the demanding traveler

photos and travels

  • About this blog
  • Tips of the month
  • Photo
    • Photo equipment review
    • Bags of all kinds
  • Travel
    • Travel tips
    • Travel gear
    • Special eating places & other food tips
    • Hotel & Accommodation
  • Rants & raves
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Archives for Travel / Travel tips

Traveling smart ALSO means changing smart

30 April 2015 by Harold Glit

blog7067

When traveling overseas something that never ceases to surprise me is how unwisely people change their money for the local currency. To my surprise, this is often true for travelers who are on a budget : They carefully look for reasonably-priced accommodation, are cautious when selecting a restaurant but, strangely enough, do not seem to apply the same level of scrutiny when buying local money. This is too bad because some savings can be made and is still a domain where some basic rules apply. Let’s review some of those rules :
1/ Avoid changing money at the last moment when you have zero currencies left. Instead try to shop around. This is easier in large cities as exchange offices tend to be grouped together in the downtown section or in tourists areas. Usually the largest, most luxurious offices are the ones you want to avoid. More often than not you get the best exchange rates in the “tiny-tiny one-person” operations.
2/ In the same vein avoid changing your money upon arrival at the airport. The exchange rate is never good and only change a small amount for transportation from your place of arrival or when you arrive at a time when everything is closed.
3/ NO Western Union. Western union gained recognition as one place where you could send money to friends and family overseas. I do not do that so it may still very well be a very good choice for that. For buying local currencies however it is a no-brainer. In my 25 years of traveling all over the world I have NEVER found one instance when Western Union had the best exchange rate. In fact, when visiting large cities it is now often that WU is the absolute worst choice. Let me give you a recent example : In my  trip to Poland earlier this month, I exchanged money for the local polish currency (zlotys) in both Krakow and Warsaw. Comparing the WU exchange rates with three or four other foreign currency exchange offices, the difference was between 25 and 27 percent higher !!!. This is a HUGE difference especially if you change money for the duration of your stay. In my case I calculated that, had i used WU in the three instances when I bought the local currency it would have costed me the equivalent of TWO hotel nights in Krakow or more than 50%of the total cost of all my lunches during my 8 days stay in Poland !!!
Of course,there might be some instances when you do not have a choice of exchange offices (like in some remote locations in Asia or Africa for example). But for those traveling in Europe or other developed touristy places, you should always find several options.
4/ Finally, don’t be a “typical tourist” and pay NO attention to the “zero commission ” sign that you see nowadays in most currency exchange places.Yes, you read me correctly ! When you change your own currency against the local one, the ONLY THING that matters is how much you get in the end .Whether they bill a commission, a fee or just include all of their margins in the rate, at the end of the day, only the amount you get is important, not the name attached to it.In fact charging a small commission makes sense since it is a way for an exchange office to discourage people from changing tiny amounts and depriving in the process their biggest clients to get money in small notes. Indeed, regardless of the currency,  getting your local currency only in BIG  notes (equivalent to $50 notes (or more)) to pay for local transportation, meals  in poor countries is never practical.

And as already mentioned in this blog , NEVER keep your money in only ONE place.

Safe travels !

Filed Under: Tips of the month, Travel, Travel tips

Some useful tips for photographers regarding the Carnival in Venice

21 February 2015 by Harold Glit

venice0019

Each year around the world the period around Mardi Gras sees what seems the endless list of Carnivals and festivals around the world. Some of those carnivals in Europe have been organized for decades. Each of these events have some different layouts . Some of them are March in the streets where one often has to stay behind barricades, some better seem from above …All of them have something in common . Bigs crowds of people wanting to make pictures of the participants and their costumes. Having shot professionally the Venice carnival three times over a period covering two decades , I thought it might be useful for photographers who are planning to cover this event in the future to read some of my advice to avoid some major hindrance when shooting the event. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind for a photographer covering the event : [Read more…]

Filed Under: Photo, Travel tips

One week in Venice .. how to make the best of it ?

19 February 2015 by Harold Glit

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Yesterday , I just came back from a week trip to cover this year Venice ‘s carnival. As a photographer , I always have had a special interest for carnivals , festivals or people in costumes in general. This was my third time at the Venice Carnival over a period of 25 years. Not surprisingly , one of the first thing that comes to mind is how much the event has changed over that period. Even die-hard fans would have to admit that the carnival has become much more  “commercial”. This include large podium stands with loud music on Piazza san Marco, more souvenir shops and some disastrous effects of ” tourism de masse”. That being said , this period of the carnival still remains a wonderful opportunity for people to discover this very special town. For photographers, it still offers great photographic opportunities as long as one is clear about certain factors.
It is also worth noting that Venice is one of these places in Europe which is so popular that it is busy with tourists pretty much all-year round ( very much like Prague or Paris to name a few). In order to make the best of  your visit to Venice, I thought I would share some advice : [Read more…]

Filed Under: Travel, Travel tips

[updated] 10 things to keep in mind as a smart traveler

6 February 2015 by Harold Glit

1/Get ready for the unexpected with extra time
Always allow for extra time to account for the unexpected at the airports and other places of transportation
Traveling should be as much fun as possible : running through the aisles of an airport, or panicking to find the right track for your train, are never fun. When you are to embark on a trip (plane , train, car) make sure you account for extra time to account for the unexpected small delays ( Nothing you can do about BIG delays).

2/Traveling by plane : Seat assignment
I am always surprised by the number of people who wait until check-in to get a seat assigned when traveling on a long distance flight.
There is absolutely NO reason not to get a seat assignment on a plane as early as the airline allow it . All INTERNATIONAL air travel allow this and most domestic airlines as well ( although some won’t let you do it when you purchase the ticket and / or charge you a fee to do this)(see my Rants & Raves section)

3/Traveling in warm climates : Leave your cotton clothing home
When traveling in hot weather, remember that Cotton is your enemy. Prefer wool for your socks and nylon/synthetic materials for your shirt and underwear. Contrary to popular belief , wool (chiefly high quality Merino wool) is a total must for any serious walking or hiking when traveling regardless of the temperature.

4/Bring essentials medicines
Nobody likes to get sick regardless of the place but getting sick when traveling is worse.You won’t have access to your own doctor and depending on your location, medicines can be hard to find and/or expensive. Being a smart traveler means you must bring your medication (if you are on some) and your favorite pills for pain relief, upset stomach, and allergy relief

5/Do not forget the bag in the bag
As you know , I always advise people to travel light, with only small carry-on whenever possible. But there are of course many of us who want to bring back some stuff you bought locally ( maybe some local crafts as souvenirs for your friends/and or family. Obviously you can bring a larger bag with some empty space but I would advise you to get one of those packable duffles that takes no room ( and weighs practically nothing) in the luggage.This option also allows you to pack for a two day trip when you are traveling from a location where you stay a few days

6/Cash in more than one place
This one seems self-explanatory enough but I cannot count how many stories I have heard or read about travelers losing all their cash at some point during one of their trips. A smart traveler would always have a small amount of cash tucked away from its body in an envelope (enough to make a phone call, get a taxi back to your hotel, give to someone who is trying to rob you…).
Depending on your situation, in 99% of the cases,the bigger amount of cash should be on your person or in a secure place somewhere. (hotel safe , in a locked bag…). Another thing to keep in mind. Of all the places to carry cash, having your wallet in the back pocket of your pants is the absolute worst choice.

7/Extra copies of your id documents
I will make this one very simple: you should NEVER travel without carrying, in some kind of sleeve or envelop, a color copy of your all important ID’s (passport, driving license, visas, national id). Losing its id when traveling is always a hassle but if you have copies to show it will make the process of coming back home A LOT smoother.
This also allows you to have id on your when some less formal ID check is required ( like payment in some stores ) and if you prefer not to carry your passport on you. As for me, I have a scanned color copies of all my ID on my I-pad mini AND a printed color copy in an easy-to-spot colored plastic sleeve.

8/Electricity is key
Nowadays international travelers tend to be cable carriers : Cable for the phone , for the computer and/or the tablet for your camera(s), (extra cable, no check in for batteries or cables).
Unless you work with a full manual film camera, cameras are very energy dependent. There is nothing worse that being unable to make a picture of a special place or moment because your camera is out of power. If you are careless enough to travel with only ONE battery, you have no one but yourself to blame.
Please also keep in mind, it is now prohibited to put any batteries with your checked luggage. They must be with your carry-on. There are even several legal limits for batteries when flying in the USA but fortunately I have never seen those enforced anywhere

9/Avoid bringing a brand new camera on an important trip
If you are serious about Photography or just embarking on a trip of a lifetime , you should not rely just on your phone to make pictures while traveling. And even if you are an experienced photographer, you always want to avoid getting a brand new camera just before a BIG trip. Nowadays, digital cameras tend to have a very different user interface and button layout depending on the brand you select.You do not want to be fiddling with the buttons or looking for that special feature you need in the menu when the kids(spouse, significant other, check which applies) are posing in front of that specific site you want to immortalize while the light is just right

10/Back up, back up ( chargers, sd cards)
Outside the necessary extra batteries , there are other things to consider taking in double. If you are a photographer on assignment or a one in a lifetime make sure you bring enough cards ( cards can fail) and an extra charger for your main camera . This would also you to recharge faster for the next day.

Filed Under: Travel, Travel tips

The bag inside your bag

6 October 2014 by Harold Glit

Bag

One of the basic rules of traveling light is to have a piece of luggage for just what you need on your trip. But there are instances when you have extra stuff to bring back on your return journey (like maybe some large textiles from the local craft markets, some large gifts for your friends…). Of course, you could take with you a half empty luggage (especially if you have an idea of the size and weight of the extra stuff you intend to travel back with) but it is an unnecessary hassle, and exposes you to potential luggage fees or difficulties to find room for your luggage in the train, bus, plane…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Travel, Travel tips

Le Daylight Studio

Please visit my new website by clicking on the logo below:

Our photography partners

Useful links

Harold Glit Photography
Le Daylight Studio
Harold Glit on ModelMayhem

Archives

  • August 2017
  • April 2017
  • January 2017
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014

Copyright © 2014-2022 · Harold Glit Photography

Created by GDIDweb · Based on Wordpress
and the Genesis Framework