in mind that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not the same thing as “Cyprus”. In all official documents, websites, and travel guides, Cyprus refers to the southern part of the island and the north without recognizing the independent TRNC. The TRNC has different travel visa requirements than Cyprus, which is a member of the European Union (EU).

US, EU, Turkish, Norwegian, Canadian, Israeli, Japanese, Australian, New Zealand, and citizens of several Central American countries can enter the TRNC without a visa. Visas are given upon arrival and allow stays up to 90 days, although the requirements vary.

In general getting a tourist visa to visit the TRNC for citizens of most countries won’t be much of an issue, although if you have specific questions you can contact one of these TRNC embassies. Your local Turkish embassy will also likely be able to help (use Embassy World to find the nearest one).

Arriving By Air

You’ll be able to find flights from many European cities and internationally by searching for tickets to Ercan Airport (code: ECN). The planes will touch down in Turkey first before taking off again for the TRNC. Flights may be hard to come by and often expensive, so a cheap flight option is to book the Turkey-to-North Cyprus leg separately from any other flights.

Most major Turkish airports will have offices for Turkish Airlines, Cyprus Turkish Airlines, Atlasjet, and Pegasus, all of which fly to the TRNC.

Tickets are relatively inexpensive, especially if you visit outside of the busier summer months and can often be found for less then $100 round-trip. Find your tickets to Turkey, and then, like you would any multi-city flight using Kayak Explore, book something from Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, or Antalya to Girne (Greek: Kyrenia) or Lefkosa (Nicosia) in the TRNC.

Ferries To Northern Cyprus

There are two regular ferries that go back and forth from Alanya and Tasucu, Turkey to Girne on the northern coast of the TRNC. Alanya is a longer ride and only an option during the summer months so it’s an easier process to make your plans from Tasucu. The ferries to the TRNC leave at 11:30 am every morning (although tend to be late departing). To get to the TRNC from Tasucu:

By bus, book passage to the larger city of Mersin. (Varan, Ulusoy, Kamil Koc, or Metro are all good choices.)
Once you arrive at the Mersin bus station, take a smaller local shuttle to the town of Silifke. (They will be easy to find and cost about 20TL.)
From Silifke, hop on any of the local “dolmus” buses to Tasucu (approximately 1.5 TL).
Hopefully you’ve gotten there at or before 10:30am.
There are two offices selling tickets to the TRNC, the primary one being Akfer. One way tickets are approximately 70TL and round-trip tickets 114TL.
You will be given two pieces of paper, one which has your boarding pass and the other with your visa stamp. Remember to keep your visa form for your return trip – don’t throw it away!
Begin boarding the ferry around 11:15 am and sit wherever there is room, there is no assigned seating.
The trip to Girne from Tasucu takes a little under 2 hours.
On The Return: You will need to have your ferry ticket validated by the office directly to the left of the Girne harbor where the ferry departs from. Not doing so will mean waiting in the security line twice!

You will go through security both before boarding the ferry and upon arrival in Girne. Alcohol and cigarettes are very cheap in the TRNC and you’re limited to taking 10 bottles of liqueur and 10 boxes of cigarettes out. The Turkish side will check for this so be aware of the limitations, and don’t take any alcohol or cigarettes across the border to Cyprus – the Greek side will confiscate it.

There are also once a week ferries from Famagusta on the eastern coast of the TRNC, to Latakia, Syria. The ferries depart on Wednesdays and run about 100TL round-trip. Some cruise boats from Italy and several other destinations occasionally dock in North Cyprus as well.

Crossing The Green Line From The South To The North

The United Nations (UN) Buffer Zone separates Cyprus into its de facto two halves. There are several major crossing points with the most popular being in Nicosia/Lefkosa. You’ll need to show a valid passport to enter the TRNC from the south, although it will not be stamped. (The stamp is added to a separate piece of paper you should carry with you until departing the TRNC.) It’s worth mentioning that it would be extremely foolish to try and cross the Green Line from anywhere other than the official crossing points.

Why Visit The Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus?

The TRNC is a lovely and cheap section of Mediterranean coast and much less expensive than its Euro-based Greek counterpart to the south. North Cyprus is also one of 7 up and coming best places to travel on a weak dollar, not as frequently traveled, and where you can explore the unique Turkish Cypriot cuisine. Finally, you can easily add the TRNC to your travel plans in Turkey, especially if you make your way south after turning Ankara into a tourist town.

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How Do You Swap House Keys When Traveling?

Anil P. — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Frequent travelers, Couchsurfing members, and those expecting visitors from the airport often need to exchange physical keys for homes and apartments – which can be both cumbersome and awkward when schedules don’t align. Reader and house-swapping traveler Renato has been struggling with this recently and asked me,

What are some good ways to exchange physical keys when you can’t be there in person to do it yourself?

As Renato illustrates,

Just in the last 4 weeks I have been struggling with it 3 times around Europe: sometimes you swap places with someone (great way to travel), other times you invite a friend to stay but you are not at the airport when they arrive, or a Couchsurfer sleeps a few extra hours when you are already out.
I [recently] left a set of keys for a friend in a locker (with a code) in Munich’s train station (a huge box for a single key!) – am looking forward to receiving an envelope from California – and I found a coffee paid at the local bar in Milan (with a set of keys instead of the sugar).
Does any traveler know a better and safer way to sort it out?

It’s been a while since I did a travel unravel but have no doubt in your ability to leave extremely helpful comments. I’m sure many of you know of some good tactics, websites, and traveler services to take care of just this kind of scenario with cost and security in mind. I’ll be expanding upon this topic next week but wanted to get your experiences and advice first so I can be sure to include your best ideas as well.

[photo by: Merida Hideaway (house keys)]

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The Ultimate Guide To Traveling Internationally With Your Pets: Part 2

Anil P. — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 06:00:58 +0000

In Part 1 of The Ultimate Guide To Traveling Internationally With Your Pets you learned that most of the work you have to do takes place well before you ever get to the airport. Once the paperwork is out of the way it’s time to book a flight and actually take your trip with cat or dog in tow.

Booking A Flight With Pets – Including Expected Costs

Begin searching for your flight tickets as you would any trip without pets; about 2-4 weeks in advance without booking anything just yet. Also, I strongly recommend you stick to a single airline, even if it’s more expensive. Each airline has various requirements for the transportation of pets, plus you want as little switching along the way as possible.

Pet Travel has a good list of individual airline pet rules.

Direct flights are also ideal – they tend to cost more but are less stressful than multiple flights for your pets.

Once You’ve Found The Right Flight: Step By Step

Go to the airline website and find out what their pet policy is.
Look specifically for crate dimension requirements, booking deadlines, and beware of airline breed restrictions. (That last point is especially important if you have a dog with a reduced snout like a boxer or a pug. Some airlines won’t fly them due to their breathing problems which can be amplified in pressurized airplane environments.)
Based on that information decide if your pets can (or should) be with you in the cabin. Here are the differences between traveling with pets in-cabin, as baggage, or cargo.
Call the airline directly and let them know that you’ll be traveling with pets. Usually if your pets are not going to be in the cabin, you can book before, and then call to let them know. For in-cabin pets call before booking anything.

Typically only two pets are allowed in the cabin on any given flight so let the airline representative know that’s your intent. Also let them know the dimensions of your crate or carrier, breed specifics, and ask what the additional costs are.

What It Costs To Fly With Pets

Putting aside for the moment any additional costs, like visits to the vet and new crates, an in-cabin pet generally runs anywhere from $100-150 and animals checked as baggage about $150-250. Some airlines charge you per kilo of the total carrier-pet weight and you will (almost) always pay any pet costs when checking in; not when you book.

24 Hours Before Flight Time

Every pet is of course different, but stop feeding them around 12-24 hours before your trip and go easy on the water several hours before flight time. Being hungry is inconvenient but a full bladder or crate full of poop at 10,000 meters is worse.

Pack enough food to feed your pet for the first day or two of after arrival.
Have a favorite toy or chewing bone for your dog’s crate. Make sure the bone isn’t real (synthetic only) and that the crate contains no grass, hay, or any food items.

It might be difficult to find a pet store with everything you need right away so best be prepared – and don’t forget your pet’s vet and medical records!

Checking In At The Airport

The process for checking in with a pet is slightly different than when you’re traveling human-only. You’ll get to the counter, show the required documents for your pet, and pay all of the additional booking fees. Your pets (in crate) will also be weighed, which is why you shouldn’t lie about Fido’s extra 5 kilos.

Hopefully you’re prepared with a leash or are comfortable holding your traveling cat, because the crates are run through an individual X-ray. Pets don’t go through the machines themselves so you’ll need to hold on to them for a few minutes while security does finishes its checks.

Pets traveling in-cabin with you will need to have their carriers go through the X-ray machines at the security line. Usually you can hold your pet as you walk through the personal X-ray machine; ask the airport staff to confirm.
Pets being checked as baggage should have ‘special cargo’ or ‘live animal’ tags added to their crates; make sure they’re there before the final check-in.
Here’s the process of taking a small dog on a plane.

Once security is done, your pets will be checked-in and you won’t see them again until you land at your final destination. Upon arrival at the airport your pets will be brought to you at the baggage claim by airline staff.

Arriving At Your Destination And Going Through Customs

Most travelers with pets worry about this part, customs at arrival, most when thinking about traveling internationally with their pets. In fact, it’s generally the easiest part, assuming you’ve got all of your vet papers and required documents in hand. It’s usually less hassle traveling from the US or Europe to other places but if you’ve met the requirements, customs is often a quick glance-and-go process.

A Few Other Pet Travel Tips

There are 4 airlines your pets can earn frequent flyer miles on, one of 7 ways to bump up your frequent flying mileage.
Check for any pet-friendly hotels at your destination. GoPetFriendly is one of 5 useful pet travel websites.
Thinking of getting a pet? These are 4 things frequent travelers need to consider before getting a dog or a cat.
Some tricks to keep your cat happy while you travel.

Hopefully at this point you’re beyond customs and well on your way to your new home or vacation spot. Your pets will be stressed but these feelings pass quickly once a daily routine and the comfort of home is established. If you’ll be traveling anytime relatively soon after this, don’t neglect to make those vet appointments for the next stop. Fortunately, this seemingly formidable process becomes much easier after you’ve gone through it once, for both you and your pets.

[photos by: Big Dubya (cat eating dollar bill), Ross Belmont (dog clock), racieur (traveling dog in carrier),

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The Ultimate Guide To Traveling Internationally With Your Pets: Part 1

Anil P. — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 06:00:05 +0000

Traveling with your pets on a short road trip can seem like a daunting task, let alone taking them anywhere internationally. The process of traveling with your pets internationally actually isn’t as complicated as many traveling-pet-owners initially assume. It’s a matter of solid preparation well before your flight, a few trips to the vet, and some added steps on your existing flight plan.

For this post I’m sticking to air travel and talking about cats and dogs when I refer to “pets”, since most all other animals are regarded by airlines and governments as “wildlife” and are subject to different requirements.

Warning! Don’t Book Yet

You could easily end up out of a plane ticket if you book first for yourself and try to make arrangements with your pets. First thing’s first, don’t get ahead of yourself, no matter how cheap that last minute flight is.

First, Get Your Pets Ready

It’s a terrible idea to pick up your dog or cat who has never been in a car before and fly them halfway across the world. Fortunately frequent and gradually extended car rides are good test runs to get your cat used to traveling and your dog prepared for long trips. There are many tips for flying with pets and methods to prepare for air travel, here are just a few of them:

Assuming your pets are ready, now it’s time to get you (the owner) up to speed as well.

Two Important Questions: Where From And Where Too?

You’ll need to start planning at least 3 months in advance, especially if it’s your first time traveling internationally with pets. Every nation has their own pet import requirements which vary based on your originating country.

Specific Destination Information

The most reliable place to find a country’s pet import requirements are from its embassy. Find the contact information for any embassy around the world with EmbassyWorld, and if you can’t find any information online, give them a call. Pet requirements change often so don’t go on old information, hearsay, or what you “think” is right.

More International Pet Travel Considerations

Make sure to look up the information for countries you may have layovers in.
Dog owners should check to see if there are any breed (e.g. pit bull) import restrictions.
Also, many countries prohibit the export of certain native breeds, be sure to check export restrictions as well.
Many countries don’t accept puppies under 12 weeks old.
Check what the requirements are for your home country. Some require blood tests to be done 3 months prior to return so a 1 month trip may not be feasible.

Hopefully by now you know about any applicable restrictions and (importantly) all of the vaccination requirements. Most immunizations have some sort of time restrictions and must be done (e.g. two weeks) before traveling and pets typically need to be micro-chipped as well.

Vets, Vets, And More Vets

You’ll be going to the veterinarian at least once, if not twice or three times depending on the medical requirements of your destination nation. It’s important to note that while many vets are aware of international travel requirements, many are not. Print out and take all of the requirements you learned of from the embassy as well as any specific forms you downloaded to each vet visit.

Get all of the required shots and any shots that you cannot verify were done in the past.
Some countries require more current vaccinations than your pet may already have. Redo any shots that need an update (only if the vet says it’s OK of course).
Get a “pet passport” – most veterinarians will have them – they list all of the shots your pet has received, along with the relevant dates.
Keep the pet passport and all other medical papers from the vet; you will need them when you take your trip.

The veterinarian visits are arguably the most important part of the international pet travel process. Neglecting or skimping them can result in quarantines for your pet (nobody wants that), or an immediate return back. Don’t make things more expensive or stressful for your pet than they need to be by being lax with the paperwork.

Next Up: Booking, Flying, And Arrival

Tomorrow in Part 2 of the Ultimate Guide to Traveling Internationally With Your Pets you’ll get down to making the actual arrangements with the airlines. That will all seem like a piece of cake considering that much of the pet-travel work is upfront with trips back and forth to the veterinarian’s office, online research, and lots of paperwork.

[photos by: peregrinari (white dog-top image), mk30 (cat sleeping on road atlas), foolfillment (dog panorama), janerc (cat face closeup), adria.richards (dog and cat at vet)]

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