“International Travel 101”

I know I’m not the first person to want to plan a big trip to distract me from a big birthday—so off we went to Lisbon, Portugal and Barcelona, Spain.

We flew direct from Miami—and in hindsight I have to say, it was easier to maneuver our way to Europe though international customs and flight connections than to find the long-term parking lot in Miami.  They don’t want you to find it. 

Even if you spend three times more to sit in first class, that doesn’t prevent the people behind you from having a crying baby.

I’ve done it before, but it is still surreal to fly overseas, arrive (at what your body thinks is Midnight) and then start to see the sun come up and the day begin.

Surreal to fly half way around the world, use the same Uber app on your phone—and the driver is playing “Hotel California” by the Eagles. 

We were fortunate the hotel in Lisbon had one room available to let us try to get a few hours sleep before we began our sight-seeing.

My first tip is to buy an outlet converter for your phone charger, flattening iron, etc.  Around $30.

The hotel had dark blinds which really played a trick on us the next morning:  I went to the bathroom fully thinking it was probably around 3am, etc.  I looked at my watch on the way back to bed: 8:45am!  Wow, we were tired.

Speaking of bathrooms, public restrooms are different in Europe:  I lost about five minutes of my life thinking it was a one-seater men’s room and it was currently occupied since I couldn’t open the door.  Turns out the fire laws are different overseas—and doors push IN.  Also, it’s not unusual for the men’s and ladies rooms to share the same sink and mirrors. 

Some of the people who spoke English as a second language had British accents.  It made sense when you realize the United Kingdom is a lot closer than North America.

You never lose sight over your credit card. They always pull out those portable gadgets and bring them to you.  (You’re starting to see more of that in this country, but not as much.)

Tipping is not a custom in Europe—however, it is creeping in:  Some of the gadgets ask if you want to add a tip—but the denominations aren’t as high.

Hate to say it, but Europeans are better dressers than Americans.  Fewer baseball hats, etc.  You also see more ‘man bags’ and even high-end fanny packs. 

In conclusion—there’s only one thing as good as going away…and that’s coming home. 

Ray Collins is a travel writer with over a hundred published articles. He’s also an award-winning Realtor, elected official, and media consultant.

Ray Collins Photos