International Travel Secrets: Take Shorter Trips, More Often, for Less

By Michael Wedaa

Countries are opening up again!  You can travel during the pandemic if you choose.  

Fly to Europe for as little as $128--Yeah, I did that, and you can too!&nb

• Language: English
• Publisher: Augmentus Inc
• Release date: Dec 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781736062920

Michael Wedaa

Michael Wedaa has traveled to more than 100 countries on 6 continents. An avid traveler since his youth, he got started by visiting many of the national parks in the U.S. After visiting South America and Asia, Michael caught the travel bug and began taking four international trips per year. He was recently asked to be the host of a travel TV show entitled The Layover Experience. Michael's show, currently in production, explains how to use layovers as a tool to see multiple countries for free.

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Title Page

International Travel Secrets

Copyright © 2020 Michael Wedaa

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in certain reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Although the author and publisher have made every attempt to ensure that all the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility or liability whatsoever on behalf of the consumer or reader of this material any perceived slight of any individual or organization is purely unintentional.

The author and publisher do not assume any liability for third-party websites, including their content, claims, or pricing.

ISBN: 978-1-7360629-0-6 (print)

ISBN: 978-1-7360629-2-0 (ebook)

This book is dedicated to the following individuals:

Michael Tran

For inviting me to join the group in Vietnam for New Year’s—the trip that was the catalyst for most of my travel adventures, and for picking up your phone in a Mexican restaurant located in Nha Trang that is owned by a Native American who lives in France.

Lew Valle (or is it Valle Vega?)

For joining Team No Sleep in an around-the-world-trip that ended with my passing out defiantly in a hotel lobby in Ulaanbaatar, and for creating our own translation for Turno!

David Sariñana

For always saying yes even though you do not yet know the itinerary, and for your deep sympathy for my broken toothbrush in Hanoi. Here’s to the death trip!

Congratulations! You’ve just gotten access to tips and secrets that will save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over your lifetime. To thank you for purchasing this book, I am giving away some FREE travel tools that will help make your next travel adventure even better.

Go to https://www.internationaltravelsecrets.com/travel-tools. There you will find FREE resources such as these:

Best travel credit cards

Layover planning checklist

Best and worst airlines

Travel packing list

Links to helpful visa and entry requirement sites

Quiz: which region of the world fits your personality?

Happy traveling!

Table Of Contents

CHAPTER 1: DEBUNKING TRAVEL MYTHS

Traveling internationally is dangerous

It has to be expensive

You must travel for 2 weeks or longer

You must stay in the airport on a layover

CHAPTER 2: FLIGHT BOOKING SECRETS

Fly to Europe for $128

Best app to use

CHAPTER 3: USING LAYOVERS AS A TOOL

Researching time to the city center and back

Visiting a restaurant or pub

Taking a tour

CHAPTER 4: THE TWO-DAY STAY

Day One: Organized tour day to get the lay of the land

Day Two: Free day to relax and explore on your own

Alternative Three-Day Stay

Day Three: Out of area tour (all day, or overnight tour)

CHAPTER 5: TOUR BOOKING SECRETS

Which app to use

How to easily create a list of landmarks you wish to see

How to find tours that cover these landmarks

Hop-on-Hop-off Bus Tours

CHAPTER 6: HOTEL BOOKING SECRETS

Which app to use

Which search filters to set

Picking good locations

Using the Street View on your map

Why I don’t use Airbnb

CHAPTER 7: GROUND TRANSPORTATION SECRETS

Uber & Taxis

How to avoid being overcharged or scammed

Trains & Buses

Airport transfers from your hotel

CHAPTER 8: SAFETY TIPS & SECRETS

Throwaway wallet

Where to find safety reports by country

Vaccinations

Drinking tap water

Is the food safe?

CHAPTER 9: A FEW TIPS FOR FLYING

Be the last person to board the plane

How to avoid baggage fees

What to bring on a flight

Killing time

Exercise

Don’t arrive at the airport 3 hours ahead of your flight

CHAPTER 10: AIRLINE LOYALTY?

Don’t use frequent flyer miles

Specific airlines to embrace and avoid

CHAPTER 11: PACKING & LUGGAGE SECRETS

What to pack

What not to pack

Make your luggage stand out

Traveling with only carry-on luggage

CHAPTER 12: VISAS AND PASSPORTS

Where to find entry requirements by country

Muslim country restrictions for those who have traveled to Israel

Israel entry/exit restrictions

Getting an expanded passport

Six-month passport rule

Make copies of your passport and email it to yourself

CHAPTER 13: FOREIGN CURRENCY SECRETS

Use credit cards whenever possible

How to avoid costly ATM fees

Currency conversion

CHAPTER 14: USING YOUR CELL PHONE ABROAD

Free calling using WiFi

International data roaming plans by carrier

Universal adapters & portable cell phone chargers

Where to charge your phone in a crowded airport

CHAPTER 15: SCAM: TRAVEL REWARDS CREDIT CARDS

Why travel rewards cards are not the best option

Cards with no foreign transaction fees

How to accrue the most rewards for free travel

VIP airport lounge access

CHAPTER 16: SCAM: TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE

Using online travel agencies to avoid purchasing insurance

Trip cancellation insurance vs. trip interruption insurance

CHAPTER 17: TRAVEL HEALTH INSURANCE

You are most likely covered by your existing health coverage

Free Visa Signature card coverage

Travel health insurance options

CHAPTER 18: FOREIGN LANGUAGE SECRETS

Using Google Translate

CHAPTER 19: RANDOM TIPS

Negotiating

Best times of year to travel

TSA Precheck vs. Global Entry vs. CLEAR

Asset list, will, and life insurance

Dating abroad

CHAPTER 20: FAVORITE DESTINATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

List of countries I have visited

Favorite destinations

Chapter 21: UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS

Couple from Algeria

Early Morning in Kyrgyzstan

Adventures in Honduras

Brewery in Laos

Lost passport in Tanzania

Vietnam travels

CHAPTER 22: TRAVEL AS FOOD FOR THE SOUL

CHAPTER 1

DEBUNKING TRAVEL MYTHS

I’ll never be able to do that, is what I told myself whenever I saw one of my friends or someone on TV hiking through the mountains of Machu Picchu or some other exotic destination around the world. Like most Americans, I, too, bought into the myth that international travel had to be long, painstakingly planned, and expensive. As a child, I began by traveling around the US with my family. We would pack up the car and hit stops such as Sequoia or the Grand Canyon—wherever the best camping spots were. However, my first international trip did not occur until I was twenty-eight when a friend invited me to visit Europe.

We visited Greece, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. My friend did all the planning, and I just showed up. My next trip happened the following year as the same friend organized a trip to Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. I did not travel internationally again until six or seven years later when twenty of my friends decided to go to Vietnam for New Year’s. When I arrived in this strange, new place, I awakened to a new reality: I was bitten by the travel bug and began planning trips on my own.

Up until this point, I had never had the impetus to sit down, plan a trip, and convince friends to go with me. I am fortunate enough to have had these initial travel invitations from friends, without which I would not be where I am today, having seen more than half of the countries on the globe.

Unfortunately, many of us fall into the same trap that I did: thinking that international travel is not possible for us or that it is reserved for the wealthy or extremely adventurous. We have succumbed to a number of travel myths when it comes to leaving the country. It turns out that this is uniquely an American cultural anomaly.

While out and about, it is common to find numerous travelers from Europe, Asia, and Australia. Traveling to other countries is a staple in these cultures and part of this phenomenon stems from the fact that it is common in many countries for workers to have a mandated six to eight weeks of paid vacation. International travel to these people becomes all but a requirement as does learning multiple languages. It is common to meet Europeans who speak up to six languages or more. So let’s debunk the myths we, as a nation, have subscribed to that keep us near home:

1. Traveling internationally is dangerous

Most countries I have traveled to are safe. I have rarely felt uncomfortable or insecure when traveling—even if it is off the beaten path. A combination of research and common sense will help you avoid any unwanted incidents. Pay attention to your surroundings. Even in our home cities, we have dark alleys we avoid at night. Use this same common sense when you are traveling. Yes, some areas of the world will require you to use increased caution when visiting. (In the safety tips and secrets chapter, you will learn how to use the US Department of State website as a tool for the latest danger level and news listed by country. You will also find other helpful safety tips later in this book.)

2. It has to be expensive

I know people that have purchased all-inclusive tours to Europe for $10,000 or $15,000 per person. That is fine if you prefer your entire trip planned for you or you have the bank account balance to support it. However, a short international trip can cost less than $1,000 if you follow the tips in this book. That’s right . . . less than $1,000 including flight, hotel,