Most of the following should be obvious, but they haven't been so obvious to
myself and some of my friends in the past...
Advice for the Netherlands
General Travel Advice
- Don't carry more than two bags. You have two hands so having more than
two bags means more than two bags in one hand, which makes you a good target
for pick-pockets. Also if you have two bags then you can probably control them
both with one hand while buying train tickets etc (a good time to get
pick-pocketed).
The only reason I can think of for having more than two bags is when travelling
by plane in the US (where the limit is two bags in checked luggage and there is
no limit on weight). Otherwise one bag that's checked and one for hand luggage
is safest.
- Avoid glass bottles as much as possible. Not only is there risk of breakage
when travelling, but there is more risk when you reach your destination. I find
that I'm more likely to drop a bottle of deodorant or after-shave in a foreign
bathroom than I am when at home.
Airline Advice
- Avoid carrying liquids in planes wherever possible. Also never have a
liquid in your checked luggage (checked luggage has lower pressure, gets
dropped more, and you can't re-arrange it in-flight if something breaks).
Alcohol is particularly risky as it will rapidly soak through clothes etc, but
even shampoo can cause a surprising amount of damage.
The only liquid I will have in my checked luggage is toothpaste (it's too thick
to spread far and tends not to damage anything).
I recommend checking bottles of alcohol once the plane is in the air, I once
noticed that a bottle of bourbon I was carrying had a broken seal - fortunately
I hadn't lost much by the time I noticed and tightened the lid so the rest of
my luggage was not damaged.
- Always ask for a window seat! The reason is that most people ask for a
window seat, so if you have a window seat the probability of the seat next to
you being empty is greater. If you're scared of flying then get over it and
take a window seat.
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Copyright © 2001,2002,2006 Russell
Coker and Faye Coker, may be distributed freely.