Who We Are (and Why We Go)

How do I use my phone without running up a terrible bill?

Put your phone on airplane mode and leave it that way. Download the WhatsAppapp and set up an account before you leave home. Find a WiFi signal. Now your phone works and it’s free. If you aren’t a WiFi expert already, get a teenager to teach you.

What’s your favorite place to go?

Different places offer different rewards. So the answer is different when divided up into: favorite place for what? For food, go to Italy. For adventure, go on Safari. For history, Egypt. For peace, Cabo San Lucas during whale season--but not downtown. My best outrageous restaurant/bar recommendation is The Office in Cabo. In New York City, I always get one meal at Becco. Both of those require reservations—well in advance.

What should I pack?

Less than you think. Try to never check a bag—it will get lost. Travel with a four-wheel rollaboard and a backpack. Once they are full, that’s all you need.

When is the best time to go?

Next week sounds good. Each place has a high season and a low season. Avoid both. Go during “shoulder” season instead.

Is business class worth it?

For a trip of over five hours, absolutely. A lie-flat bed on an airplane is one of life’s great innovations. For best results, look for flights that give you enough time to get a solid six or more hours of sleep.

How do you deal with jet lag?

Just as soon as I clear security at my departure airport, I set my watch for the time at my destination. If it is time to go to sleep there, I try to go to sleep. If it is time to get up, I try to stay awake. Losing half of your first couple of days at a far-off destination is a waste of experiences. Get on local time just as soon as you can. If possible, start edging toward destination time a couple of days before you depart.

Should I eat the airline food and drink their free business class booze?

Absolutely not. Eat before you board the aircraft and skip the food. Go to sleep. Don’t drink. Alcohol at 35,000 feet is a mistake. Save your imbibing time for after you arrive at wherever you are going.

I don’t sleep well on the plane. What should I do?

Buy some noise canceling earbuds. I use Apple’s Earbuds Pro. If you’re flying business class, they will likely give you a sleep mask. Or, you can bring your own. Some international carriers will give you pajamas. While everyone is boarding, slip into the toilet and put them on. That way, once you are wheels up, you can recline your seat and go to sleep.

What if they lose my luggage?

If you are an iPhone user, buy Apple’s AirTags. A package of four can be had for as little as $80.00. Make sure to change the batteries once a year. A dead AirTag battery renders your investment useless. If you don’t get fast and effective assistance from the airline baggage service people post a complaint on your favorite social media site. They respond faster that way. Don’t put the AirTag in an AirTag holder on the outside of your bag. Hide it inside the bag. We have AirTags in every bag, carry on or checked and in our automobiles. If I had a dog, it would have one on its collar. I’m an AirTag fan.

Is it safe there?

Go to travel.state.gov to find out the latest information. No matter how safe it is, I carry my laptop inside a “Faraday” bag to make sure nobody near me can track or hack me. I have the same sleeves for my phone and my passport and they stay in those sleeves when I’m not using them.

Can I speed up customs & Immigration coming home?

Absolutely. Get Global Entry. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler- programs/global-entry/how-apply Check your credit cards—one of them will probably reimburse you for the cost. Trusted Traveler is included with Global Entry.

Should I get travel insurance?

I travel a lot so I buy an AllTrips Executive Plan through Allyz by Allianz. It covers every trip I take for a full year. Check your credit cards—one of them may have travel insurance of some type included. It probably won’t be as good as Allyz but it may be good enough; that depends on the trip you’re taking.

Got any other tips?

Yes. Lots. Buy a cheap collapsable backpack that you can roll up and stick in your regular backpack or carry-on bag. It will come in handy for outings when you are at your destination and don’t want to carry your big backpack around. You don’t need a flashlight—you’ve got your phone.

Electricity?

Check online in advance to see if you need a special adapter. Buy a couple on Amazon. You’ll want to be able to charge your phone and/or laptop or iPad.

What apps should I have on my phone?

Download the apps for the airline(s) you’ll be flying, the hotel chain(s) where you’ll be staying, the car rental agency you’ll be using, the cruise line you’ll be on, both Uber and Lyft (and set up accounts), the inRoute app and maybe even Flight Tracker. They may be just what you need in a crunch.

What about carrying cash?

A couple of weeks before your trip, go to your bank and ask them for a “Strap” of new, uncirculated one-dollar bills and another of five-dollar bills. That will be $100 in ones and $500 in fives. They may have to order them from the Fed. New bills are wonderful everywhere; used bills will get rejected in many third-world countries if they are torn, if somebody got some ink on the corner or if they are very wrinkled. I’ve never been anywhere that a few of those didn’t work for whatever I needed. Credit cards will probably work everywhere you go. Do not take more than two credit cards—make sure one of them is the one you used for your plane ticket and hotel reservations.

Any airport ideas?

Again, check your credit cards. See which one gives you a free Priority Pass Lounge pass. Download the app and enjoy a quiet place to wait for your flight—for free.

What’s the best seat on the aircraft I’ll be flying on?

Before you buy your plane ticket, download the SeatGuru app. Enter your airline, date of travel and flight number. You’ll find the best (and worst) seats right there.

Maps?

I have downloaded the Google Maps app, the iPhone map app and MAPS.ME.

What should I do to better plan my trip?

Get on YouTube and search for your destination. Everybody and their cousin is posting advice there. Some of those videos are quite good. Spend an hour in front of your television.

What if I lose my passport?

First, guard that passport with your life. Don’t lose it. But, if you did lose it, you’ll thank me if, before you left, you took a photocopy of the picture page and of the page containing any visas you got in advance of your trip. Also, carry a couple of extra photos like the one you used to apply for your passport in the first place. I also carry a photocopy of the front and back of my credit cards, home state driver’s license, birth certificate, insurance cards, prescription drug list, etc. Make two sets. Put one set in a plastic sleeve and tuck it into some zippered obscure pocket of your backpack and hide the other into your bag. Just in case.

What should I leave at home?

Where are you going? Do you really need your Rolex and diamonds—do you even need to wear your wedding ring? If you’re going on a six-star cruise ship—take all that stuff. If you’re going on safari, leave it at home.

How much clothing should I pack?

Lay out what you think you’ll need. Then put half of it back in the closet.

How do I stay organized?

I use Outlook for mail and calendar on my iPhone. Complete information on every flight, hotel reservation, car rental or theatre ticket is exhaustively documented in the Outlook calendar. On the photos app, I have pictures of my passport, driver’s license, birth certificate, U.S. Army discharge papers, insurance cards, prescription bottle labels, car license plates, etc. If I’m going somewhere where I’ll need it, I also have a copy of my vaccinations—yellow fever, typhoid, MMR, OPV, Tetanus-diptheria, Hepatitis B… well, you get the idea. Just in case, her phone has all of my stuff and I have all of her stuff on mine. Phones get lost or broken.