Things you wish people explained to you before you went to (insert vacation destination)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ice is a commodity in many places ie ice water. The rest of the world isn't as into ice water like the US The tradition of receiving a glass of water with meals is just a very US based thing. Going to China Japan Europe S America - you will sometimes see it but many times esp in local joints - you won't. It's just not a given.

I agree with this advice, although I have always wondered why this is never brought up in all the discussions about obesity in America vs other countries- we drink much more water and other places juices and sodas are more common, yet as a nation we are very overweight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ice is a commodity in many places ie ice water. The rest of the world isn't as into ice water like the US The tradition of receiving a glass of water with meals is just a very US based thing. Going to China Japan Europe S America - you will sometimes see it but many times esp in local joints - you won't. It's just not a given.

I agree with this advice, although I have always wondered why this is never brought up in all the discussions about obesity in America vs other countries- we drink much more water and other places juices and sodas are more common, yet as a nation we are very overweight.

I don't think a ton of water has anything to do with health (esp ice water like is the norm here).
Somehow in the US everyone thinks hydrating appropriately means carrying around enormous stanley cups sipping 2L throughout the day, but there is a thing such as too much water/liquid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ice is a commodity in many places ie ice water. The rest of the world isn't as into ice water like the US The tradition of receiving a glass of water with meals is just a very US based thing. Going to China Japan Europe S America - you will sometimes see it but many times esp in local joints - you won't. It's just not a given.

I agree with this advice, although I have always wondered why this is never brought up in all the discussions about obesity in America vs other countries- we drink much more water and other places juices and sodas are more common, yet as a nation we are very overweight.

I don't think a ton of water has anything to do with health (esp ice water like is the norm here).
Somehow in the US everyone thinks hydrating appropriately means carrying around enormous stanley cups sipping 2L throughout the day, but there is a thing such as too much water/liquid.

Drinking a lot of water is excellent for your health - it keeps you hydrated, fills you up so you don’t over eat, and if you are drinking a lot of water you likely are not drinking much sodas, juices, and alcohol. It is very hard to drink “too much” water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ice is a commodity in many places ie ice water. The rest of the world isn't as into ice water like the US The tradition of receiving a glass of water with meals is just a very US based thing. Going to China Japan Europe S America - you will sometimes see it but many times esp in local joints - you won't. It's just not a given.

I agree with this advice, although I have always wondered why this is never brought up in all the discussions about obesity in America vs other countries- we drink much more water and other places juices and sodas are more common, yet as a nation we are very overweight.

In which places are juices and soda more common?

[Anonymous]

Thailand, if you buy something at 7-11 and pay in cash- they may give you change in the form of a cute little stamp. Most recently the stamps were minions from despicable me. My son loved these.

Morocco, women can cut down on street harassment by covering your hair with a scarf. Not a hat.

Italy- if you’ve had one gelato- you’ve had them all. A gelato that costs more than 2euro is a scam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ice is a commodity in many places ie ice water. The rest of the world isn't as into ice water like the US The tradition of receiving a glass of water with meals is just a very US based thing. Going to China Japan Europe S America - you will sometimes see it but many times esp in local joints - you won't. It's just not a given.

I agree with this advice, although I have always wondered why this is never brought up in all the discussions about obesity in America vs other countries- we drink much more water and other places juices and sodas are more common, yet as a nation we are very overweight.

There’s no bottomless soda or super size soda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Monkeys are never, ever cute, from Gibraltar to India to China to South Africa.

Monkeys are your enemy. Proceed accordingly.

+1!

Yes!! Haha - dang monkeys got a money pouch from me in India and I had to wait for so long to get it back (I did!).

I love and relate to many of these. One of the only others I’ve experienced that I didn’t see mentioned is maybe obvious to everyone but I had traveled widely in SE Asia and elsewhere but was surprised at how much the air quality impacted me in certain cities, primarily major urban Indian areas. I thought I was going to be invincible, could still run outside in the early mornings and bike etc. - nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you wish you had known before visiting (insert vacation destination here)?


I wanted to visit the Amalfi Coast but was unaware of the power outages and the way you must fly to Naples then take a train to Sorrento and then take a ferry and hand carry luggage up to some of the hotels. With little children this seems a bit more challenging. The same for Lake Como and the last train out of town. To ensure to time that visit right.

I’m not sure who told you all of this nonsense? Been there many times and have never experienced a power outage. I’ve also never taken a train in Italy. If you want to avoid the ferry, you can rent a car and drive or get a driver. There are also porters and bell boys. This is a strange post.

Yeah, getting a driver and staying at hotels with porters is definitely the thing to do if you have $$$. Saves you so much headache, but not affordable. In Europe rooms are 3 person occupancy maximum with very few quad room options, so as a family of 4 we had to get 2 rooms, it gets expensive quick. We started using b&b to save money via Booking.com and I recommend this. There are no porters, but the hosts can help with parking recommendations, and there are kitchens if you want to cook a few meals. Agree with driving being an easier option than coordinating trains and schlepping to/from train stations. It's worth having to pay for parking. We did 4 European trips (Spain, Italy, France, Greece) over the years with kids and even strollers and went from place to place, we rented a car each time and do not regret it. It would have been a nightmare to do via public transit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When in Italy, do not wear athletic shoes, shorts or sleeveless clothes into small town catholic churches. Some of them won't let you in. Carry a scarf to cover shoulders whe n you go out.

Not entire accurate. Most tourists wear sneakers and so do Italian tourist guides. We did too when going to Vatican churches and had zero issue. You do have to cover up your shoulders and knees. Bring scarves or buy them from the sellers on the street for 5/Euro each and make it a souvenir. I had to tie a scarf around my daughter's waist as she was wearing shorts. Men/boys have to wear pants, so don't book any other sightseeing on a really hot day if wanting to wear shorts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The "private" sky clubs are an overcrowded joke; full of misers and gross food.

Kind of true. The food isn’t great, but who doesn’t like a free beer, cocktail or coffee? I do like theUnited Club in Denver. Only been there once, but got a roomy layout and is nicely designed.

Nothing is free.

You have to pay for kids in most lounges. Some cards and club restrict it to one free guest. It's not worth it IMHO unless it's a long layover and you need to have access to wifi, nicer bathroom facilities, snacks/beverages. I once was delayed with my kids for 6 hours and paying for them was definitely worth it. Some cards give you free passes for guests based on CC spending. On shorter layovers you won't have time to enjoy the lounge, better to have one of you go in there and bring out that coffee or a snack.

[Anonymous]

Food in Europe is overrated in sit down restaurants and expensive. Unless you are doing fine dining like Michelin star it's going to be overpriced for what you get and very meh. Reviews are not reliable, restaurants get guests to review them and happy drunk tourists are happy to oblige. Wine is not as expensive as here, so this explains the reviews Our best meals had been at take out places like sandwich or pasta shops and whatever we'd cook buying groceries. Most waterfront seafood restaurants in Mediterranean serve very similar things regardless of the country. I wouldn't know the diff eating grilled/fried seafood in Greece or Italy or France. Appetizers and some things are variations like pizza in Italy, tapas in France and gyros in Greece, these are better options IMHO than your branzino. Bread served in the restaurants is not fresh.

Overall, as much as we like to complain about food in the States it's way better IMO. More choices, more international cuisines, more diff tier places that are more consistent with what you pay for is what you get. There is junk food in Europe too, just avoid it everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Food in Europe is overrated in sit down restaurants and expensive. Unless you are doing fine dining like Michelin star it's going to be overpriced for what you get and very meh. Reviews are not reliable, restaurants get guests to review them and happy drunk tourists are happy to oblige. Wine is not as expensive as here, so this explains the reviews Our best meals had been at take out places like sandwich or pasta shops and whatever we'd cook buying groceries. Most waterfront seafood restaurants in Mediterranean serve very similar things regardless of the country. I wouldn't know the diff eating grilled/fried seafood in Greece or Italy or France. Appetizers and some things are variations like pizza in Italy, tapas in France and gyros in Greece, these are better options IMHO than your branzino. Bread served in the restaurants is not fresh.

Overall, as much as we like to complain about food in the States it's way better IMO. More choices, more international cuisines, more diff tier places that are more consistent with what you pay for is what you get. There is junk food in Europe too, just avoid it everywhere.

Tapas in Spain, ugh.. Anyway, my favorite ended up being sardines, can't go wrong

[Anonymous]

Public transit can be unreliable overseas. We booked a place near a subway only to find out most important subways stops closed and having to find a taxi after an exhausting trip to get back to the hotel in a 100 degree heat. Taxis are not easy to get, have to find a hotel or a taxi stand or see someone getting dropped off and asking if they do a meter. Many taxis are scammers overcharging you. Buses are annoying to have to figure out, so do this beforehand and consider that even booking a place near a major metro stop may not work out, check if it's operational before you book.

[Anonymous]

Don't worry about fashion in Europe, be comfy as you will be walking a lot. Teenagers especially are trying to look like American teenagers, young people fashions is not distinguishable from here. It's mainly middle aged to older crowd that dress slightly different from Americans. A lot of online advice telling you to dress a certain way to avoid looking like a tourist? Ignore it. you are going to a touristy place and everyone will know you are a tourist, there is no need to pretend. Being dressed elegantly isn't going to confuse anyone. Sneakers, sandals and slides and birkenstocks, all goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Food in Europe is overrated in sit down restaurants and expensive. Unless you are doing fine dining like Michelin star it's going to be overpriced for what you get and very meh. Reviews are not reliable, restaurants get guests to review them and happy drunk tourists are happy to oblige. Wine is not as expensive as here, so this explains the reviews Our best meals had been at take out places like sandwich or pasta shops and whatever we'd cook buying groceries. Most waterfront seafood restaurants in Mediterranean serve very similar things regardless of the country. I wouldn't know the diff eating grilled/fried seafood in Greece or Italy or France. Appetizers and some things are variations like pizza in Italy, tapas in France and gyros in Greece, these are better options IMHO than your branzino. Bread served in the restaurants is not fresh.

Overall, as much as we like to complain about food in the States it's way better IMO. More choices, more international cuisines, more diff tier places that are more consistent with what you pay for is what you get. There is junk food in Europe too, just avoid it everywhere.

Another tip about dining. It's touristy in touristy places and they do like fast turnaround unlike what you may read in travel blogs. Yes, the culture is that you can sit as long as you want and nobody will bring a check. Reality is that their service personnel is trained to remove your plates asap and keep asking about ordering more to keep sitting there even with you still eating and it's no diff than in the states. You will get your check fast too. We only had slow European service when traveling off season some time ago, we could not get our check. In the summer when tourist crowds are thick it's the opposite.