I love the mayhem and chaos associated with arriving in a new city. I love the initial disorientation, the directional signs in a different style, the advertisements in a foreign language, the basics of trying to reach the airport exit, grabbing a taxi, and then seeing a city for the first time. I love the mayhem by knowing two things in advance of arrival that would otherwise give me a headache: what is the exchange rate and how do I reach the hostel. That’s it. Then I sit back and enjoy the mayhem and chaos.
Before arrival, check the currency exchange and calculate how much of the local currency equals ten dollars and one hundred dollars. If the Google search “EUR to USD” doesn’t provide the exact conversion, www.xe.com is another accurate exchange rate resource. Knowing that Hong Kong Dollars are $0.13 to $1.00 U.S. Dollar doesn’t help much when you are staring at ATM amounts of $200 HKD and $500 HKD, unless you know $150 HKD is roughly $20 and therefore, $200 HKD is $25 USD and $500 HKD is approximately $65 USD. You don’t want to take out too little cash and need to return to the ATM and incur more bank fees. You also don’t want to take out too much cash and need to exchange money to a different currency later. Try to find an ATM before you’ve picked up your luggage, before entering the arrivals hall, and before the taxi drivers have their eyes set on you.
Know how to reach the hotel or hostel. Know the approximate cost of a taxi ride and public transportation. This can be accomplished via a Google search, however, I typically read the “Getting In” section of a Wikitravel page. Figure out the public transportation situation before arrival. Singapore. Hong Kong. Sure, it’s easy in these cities. Any other city…good luck and be sure to verify the public transit is running at the time of your arrival. Even for cities like New York City, you’ll want to know how to reach Manhattan from John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (particularly), or Newark. You may think you have two options to reach Manhattan from JFK—an expensive but hopefully quick taxi ride or a cheap but long subway ride. There’s a third option that easily beats the first two: Long Island Rail (LIRR). There’s a monorail service from JFK to Jamaica Station where LIRR runs every fifteen minutes to Penn Station in Manhattan. The cost is less than $15 and the combined ride takes about forty-five minutes from airport baggage claim to the hotel lobby.
You have two options when taking a taxi from the airport: either know the name of the official taxi service companies that operate at the airport (Wikitravel usually has accurate vendors and costs, but to be safe, bump up their prices 20%) or arrange transportation through your hotel. If there is a time where you are going to splurge and spend a few extra bucks, the time would be on arrival in a major city.
You could wing your transportation on arrival. I have been scammed twice in my life while traveling. Both times occurred during early morning arrivals with an uncomfortable night sleep on a train. Both scams could have easily been avoided had I contacted the hostel to arrange for pickup transportation. The scams occurred in India and Sri Lanka, so fortunately I was out less than $5 combined but it’s a headache being taken to the wrong hotel at 6am. I wish the driver stated at the beginning of the ride “I’m a scam artist” so I could have offered to double the fare to take me to the correct hotel. If you are in India this scam happens every…single…time…you exit a train. The drivers know you are sitting in 1st or 2nd class and will walk beside your car until the train stops. Once the driver knows that you know he’s scamming you, they stop driving. Wherever you are, that’s where the ride stops. “It’s a one-way road.” It isn’t. “The road is closed for a parade.” It isn’t. Call the hotel, arrange for a ride, and arrive without any hassle.
You could gamble on this strategic plan-transportation-in-advance advice. The savings, as a percentage, are significant. You’ll save 50% on the taxi fare if you skip the company affiliated with the airport. You’ll save another 25% if you leave the airport facility and hail the taxi from the street. In India this translates from a $10 starting point to $2.50. Do you really want to mess around with transportation for $7.50? I wouldn’t.
Without WiFi or a data plan be extra prepared and have the hotel’s address and phone number either printed out or written down. If you don’t want or can’t print a hard copy, at least take a screenshot of your hotel reservation…and keep your phone charged.
You may see cellphone service providers in the airport but if it’s not necessary, wait to obtain a local SIM card in the city center. There will be more reasonable data plans with better, national carriers in the city center than the airport arrivals hall.
You finally reached the taxi. Don’t drop your guard. Hold your bags. Put them into the taxi yourself. If someone looks like they are with the taxi driver and are trying to assist you…they aren’t with the taxi driver. Best-case scenario they are trying to receive a tip. Worst-case they may steal your bags.
There’s also a gastrointestinal adjustment with each new country during the first week of arrival. Review which countries require using bottle water every time you brush your teeth.
Once the arrival excitement passes, it’s time to focus on the city exploration adventure.
Know how to reach the hotel or hostel. Know the approximate cost of a taxi ride and public transportation. This can be accomplished via a Google search, however, I typically read the “Getting In” section of a Wikitravel page. Figure out the public transportation situation before arrival. Singapore. Hong Kong. Sure, it’s easy in these cities. Any other city…good luck and be sure to verify the public transit is running at the time of your arrival. Even for cities like New York City, you’ll want to know how to reach Manhattan from John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (particularly), or Newark. You may think you have two options to reach Manhattan from JFK—an expensive but hopefully quick taxi ride or a cheap but long subway ride. There’s a third option that easily beats the first two: Long Island Rail (LIRR). There’s a monorail service from JFK to Jamaica Station where LIRR runs every fifteen minutes to Penn Station in Manhattan. The cost is less than $15 and the combined ride takes about forty-five minutes from airport baggage claim to the hotel lobby.
You have two options when taking a taxi from the airport: either know the name of the official taxi service companies that operate at the airport (Wikitravel usually has accurate vendors and costs, but to be safe, bump up their prices 20%) or arrange transportation through your hotel. If there is a time where you are going to splurge and spend a few extra bucks, the time would be on arrival in a major city.
You could wing your transportation on arrival. I have been scammed twice in my life while traveling. Both times occurred during early morning arrivals with an uncomfortable night sleep on a train. Both scams could have easily been avoided had I contacted the hostel to arrange for pickup transportation. The scams occurred in India and Sri Lanka, so fortunately I was out less than $5 combined but it’s a headache being taken to the wrong hotel at 6am. I wish the driver stated at the beginning of the ride “I’m a scam artist” so I could have offered to double the fare to take me to the correct hotel. If you are in India this scam happens every…single…time…you exit a train. The drivers know you are sitting in 1st or 2nd class and will walk beside your car until the train stops. Once the driver knows that you know he’s scamming you, they stop driving. Wherever you are, that’s where the ride stops. “It’s a one-way road.” It isn’t. “The road is closed for a parade.” It isn’t. Call the hotel, arrange for a ride, and arrive without any hassle.
You could gamble on this strategic plan-transportation-in-advance advice. The savings, as a percentage, are significant. You’ll save 50% on the taxi fare if you skip the company affiliated with the airport. You’ll save another 25% if you leave the airport facility and hail the taxi from the street. In India this translates from a $10 starting point to $2.50. Do you really want to mess around with transportation for $7.50? I wouldn’t.
Without WiFi or a data plan be extra prepared and have the hotel’s address and phone number either printed out or written down. If you don’t want or can’t print a hard copy, at least take a screenshot of your hotel reservation…and keep your phone charged.
You may see cellphone service providers in the airport but if it’s not necessary, wait to obtain a local SIM card in the city center. There will be more reasonable data plans with better, national carriers in the city center than the airport arrivals hall.
You finally reached the taxi. Don’t drop your guard. Hold your bags. Put them into the taxi yourself. If someone looks like they are with the taxi driver and are trying to assist you…they aren’t with the taxi driver. Best-case scenario they are trying to receive a tip. Worst-case they may steal your bags.
There’s also a gastrointestinal adjustment with each new country during the first week of arrival. Review which countries require using bottle water every time you brush your teeth.
Once the arrival excitement passes, it’s time to focus on the city exploration adventure.