Travel Tips

Dealing with Flashers and Other Creeps on the Road

Posted on Feb 12, 2013 in Travel Tips | 30 comments

Dealing with Flashers and Other Creeps on the Road

 This post is graphic in nature, so please stop reading if you are a blood relative or I have babysat you. Thanks!

So in light of a recent incident here in France, I wanted to write about how to handle creeps both at home and abroad.

In short, last weekend a guy flashed me in the street and it really freaked me out.

It was six in the morning and I was walking home by myself in my safe, wealthy town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Granted it was late (or rather, early) but I was walking on a wide, well-lit, residential avenue, equipped with pepper spray. If you have to walk home alone, it should be like that.

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The Expat’s Guide to Opening a Bank Account in Europe

Posted on Nov 19, 2012 in All Posts, Travel Tips | 17 comments

The Expat’s Guide to Opening a Bank Account in Europe

As I recently discovered, European banking is completely different from U.S. banking. And while I have a Charles Schwabb debit card that allows me to pay abroad with no international transaction fees, I recently decided that I need a French bank account for a few reasons:

I am working as an au pair in Paris and need somewhere to deposit the money I am earning.

I need a card with a “chip” in it. (See the small silver box on the left side of the card below?) There are many places in Europe where you can’t swipe with your card (like the Paris métro for example), and must pay with a card that has a chip.

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Travel Credit and Debit Cards for Backpackers

Posted on Oct 23, 2012 in All Posts, Travel Tips | 17 comments

Travel Credit and Debit Cards for Backpackers

Next week I leave for France for more than nine months, and it’s high time I change my international money management strategy. For too long I have been the victim of budget-killing $5.00 international ATM fees and 3% foreign transaction fees- so I started doing some research to find the best travel credit cards out there.

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5 Creative Ways to Plan a Kick-ass Itinerary

Posted on Sep 15, 2012 in All Posts, Travel Tips | 2 comments

5 Creative Ways to Plan a Kick-ass Itinerary
Before leaving for a big trip, I like to do some preliminary research so that I know what might interest me in the area. This allows me to have a loose itinerary, as I already have an idea of what I might like.

Here are some of the ways I decide where to go in a new country.

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How to Drink Cheaply Abroad

Posted on Sep 8, 2012 in All Posts, Travel Tips | 2 comments

How to Drink Cheaply Abroad

Like food, partying can also break the bank. Here are some tips that can save you money.

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How to Couchsurf (And Why I Love It So Far)

Posted on Aug 31, 2012 in All Posts, Greece, Travel Tips | 10 comments

How to Couchsurf (And Why I Love It So Far)

This year for my 22nd birthday, I asked my parents for a trip to Greece. My parents were okay with paying for the flight as long as it was cheap- so off to Corfu I went for 130 euros.

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How to Pack for a Backpacking Trip

Posted on Aug 31, 2012 in All Posts, Travel Tips | 3 comments

How to Pack for a Backpacking Trip

Packing can be daunting when you’re carrying all of your belongings in a backpack.

The pack I use is the REI Women’s Ridgeline 65. It’s small enough to carry on a Ryanair flight, but big enough to store all that I need. It expands as well.

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How to Eat Cheaply Abroad

Posted on Aug 24, 2012 in All Posts, Travel Tips | 1 comment

How to Eat Cheaply Abroad

Eating is one of my absolute favorite activities while traveling. Some of my best travel memories are through food; whether it’s finishing dinner in France with a plate of oozing, raw-milk cheeses or devouring a fresh, cilantro-flecked ceviche in a Chilean seafood market, food ties you to a place in a way like no other.

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