subject: Looking Out for Peddlers on the Street [print this page] In numbers, the sum of travel experts is equivalent to that of travelers. It seems as if travelers always stumble on certain travel tips when they come home. With some assistance from travel advisers that work for a major airline, here are several of them prepared mainly for budget trips and first time flyers. Each one has been assessed and could protect you on the trip.
As you go to the hotel, change $5 or $10 to the local currency upon arriving in the airport and use this for tips and taxi fare. Almost all major airports have a foreign exchange counter. It is not wise to convert huge amounts of money. You may not be as able to change them to U.S. dollars if you wanted to. Street people may offer a better rate, but you should still refuse to transact with them. People like these usually run counterfeit operations. It is best if you know the official exchange rate, also count your money after the exchange.
An airport coach or metered cab should be taken to the hotel. The coach ride will cost you less, but a cab gets you there faster. But if there are two, three or four people in your party, it might be just as, economical to take cab. Try to steer clear from unauthorized cabs. You may end up with a higher expense.
Deceitful cabbies are usually employed in massive tourist napping groups, and you should be careful especially in the Far East, their modus operandi starts with getting tourists to think that their hotel is fully booked. Putting on a very convincing act, they will lead you to a third rate hotel where they will receive a cut from the establishment. These wildcatters might tell you anything, that your hotel has closed since you made your reservations or that it burned down last night.
Check the inclusions of your hotel rates you check in, it may already cover the service charge, taxes, and breakfast as most European hotels do. The hotel concierge will always provide you with the things you are in need of. Tipping is in order if he provides you with excellent service.
When you leave, you may need to tip some staff members if the hotel rate does not include a service charge. But, if some members of the staff went out of their way to provide extra services, it's nice to remember them. When you have clothes pressed, it is not mandatory to tip the people who pick the clothes up and bring the clothes back. Equal tips are earned by the staff since the hotels apply rotational shifts to their work schedules.
Usually, soap and washcloths are not available from hotels. In the hopes of generating more tips, maids will not supply you with certain items on occasion, you will be required to call and ask. Do not bother playing their game and just bring your own soap and washcloth. Your food bill may come with a service charge already added, keep this in mind when you splurge on fancy restaurants, no need for tips. Generally, the service charge is 10 to 15 percent of your bill added to the total. At the restaurant you have chosen, make a reservation. Compared to your situation back home, you might pay more when you use American style toilets overseas.
As much as you can, avoid the peddlers that try to persuade you to make purchases. Inferior products are being sold in these stores and they hand out commissions to the touts if a sale is made. It is a normal practice in some countries to bargain as you shop, so whenever possible, try to haggle. Prior to checking out, several hours maybe, ask the hotel for a copy of your room charges. You will have enough time to check if the charges are correct.
