17 Ways to Be a Better Traveler In 2023
Plus some big life changes
Hello and happy new year! Hope you all had a nice holiday season and that 2023 is off to a good start.
Some life updates: We moved to Louisiana and I started a new job!
While I’m grateful for the flexibility and experiences that freelancing has given me over the past seven years, it’s a lot of hustle (and a lot of following up on payments, dealing with multiple editors, multiple HR departments, hoping editors look at your pitch, sending a million follow up emails about said pitches, etc.). I’m really looking forward to working in a newsroom, for one publication, with coworkers!
But don’t worry. I have a few fun weekend trips on the books, and hope you’re ready to explore some of the South with me. I also have Ghana, Greece, Turkey, and other posts I never got to last year. So the travel content isn’t going anywhere.
Last time, paid subscribers got a list of my favorite Chicago restaurants and heard from sommeliers around Chicago about where and what to drink.
And with that, let’s get to it!
How to Be a Better Traveler In 2023
Get TSA Pre-Check: I did this at the end of last year and cannot believe I hadn’t done it sooner. It was one of the fastest government processes I’ve ever completed and will save hours in security lines over the next five years. Most travel credit cards and some employers cover the cost.
Vow to go carry-on: There are many reasons to opt for only a carry-on, from a speedy airport exit to not having to wait for bags to lugging less around the world. But the recent Southwest debacle, where thousands of flights were canceled and therefore thousands of pieces of luggage were left sitting in airports, seals it.
Don’t be ignorant: Imagine if someone came to the U.S. and didn’t know who our president was. You’d be kind of shocked, right? Yet Americans visit other countries all the time without this basic knowledge. For some reason, people do hours of research about what to see and eat, but fail to read about how a country runs. They’ll know tons about Italian history, for example, but nothing about issues Italians face today. So do some reading about the current leadership and issues before you go, even if it’s just a few news articles. It will go a long way in providing context while you’re there and give you something to chat about with your taxi drivers.
Do your research, but be open to alternatives: Of course you need to do your research before you travel. Do you need a visa? Are the museums open on the days you plan to visit them? Do you need reservations at the restaurant you’re dying to try? Is it best to take a train or drive between cities? But you should also leave a day or two open to wander, to try a restaurant you walk by that’s not on your list, to go with a recommendation from someone you’ve just met on the trip, etc.
Google Maps is your friend: I spent months traveling around Asia and the Middle East after college, before having a phone that worked abroad. Now I’m so used to using Google Maps it’s hard to fathom wandering around foreign cities without it. But aside from the directions, Google Maps is great for finding restaurants. Nathan is the king of this. He’ll spend hours before a trip zooming in on the map and clicking on restaurants and bars, and saving the ones that look good. No food publication has covered every restaurant, so no matter how many ‘where to eat’ lists you read you’re sure to miss great places. This is how we’ve found some of the cutest spots and had some of the best meals of our lives. It’s also great for finding pretty courtyards, less written about attractions, etc. This helps you orient yourself and plan your days. If you have everything saved on the map, you can see which things are clumped together and make sense to do on the same day. And if you finish touring a museum or something and find yourself unexpectedly hungry or needing a coffee, you can pull up your map and see what you have saved nearby.
Remember that Uber exists: Uber operates in 85 countries, and in most places is cheaper than in the U.S. The invention of Uber has been an absolute game changer for getting around countries where you don’t speak the language, and for feeling safe traveling alone as a woman. Sure, most taxi drivers will understand major destinations like the Taj Mahal or recognizable chain hotel names. But if you have a cool wine bar on your list and can’t communicate how to get there, Uber is your best friend. In Mexico for a cousin’s wedding, my aunts were worried about how to get a taxi or arrange private transport from the airport. They were surprised to learn they could use Uber, which works abroad the exact same way it does at home. It’s been invaluable to me in India, Ghana, France, you name it. I also like that the trip is tracked and that rideshare apps have safety tools. Some countries have their own versions of Uber, so do some research. In much of the Middle East its Careem, in Thailand its Grab, for example.
Get an international phone plan: Of course, for Google Maps, Google Translate, and Uber to be helpful, you need a working phone. I have T-Mobile, which has unlimited data around the world and at home for about $110 per month. I’ve thought about switching to Google Fi, which also works everywhere. If you have Verizon or ATT, turn on your international roaming for $10/day or whatever it is. But if you travel a lot, that’s really not the best option. You can also get an eSIM from US Cellular for use during your trip, which is probably the most affordable option if you have Verizon or ATT. (But you need an unlocked phone. More on how insane U.S. phone plans are in a later post.)
Make lemonade: Inevitably, something will go wrong on a trip, and the more you travel the more opportunities there are for things to go awry. Whether it’s a flight cancellation, getting sick, or any number of things, it happens. I cannot count the number of times something has gone wrong on a trip, but more often than not, embracing it makes it better. In Puglia, wineries were not open the hours they said they were, and their websites were maddeningly out of date. It turned out better. In Indonesia, the bus never came when it said it would, so my friend Brianna walked along the side of the road until we came to a police station, where the officers gave us one of the best meals of the trip and drove us home. Sometimes there isn’t really an upside, but you have to laugh, like when Brianna and I got bed bugs in Malaysia, or Nathan and I got a flat tire on the edge of a cliff in Georgia, or when my brother Robert and I almost had to spend the night on a bench in The Netherlands because hotels were shockingly expensive and booked. There was nothing good about these situations, but I was lucky to have travel partners who, like me, found them hilarious. And now they’re funny memories instead of something bad that happened on vacation.
Get a travel credit card: This is one of the fastest ways to rack up airline miles and free flights. If you fly one airline, consider that airline’s credit card. Otherwise, the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital X Venture card are great for getting points across airlines and redeeming them for flights, hotels, rental cars, etc.
Find a good food tour: You’re never going to be an expert on everywhere and every type of food. Food tours are a good way to get an overview of the must-eats in a place while taking a tour of the city. You can make your own food tour, but I think it’s better to go with an expert who can tell you about what you’re eating, add context, answer your questions, or translate your questions to the chef/food stall owner/barista/etc.
Hotels > Airbnb (sometimes): If I’m staying somewhere more than three nights, I’ll book an Airbnb for access to a kitchen and work space. But weekend trips are for hotels. There’s no wasting time coordinating with the host, you can check in at any time of day or night, hotels are usually more comfortable, and with outrageous Airbnb cleaning fees of late, hotels are often actually cheaper. That wasn’t the case a few years ago. I will always love Airbnb for keeping me afloat during my early freelance days and do still like the feel of living in an apartment in a foreign city on longer trips.
Buy a neck pillow for long flights: They’re bulky and annoying to carry around. They look kind of ridiculous. They’re also life changing on long flights. I finally caved and got one before going to Ghana and it was a game changer. I probably won’t bring it for anything under six hours, but if you need to sleep and arrive refreshed, it really does help. I got this one and it works just fine.
Talk to bartenders: Getting advice from a “local” doesn’t always guarantee good results. Think about people where you live. Does every random person the street know the best places to eat and drink? The trick is finding the right locals. I wrote about this for the New York Times.
Read books about the place you’re going: I love reading novels set wherever I’m traveling. Historical fiction, romance, whatever. I also love reading non-fiction books about any major events or issues. Need book recommendations about somewhere you’re visiting? Email me!
Have an airplane kit in your bag: A few things you’ll find within easy reach of my seat: my glasses (contacts come out during departure), an extra pair of contacts (to put in before landing), a travel toothbrush, hand lotion, an eye mask, jet lag face cream, lip balm, a scarf/wrap.
Be nice!! Around the world, too many people think all Americans are ignorant and loud. So be nice, tip well, be informed, stay curious and ask questions, try all the foods, and do what you can to combat that stereotype. Please, lol.
Travel for the Food
I’m learning all about king cake and crawfish and po’ boys and gumbo down here in Louisiana. More on this soon but right now I do not feel at all qualified to tell you about it.
Weekend Reading
If you read one thing this weekend
This three-course meal can’t get much easier
How Jell-O lost its spot as America’s number one dessert
What makes a dive bar a dive bar?
Who gets to tell the story of ancient Egypt?
What kind of man was Anthony Bourdain?
AMA with Scott of Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)
Other Things
Listen: This podcast on the history and scandals of Chippendale’s is highly entertaining.
Snack: These Frank’s Red Hot Goldfish are perfect.
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–Rebecca 💛
Congratulations on your move and your news!