The Auckland Skywalk
[via Jaunted]
How Americans Can Blend In Abroad
Americans often have a difficult time being treated fairly while they travel overseas for various reasons which I won’t get into here (feel free to add some in the comments). Americans can make their trips run smoother and a touch more authentic by blending in more with the crowd and avoiding stereotypes.
- Dress Like The Locals – Do an image search of the place you’re visiting using Google, Wikipedia, or Flickr and take notice of what the locals are wearing. Don’t take for granted that in most of the world jeans are not the pants of choice, or that shorts will get you stares – even in the summer.
- Speak Half As Loud As Normal – Americans culturally speak at a higher volume than almost all other people in industrialized nations (the Brits and Germans are high up on the list too). Try to keep your conversations at barely above a whisper, don’t shout out across rooms or lobbies, and don’t exaggerate your speech to those whose first language was not English.
Travel Blog Carnival Week 4
My Price of Transportation Vacation Budget Rule post from last week was selected by various members of the Travel Blog Carnival hosted by Travel Rants. Thanks to Blissful Travel, Travolution, and Traveling Cari for choosing it. I’ll continue to submit entires – if you have any post ideas you’d like me to research and write about, hit me up in the comments.
Reduce Lodging Expenses By Booking Late and Early Flights
Reduce the amount you spend on hotels, hostels, and transportation by booking your connecting flights early in the morning or late at night. Flying in early in the morning or leaving late at night saves you the cost of finding somewhere to sleep if you’re willing to spend a few hours in an airport.
Advantages
- Cost – Hotels charge you a full day’s price no matter how many hours you spend. Often frequent travelers are forced to dish out money for only a few hours of rest (and shower of course). Airports are free and provide restrooms, a cleaning staff, and (usually) Internet access.
- Safety – Often overlooked, but airports provide safety. They are always open and have security staff working around the clock. Scope a good place to sleep, secure your luggage around your leg (a laptop lock works great for this), and set your cell phone alarm to wake you every 30 minutes to keep alert.
- Time – Depending on how far awy the airport is from the place you’re planning to visit, you’ll save around an hour or two simply traveling back and forth from the airport. You’ll eventually have to go back, but you can save yourself at least one trip to the hotel.
The World’s Greenest Countries
Yale University’s ranking of international environmental performance indexes placed Switzerland, Sweden, and Norway in the top 3, respectively. The United States was just slightly worse off than Argentina at #39 and a touch better than Taiwan on the list of 149 nations.
Save Money On Souvenirs By Giving Your Trip Pictures As Gifts
Save money and space in your suitcase by taking some creative vacation photos and framing them for your loved ones. Make an investment in buying cheap picture frames in bulk or from discount stores and fill them with pictures of you from your last vacation.
Many travelers struggle to find any decent gifts as they roam the globe and end up buying cheap junk that take up space both in your suitcase and in your mom’s house. A picture in a frame can be saved for any occasion, or a CD of your best photos for your more technologically inclined friends and family.
About Anil Polat
Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More 
