 Mariah Milano after dinner in Verona, Italy on a foggy January night. |
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One thing that has become invaluable to me in recent years are traveler reviews of hotels and restaurants. I have lived and died by TripAdvisor which has yet to steer me wrong. I have disagreed with some of the star ratings but all-in-all I prefer to take the experiences of actual travelers over the places trying to sell me accomodations or meals. So here is where I will post my reviews based 100% on my own personal experiences at each place. |
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One thing to always remember when traveling in other countries is to not compare to what you are used to. For example, in London hotel rooms are small. Smaller than small actually, and that is the norm there. You might see spacious rooms in brochures or on website galleries but trust me, the hotel rooms in London are exceptionally small. This is very common in all of Europe but London seems to have even smaller rooms which sucks because they are also much more expensive. It is hard to find a decent room in London in a good area for under 300 pounds which translates to about $460 US dollars. Notice that I said decent, not "nice" or "great". You want nice and great, expect to really pay for that luxury. So when leaving the US leave it behind and drop your expectations and standards and I promise your experience will be much better. |
Another thing that sometimes comes as a surprise when traveling abroad is the size or complete lack of elevators, or "Lifts" as they are called most everywhere outside of the US. Most lifts in Europe are tiny. Tiny as in 2 people at the very most without luggage or one person and luggage stacked one bag on top of another. Many places have no lifts at all and you're expected to climb several flights of stairs as you come and go so don't forget anything! One place I stayed in London was on the 5th floor with no lift and very narrow steep stairs that wound around and around. One night after too many drinks I slipped and skinned my knee on the carpet and to this day have the souvenir of a rug burn scar that did NOT come from an enjoyed carpet ride! |
If you are going to a country where they speak a different language you should at least learn some basic terms and customs before you go! For example, in almost all cultures other than US it is extremely rude to begin speaking to someone and not greet them with hello before you do . So when you walk in to a store in Paris and have a question,, don't just do it in English as if it is expected of every one to accomodate you. First greet them with a bonjour or bonsoir and then say politely, "Do you speak English?" Then ask your question. The French have a reputation for being rude assholes but if you try and speak a little French you will be amazed at how quickly their attitudes change. Do you wish to share your travel experiences? Email me! |
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