When travelling abroad, is it better to blend in?

Question

When travelling abroad, is it better to blend in or to show that you are a tourist?

Answer 1

Blending in is almost impossible in most countries. I do have tricks that help. Like,
buying your clothing and shoes in what ever country you are visiting.
not wearing your camers and electronic gear around your neck or having them visible at all.
It helps if you don't wander around with a Lonley Planet guide in your hand and a blank look on your face.

I am in Asia right now and as a American that is six foot and blond its kind of hard to blend in. Possible in Europe and many caucasian countries but blending can only go so far.

being know as a tourist can be a hindrance or a help. Many times locals will go out of their way to help a tourist but at the same time you can walk around the corner and there is someone there who wants to take advantage.

Here is a quick guide of tips for traveling abroad.

Here we go.
Get travel insurance. It is not expensive and can save you in nasty situations. Make sure to inform your Credit card companies that you are going to be out of the country so they don't freeze your accounts when they get a charge from Saigon or where ever you end up. It can be a real pain trying to straighten that out over the international phone.
Carry copies of your passport and visas, your birth certificate, air line tickets and driver’s license in 3 or 4 different places. If your primary bag gets lost or stolen this will help you get back on track. Don't carry a lot of money with you. ATM's are just about everywhere now, so you can get more cash when you need it. Pack light. Most of the places that you are going have nice inexpensive clothing shops and you will need room to bring them back. Leave your computer at home. There are internet cafes everywhere and they are very inexpensive. Use them. That way you don't have to worry about someone stealing your brick and you don't have to lug it around. Keep your passport, tickets etc in a sturdy pouch that goes around your neck. Never wear it in back. I haven't lost mine in over a year on the road and there have been a couple of attempts. Bring your cell phone. It needs to be the one that is most compatible with the various international systems a GSM Phone. Make sure it is unlocked so you can use different Sim cards from different countries. In most places, incoming calls are free. So your friends can reach you in an emergency and you can do the same. This works good. Just email the new number to those who need it and you have a safety net. Bring a basic medical kit. Band-Aids, antiseptic and antibiotics. Anti diarrhea meds, aspirin etc. If you get food poisoning to the point that you have a fever go the doctor immediately. (The Hotel usually has one on call) You can die from food poisoning so don't screw around. Wear slip on shoes. It saves time and trouble in airports and all Asian countries. Always let your hotels know when you leave. It’s best to give them the key, and tell them where you are going. Get a card from the hotel so you can find it again in case of extreme drunkenness or just a lack of directional ability. Also. Read your passport. It can pay to have the various Embassies know when you are in the country. They are not much help but they are a safety net in emergencies. Have I forgotten anything? I am sure I have but this is a good broad list to remember. and... Let the hotels handle booking your tours and local stuff. It costs a little more but it is worth it. Hey, Have fun. You are on vacation! Here are some good Web sites to remember.

Lonely planet.com
http://www.xe.com/ucc/ for currency quotes
Google earth for finding where you are.
Oh... get a good travel book. Lonely planet is good and gives you ideas about scams and rip offs in the areas where you are and good maps and directions to hotels and restaurants. Worth the money.
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Answer 2

When traveling anywhere, use common sense. Don't flash cash. If you want to take pics carry a camera, but not a lot of equipment. Take something you can wear or stick in a bag. Believe it or not, if you are in a foreign country, most people that live there will be able to tell, no matter what you do. Just be safe and enjoy your trip.

Answer 3

Depends on in which you are visiting from. If you are an EU country wide, you don't want vaccinations for the Netherlands. All you want is your passport and spending cash. I do not believe you'll be able to booklet on-line at the day you intend to fly, so I might advocate reserving good upfront as price ticket costs fluctuate - weekdays are less expensive to fly. You might appear into flights out of your nearest airport to Amsterdam Schiphol, for illustration. Your price ticket is e-mailed to you as quickly as you pay through bank card (no longer definite if a few airways be given debit or Switch card repayments additionally). I might additionally advocate reserving your inn upfront, there are tons of internet sites that help you booklet on-line, and deliver you a reservation quantity. As quickly as you get your journey files, print them out and placed them away together with your passport, so you might have the complete lot in combination. It's additionally a well inspiration to ahead flight and reserving know-how to a internet-founded electronic mail cope with, simply if your pc crashes earlier than you don't forget to print your price ticket and different files out.