Near Venice’s St Mark’s square I once overheard an american tourist complain that everywhere they went in Europe there were crowds. This same tourist was wearing a Globus tour company name tag and had arrived with a group of at least 50 people. I had to laugh. He was the crowd.

Some people choose to tour Europe in the comfort of an air conditioned tour bus and others would never be caught dead in that situation. So which kind of person are you? What kind of European vacation is right for you?

Let’s look first at why someone would take a packaged tour:

• Tours are easy - I may not have the time or want to take the time to plan a vacation. Independent travel requires more planning than following a tour guide. If you make hundreds of decisions every day then you may relish the opportunity to let someone else decide where you are going and what you are seeing on your vacation.
• Tours can be inexpensive - Depending on what kind of tour you do and what sort of hotels you stay at you might find that a tour is a less expensive way to have that vacation (staying at that class of lodging). Tour companies often make their money on the economics of putting a number of people in a bus.
• Tours can be efficient - If you want to do a 10 country tour of Europe without killing yourself, it might be easier to do that on a tour where someone else is worrying about getting you from Antwerp to Zurich. You can sleep on the bus if need be.
• Tours provide companions - If you go on a tour you are not alone. Many people crave companionship and you get that on a tour. You might meet your new best friend in the person across the aisle. My mother met a lifelong friend on a Greyhound bus.
• Tours seem safe - A big, often unspoken reason, why many people see Europe on a tour is out of fear: fear of being robbed, fear of becoming lost, fear of the unknown, or fear of not being able to communicate.

All of those are good reasons to take a bus tour although I am saddened when people chose a tour out of fear. But why would you choose to travel independently?

• Independent travel is an adventure - Traveling by yourself or in a small group you may discover places you would not discover from a tour bus. When we were in France a number of years ago we followed a road sign to a ruined castle. Four of us had the entire place to ourselves. This is not even the sort of place that makes the guidebooks.
• Independent travelers can connect to locals - When you are traveling with 50 people in a bus (often from the same country) you have a little bubble of your own culture around you that is more difficult to pierce. On our recent trip to Crete we met a woman on the ferry who ran a bed and breakfast in Chania. She invited us to join her family on an drive into the mountains and dinner at a restaurant the tourists don’t know about.
• Independent travelers have flexibility - On our first trip to Europe we had no hotels booked at all and no itinerary. Sometimes we stayed in places that were a disaster (like over a German beer hall during Pentecost) but other times we stumbled across beautiful little towns like Fritzlar with its half timbered houses lining a picturesque square.
• Independent travelers can get away from the crowds - I have stood at St Mark’s square in Venice and been the only person there as the sun rose. Even crowded tourist filled towns like Rothenberg ob der Tauber in Germany are peaceful at night after the tour buses pull out of the parking lots.
• Independent travelers can spend less time in gift shops - Tour guides can make much of their income by stopping at particular places to shop. If you are traveling independently, you can spend as much or as little time as you like in the Vatican gift shop. You can skip shopping all together if you like (my choice) or spend the entire day shopping (my wife and daughter’s choice).

So what kind of traveler are you?

Popularity: 13% [?]

A recent post on the Amateur Traveler discussion boards about becoming an online travel agent through a company called YTB led me to look into the company more. I have heard a number of things about them on the web and much of it sounded like too good to be true hype.

It is very hard to do real Internet research on YTB (YTBLA.OB) and a competitor Travelus. It you do a google search on YTB you will probably find some non-authoritative site put up by someone who is affiliated with two of these companies. The information in all of these sites is very suspect in my opinion. The people who setup these sites are doing some very clever SEO (Search Engine Optimization). That does not make what they say true.

The good news is that YTB is not a publicly reporting company so facts about it are available from more reputable sources if you dig deeply enough.

YTBLA on Yahoo Financials

So here is what I have been able to find:

1) It is a multi-level marketing company. That is you get paid more if you sign up other agents. That is not illegal. Avon, Amway, etc are also multi-level marketing companies. But it does mean that it benefits those who get in early versus those who get in now.

2) It just posted a loss in the most recent quarter.

3) Their board of directors does seem to have some people with real experience.

4) They are the 35th largest seller of travel in the U.S. in 2006 by Travel Weekly. source Yahoo

5) In May 7th of last year they reported having 178,000 RTAs (Referring Travel Agents) (SEC filing) against which they paid marketing commissions of $16,136,795 and travel commissions of $1,608,688. That says that the average RTA made $90 in that quarter on the marketing (MLM) commissions and $9 in commissions for travel. Granted we have to assume that some of these were very new agents and that the spread between the best and worst agent was pretty large.

The vast majority of the revenue of the company is the fees paid by the RTAs $17,965,361 in that period vs travel commissions of $2,537,694. So the money coming in is from the agents more than it is from people selling travel.

In the most recent quarter the company made $33,959,388 from the RTAs and $5,328,627 from travel commissions. In addition it made another $3,009,505 form the RTAs in the form of marketing materials.

My conclusion is that it pays to be YTB more than it pays to work for YTB.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Don’t do the math. I just woke up in my hotel room in London when the alarm went off at 8:00 AM after flying in last night. My watch says it is 8:00 AM and my body needs to get used to the idea. Whatever I do, don’t do the math and figure out that it is… ugh… midnight in California. If you have traveled internationally then you have had to deal with those days where you head is in one time zone and your body is in another. Here are some tips for combating jet lag.

1. Decaffeinate - Especially if you are flying somewhere like Europe on a night flight, I recommend not trying to have your last Starbucks in the airport and then trying to sleep on the plane. Friday we took a night flight from San Francisco to JFK and then on to London. Knowing that I would want to sleep on the plane I had my last caffeine (Diet Coke being my delivery mechanism of choice) in the morning so that I would be tired by the time of my 10 PM flight. It does help if you like me are often one Dient Coke away from unconsciousness.
2. Set You Watch - As soon as you get on a plane set your watch to the time in your destination. Your goal is now to adjust your body until it matches your watch.
3. Eye Shade - You will often need to sleep to adjust your schedule and it might be daylight outside. If it is daylight then you will want to have an eye shade to make it easier to sleep. You can wrap a towel around your head as one Australian did on our flight to London… but then you look particularly silly.
4. Noise Canceling Headphones - I have bought myself two sets of noise canceling headphones to drown out the background noise of the airplane. I most recently bought a pair from Sony. Bose has a particularly well regarded pairs as well. My head phones work so well that other immediate family members have stolen them from me.
5. Ear Plugs - A less expensive option than noise canceling headphones is cheap foam ear plugs (which people are much less likely to take from you in my experience). I carry a bag of them as I lose on average one per flight.
6. Drugs - Many people recommend chemical solutions from a glass of wine to prescription drugs to induce drowsiness. I have had mixed success with this kind of approach. Two Summers ago I went to Tanzania which involved two night flights in a row. I had thrown out my back just before and brought Flexidril which is a muscle relaxant to knock me out. I combined that with a glass of red wine (which I later learned was against the instructions on the label) which turns out to be a bad idea. I woke up on the flight nauseated and faint because I think my blood pressure had been dangerously lowered. Since then I generally avoid more than a glass of wine.
7. Nap - When you arrive at your destination take a nap if necessary but if you do, decide of how much sleep you will allow yourself and set an alarm.
8. Shower- A refreshing shower can sometimes keep me awake for another hour or so and feels good after a long plane flight.
9. Stay Up - If at all possible try and stay up to your normal bed time. You will adjust quicker if you can.
10. Relax - You might not make it up to your normal bed time or you might not be able to get to sleep at that time. Cut yourself some slack. You may just need to decide that in this time zone your bed time is 2 hours sooner or 2 hours later. For some reason, in Africa I could not sleep past 5 AM. That just gave me more time to work on my blog.

Popularity: 25% [?]

It is a rare thing for a U.S. Ambassador to write an open letter to travelers urging them to consider visiting a country, but that is what the US ambassador to Kenya, Michael E.Ranneberger did this week. In light of the unrest Kenya and the resulting drop in tourism to the country Ranneberger’s remarks should be seen as a green light to travel to that country again.

I urge you to look again at Kenya as an exciting destination for tourism and for doing business, be it trade or investment. In 2007, a record 102,000 Americans visited Kenya, many to enjoy the richness of the country’s culture and the majesty of its landscapes and unparalleled wildlife.

Popularity: 53% [?]

I booked and paid for a room using Hotwire.com last weekend and then ended up paying for a second hotel room. Why? It turns out that there is a catch with the HotWire service that you should know about.

If you are not familiar with HotWire.com it is a site that sells unsold hotel rooms at a significant discount. It is similar to the better known Priceline.com. With Priceline you bid for what price you are willing to pay (which is a hassle). With HotWire they will tell you what price you can pay for a hotel that is rated a certain number of stars with particular set of amenities. Neither site tells you the name of the hotel before you pay for a pre-payed, non-refundable room. On HotWire you choose a general geographic area, decide if you need the pool at a 3 star hotel or if the 2 star hotel with free internet is what you want.

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Popularity: 62% [?]

When we first travelled with our friend Susan we would say something like “oh I need a band-aid” or “does anyone have a wet wipe” and out of Susan’s magic backpack would emerge the desired item. After while it felt like being on the old “Let’s Make a Deal” when Monty Hall would ask if anyone had a raw egg. Susan did her research on what to pack (always including chocolate and peanut butter) on her own but some companies are trying to make this easier for travelers. So eBags for instance offers the Air Travel Essentials:

Air Travel Essentials If you are going on a trip by plane, you are going to want to have some necessary supplies for where you’re headed. The “Air Travel Essentials Kit” comes packaged in a thick clear slide-closing vinyl bag.

• 1 Survivor Industries® - Travel Safe First Aid Kit
• 1 Purell® Hand Sanitizer with Aloe
• 2 Shout® Wipes Stain Treater Towelette
• 1 Charmin To Go® Toilet Seat Covers
• 1 Charmin To Go® Bathroom Tissue
• 1 Jaraze® Sewing Kit
• 1 Kleenex® Tissues Pocket Pack
• 1 Gearaid® Mini Rolls Duct Tape (2 rolls)
• 1 BioZide® Disinfectant/Deodorant Pump Spray
• 2 Dramamine® Chewable Formula
• 1 Generic Poncho
• 1 Generic Small Flashlight

Raw egg not included.

Popularity: 45% [?]

We were riding down the escalator in the Paris Metro when someone in front of us bent down to pick up something and started backing up against us. My situational awareness told me something was wrong. “Check your wallet” I quickly said to a friend traveling with us. “I still have it” he said but about 50 feet later he realized that he was missing cash from another pocket. We had only been in Paris for a matter of minutes but the friend who we had talked into coming had been robbed.

You don’t have to talk to very many travelers to hear similar stories of being targeted with property crime in foreign locations. As in my story, the travelers are usually not at risk but their purse or wallet is. Pickpockets target travelers because they are less aware and more vulnerable. The vast majority of these stories would end differently if travelers would take simple precautions like using a money belt. My valuables were safely in a travel pouch (like a money belt but warn around the neck) so I was not worried that I was going to be robbed.

Another friend told us the story of his father who put his money in a money belt but left his credit card in his wallet in his back pocket and lost that to pickpockets in Prague. So he had all the right equipment but he has to lose points for execution of the plan as he lost the wallet.

For more safety tips check out this list at Travelhacker: 40+ Safety Tips for Solo Travelers.

Popularity: 21% [?]

If you are going to San Francisco for MacWorld this week and actually get weather that does not include rain, try and get out and see that beautiful city. A while back I recorded a soundseeing walking tour of San Francisco that starts from Union Square (near Moscone Center and the Apple Store).

• Soundseeing self-guided walking tour of San Francisco - Part 1 - including Union Square, China Town, Nob Hill, Grace Cathedral, Cable Car barn/museum, North Beach, Lombard Street.
• Soundseeing self-guided walking tour of San Francisco - Part 2 - including Pier 39, Street Musicians, Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square and a ride on a cable car.

And, of course, if you are going to MacWorld you are probably bringing your trusty iPhone with you. You can bring along this handy Google Map of the San Francisco Walking Tour which includes pictures .

If you are are in town I hope to meet you. I am planning on attending the 2008 Mac Podcaster Meetup at Macworld at Jillian’s @ Metreon on Thursday night.

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Popularity: 100% [?]

Saturday, July 8th
Time to say hello to Vieques again after a nine year absence. We drove from San Juan to the Fajardo ferry terminal and parked in the long term parking ($40 for a week). We bought our tickets ($2 each) and waited for the ferry to arrive. Prior to boarding everyone lines up in a fairly disorganized queue at a metal gate. When the gate opens it’s everyone for themselves and a rush to board. However, I’d expected this and told my kids this short term discomfort would soon be forgotten. If you expect the ferry to be like this you’ll deal with it OK. If you like airport style comfort, just pay the extra and fly. Once on the ferry everything is fine, it’s fairly new and well air-conditioned to the point of being actually quite cold. The ferry ride takes around an hour and then you disembark much the way you embarked. After the ferry docked Penny from the Seagate picked us up at the harbor & took us to the hotel. We stayed at the Seagate (787 741 4661) on our last trip and had a fabulous time and when we decided to return to Vieques the Seagate was our only option. It’s a nice perk that they’ll pick you up from the terminal so that you don’t have to deal with renting a taxi for what is only a pretty short ride to the hotel in Isabel Segunda. It’s set high up on the hill behind the Fort (El Fortin Conde de Mirasol) and offers 6 apartment style accommodations plus some additional houses & properties on the ground. It’s very down to earth and you feel at home the moment you arrive. The grounds are lush with tropical vegetation and you almost feel like you’re in El Yunque. Note - this is not your 5 star bells & whistle sterile casino style spa resort. If you like that try the Martineau and good luck to you. If you are less pretentious, like discovering the real island feel and like more down to earth surroundings the Seagate is for you. We love it and will not stay anywhere else.
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Popularity: 29% [?]

In Kuwait there is no such thing a a fender bender, every wreck is spectacular. I have seen all kinds of traffic in my travels but nothing compares to the drivers in Kuwait. Every highway is a NASCAR experience. The posted speed limit is 120km/h but that, like the lanes painted on the roads are merely a suggestion. In our daily travels we always saw wild accidents and just plain crazy things like a camel in the back of a small pickup truck. One night we came upon a five car wreck that was blocking all lanes of the five lane highway. The Kuwait police did not let traffic stop, they just simply cut a wide gap into the fence and directed all of the traffic out into the desert. We were in out Pajaro driving cross country between a Jaguar and a Benz.

Kuwait City International Airport is another place that is very different than what you might expect. There are three coffee shops (two are Starbucks), a very good cigar store a Fuddruckers and a Harley Davidson dealership all in the terminal. If you like people watching at an airport in the United States you would be fascinated with it at KCIA. Looking at the people coming through customs and trying to figure out if where they have come from or if they have ever been to Kuwait before. On one of our trips to meet someone at KCIA we witnesses the return of the Kuwait National Football (Soccer)team returning from a major victory in some other country and it really looked like a wild production for an American Baseball team returning from the playoffs. There we TV cameras and people cheering. It was witnessing things like this that showed us that the Kuwait people are not much different than us. Sure you cannot get a bacon cheeseburger at the local McDonald’s or Burger King but everyone I talked to was friendly and helpful.Â

Oh and I recommend the Yum Yum Tree restaurant in the airport. Good food and much cheaper than the American chain restaurants that are there. Â

Popularity: 28% [?]