Tricks and Tips to get the most our of your travel experience

Whether you're new to travel or have been on the road for years, I'll share with you some practical tricks and tips to get the most out of your time off.

Using my first ever Greek adventure as a backdrop, I'll help you gain an understanding of how to maximize your travel experience, whether your traveling 200 miles from home or 5,000.

Discover 4 ways to get the most out of a trip and create memories to last a lifetime.

I'll share with you some funny, and sometimes scary, stories of Duncan's and my first adventure abroad.  It was a great way for us to get a better understanding of the world beyond our front door and break out of our comfort zone.  If we could do it, you can too.

I've also posted a companion photo album to go along with this episode on the Explorations All Over Faacebook page.  It's a fun way to actually SEE what I'm talking about.

Find out about upcoming subscriber only content including exclusive interviews with travel professionals and a series called "Far Flung Destinations".

Chapters

• 1:21 Dive into the local history and culture
• 5:24 Be curious, ask questions - get excited!
• 10:46 Cheers! A Funny Story
• 14:39 All Aboard!
• 23:20 Go local and expect the unexpected: an epilogue
• 32:47 Practical tips

Transcript

Tricks and tips to get the most out of your vacation

Hi.  I’m Russ.  Welcome to Explorations All Over.

If this is your first time listening, I’m glad you’re here.  If not, welcome back.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast by clicking the subscribe button.  I’ve also posted a bunch of great photos that go along with this episode on the Explorations All Over Facebook page.  Check them out and don’t forget to follow and like the page when you’re there.

Regardless of whether you’re traveling 200 miles from home or 5,000 what planning should you do before you even leave the front door?  After you’ve arrived, what can you do to make the most of your time there and create memories that will last a lifetime?  I’m going to discuss some common sense tips to maximize your valuable, and well earned, time off.   Duncan’s and my first trip to Greece, which I began telling you about in the last episode, will provide practical, real-life example to illustrate how to get the most out of your trip and offer some tips and suggestions to maximize your travel experience.

OK.  So let’s get back to it!

We had our first day in Athens and it was astounding; seeing all these places that are thousands of years old.  We stopped at every site, the Parthenon, the temple of Hephaestus, the first Olympic arena and so much more.  It was overwhelming.   We did our research and booked the tour we were on because of the places we would see.  But when you book a vacation, whether on your own or through a travel agent, make sure to understand “the program”, the itinerary, the schedule.  Booking yourself, you can select a cruise and/or tour that looks interesting and most will tell you what time the cruise arrives in each port and departs or what time the tour starts and what time it ends.  Make sure that works in your schedule.  For example: you don’t want to book a tour or even something as simple as a day at the beach on the same day you have theater tickets or a special dinner reservation that won’t leave you enough time to get back and get ready.

We knew what we were getting into and Nani, our guide, made sure the group knew each evening what was going to be covered the following day, most often we were all up and out pretty early.  Duncan likened the schedule to a little like boot camp.  We were young, but if that type of a vacation is not your thing plan accordingly.   We had a great day that first day and that first night we were going to dinner at a typical Greek taverna.  After we got on the bus Nani gave us a warning.  “You remember in the movie Zorba the Greek when the people took plates and smashed them?  Well, the tavernas learned that this was a great way to make money, so tonight, if someone offers you a plate and you smash it….it’ll cost you $20.  The plate probably costs $1, but the taverna owners have discovered that it’s an easy way to make money off the tourists.  If they offer you a plate, just say no and they will leave you alone.”  They did try, but thanks to Nani’s advice we all passed on the plates.

That’s a good lesson to learn: immerse yourself in the culture, understand how things work and don’t expect that everything is going to be like it is at home.  Almost always it’s not.  In this case, you break a plate, you pay 20 bucks.  We were lucky because we had Nani.  The point being if you don’t know - just simply ask.

It was a great evening.  Loud bouzouki music, greek dancing (they got us involved), typical local food and wine and lots of laughter.  It was an unforgettable way to start the trip and a great opportunity for us all to get to know each other, but to also start to get to understand how the Greeks lived their daily life.  They were thrilled to have us there, and I can say without a doubt that, no matter where Duncan and I have traveled, we have always been welcomed and appreciated, and it’s important to show your appreciation in return by being open and enthusiastic about exploring their world.

The next morning we had to be up early, bags packed and ready get on the road.  Nani was right there and made sure everybody knew the rules: when she said be at the bus at 8:00, you were to be at the bus at 8:00.  No questions.  Tours have to follow a schedule and it was her job to make sure we stuck to it.  We left Athens and arrived at our first destination, I think it was Delphi.

We got off and followed Nani into the site.  She told us the history and legend of the Oracle of Delphi; it was absolutely fascinating!  We asked Nani SO many questions and she was able to answer them with great detail and knowledge.  Nani was INCREDIBLE!   She answered our questions not only intelligently, but in a way that we could all understand, debunking some of the myths and underscoring others.   She had been a university history professor before becoming a tour guide.  She knew her stuff.

Let’s stop there for a second: when you travel, and it doesn’t matter where you go, whether just outside your front door or across the world, be curious and show an interest in learning and getting a better understanding of where you are.  Let me say there was no doubt about our interest in learning.  As we left Delphi, we apologized to Nani for bombarding her with SO MANY questions.  Her response?  That is why I am here, and that’s what every guide you encounter will tell you.  Your questions make their job more enjoyable and lets them know that you are listening.  

So our land tour with Nani continued, some days were longer than others, but there was a good balance.  Each day we visited some site important to Greek antiquity and each evening we would check in to a hotel, have dinner and recap the day.  It was without a doubt the most educational and entertaining tour we could have ever hoped for and everyone was into it.  Nani’s knowledge was extraordinary and we all not only learned so much, but appreciated how the Greek culture developed and thrived.  She could tell you about the first olympic athletes and how they prepared for the games.  She could tell you about temples that were thousands of years old and make you be able to envision how they looked, understand the role of the priestesses who served there and tell you why any particular place was important to Greek history and culture.  When she didn’t know the answer to a question or a point of interest, Nani made it a point to find out.  Very often while we were heading to another site, Nani would say, “You asked me yesterday about abc and I told you that I didn’t know.  Here is the answer I was told…”  She had contacts throughout the Greek university system she could call to get answers to things she didn’t know - kind of her own private Google.

It’s important to understand that tour guides in most countries have to go through rigorous training and be certified; sometimes by a government historic organization, sometimes by a specific site, sometimes by a tourism board and sometimes a combination.  Whatever the case, when researching a tour or excursion make sure the person leading it is duly licensed.  Now if you’re on a cruise to a tropical island, let’s say in the Caribbean, it’s okay to grab one of the folks on the pier who are offering tours of the island.  They are truly the experts when it comes to the local sites and they are certainly not required to be certified.

Any way, as I said, at the end of the day our group would have dinner together and all be talking about the day’s adventure and what we had learned, what we had found most interesting.  It was truly all so fascinating, beyond what any of us could have imagined when we booked the tour.   Even then we had so more questions that Nani barely got time to eat her dinner, but she was so happy to talk to us; always with a smile.  I say this to illustrate one of the most important aspects of travel: bring your excitement at simply being there.  Wherever you are, whatever you are doing - dive into it!  Google the word “experience”, one of the most popular terms in use for just about everything today, you’ll find that you could replace the word “experience” with travel.

I want to share with you this next part of the trip, because, well just because I think it’s just funny.  So it came to the final night of the land portion of our tour.  We were having dinner and had ordered carafes of retsina.  Now, if you’re not familiar with retsina, it is a white Greek wine that is aged in casks that are treated with pine resin, which gives the wine a slightly pine-y taste.  It is an acquired taste and, to this day, when Duncan and I order it we get a look as if to say, “Are you sure?”  It’s considered a peasants wine, but with traditional greek food it is perfect!  So the group ordered several carafes of retsina and insisted Nani join us in a toast to our last night.  Understand, normally she didn’t drink since she had to be up early the next morning to get us organized, but that night she agreed to have a glass.  And we poured her a glass, and we toasted.  “To Nani and an unforgettable trip!”.  And we poured her a glass, “To Nani, the best guide in Greece without exception!”  and you see where this going, right?

Finally Nani stood up and toasted us and with tears in her eyes said that she would never forget this tour with us.  Um, I can’t say the following morning she remembered a lot what happened the previous night.

We had to be up at 5 a.m. to get on the bus to get to Piraeus, the port for Athens.  We were all on the bus, most of us not feeling, well, not well, and Nani got on.  Normally peppy and ready to go, she picked up her mic, and in a rough, groggy and tired voice said, “OK.  This morning, no questions.  We’re going to be quiet and sleep until we get to the port.”  The lights were turned off and we all slept our way to the ship.

A few hours later we pulled in to the parking lot and the bus came to an abrupt stop (well it felt abrupt to all of us!).  The front door opened and Lisa came bounding  up (yes, bounding is the best word for it) onto the bus, all chipper and full of energy.  “Hey guys!  Who’s ready for a cruise?!”  All she got in return was a weak, “ugh!”.  We managed to pull ourselves together and followed Nani off the bus.  Lisa stood there, mouth open and looked at Nani, who was completely wrecked from the prior night’s festivities.  Lisa yelled out,  “What have you done to my Nani?!”  We all laughed, including Nani, but sadly we knew it was time to say goodbye.  I’ll just say that not a few tears were shed, including yours truly, and hugs exchanged.  It had been an experience none of us would soon forget and Nani had become for each of us a dear friend that shared so much of not only her country but of herself with us; a true gift that was beyond value.  The best souvenir I’ve brought home in 30 plus years of travel are my memories.

Next it was time to board our cruise ship, Epiritoki Cruises’ Odysseus.  Head over to the Explorations All Over Facebook page to check out the picture I posted of Duncan and me boarding the ship.  Oh my gosh.  We were so young.  Checking in to the ship was a blur; I actually think Lisa did all that before we got there.   Seeing the Odysseus for the first time all I could think was, “well, this sure isn’t the QE2” (what a snob!) but for Duncan it was the first cruise ship he had ever been on and, in his eyes, it might as well have been the QE2.  He was awestruck and eager to find our cabin and get settled in and unpacked.  The stateroom had 2 twin beds separated by a dresser, a window, a nice amount of space and a bathroom with a shower stall complete with shower curtain.   It was utilitarian, but served its purpose.  All the other guys from the group were on the same deck, so fortunately we weren’t far away from each other.

Our group was fortunate that, simply due to the nature of the trip, we were together 24/7 so we were able to get to know each other fairly quickly.  Which is to say that regardless of what type of travel you do, cruise, land tour, safari or where you go, you’ll meet people from all over the world.  Try to talk to them and find out what their experiences have been, what they enjoyed, what’s on their bucket list and share with them yours.  You’ll often find that your fellow travelers offer a wealth of knowledge and all it takes is a simple, “Hi, where are you from?” 

We had all agreed to meet around the pool and to bring whatever liquor we had brought on board.  We were lounging around the pool and a waiter came over to ask if we wanted anything.  We all started calling out every mixer known to man “Tonic.  Orange Juice.  Cranberry juice.  Club soda”  The guy nodded, turned around and within minutes was back with a tray full of various mixers as well as glasses, ice and napkins.  A couple of the guys got to work making cocktails and before long we were having what today is referred to as our own sailaway party.  Meanwhile, you could see the other passengers watching us with very skeptical expressions, but we didn’t care.  Kind of reminds me of the saying “Dance as if no one is watching”.

A few minutes later Lisa comes striding over towards the group.  She stopped in front of us, dramatically took off her sunglasses, put her hands on her hips and said in a very stern voice, “What is going on here?!”  We were all stunned.  She repeated, “I said what is going on here!?  Where is MY drink!”  We all laughed, relaxed and someone made her a drink and the party got into high gear as we sailed out of Piraeus towards our first stop.

A couple of hours later the Odysseus’ cruise director came on the PA and to announce that the first seating for dinner would be beginning in 15 minutes.  Not a minute later Lisa was on the PA announcing, “Our Family Abroad, happy hour will start in 10 minutes in the lounge.”  We had all been in our rooms getting ready for dinner, but of course we all raced up and started our cocktail hour before dinner.  We were laughing and having a great time, but at some point the cruise director came up to Lisa and told her that if we wanted dinner we needed to go down to the dining room, so we did.    After dinner each night Lisa would arrange space for us either on deck or in one of the lounges.  Eventually, we got a DJ to play some tunes and we would party into the night.

We were up early in the morning for a site visit and each afternoon when we got back on the ship, Lisa made sure we had some time to rest and get ready for the evening.  Which brings up a good point; travel shouldn’t be exhausting.  Sure when Duncan and I flew from New York to Singapore, which as of now is the world’s longest flight at just under 19 hours, we were exhausted when we arrived, but we made sure to allow time to recover before exploring the city.

During the cruise, our group always found time to relax and time to party and have a good time together.  Our get togethers became widely known with the other passengers and at some point the cruise director asked Lisa (who turned around and asked us) if other passengers could join in the party the next night.  Of course! we said, the more the merrier and everyone joined in and had a blast.  People want be around other people that are having a good time; it’s just human nature.

OK, so you might ask me what islands we visited and I could tell you with confidence Mykonos, Rhodes and Kusadasi.  This was the early ’90’s and understand that while Greece was popular with a lot of European tourists, for American’s it wasn’t a hugely popular destination and many of the places that today are, quite frankly, overrun with visitors from the U.S. back then hadn’t really appeared on anyone’s radar.  Mediterranean cruises were seen by many as very exotic, and they certainly were, and very few cruise lines, if any, that were popular with Americans offered cruises to the Mediterranean.  Those cruise lines just stuck to Caribbean cruises and cruises to Mexico since that is what people at the time wanted.  Over the years the popularity of the Mediterranean has grown exponentially and almost every cruise line these offers cruises in the region.

Inevitably came the last night of the cruise and of the vacation.  The following day we would disembark and many of our group would be heading home.  It was hard to believe it was over.  I don’t think anyone wanted this to be over.  Duncan and I had made such great friends and explored a part of the world completely foreign to us.  We had also made friends with the staff on the ship, who entertained us and, I guess at some level, we entertained as well.  And of course Lisa had become like a big sister to all of us.

And then it was time to say good bye and, again, many tears were shed.  We promised to keep in touch when we got back home and, believe it or not, we actually did and saw some of the guys a few times after we got home.  These days some people actually bring business cards with their name, address, email and cellphone number to hand out to friends they’ve made along the way.  Some even organize groups even before the trip starts.  When Duncan and I went to the Galapagos, I connected with a group online and became friendly with a woman named Mary.  We exchanged emails and messages for months prior to the trip, so that when we met we felt like old friends!  By the way, the Galapagos is going to be one of the places I talk about in my “Far Flung Destinations” series, which will be available exclusively to subscribers, so make sure you click that subscribe button so you don’t miss it.

As a sort of epilogue to the Our Family Abroad adventure, I have two stories I’d like to share that I think provide two important aspects of travel for me.  The first is “go local”.

Duncan and I decided that since we had delayed our return flight home for a few days we would pop back to Mykonos.  We booked one night at the hotel where we originally stayed in Athens after the tour was over.  We asked if they could book us into a hotel on Mykonos, which they did: The Princess of Mykonos.  There’s a picture of the hotel on the Facebook page, in case you’re interested.  We also asked if they had a restaurant they would recommend for dinner that night.  We told them that we wanted a local place where there are little to no tourists in the restaurant.  (btw - you’ll find this is a common theme for us when it comes to restaurants, activities, tours, etc.  Local is the way to go.)  He gave us the directions and we walked there, at times on some dark streets.  We got to the place and there was a partially open door.  We knocked and then walked in.  We asked for local and we got it.  A elderly woman in an apron greeted us.  Well we assume she greeted us since we didn’t speak Greek and she didn’t speak English.

She walked us through the kitchen where there were pots and pans of incredible smelling food on the stove, walked us through the crowd who looked at us like we were from outer space and sat us at a picnic table.  No kidding.  A picnic table.  A man came over a minute a later and said, “Drink?”  One of us replied, “retsina parakalo” (we did learn a couple of words like please and thank you, which - in addition to hello and goodbye - is always a good idea, if for nothing other than common courtesy).  Retsina?! he said sort of shocked and we nodded.  He came back with a carafe and two glasses and stood back to watch.  Duncan picked up the carafe, filled our glasses and we cheers-ed.  It was fantastic!  Now understand that most places at that time that serve retsina make it themselves, so a foreigner, an American no less, ordering it is completely unusual.  “You like?” he asked and all we could do was nod emphatically.

We sat for a few minutes drinking the wine and, like stupid tourists, waiting for someone to bring us a menu.  Ha ha!  In a place like this there is no menu.  The woman came over, took my hand and led me back to the kitchen as Duncan followed.  Everything was mouthwatering and she pointed at various pots and pans and told us, in Greek, what they were.  “Oh my gosh” was all we could manage and she looked at us expectantly but we were at a loss.  One of us made the universal shrug of “I don’t know”, she smiled and walked us back to the table.  Then began the parade of plates. I’m not kidding, she brought us a plate of everything on the stove lamb stew with oregano, grilled chicken with roasted potatoes, poached fish, homemade pastitsio and moussaka and when we finished our first carafe of retsina another magically appeared.  The food was out of this world and all homemade; no gyros to be found and the other diners came over to us and cheers-ed us.  I was afraid they would start dancing, but we were spared that humiliation.  Then she brought desserts, baklava of course being the star.  Then they brought out the ouzo, what some consider the national drink of Greece.  Like sambuca in Italy and pernod in France ouzo is a liquor flavored with anise.

Now understand that Duncan is not a fan of licorice.  OK, to be honest, he hates it.  But I told him that he had to have some, which - trooper that he is - he did.  Then they finished with Greek coffee, which Duncan declined (he’s a tea drinker).  It was the most amazing meal and was EXACTLY the kind of experience we were looking for.  I said to Duncan that I thought in places like this you paid your bill inside in places like this, so we got up and waved goodbye to our new friends and made our way into the kitchen.  The couple were standing there and Duncan reached into his pocket to get his wallet.  “NO! NO!” they both said as he opened his wallet to get out money.  The woman put her hand on Duncan’s and pushed it away.  “No.  No.” she said, shaking her head.  Her husband was shaking his head too.  We started to say something, and all they kept saying was “no”.  They were clearly thrilled that two Americans had ventured into their place and, I guess at some level, took it as an honor that we were there.  People would be talking about the two retsina drinking Americans the next day.  Clearly, since I can remember the experience it such detail, this was unforgettable.

The second aspect of travel that is important to me is to be open to new experiences and be prepared to be surprised by the unexpected. 

Being an island nation Greece has a system of ferries that go from island to island, so we booked a ferry to get us to Mykonos and got up the next day to head back to Piraeus.  It took hours to get to Mykonos because the ferries stop at every island - it had to be about 7 or 8 stops before we reached Mykonos.  Let me just say that we really had no idea what to expect in Mykonos and, quite frankly, felt like fish out of water when we got there.  Then we had to figure out how to find the hotel and how to get there.    There was a tourist office and we went in hoping to find the answers.  We were told where the hotel was, just outside of town on a hill, and that we could either take a taxi or rent a moped.  I thought renting a mopeds would be fun, so we did.  They forgot to mention that to get from the main part of town to the hotel involved having to go up a twisty-turny road.  Honestly, it was a little challenging but it was also exciting and new and….unexpected.  We arrived at the hotel, got checked in and took a swim to cool off from the long ferry ride over.  We got changed and zoomed back in to town for dinner and then drinks afterward.  Mykonos, at the time, was a big destination for gay travelers, and most of the bars were filled with gay men.  

We were surprised at how welcoming everyone was so we decided to hang out for a while.  At some point, we realized we’d had enough and we still had to get back to the hotel.  At night.  In the dark (oh, yeah, no street lights - now that was certainly unexpected).  On a moped.  Did I mention the dark?  On twisty-turny roads you’ll recall.  That was certainly a new experience, and I was surprised at how we were still alive.  Mykonos is known for its beaches, one called Super Paradise Beach that is accessed by a road that, I kid you not, goes right over the airport’s runway.  That was certainly something unexpected.  Mykonos was amazing.  We took a risk, knowing nothing about the island, and it truly was worth it.

We got the ferry back to Athens, then made our way home.

I look back on this, our first incredible trip, with such wonderful memories of amazing experiences, encounters, conversations, laughter and feeling of togetherness.  This journey would inform our future travel.

Whether you’re new to travel or have been on the road for years, here are some of my tips:

• Do your research.  There are plenty of websites that offer information about destinations, things to do and see, places to eat and so on including websites that offer reviews (I’ll talk about travel review sites and how to use them in a later episode)
• Be curious.  Travel is about discovery, meeting new people and learning about different cultures and lifestyles.  Get to know other people of the world and expand your horizons.
• Break out of your comfort zone and expect the unexpected.  
• Go local.  Sure there are McDonald’s, KFC and Starbuck’s everywhere, but imagine what we would have missed out on if we hadn’t ventured out and found the amazing restaurant in Athens.

So, some listeners have asked some questions that I would like to answer:

First, “are you going to have guest speakers on the podcast?”  The answer is a definite yes!  I’ve been approached by several people who’ve expressed an interest in being on the podcast and who I want to feature in upcoming episodes.  Several of them are involved in the travel industry.  I hope to bring their insights and expertise into episodes that will be of interest to my listeners in an interview-type format, hopefully with video.  But I still have to figure out how all that works, so bear with me.

The other question I had was, “Why should I subscribe?”  Being a subscriber will make sure you are notified when new episodes are published and if you follow and/or like the Facebook page I’ll share with you photos and videos that relate directly to each episode.  It’s more fun when you can see what I’m talking about.  Well, except maybe that horrible madras jacket I was wearing from the last episode.  I’m also going create a subscriber only series entitled “Far Flung Destinations” where I’ll talk about traveling to places like Antarctica, the Amazon river, Vietnam and Bora Bora and more.

So for now, thanks again for joining me.  I hope you found our Greek adventure fun, insightful and entertaining.  For more, make sure to subscribe to the podcast and don’t forget to follow and like the Facebook page.  Oh, and don’t forget to share the podcast with folks you know who love to travel or are thinking about traveling but just don’t know where to start.

So until next time, I’m Russ.  Thank you so much for tuning in to Explorations All Over.  I’ll see you soon.