Rich Harrill's Travel Tips

Rich Harrill’s Travel Tips

There are lots of travel tips out there—from Mark Twain’s classic witticisms (“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”) to firsthand observations found on Web-based Trip Advisor.  Humbly, I here offer only a few observations from my many years of international travel.  I hope this travel tips blog will be instructive to first-time travelers and seasoned tourists alike.

You probably can find as many lists of travel quotes as you can travel tips.  However, there are two insights that I find especially instructive to travelers.  My favorite quote by far is attributed to travel writer Susan Heller:  “When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and half your money.  Then take half the clothes and twice the money.”  This quote speaks volumes about travelers’ tendencies to underestimate expenses when traveling, and also how hurrying or simply reaching for what is comfortable makes proper attire less of a priority.

My other favorite quote is by novelist Paul Bowles:  “If I am faced with the decision of choosing between visiting a circus and a cathedral, a café and a public monument, or a fiesta and a museum, I am afraid I shall normally take the circus, the café, and the fiesta.”  This quote sums up the individuality of leisure styles.  Choose travel partners carefully, as they may be adamant about dragging you to a cathedral, public monument, or museum!

In the spirit of these quotes, I offer some of my own travel tips.  I would love to hear from readers offering their own observations and tips!