Rapid Travel Chai: International Travel Bootcamp - FTU DC 2013

If your aspiration is a lie-flat bed
you can always stay at home

International Travel Bootcamp
Stefan Krasowski
Rapid Travel Chai
Travel Fast and Smart…Linger Only in Memories

Itinerary
How I travel
Planning
Miles and Points Beyond the Same Old, Same Old
Tips
Would You Go To…
A Few of My Favorites
Bonus: North Korea Q&A
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Who am I?
I lived in China for 8 years
I work in international business
My wife is a ‘good sport’…sometimes
I plan obsessively
I travel fast
I come back exhausted

Friday : leave work at 5, Atlanta to Dubai nonstop
Saturday: arrive 8 pm, drive to Abu Dhabi, bed at midnight
Sunday: drive to all 7 Emirates (541 miles) , 8 pm flight
Monday: arrive 6:30 am, drive to office
7 Emirates, 24 Hours

Tunisia Roadtrip (4 Days)
1 Tunis
2 Carthage
3 Kerkuane4 Dougga
11, 12 Jerba
6 El-Jem
7, 8 Tozeur
9 Matmata
10 Tataouine
5 Kairouan

Planning

Is your goal the award or the destination?
Award the goal:
Major cities and tourist destinations
Focus on glitzy flights and chain hotels
Can lower out of pocket cost
(if pretzels in the lounge = dinner)
Destination the goal:
The world is open to you
Miles and points do a lot…but not everything
Some destinations unavoidably expensive

Air
Wikipedia’s airport and airline pages
Air Pass hassle
Budget airlines: skyscanner.com and whichbudget.com
Hard to book airlines: lastminute.co.uk and travel agents

Rail
Great in East Asia and Europe
Advance bookings can be difficult and deceptive
(RailEurope vs SCNF)
Research the heck out of rail passes
Overnight trains save time, save hotel

Bus
Business class services in South America
Beware the near empty bus that is ‘leaving soon’
Your stuff will be either with you or with someone else
Eat gummies on long rides

Taxis
Hail taxis that are moving
Taxis for day trips
India’s airport prepaid taxis

Driving
Exhilarating or stressful? (mind the backseat drivers)
Driving on the left is surprisingly easy
Driving a manual on steep streets is
unsurprisingly hard
IDP is often technically required,
seldom checked
Taking in hitchhikers?
If the car goes kaput…

Rental cars
Can be the most economical option
Best US booking tools limited overseas – try AutoEurope
Beware ridiculous mileage limitations – try 3rd-party
Beware toll pass, required/‘required’ insurance, other
gotchas (Avis/Budget fx fee scam, anything Dollar/Thrifty)
The ‘i’ countries
Where’s the Executive Aisle?

Hotels
Don’t stress – too many options to make a perfect choice
trip advisor – brainstorming , verifying, ‘sandwich rule’
booking.com, hotels.com, and local sites (zuji.com in Asia)
Mom & Pops are genuine (and that can mean many things)
Don’t be afraid to walk-up

Miles and points beyond the
same old, same old

What’s a good flight award?
It’s not just about long-haul
Short, expensive flights are great awards
Africa, Pacific, South America flights – few alternatives
to pricey flights

Some offbeat flight awards
Star Alliance:
Copa in Central America
Ethiopian and South African for Africa
Avianca Taca for northern South America, Tam for Brazil while still in Star
Turkish Airlines for Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Africa
OneWorld:
Avios for Australia (Qantas), Europe (Iberia and Vueling),
Russia (S7), southern South America (LAN)
SkyTeam:
Tarom for Eastern Europe
AeroMexico for Central America and even Europe and Asia
China Eastern + China Southern for trips around Asia, especially Central Asia
Delta + Air France to Europe via Dominican Republic or Haiti
Delta seasonal JFK flight to Prince Edward Island, Canada

Hotel awards
Expand to Intercontinental, Carlson, Best Western, Choice Hotels
International locations often much better than US
You can still earn airline miles at many local hotels –
Delta alone partners with 31 hotel groups
In small towns you’ll often pay for rooms and love it – try B&Bs!

Elite status
Carry all your frequent flyer cards
Carry hard copies of key benefits
Expect disappointment…and pleasant surprises
‘Easy Come, Easy Go’

Tips

Passports (for US citizens)
Get the large passport book
Get a passport card for land & sea & backup ID
Enroll in Global Entry/NEXUS/SENTRI and
add to airline profiles for TSA PreCheck
Scans and copies

Visas (for US Citizens)
166 countries Visa Free or Visa on Arrival
Sources: Henley & Partners, Wikipedia

Visas (for US Citizens)
Information online is often wrong
travel.state.gov
Beware rules to apply only in
country of residency (Russia, Nigeria)
Permits – when the visa is just the start
(India’s Protected Area Permits and Restricted Area Permits)
10-year India and 3-year Russia tourist visas available
Must pay Argentina reciprocity fee online in advance
Yes, you need a visa for Australia – eta.immi.gov.au

Money
Cash is still king – be like a first date, crisp and clean
Schwab debit card
Carry a cheat sheet of fx rates
Chip and Signature cards more convenient than no chip
Chip and Pin cards worth for heavy Europe travelers –
Andrews Federal Credit Union GlobeTrek Visa® Rewards

Handy credit card benefits
Citi ThankYou – worldwide auto rental CDW,
even the ‘i’ countries
Chase – several cards have trip delay coverage
Diner’s Club – lounge access, airport shuttles in Brazil
Discover – accepted all over China via UnionPay
Many international airlines have US credit cards…
but the cards usually suck

Tech
Get a VPN – WiTopia
Encrypt your computer – TrueCrypt
Prepare to be offline – Google Maps App offline maps
Unlocked phone + local SIM card

Insurance
Insure yourself, your trip, or your stuff?
Annual or per trip?
Credit cards often insure your trip and your stuff
I insure myself – GeoBlue Trekker Choice annual plan
insubuy.com , travelinsurancecenter.com

Health
See a travel nurse – plan ahead for vaccines
Carry International Certificate of Vaccination
Yellow Fever vaccine requirements
Malaria pill tradeoffs
Know generic names of meds
cdc.gov/travel

Safety
The Rapid Travel Chai ‘3 Ds’ of Travel Safety
Don’t be:
Drunk
Drugged
Debauched
Especially when you don’t speak the
language or know the legal system

Luggage
Backpack = maximum flexibility, bag never leaves you
Wheeled = less flexibility, sometimes more comfort
Convertible = good at nothing
Checked luggage = asking for trouble

Packing
Go to onebag.com
Unless you are going to the moon, you are not going to
the moon

Would you go to…

Would you go to…(the basics)
Go/no go ethical dilemma
Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum for research
Risk is an individual determination
Government ≠ People
Mind local customs but don’t get obsessed
Don’t wear shorts or sleeveless shirts

Would you go to…Dictatorships
Often safe for tourists that follow the rules
Covert journalists, missionaries, aid workers, etc beware
Requirements to book with approved travel agents
Ideas:
North Korea – like being on another planet
Turkmenistan – megalomania to the max
Zimbabwe – Victoria Falls is spectacular
Disclaimer: these are broad stereotypes, every country and trip should be individually considered

Would you go to…Muslim countries
(if you are non-Muslim)
Wide diversity
Follow the rules
Women get lots of attention
Israeli stamps in passports?
Ideas:
Tunisia – Ancient Rome and Star Wars
Borneo – cultural and biodiversity in 3 countries
Saudi Arabia by transit visa – stay tuned!
Disclaimer: these are broad stereotypes, every country and trip should be individually considered,
‘Muslim countries’ defined as countries with majority Muslim populations

Would you go to…high crime countries
Get out to the countryside
Avoid drug traffic routes
Daylight is your friend
Party somewhere else
Ideas:
Mexico – Yucatán has everything but drug traffic
Venezuela – Angel Falls and the Roraima
South Africa – safaris and country towns

Would you go to…‘failed states’
Lack of government vs lack of safety
Armored car approach vs low key
Know your contingencies
Read “Little Bunch of Madmen” by Mort Rosenblum
Ideas:
Haiti – rebirth on top of rubble
Bangladesh – 24x7 sensory overload
Nepal – tourism keeps humming along
Disclaimer: these are broad stereotypes, every country and trip should be individually considered,
‘failed states’ is a nebulous term, see the annual Foreign Policy Failed States Index

Would you go to…conflict zones
What is your motivation?
Will you endanger yourself or others?
Widespread vs localized conflict
Ideas:
Iraqi Kurdistan (I have not yet visited)

A few of my favorites
(that you may not have considered)

North America:
Prince Edward Island – Anne of Green
Gables and church lobster dinners
Mexico City – food, museums
Caribbean-ish:
Haiti – the great citadel of the Americas
in Cap Haïtien and Port-au-Prince reborn

Central America:
Nicaragua – volcanoes galore
South America:
Bolivia – arsenic lake at 14,000 ft
Venezuela – inspired film UP

Europe:
Georgia – heart attack-inducing food
Bulgaria – Sofia and Rila Monastery
Middle East:
Iran – confounds expectations
Africa:
Tunisia – Ancient Rome and Star Wars
Namibia – #1 on my travel list

East Asia:
Japan – so aesthetic
China – every province like a country
Central Asia:
The ‘stans – collect ‘em all!
South Asia:
Bhutan – Shangri-La
Sri Lanka – so varied, so compact

Southeast Asia:
Thailand – exotic Asia turned up to 11
Pacific Ocean:
Palau & Peleliu – Rock Islands and WWII
Solomon Islands – WWII
Tasmania – a lot in a little package

You have the tools
You have the opportunity
You are the travel 0.001%
What will you do?

Thank You
stefan@rapidtravelchai.com
@rapidtravelchai
facebook.com/rapidtravelchai
flickr.com/photos/rapidtravelchai
rapidtravelchai.com

Rapid Travel Chai: International Travel Bootcamp - FTU DC 2013

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Rapid Travel Chai: International Travel Bootcamp - FTU DC 2013