Cuba Travel Guide

Can you travel to Cuba from the United States? Even with the travel restrictions loosened, there are certain rules you have to follow, but yes, you can travel to Cuba from the US. I have been dreaming of traveling to Cuba for the last few years. My dad first introduced me to the idea, and I knew I had to go the moment I saw photos of it. Here’s the cost breakdown and what you need to know to travel to Cuba:

Cost to get there:

Flight on Southwest – $250-ish

AirBnB: Havana – 1 night at $98/night ($14/person), Trinidad – 2 nights at $56/night ($16/person – disclaimer: this isn’t the place we stayed in Trinidad, but I couldn’t find it so this will have to do), Havana – 2 nights at $200/night ($57/person)

Airport transfer – $20-25

Currency Exchange Rate: 1-1

Time Zone in Cuba: GMT -4 (1 hour ahead of Central Time)

Key Phrases (Spanish):

Please – por favor (pour fah-four)

Thank you – gracias (gras-e-aus)

Hello – hola (ola)

Goodbye – adios (odd-eos), hasta luego (ahsta loo-egg-o)

What’s the best thing to eat in Cuba?: To be honest, the food in Cuba wasn’t that great. It was a lot of “comida tipical” that you’d get at a roadside soda or cafe. It was usually meat, plantains, rice…and overcooked lobster. Oh, and ham and cheese sandwiches. Lots and lots of “jamon y queso.”

What’s the best drink to get in Cuba?: Mojito! It’s the drink of Cuba and they make it with fresh sugar cane. You also have to go to El Floridita and get a daiquiri. It was Ernest Hemmingway’s favorite drink at one of his go-to drink spots.

What activities do you have to do in Cuba?: Take a trip to Trinidad. Make a pit stop at Cienfuegos on the way. Grab a cocktail at the rooftop bar of the hotel and enjoy the sunset. There just might be an impromptu salsa lesson going on. 

Make a stop at the beach in Trinidad. Get there early and snag a spot under a thatched umbrella. Trust me, you do not want to get sunburnt there. 

Talk to the locals and take a horseback ride through the countryside. You’ll make a stop at a restaurant (aka someone’s house) and enjoy a fresh cocktail with hand-pressed sugar cane juice. As you keep going, you’ll pass a coffee plantation and grab a fresh cup of coffee and some hand-rolled cigars. They’re $1 each and the best we had on the trip. You’ll end the day in a swimming hole with the option to cliff dive. (I chickened out. Don’t do that.)

Do you need to tip in Cuba?: 5% is pretty standard at restaurants. Hand your tour guide a few dollars a day ($2-3) and make sure to put an extra dollar into your cab fare.

What’s the best way to get around Cuba?: You have to ride in an old 1950s car. The really nice ones are reserved only for tourists and they act as cabs. You can take all the photos you want in them as long as you pay. Looking at you, Instagram models. 

Know before you go:

  • Cellphones won’t work there.
  • Internet is hard to access and expensive and slow when you finally get it. Just unplug and enjoy it. Plus you’ll save your phone battery for photos.
  • Your US debit/credit cards won’t work there. Yes, this means you need to bring plenty of cash to last your entire trip. If you book online using AirBnB, for example, you can pay ahead with your credit card.
  • When exchanging currency before your trip, ask for Euros. US financial institutions cannot provide you with Cuban pesos. Don’t ask. Get the Euros and exchange those when you get there. It’s a lot more expensive to exchange USD than it is Euros.
  • Go to a local hotel to exchange your money. The line is a lot shorter than the banks.
  • Pack bug spray. Mosquitos. That is all.
  • There are two types of currency in Cuba: CUC and CUP. The CUP (Cuban Peso National) is used primarily by locals. It has a 25-1 exchange rate with the USD. But don’t worry about that. You most likely won’t even see it. The CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso) is used by the tourism industry.

Have you booked a trip to Cuba? If you’ve been, what tips would you add?

How to Spend Seven Days in Peru

If you only had seven days in Peru, these are the things I would try and do. You’ll need to factor in travel time (I indicated that where necessary), but I feel like you can really see a lot of Peru in just seven short days.

Do you need a custom itinerary? Let’s chat!

Day 1 –

  • Arrive in Lima
  • Enjoy ceviche in Miraflores – where you’ll want to stay!
  • Grab a drink at the cliff-side mall, Larcomar (yes, it’s a mall. Just trust me.), and watch the paragliders
  • Huaca Pucllana
  • Visit Central Restaurant — it’s the number two restaurant in the world, 17 courses and a must-do. Yes, it’s pricey, but if that’s where your passions lie (like mine) then you have to get a reservation.

Day 2 –

  • Explore the Barranco district, Lima’s art district. There’s tons of great street murals and fun art to look at. Plus it’s just fun to walk around. Also, we walked there from Miraflores. It’s about a 1.5-2 mile walk and took us about 30 minutes but it was great. We took a cab there though.
  • Stop by the Barranco Beer Company. Good beer, good food.

Day 3 –

  • Head to Cusco
  • We rented an AirBnB. It was super cute, old (in the best way) and close to everything. Highly recommend it!
  • Cusco is about 11,000 feet elevation! Give your body a day (or two) to adjust before heading to Machu Picchu. Cocoa leaves or cocoa candy or drink cocoa tea (if you want) can help with the vertigo, but consume these at your own risk. They are the leaves that cocaine is made from.
  • Visit the Plaza de Armas
  • Take a photo with the baby llamas. Just know if you see someone in traditional Peruvian garb, they will charge you to take a photo. It’s usually just a few dollars though.
  • Grab a pisco sour!
  • Visit the Sacred Valley or the Cathedral

Day 4 –

  • Visit Machu Picchu (entrance fee is about $45/person)
  • Get there early. Seriously. 6 – 8 a.m. is the best time… or mid-afternoon.
  • Just so you know, you need to take a 2-hour train to Ollantaytambo and then an hour or two bus ride to Aguas Callientes (super cute little town) where you can get cheap massages at the end of the day. It’s a long day, but worth it. You could also consider spending a night in Aguas. It’s pretty cheap.
  • Hike up to the top of the ruins. (You’ll know what I’m talking about when you get there.) That’s where all of the great photos are from.
  • Pack comfortable shoes. It’s a lot of walking/hiking.

Day 5 –

-OR-

  • Go to the Maras Salt Mines if you’re not – it’s a day trip and you also get to see yarn being made/dyed from natural dyes. Super cool! I can’t find the company we used for the tour, but I think you can just book it in Cusco when you get there. It’s a whole day trip and pack snacks because I don’t think we ever stopped for food (8/9 a.m. – 4 p.m.). They did come on the bus and sell us this really cool local alcohol in these traditional Peruvian bottles. (We did the salt mine tour)

Day 6 –

  • Fly back to Lima.
  • Account for rush hour traffic. We didn’t and missed our flights and had to buy $120 one-way tickets.

Day 7 –

  • Tour San Isidro (the business district), the Historical Center or Barrio Chino for Chifa (Peruvian Chinese food!)
  • Depart for home

This itinerary should give you enough time to see plenty in Lima and Cusco while still giving you time to unwind and relax. Salud!

What to expect when going through customs

You’ve booked your first international flight. Congrats! Go and enjoy that vacation. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be over here waiting for you…on the other side of customs! (**Insert evil laugh**)

I’m kidding. Going through customs truly isn’t a bad process (especially if you have Global Entry — more on that later). If you’ve never been through customs, you may not know what to expect. Here are a few tips to make the process that much smoother… for you and the Customs agent.

  1. Have your passport handy. You’ll need it to get into any other country and back home again. Once the plane has landed and you’ve grabbed your carry-on bags, make sure to locate your passport and keep it somewhere handy. Don’t be that person that holds up the customs line because you’re digging for your passport.
  2. Keep important travel information at the ready. This includes your flight number, the place you’re staying (when leaving the country), what you’re doing there, etc. The customs agent will ask and you might have to fill it out on a customs form. When you’re coming back into the U.S., you usually just need your flight info. Grab a passport wallet or travel document wallet to make life easier. Trust me.
  3. …but not your phone. The customs area, no matter the country you’re in, is a no phone zone. Don’t be dumb. Just keep your phone away for 10 minutes. You’ll have enough time before and after to check your Instagram.
  4. Be ready to take off your hat and glasses. The customs agent needs to see your face, for obvious reasons. They don’t care that you’re having a bad hair day.
  5. Collect your bags. If you have a connecting flight in the U.S. before your final destination (also in the U.S.), you will go through customs during your first layover. (This is a good thing to keep in mind when booking flights. Make sure your layover isn’t too tight here!) Once you’ve passed through customs, you’ll collect your checked back from baggage claim. Don’t worry. It’s usually very close to customs and in a designated area. Depending on the airport, you’ll carry it to another location and drop it off for your next flight. No, you don’t pay twice for this. Once you’ve paid to check your bag, it’s done.
  6. Know what you can bring back. Certain countries have restrictions on the number of items you can bring back. There are also restrictions on what you can bring back to the U.S. In Cuba (in 2017), you were only allowed to bring back 50 cigars and three bottles of rum. This was a Cuban stipulation, not a U.S. one, so your bags were searched before leaving Cuba and if you were over the limit, it was into the trash. We saw this happen a few times. You can’t bring meat back to the states from foreign countries. I know this because I personally tried to bring some back after studying abroad in Spain when I was 16. It was an innocent mistake and ended with me in tears, but lesson learned. Look up the laws and rules beforehand so you don’t end up like 16-year-old me.
  7. The joke isn’t worth it. Don’t joke around during the customs process. Yes, you can be friendly and laugh, but don’t joke about what you may or may not be bringing back into the country or what you were doing in that country, etc. While it may be funny to you and your friends, it’s not amusing to the people who are tasked with protecting their country’s borders.

What important step did I leave off? Did you run into any funny customs situations while abroad?

9 Things You Need in Your Carry-On Bag

I have this not-so-secret fantasy that I’ll get a call to throw my bag together and be ready to go on some mysterious flight in 10 minutes or less. Because of that, I keep my travel kit ready to go at a moment’s notice with the essential things I need on a flight. It’s easy to grab and throw in my carry-on bag and has all of the essentials I need to make it through a flight. Here are the nine things you need to keep in your carry-on bag for a successful flight.

Here’s a peek at what’s inside:

  • <a href="1oz Purell Jelly Wrap, Assorted color, 2 pack“>Hand sanitizer/<a href="Wet Ones Antibacterial Hands & Face Wipes, Citrus Scent, 20 Count Travel Pack (Pack of 6)“>wet wipes – I’m not a germaphobe, but, let’s be honest, people aren’t the cleanest on flights. I like to use a <a href="Wet Ones Antibacterial Hands & Face Wipes, Citrus Scent, 20 Count Travel Pack (Pack of 6)“>wet wipe on the seat arms, tray table, top of the seat (where your head goes), etc. It just makes me feel a little better to do a quick wipe down when I sit down. Plus, it comes in handy if they’re out of soap in the bathroom!
  • Sleep Eye Mask – This helps me sleep on the flight (not that I really need that)… and keeps me looking fabulous while doing it.
  • Contact Solution and <a href="Mini Stylish Simple Contact Lens Travel Case,Aneky Container Kit Set Contacts Lens Hard Case Travel Kit Mirror with Bottle with Tweezers Container Holder (Rose Gold)“>Lens Case – The minute I hop on a flight, I take my contacts out so I can let my eyes rest… and not sleep with my contacts in. (Did I mention I always fall asleep on the plane?) I’d take my contacts out before I get on the flight, but I don’t like to wear my glasses for too long.
  • Travel Toothbrush and Toothpaste – No one likes getting off the plane with bad breath, so I keep a small toothbrush and toothpaste in my kit.
  • Eye-Wetting Tears – My eyes get super dry and itchy especially in the dry cabin air on the plane, so I always keep a small bottle of eye drops handy. I use them throughout the flight and immediately when we land. Dry eyes don’t look good on anyone.
  • Moisturizing Face Spray – Dry eyes, dry skin. That beautiful airplane air just leaves you looking so refreshed, doesn’t it? I spray this coconut water hydrating mist on my face throughout the flight and right when we land. I don’t need dry patchy skin when I get to my destination.
  • Chapstick or lip cream – It’s super moisturizing and helps my lips from getting chapped during the flight. Did I mention the dry, dry air in the cabin?
  • Under eye mask and sheet face mask – Throw on a sheet mask or a pair of under eye masks to arrive to your destination refreshed and ready to go. You’ll look like you slept a full eight hours in first class!
  • Tylenol Extra Strength – You never know when you’ll need to pop a few thanks to that crying baby in row 14, seat A (wait, how did a baby get a window seat?!)
  • Shout Wipe & Go – If you’re as klutzy as me, you already know how important these are. Keep a few in your bag, and you’ll save yourself some stress and pain later.

What do you keep in your ready-to-go travel bag? What travel advice am I missing?

4 Days in Copenhagen

Copenhagen reminded me a lot of Amsterdam, and it is easy to do just four days in Copenhagen or even a weekend in Copenhagen. The people, the buildings, the canals, the bike culture. It was such a beautiful, friendly city and one that I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to. I went in the winter (early November), so I can’t wait to get back there in the summertime when the city is even more alive and bustling. I highly recommend you travel to Copenhagen any time of year!

Time Zone: GMT +1 (7 hours ahead of Central Time)

Key Phrases (Dutch):
Please – alstublieft (AHL-stu-BLEEFT)

Thank you – dank je (dank ya)

Hello – Hallo (“HAH low”) or Hoi (“Hoy”)

Goodbye – Dag (“dakh”) or Doei (“dooey”) or doeg (“dookh”)

Must Eat: Copenhagen food is some of the best I’ve ever had. That might be because there are 17 Michelin-starred restaurants in Copenhagen. To say there’s no shortage of great food in Copenhagen would be a huge understatement. But, with that being said, my favorite restaurant isn’t one of those 17 Michelin-starred restaurants… yet.

Amass is aptly named as a meal there feels like a deeply religious experience. When you walk in, it looks like you’ve entered some Russian underground mafia lab. But instead, you’re just beginning your culinary journey. The meal isn’t cheap (695dkk = $105 for their smaller tasting menu), but it’s worth it.

Chef Matt Orlando, former head chef of the former number one restaurant in the world, Noma (we couldn’t get a reservation…), brings his culinary genius to his own restaurant. 90-100% of their food is organic, and they were named the “Sustainable Restaurant of the Year 2017” by The White Guide. Eating at Amass Copenhagen isn’t just good for your palate; it’s good for the world.

Other top restaurant recommendations in Copenhagen include Noma, Restaurant Barr, Alchemist, Baest, and the Reffen Street Food Market.

Must Drink: Still drinking…I mean thinking!

Must Do: There are so many quick day trips you can take from Copehnagen! I highly recommend you take a trip up to Helsingor and visit the Kronborg Castle. On the way back, or up, stop at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. It’s only a 40-50 minute train ride up to Helsingor, but worth spending the whole day in this quaint town. Get the Copenhagen Card and admission to Kronborg Castle, Louisiana Museum, and the train ride are all included!

Tipping: Not necessary.
Their service industry staff (waiters, bartenders, etc.) get paid a living wage (what a novel concept!) so tipping not only isn’t necessary but it’s rarely expected. Even in a fine dining establishment, you might leave 5% if you’re feeling generous. Most places actually hit the “no” button for us when it asked if we’d like to leave a tip.

Transportation: Bike, metro, train.
Public transportation in Copenhagen gets five stars from me. Between the train and the metro, you could get anywhere around town in a cinch. The schedules were easier to read than a NYC subway map — and much, much cleaner. No rats or trash hanging out in their stations. You could also get to Malmo, Sweden within 30 minutes via train. So easy and so comfortable. Did I mention that the trains are on time every time? I think that’s part of the reason why their people are so dang happy. They don’t have to deal with waiting around for trains.

Four Days in Denver

There are many great places you can spend a weekend in the United States. One of the best long weekend trips is to Denver, Colorado!

I’m so excited to get back to Denver as an adult and see it through a whole different perspective. I went a few times as a kid — while my parents were secretly house hunting I came to find out years later. It’s going to be a great little extended weekend trip. Here are a few things I’m bringing with me along with a few things on our agenda:

  • Warm jacket: A necessity! I actually “suffer from” Raynaud’s phenomenon. It’s essentially a condition that can make cold weather pretty miserable without the proper gear. Enter The Amazon Jacket — it should save me some anguish in the cold.
  • Warm gloves: Disclaimer — I don’t actually own this exact pair of gloves but a very similar pair. They’re reinforced, double layered and great for blocking the wind, water, snow, etc. I actually drive with them on sometimes when the weather gets really cold on Austin winter mornings.
  • Downtown Denver: I have an obsession with city skylines so I can’t wait to see Denver’s again after so many years.
  • Camelbak Water Bottle: a reusable water bottle is a must whether traveling or not! I’m actually pretty good about drinking 64 ounces of water a day and it’s because I keep one of these with me all the time. These are actually great to travel with — just make sure it’s empty when you walk through security. You can fill it up on the other side. You’ll want to keep that full with you on the plane. Staying hydrated is so important while traveling, especially 35,000 feet in the sky
  • Burton Snowboard: We’re planning on hitting the slopes at least one day and I’m hoping to ride one of these bad boys. I’ve ridden a few different boards since I started snowboarding, but Burton is by far my favorite.
  • Denver Beer Co.: You can’t go to Denver and not have some good, local craft beer. I’m a big fan of local craft beer so I’m sure we’ll spend some quality time brewery hopping… or at least sampling some different local brews.

Have you been to Denver? What do you recommend to do/see there? Where do you love to eat and drink?

Visiting the Best Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai

Ice Cube said today was a good day, but today was actually a really freaking awesome day. In fact, Ice Cube, today was quite possibly one of the best days I’ve ever had in my 28 years on this earth. As I sit here in bed in my hostel bunk, I keep looking through photos and videos to remind me that today did in fact happen.

So what happened, you ask?

We got to play with Asian elephants at the best elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai and possibly all of Thailand, that’s what.

When most people think of elephants and Thailand, or most of Asia for that matter, they think of riding elephants. It is actually incredibly inhumane. Yes, it sounds like fun, but do a little research, and you’ll quickly change your tune. (Be a responsible traveler, not an uninformed tourist.)

Instead of putting them through the abuse of riding them, we went to one of the most famous elephant sanctuaries on the planet: Elephant Nature Park Chiang Mai.

We were picked up from our hostel at 8:30 am and joined 7 other people in a van for a short hour ride out of the city. We then transferred to a truck for another 30-40 minute ride up a mountain…full of hairpin turns, steep cliffs, and little teases of paved road. Did I mention I get car sick just driving on straight, smooth roads?

We got up to the top of the mountain and reached our camp for the day. (Which was also filled with puppies. I almost couldn’t even, but I evened.)

The views were absolutely breathtaking. I don’t think any photo I took did it any justice, but here goes nothing:

It looked “just like Texas,” our guide Ice joked. (He’s seen Texas in movies before.)

We changed into traditional Karen garb so we would be “clean” for the elephants. (And here I’m thinking, I didn’t even shower this morning but if this will get me clean…) The shirt reminded me of the old Stussy ponchos all the guys wore in high school, but as a crop top. The pants were big enough for a literal pants party. Super flattering. I don’t mean to brag, but we totally pulled off the look. (Yes, that’s sarcasm sneaking in there.)

Just as everyone was finished getting clean, our new friends walked up. I was in awe.

We went around to the road in front of the hut and started feeding the elephants (including mischievous 6- and 2-year-olds and two pregnant mamas). In reality, they just started using their trunks to try and dig into our bags. They loved to eat. (I didn’t realize I had so much in common with elephants.) Their trunks were surprisingly strong and they were not very shy about using them. Most of the time the elephants would grab food with their trunks and feed themselves, but sometimes they would open their mouths and you’d just lob a few (5 or so) cucumbers in.

They also loved to give big, wet, sloppy kisses. They brought new meaning to the term “suck face.”

After we emptied our bags into the elephants’ mouths, we hiked through the jungle with these beauties. They stopped to eat tree bark, dig up roots, knock whole trees over, oh and relieve themselves directly in front of you. Yummy.

After about an hour or so of walking (30 minutes? 45? I have no sense of time), we said goodbye so we could go eat lunch.

It was a delicious homemade traditional Thai lunch consisting of Masaman curry,  vegetables in a red sweet and sour sauce and loads of fresh watermelon and pineapple.

After our lunch break, it was time for the good stuff. We hiked down to a mud pit at the bottom of our hut, climbed into a pool of mud and gave the elephants a mud bath.

Words can’t even describe how amazing it was to get so up close and personal with these guys. The baby would shower us with mud from his trunk while the bigger ones would just plop down where ever sending a tidal wave of muddy water our way. We threw mud balls at them, splashed them with muddy water, rubbed them down with mud and got a mud bath ourselves in the process thanks to our sweet guides. It was so much fun. I don’t have a ton of pictures for obvious reasons, but don’t you worry: I was wearing my trusty GoPro the entire time.

After we got nice and dirty, we hiked over to a beautiful waterfall and pool. Correction: freezing cold pool. We all had buckets and brushes and waited for our elephant friends to get in the water. Again, we splashed them, scrubbed their backs…and yes, got sprayed with water by the baby elephant. I did say he was mischievous, didn’t I? It was awesome. By the end of it, everyone was soaked and we had just given these elephants quite a spa treatment.

(Sorry, no photos. You’ll have to wait for the GoPro footage.)

Now that we were sopping wet (our clothes didn’t really repel water), we hiked back to the camp with the elephants, stopping to feed and pet them along the way. It was amazing to see how nimble these large animals were. They walked through tight spaces with ease (or just knocked down entire trees if they were in their way) and were pretty graceful the entire time (except when one stopped and simultaneously pooped and peed in front of us. I’ll save you from a picture…and the GoPro footage.).

Once we were back to camp, we “showered” and changed back to our dry clothes before enjoying some green tea and kumquats.

It was honestly the best day of my life. It’s going to be hard to top this one (yes, that means you, future kids).

At the beginning of the day, the elephants were a little scary just because they were so big and you don’t want to get accidentally stepped on, but by the end of our adventure, it was funny to think we were ever scared of them. They would randomly search our bags for food, gave great trunk hugs, and just loved to be petted.

The best part about the day was seeing how truly happy these animals were. They weren’t drugged or abused. They were just well-trained. It was amazing to watch their trainers work with them using just words and body language. Oh, and food. Lots of food.

Zebras have been my favorite animal for a long time, but I think elephants just took the top spot. (Sorry, guys.)

A few fun facts we learned along the way:

  • Women elephants menstruate from their temples, while the males menstruate from their mouths. (suckas!)
  • Elephants are pregnant for 18 months with baby girls and TWO YEARS for boys. (So thankful I’m not an elephant)
  • Elephants can’t see directly in front of them.

If you’re going to Chiang Mai and looking for a great elephant experience, I can’t recommend Elephant Nature Park. All of these elephants were abused prior to coming to the camp by working as logging elephants, being used as riding elephants, or being paraded around the streets of Chiangmai begging for money by their previous owners. It was so refreshing to see them in a natural habitat and just happy.

I can go on and on about the experience, but I’ve got to get a little more shut-eye before our cooking class today.

Peace, love, and elephant dreams

Have you been on an ecotourism trip? What was your favorite one?

How to be a Respectful Traveler Abroad

I just got back from an epic two-week EuroTrip last Friday. We explored four countries in 14 days and it was everything I dreamed it would be and more. (Kids – take this trip after high school or college when you’re still young and nimble and survive off no sleep. When you get to be my age, it takes a much bigger toll on your body…but it’s worth it at any age.) It didn’t take long after landing in Dublin to realize we weren’t in North America anymore, Toto.  Anytime you leave the States, it’s a different experience. You’re most likely out of your comfort zone, and you could even be in a place that isn’t very welcoming to North Americans. (Heck, it seems like America isn’t very welcoming to Americans at times!)

With that in mind, here are a few things I like to keep in mind when traveling abroad as an American:

1 – You’re not in the United States of America anymore. Ok, I get it, Captain Obvious, but sadly this isn’t so obvious to everyone. You probably should leave your American flag cape at home along with your loud American flag hat. Save it for the 4th of July… this way, you won’t lose it. 😉

2 – Different cultures have different customs. Learn them. Respect them. It’s not another country’s job to teach you their customs. There’s no cultural crash course when you enter a new country. You know those 6 hours you just spent on a plane watching a crappy movie that was in theaters 2 years ago? Use that time reading up on the country you’re about to enter. What are their traditions? How much do they tip? Do they tip? What is acceptable clothing attire there that isn’t back home? More important, what isn’t acceptable that might be in the U.S.? In Thailand, for example, you (pretty much almost) always take your shoes off before entering a building. It’s considered rude to keep them on. I hope you packed some cute socks or got a pedi before you left. (Don’t worry if you didn’t — they’re really cheap over there.)

3 – Nothing in life is free — not even water. I know we love our free tap water that is automatically served once we get seated at restaurants here, but it’s not always like that abroad. Most restaurants don’t serve tap water, so when you ask for water, you better believe you’ll be shelling over a little extra cash for that bottle when you get the bill. Sometimes you may have to purchase a drink to get tap water. In some places you can’t drink tap water. Or maybe you luck out, and they have free tap water for you. Just don’t be surprised and offended if they don’t.

4 – Sit back and RELAX. You’re going out to eat. Meet your friends, wait to be seated (or don’t — I don’t know where you’re going to eat), and prepare to enjoy your meal. I mean savor every single bite enjoy it. Don’t scarf your delicious pork ribs. Take your time eating that ravioli. Most restaurants aren’t worried about turning your table over to bring in another party and make more tips (they might not even accept tips — search that ahead of time or read #5 below). What they are worried about is you enjoying your food and your company. So put away your phone, take your time, enjoy your meal, and strike up a conversation with the people…err, friends at your table. Buen provecho!

5 – Here’s a tip: brush up on tipping customs. Unlike in the States, bartenders and servers don’t live off of a measly hourly wage and rely on feeding themselves off tips. (See #4) Ireland, for example, doesn’t have a tipping culture. When you get your credit card receipt, there’s usually no line to add a tip. If you want to tip, go ahead and give 10%. In Germany, we usually tipped about 10% at restaurants. We also tipped our beer girls about 2 euros/beer. If you’re looking for some guidance, Conde Nast Traveler has a good guide here. 

6 – Cash is king. While I rely on my credit and debit cards for everything back home, you can’t assume they’re going to have the ability (or strong and secure networks for that matter) to process a credit card. In Thailand, I used cash at most places, but cards at the resorts/hotels. In Ireland, I used my card most places. Germany was oddly very cash-heavy. We figured that in the beer tents (how can they keep track of 100s of tabs?!), but most restaurants and gift shops had around 20-25 euro minimums to use your card. Just be safe and keep some cash on you. (Also – make sure you check with your credit/debit card before you leave. Those foreign transaction fees are no joke!) We found that the exchange rate was much better in Europe than back home so I wish we would have waited to exchange money. It’s always a good idea to check the foreign currency exchange rates before traveling.

7 – To go? To go where? Taking leftover food to go is very much a thing in the States. Abroad? Not so much. Europe now has a food delivery service along the lines of Favor so to-go boxes are more commonplace, but the act of asking for one is still frowned upon. Take your time and enjoy your meal. They’re in no rush to kick you out. (…Unless you eat like a baby bird like me, and it takes you 2 hours to finish a burger. Then you might deal with the embarrassment of asking for a box.)

8. There is no ranch dressing. Don’t ask. 

I could keep going, but I think you get the drift. Be smart, be respectful, be aware. Take some time to study the basic traditions, customs, and pleasantries of whichever country, city, or state you’re heading to. You never know, you may even meet some new friends or get a free drink out of it.

Cheers, Prost, Slainte!