International Travel Bootcamp
Chicago Seminars 2015
Stefan Krasowski
Rapid Travel Chai

Itinerary
Planning
Tips
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Who Am I?
I lived in China for 8 years
I work in international business
I plan obsessively
I travel fast
I come back exhausted
My wife is the opposite
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Where Have I Traveled?
139 UN Countries
210 Travelers Century Club Countries
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My Dream Trip
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My Wife’s

I Started the Morning in
Namibia’s Etosha National Park
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I Flew WDH-JNB-JFK
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Picked Up Mail, Did the Laundry and Dishes,
Kissed my Wife
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Flew EWR-ORD and am
Having Happy Hour with You
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That’s the Magic of this Hobby
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What Matters to You?
The flight?
The hotel?
The destination?
The people?
The food?
What else?
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Planning
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Where to Go?
Explore outside your social media bubble
Consider offbeat and offseason
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Yamamoto’s Bunker,
East New Britain,
Papua New Guinea

Where to Go – UNESCO Sites
Jesuit missions and German yerba mate farmers, Paraguay
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Where to Go – Travelers Century Club
Anne of Green Gables & lobster suppers,
Prince Edward Island, Canada
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Thorn Tree Forum for Destinations
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What About Trip Advisor?
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I use it sparingly, such as hotel wifi/shuttle/parking info

What to Do When You’re There?
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Avoid the yet another cathedral slog
What is truly distinctive about a destination?
You don’t go to Easter Island for the diving

A Bit About Elite Status
Carry frequent flyer cards (e.g. for Star Alliance lounges)
Expect Airlines to treat you well
Expect hotels to stiff you, especially in Europe
Expect rental car status to be (nearly) useless
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved
The Club Carlson Europe
Nespresso Room Upgrade

Air – Research
Wikipedia’s airport and airline pages
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Air – Passes
If you think awards are confusing and frustrating…
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Air – Booking
Find flights on ITA Matrix
Locate booking options on Google Fights or Hipmunk
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Air – Budget Airlines
skyscanner.com and
whichbudget.com
Price all the extras
Know the airport –
where in ‘London’?
Know the terminal –
Malaysian remote LCCTs
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Air – Obscure Airlines
OneTravel for hard to ticket airlines
Get reservation record AND ticket number
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Air – Points for Cash and Earn Miles
Citi ThankYou and US Bank FlexPerks cover many airlines
Get AA codeshares on Citi for Prestige 1.6 cents/point
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Air – China Flights
Global sites only price full-fare tickets
China sites price discounts: ctrip, eLong, travelzen
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Expedia $212 eLong $111

Some Offbeat Star Alliance Awards
Copa in Latin America
Ethiopian around Africa (not currently on united.com)
Turkish flies to more countries than any airline, 100+
United now partners with Azul for Brazil
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Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
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United Micronesia Island Hopper
Join missionaries, military, dignitaries and islanders
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Palau and Peleliu
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Some Offbeat One World Awards
Avios, Avios, Avios – fill in gaps on itineraries
Use for Canada, South America, Africa, Indian Ocean,
Australia, Pacific and Russia
Example: Sri Lankan several daily flights to Maldives
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Always Check Non-Alliance Partners, Too
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved
+

Some Offbeat SkyTeam Awards
AeroMexico for Latin America and even to Europe/Asia
Gol in Brazil and to Brazil from Orlando
Air France + Kenya Airways to Madagascar and Indian Ocean
China Eastern/Southern + China Airlines to Asia
Virgin Australia to Solomons, Christmas & Cocos Islands
Saudia for Middle East
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Lemurs in Madagascar
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Thin Red Line in Solomon Islands
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Air France KLM Caribbean Hopper
Visit Caribbean on the way to Europe
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have hoppers, too
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Dominican Republic and Haiti
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French Guiana and Suriname
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Complex Air Awards
Study Travelisfree.com for routing rules – tomorrow at 5:15
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Rail – Where?
East Asia and Europe
Overnight trains save time, save hotel
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Rail – How?
Advance web bookings can be difficult and deceptive
Multiple stations in cities
Use Man in Seat 61 and Deutsche Bahn websites
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Rail Europe $131 SCNF $81

Rail – Passes
Compare & cost pass options and alternative transport
May need to purchase before arrival
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved
Swiss Pass 2nd Class is $298 for 4 days – yikes!

Bus – Where?
‘Executivo’ business class services in South America
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Bus – Tips
Beware the near empty bus that is ‘leaving soon’
Your stuff will be either with you or with someone else
Prepare for heat, prepare for cold
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Taxis - Tips
Beware taxis hanging out at hotels
If the locals use radio taxis, you should too
Taxis for day trips vs guides
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Taxis – India
India’s airport prepaid taxis:
Cheap and safe
Book before exiting the airport!
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Driving
Exhilarating or stressful?
Driving on the left is surprisingly easy
International Driving Permit (IDP) is an annual pain
Cheapest way to see Europe?
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Rental Cars – Booking
Booking sites often ‘location not found’/’sold out’
Try rental agency websites
Try AutoEurope (not just for Europe) and BJ’s Travel
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Rental Cars – Gotchas
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved
Riga, Latvia:
$43 to pick up at 8 pm!
Ayers Rock:
$0.23 per km
after 100km!

Rental Cars – Free Days
Hertz awards in 16 markets
National/Enterprise awards in ≈ 17 markets
Watch out for massive taxes
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Rental Cars – Insurance
Many Chase and Citi cards now cover ALL countries –
get certificate of coverage (Ireland, Israel)
Insurance often mandatory, sometimes included in rate:
• Canada rates include liability
• Mexico/Central America require adding liability
• Basic CDW included in Europe – Supercover enhances
• Temporary licenses (Caribbean, Kuwait)
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Hotels - Don’t Stress Over All the Options
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Good or Bad Hotels They May Be, They’re All in Paris

Booking.com & Hotels.com for Local Hotels
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It Doesn’t Need to a Competition to
Find a Bed We Enjoy
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Hotel Casablanca, Dominican Republic, $50

Quirky – Hotel Braavo, Tallinn, Estonia $38
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B&Bs Across US & Canada
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Knox’s Dam B&B, Prince Edward Island, $90, now retired

Casa Particulars in Cuba
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Be treated like a grandchild for a day

Ranches in Argentina & Uruguay
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Estancia Finca Pedra, Uruguay, off-season $65

Ryokan in Japan
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Dinner in Bed, Tokiwa Bekkan, Kinosaki Onsen, $200

Hotel Awards
Consider Carlson, IHG, Choice Hotels
International locations often much better than US
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved
Holiday Inn Shanghai
Pudong Executive Lounge
Radisson Royal Hotel, Dubai

Hotels Have Partners Too
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Alternatives of All Kinds
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Tips
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US Passports
Get the large passport book (last call for extra pages)
Get a passport card for land & sea & backup ID
Enroll in Global Entry/NEXUS/SENTRI and
add to airline profiles for TSA PreCheck
Have scans and copies
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Second US Passports
Great for frequent travelers who need visas
Easy process
Only valid for two years
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Visa Requirements for US Citizens
166 countries Visa Free or Visa on Arrival
Sources: Henley & Partners, Wikipedia
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Visas for US Citizens
Check embassy websites and travel.state.gov – things change
10-year China and India, 3-year Russia tourist visas
Must pay Argentina reciprocity fee online in advance
Yes, you need a visa for Australia
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Money – Cash
When have you heard, “Sorry, we don’t accept cash”
Traveler’s checks are dead
Carry a cheat sheet or app for fx rates
Schwab debit card – no fx fee + ATM reimbursements
Avoid anything Travelex!!!
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Money – Credit Cards
Logo in the window may only mean local cards
Chip and Signature cards work most of the time
Chip and Pin cards for heavy EU travelers (Barclay Arrival+)
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Handy Credit Card Benefits
Chase & Citi – trip delay coverage
Citi Prestige Priority Pass – includes family or 2 guests
Discover – accepted in China via UnionPay, Japan via JCB
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Tech
Unlocked phone + local SIM card
T-Mobile – unlimited data & text to 120+ countries
Encrypt your laptop
Get a VPN
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Apps
“Is it better than Google Maps?” test
Know what features are available offline
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Insurance
Insure yourself, your trip, or your stuff?
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved
Credit cards often insure
your trip and your stuff
I insure myself – GeoBlue
Trekker Choice annual plan
Annual or per trip?
insubuy.com,
travelinsurancecenter.com

Health
CDC Yellow Book @ cdc.gov/travel
Know scientific names of your meds
(aspirin = acetylsalicylic acid)
Plan ahead for vaccines
Malaria pills pros and cons
International Certificate of Vaccination
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Yellow Fever
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Source: CDC Yellow Book 2014

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

Luggage
Backpack = maximum flexibility, bag never leaves you
Wheeled = less flexibility, more comfort
Backpack/wheeled convertible = bad at both
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Packing
Unless going to the moon, you are not going to the moon
onebag.com packing strategy
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Join Me Tomorrow
at 2:30 for
101 Tips, Tricks and Hacks to
be an Expert Traveler
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Thank You
stefan@rapidtravelchai.com
@rapidtravelchai
rapidtravelchai.com
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved