March 11, 2011 Travel emergencies
With the terrible earthquake and tsunami that has hit Japan, and the fact that 20,000 people are stranded at the two main Tokyo international airports, I have to wonder: how many of us are prepared to handle emergenices while traveling?
It is my belief, that no matter where you are in the world, if you have your passport and a credit card, and perhaps some cash, you can get home.
With this is mind, I always, underline always, carry my passport, credit cards, and the bulk of my cash in a moneybelt. There are some who insist that they keep these items in either their room safe or hotel safe because they don’t want to carry them around. It’s safer there and more comfortable than a moneybelt.
But what if you can’t get back to your hotel? Taj Hotel guests in Mumbai weren’t allowed back in until well after the terrorist attacks last year were over. And what if you’re out and your hotel is the victim of a natural disaster. I’d much rather lose a few items of clothing, some toiletries and a bag, if it means getting me out of a bad situation.
And what if you were one of the thousands stuck at an airport and forced to wait on line to get your ticket changed? What would you do? (I’d find a way to call my airline’s reservation department. The people you talk to on the phone are looking at the same screen the person behind the counter is some 150 people ahead. Sure, they might charge you a few bucks but I’d rather pay it than waste all day waiting.)
And what if you can’t get out that day or even for a few days? Tough it out on the terminal floor? What I do is look for alternatives. Is there another way to where I’m going? Is there a nearby airport with flights going in my direction. In Japan, while the two Tokyo airports are closed, the Osaka airport is open. Is there a way to utilize that information? I’ve done this, not in Japan, where I knew of alternate flights at other airports and convinced the airline to let me get on one of those. If that didn’t work, and it looks like hotels would soon be filling up, I’d call the one I just left to see if they could find a room for me if I came back. Since I’ve already been a customer they may be more helpful to me than someone just walking in off the street.
A smart traveler knowing his options and possibly having a back up plan doesn’t necessarily have to be one of the travel “victims.” When I was training to be a tour director it was drummed into us to expect problems and how to handle the most common ones. The one thing we were told over and over was that we had to be flexible.
Okay, your turn, what little tricks have you learned to help prevent your trips from having real problems?
(Frank II)
Reader Comments (13)
- coins in local currency (in case a pay phone is needed / and if it works of course. Sometimes in emergencies, mobile phone signals are knocked out, but land lines may work.
- emergency numbers written down (so if you are knocked out, someone else can read it / contact family.) Or if your phone / I_touch is out of juice and cannot access the info stored). Numbers such as: local consulate, travel agent at home, local and perhaps toll-free numbers for airlines and hotel, plus family / friend contact info, and your doctor, pharmacy.
- medical information: any allergies to medications, medical conditions such as heart probelms, diabetes, etc. List of current prescriptions.
Dare I say - always carry a little packet of tissues too?
We always take hub's prescription print-outs with us, in the event he loses the meds or can't get to them we can show them to a doctor and get new prescriptions filled out.
When planning and purchasing trip tickets of any description (flights, trains etc), I always look up alternative transport, locations and times. This nearly came in handy at Malaga airport last year when the French went on strike before our London flight and we didn't know until the eleventh hour if we'd be cancelled or not. I knew we could get up to Madrid and that Air Canada flew out from there to Toronto (and having our bags with us was an extra calming measure to the stress of the moment). Had our flight to London been cancelled we would have lost the next day connection from Heathrow with AC. Having said that........we weren't as worried about being stranded in Spain or London.......that would have been a bonus!!
When booking hotels I make a list of others nearby that we could use. We lost our hotel in London one year when my travel agent booked it as a single instead of a double. I called to confirm the reservation the day before and found this out, they were fully booked. The kind receptionist gave me another hotel to try but it wasn't very pleasant and on the other side of town, so now I'm always prepared for this situation.
I carry snacks for hubs in case we are stranded somewhere where buying food is not an option. He has diabetes and can crash pretty easily when hungry.
This year I'm going to Spain and taking my mother to England for the middle week. The Spanish airport workers are threatening strikes between April and July. I have already made contingency plans in case we are affected on our return to Spain from London.
with me at all times.
Also import addresses/ travel schedule /and phone numbers are always
with me. That would also include the local US embassy/ consulate.
A travel vest/jacket or clothing with zippered pockets are very helpful
to keep all these items handy.
I always make it a point to be aware of my surroundings at all times.
In hotels I tip the staff very well and I am amazed at their helpfulness.
They have arranged for local tours and on some occasions local guides and
language translators.
Having friends at you destinations is a big plus in an emergency.
Also keep the name and address of your hotel on a piece of paper in
case you have to show it to a cab driver to return back .
In Greece you can ask for directions at any local kiosk if you have
it written down.
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered."
Insulin is good at room temperature for 30 days, but in hot weather it goes unusable rather quickly. Some people on insulin died after Hurricane Katrina, and I wouldn't doubt some poeple in Japan are facing bad insulin now that many portions of the country are subject to blackouts or outright power outages. If you're in snow country the same bags can keep your insulin from freezing, as well.
Afer one instance wher I was separated from my hotel/insulin while traveling, now I carry half of it on me. In the Frio that's no problem at all.
Flashlight! Even a Minimag AAA is better than nothing. A regular MiniMag uses AA batteries. Worth the weight when you need to read something in fine print when it's pitch black. I was inside a bathroom inside a store at a mall after dark when the power went. It was literally pitch black. Without a flashlight, who knows? Power took 6 hours to come back on. By that time I was home.
Food, candy, even jerky is all good. Make sure it's allowed in the country you're traveling to if you're going ex-USA, or be prepared to toss it on arrival and buy more at your first opportunity. Since any water you find after an emergency will probably be hard to find, water flavoring (Crystal Light drink tubes, and the like) all come in handy when the only water tastes like it came from a 50-year-old swimming pool. Hospitals will be jammed; you don't want to get dehydrated and cause yourself kidney problems.
And last, always carry extra meds! Three day trip? Carry a week. Two week trip? Carry enough for three weeks. Three times members of my family have been caught in Bad Things in Bad Places. If you're getting home from Bangkok by way of Cambodia/Singapore/Auckland/SFO on your way home to Seattle, you'll be very glad you packed enough to cover your stamping-the-passport three day in-flight odyssey. (Honest, going overland to Cambodia to get out was better than staying in Bangkok!) Cambodian Visa: Priceless...