Travel Tips for Baby Boomers

Drury Bagwell, retired assistant vice president for student affairs at the University of Maryland, has been to 71 countries around the world. He’s got some great travel tips for baby boomers:

Before You Go

Check all the countries you even THINK that you might visit in order to see if they require a visa that you must get before you leave. In a post 9/11 world, many countries have started requiring visas. A good travel book for we baby boomers is Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door. And, there is a lot of information for just about anything on the internet that you can access before you leave. ATM machines are now commonplace, but don’t always work. I suggest that you take a credit/debit card AND traveler’s checks.

A credit card operates as a hedge against unforeseen expenses. You may want to take a couple of credit cards and carry them in different places, just in case one gets lost. All three (t.c./atm/cc) will charge some type of fee for using, and it’s about the same in the end. Don’t take a lot of cash, but what you do take, make sure it’s the “new” US money. Make photocopies of any credit cards you are taking with you, along with the toll-free number to call if lost.

Also, make a photocopy of your main passport page and any prescriptions that are essential for your health. Stick one copy of these in the bottom of your bag and leave another copy with family at home. Buy a pouch that hangs around your neck inside your clothes, for your money and passport. These are much better than fanny packs, wallets, or purses, which can be easily stolen. Crime isn’t a great problem, but don’t make it easy to get ripped off.

…And this is just the tip of the iceburg. Drury also has good advice on packing, the trip over, getting around in Europe, European trains, where to stay, how to make friends, safety, and specific locations.