I'm not a big shopper and haven't needed to do this yet, but my friend told me you can get back the VAT (tax) you pay for purchases in some parts of Europe, definitely London I think.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rental cars with automatic transmissions aren’t a given and usually come with a hefty upcharge if available.

This is one of the reasons I want my kids to learn how to drive a stick. DH thinks I’m being crazy.

I taught myself how to drive a stick at 16, it's easy to learn.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:-Amsterdam: you need to have your physical passport on you to rent a car, at least where we went.

-Don’t shave before going in the Dead Sea

-No clothing or shoes will fit you in Japan if you are bigger than a size small so make sure you pack what you need.

That third one is true in China also!

But in China you can get bespoke clothes made for you. In a few days!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:El Salvador -- everyone must pay USD $12 cash for a "tourist card" to get through customs. Don't forget to bring American dollars or you are stuck.

I seem to remember this in Guatemala too.

Out of date. No longer true.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish someone said the Grand Canyon is not kid friendly and pretty dangerous and it’s not that impressive in my opinion. I loved the arches at Utah but something about our Grabd Canyon trip was a bust.

Dangerous, how so? Thanks!

NP- A misstep on a trail and you are dead. You sit on a ledge and lose balance? You could be dead. It is a very dangerous place for small kids, you could not let a 2yo out of your sight for 2 seconds without them being at risk near the rim. I have vertigo so stayed on the paved biked trail and went viewpoint to viewpoint that way. I disagree about it not being impressive though, it is breathtaking, but the hiking is inherently dangerous.

Just the thought of taking a kid younger than like 8-10ish to the Grand Canyon and then expecting to do anything beyond the views around the visitor center (so no real hiking at all) is making me feel ill! It’s not a place for young kids at all.

I agree. My kids were 11 and 13 when we went and it was still terrifying. But we went in the winter and there was ice everywhere so that made it even scarier. I was a nervous wreck. This was on the South Rim and the only other time I had been to the GC was at the West Rim so we used the Skywalk (which, by the way, is insanely expensive and does not allow cameras).

Anonymous wrote:Rental cars with automatic transmissions aren’t a given and usually come with a hefty upcharge if available.

This is one of the reasons I want my kids to learn how to drive a stick. DH thinks I’m being crazy.

For countries like MX where you can't drink the water, is it safe to use it to wash your hands before eating? Can you use it to wash your hair?

I wear contacts and usually just wash my hands then pop my contacts in or out. How do people navigate that in MX? It's not like you can use hand sanitizer and do that without killing your eyeballs.

The water thing is actually good to know. I come from a country where you don’t drink the tap water, but brushing teeth, ice, and fresh produce are fine.

This worked out due to luck but could have been a PITA. Had a very early morning flight out of Venice on a Sunday morning and didn’t think through the logistics of getting to the airport. Venice has very few street lights and the ones they do have are pretty dim. A water taxi that the hotel called was our only transport option at that hour. We were lucky that our hotel was on the same block as a water taxi dock. Dragging our luggage in the dark to some other pick up location would have been a PITA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU EVER EAT REEF FISH IN THE CARIBBEAN.

This could save you many, maaaaany years of pain and suffering.

How about shellfish like lobster and crab?

Fine


Reef fish are landmines because they feed on reef Flora that build up toxins. You eat the fish and get the toxins that attack your nervous system. It causes decades of pain and suffering....all from a simple dinner meal. Lobster and crab don't feed on reef organisms.

Anonymous wrote:UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU EVER EAT REEF FISH IN THE CARIBBEAN.

This could save you many, maaaaany years of pain and suffering.

How about shellfish like lobster and crab?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That monkeys at Siam Reap are not cute and need to be avoided.

That the heat and humidity in Vietnam is so much worse than DC. Wear lightweight clothes.

That umbrellas don't work in Scotland. Bring a hooded rain jacket.

If you are traveling in a country where you can't drink the water, keep your mouth closed in the shower too.

Agree with all of these. Also, in a country where you can’t drink the tap water, you also shouldn’t brush your teeth with the tap water (because you’re lazy/thinking “oh it’s not that much water!”) Same with washing fruit. Do not ask me how I know.

+1 and also ice in your drinks.

That one got me last time!

Add fresh fruit to that, even if the resort says they have their own treated water.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU EVER EAT REEF FISH IN THE CARIBBEAN.

This could save you many, maaaaany years of pain and suffering.

Beware of street food in Thailand. Yes, it is the street food capital of the world, but you can get violently ill since it is so dirty and westerners simply don't have as strong of an immune system as Thais.

The secret is actually going to the malls in Thailand and pretty much all of Asia. Malls have insanely good and delicious eats on the cheaper end. They're much cleaner too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish someone said the Grand Canyon is not kid friendly and pretty dangerous and it’s not that impressive in my opinion. I loved the arches at Utah but something about our Grabd Canyon trip was a bust.

Dangerous, how so? Thanks!

NP- A misstep on a trail and you are dead. You sit on a ledge and lose balance? You could be dead. It is a very dangerous place for small kids, you could not let a 2yo out of your sight for 2 seconds without them being at risk near the rim. I have vertigo so stayed on the paved biked trail and went viewpoint to viewpoint that way. I disagree about it not being impressive though, it is breathtaking, but the hiking is inherently dangerous.

Just the thought of taking a kid younger than like 8-10ish to the Grand Canyon and then expecting to do anything beyond the views around the visitor center (so no real hiking at all) is making me feel ill! It’s not a place for young kids at all.