Xia Chat | Is the peak tourist season in the first half of the year coming quietly again? (Let me share some experience with you)

Write and then delete Delete and write again

I had a little hard time coming up with the theme for this weekend.

Since the job transfer, everyone has been busy.

Every day it seems that the time to get off work comes unknowingly, but before the work is completed, I have to continue working overtime until the evening.

It is true that there are more things to do than before, but that is not the main reason for being busy. It is more because I have been in the stage of exploration, which leads to low efficiency in doing things, and my own problems need to be improved.

When there are many things to do, time management becomes even more important.

Why do you say I had a hard time writing this week’s topic? Because I have been writing, deleting, and writing since Thursday. After I finished writing, I saved it as another topic, and then copied the passage back after thinking about it.

From sharing some life-related things to writing memories and thoughts. From a summary of personal management to a collection of some travel experiences. The pictures of Chongqing and Guizhou have been fixed, but I feel like posting travel notes lately is a bit monotonous.

Otherwise, I will post a vote at the end of the article later.

Can you vote for me after reading this?

So that I know what to write about next week. This time I will look at travel first.

 

🌾

visa

The past few months have been the peak travel period in the first half of the year, and many friends have begun to inquire about travel matters, including visas. Most of the difficult areas to apply for visas are in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, etc.

So what message should your visa materials convey?

First, you have enough funds to pay for this trip. Therefore, bank account statements, proof of credit card limit, and proof of personal RV assets are very important. Anyway, they are to prove that you have money to travel.

The second is that you have no tendency to immigrate, that is, you will come back if you go. The more powerful proofs are proof of employment issued by the company, insurance policies that have been paid, a reasonably planned itinerary (preferably including proof of round-trip air tickets and accommodation), RV assets, etc.

Third, you are really just going to travel (you are a long-term travel enthusiast) Visa from other countries in the book, especially developed areas, can help achieve this effect. The chance of rejection for a white paper is slightly higher.

Regarding visas, I always feel that RP has the upper hand. For example, with the same information, some people will be investigated by phone but others will not. Of course, the premise is that the information you submit needs to be complete before you can have any RP.

Nowadays, there are many travel agencies or businesses that sign on behalf of . Generally speaking, these units are more rigorous in their preparation and review, and their pass rates are relatively high. This is why I have always been more inclined to find an agent to handle this work.

Some people may think it is expensive when they see the cost. But in fact, even if you pay it yourself, the visa fee you pay will not be much lower. You still have to prepare it carefully and then submit it. This is actually OK, but as far as I am concerned, it feels like a waste of time. Anyway, it’s a matter of opinion.

In any case, you can prepare more auxiliary materials. I usually submit additional itinerary, air ticket, accommodation form, insurance policy, etc. The agency may help you prepare the itinerary or accommodation, but there have been cases where the itinerary was found to be fraudulent (I don’t know if the endorsement was issued in the end) So compare It is recommended that you plan your itinerary by yourself, so that you can answer questions even if you conduct a telephone survey or interview.

🚙

Self drive

If you are traveling by car, it is inevitable to rent a car in advance.

You can also rent directly from the counter after landing, but the price will be much more expensive, and the model and inventory will be less controllable. Generally, if it is out of stock, it may be upgraded directly for free.

And as the Chinese driver's license is recognized by more and more countries (covering most countries), there is no need to go out to get an international driver's license. You only need to have a small white copy ( translated/notarized document , the application is simple).

Generally speaking, it is cheaper to borrow money locally, while the price of borrowing money from another place is generally higher. But sometimes, given the route arrangement, this is unavoidable. Then, the price of booking a car will also fluctuate.

When I was in Norway, I tried to book and then cancel. When I rebooked, I found that the price had increased. This rule is not yet understood, but it is recommended to book at least one month in advance and not change it later.

Or check the price of the new order first, and then decide whether to cancel the old order (most can be canceled for free 48 hours before picking up the car, based on the actual order agreement).

📷

lease

When I was looking at lenses on Taobao earlier, I found that there were Lens or camera kit rental business . Moreover, there are many categories and the borrowing and returning process is convenient.

I think this rental business is pretty good.

First, you can experience the product. Whichever lens or camera you like, you can try it out first to see if you like it.

If you think it's really good, then officially buy it, which will save you having to change hands later if you don't like it. After all, these prices are not cheap, so it is better to buy the most suitable one.

The second is to cater to short-term needs. For example, some lenses are not used regularly, or if you don’t play with cameras but would feel a pity not to bring one when traveling, then rental is very timely.

Is it okay to borrow it from someone else? sure.

However, in addition to worrying that others may need to use it during holidays, if it gets scratched or fell, I feel that I will feel guilty and others will feel distressed, and it may even affect subsequent use and require some compensation. Therefore, unless there is something special, I generally won’t borrow it from others casually.

📲

communication

Nowadays, when people travel, they rarely turn off the Internet and cut off contact, and then wait blindly to find public WiFi. If so, you may find that you still have to pay for public WiFi in many countries.

Regarding communication issues, some people prefer to buy local phone cards, and some prefer to rent a portable WiFi . I think it's all possible, after all, local phone cards are very cheap now.

It’s just that I don’t want to pull out the card, and I think portable WiFi is convenient, so I will rent WiFi. Just remember not to throw it into the shipping box.

What's more, the current international daily rental package is also very cheap (advertised by China Unicom, hahahaha), and you can activate international traffic services without changing cards or renting wifi! However, the price is still not as affordable as the other two items, so it is suitable for friends who want convenience but not short of money.

Also make sure to rent WiFi in advance . If it is a public holiday, I recommend half a month or even a month in advance, otherwise it is easy to run out of machines to rent. The price generally does not fluctuate, but the schedule needs to be considered.

🏂

Activity

Regarding activities, it is recommended that all projects, activities, and even tickets be reserved online in advance. Especially those who travel thousands of miles just to see the scenery, such as skydiving, helicopter hiking, and mountain trains.

Not all areas allow these tickets or projects to be purchased or applied for on-site. Under the premise of limited quotas or fixed capacity, generally give priority to those with reservations (the same applies at home and abroad) .

Unless you have already prepared a plan B if you don’t have time to play, it will be really frustrating to fly so far away and then have no time to play.

Then, it is best to print out the voucher (along with the itinerary, air tickets, accommodation, car rental, etc. , I print a lot every time I travel, and even the scanned copy of the document is backed up in paper) and take a photo with your mobile phone Leave the bottom. Showing the voucher directly when checking in will increase efficiency by at least 80%.

Do you know why not?

Because the computers or systems in some areas really don't search that fast, and some places even still register manually... When you verbally state your name, phone number, or time, they may be confused. Because they still have to worry about how to spell your name (it’s pronounced differently and it’s super easy to misspell it) so showing a voucher is the fastest way .

💻

Frequently used websites

There is not much to say about accommodation and food. I think... some friends like Airbnb and some people like to stay in hotels (like me). The food is different in different places. It is recommended to make a guide before traveling.

Finally, several commonly used apps or websites are provided:

🚀Air tickets: Mostly Ctrip. Flying Pig is second.

I rarely book on the airline’s official website or other websites. It's not because of anything else, but because I don't have the habit and leisure to compare everywhere. Generally, if I find out that the price is acceptable, then I will make the purchase. I will also look horizontally when I have time, but the final result is that Ctrip is cheaper.

Although Ctrip has been exposed to have problems (in fact, few websites really have no black history), I have been booking on its system for several years. Even if problems occur, they are handled in a timely manner and I am very satisfied. I will tell the truth on this point. . If you want to spray it in the future, just wait until something goes wrong before spraying it.

🏨 Accommodation: Ctrip

Anyway, I’ve booked my flight tickets there, and there’s no shortage of hotels. What I feel is a better experience is that Ctrip’s customer service often proactively contacts me after sales (for example, when the store asks for arrival time, other room requirements, etc.).

There was even a time when I wanted to change my itinerary but the order page showed that changes/cancellations were not allowed. After calling customer service, he was able to help me fight for it. Although I didn’t change my itinerary in the end, to be honest, I still felt quite enthusiastic.

(Ctrip didn’t give me any advertising fees...it’s a matter of opinionseriously)

👓 Activities: Itrip, Taobao

Itrip started out as an Australia-New Zealand line, but now it seems to have expanded to Europe, America and Southeast Asia. Anyway, it’s pretty simple. If Itrip couldn’t find it, I went to Taobao to look for it…so far I haven’t missed it. OK.

📓 Endorsement/WiFi: Taiyi Travel Agency/Roaming Superman

I have been looking for these two shops on Taobao, and they have high reputations.

🚗 Car rental: Car rental official website/app

Super convenient. I recommend renting a car to anyone I meet.

🍰 Food: Tripadvisor

It is equivalent to Dianping in China.

But it only works well in large-scale towns...some places don't even have a choice, and it's great to have something to eat. I ate hot dogs and waffles from a gas station N times in Norway (I miss the hot rice and pasta so much).

🔎 Map: Google

There is no doubt about this. If Baidu goes abroad, it will be so angry that it will be deleted.

But Baidu is doing well in the country. This is true.

📄 Strategy: Baidu keyword search

Read whichever article you find, and never focus on a certain website or the words of a certain author. I will even log on to the local official website or the official website of the tourism bureau for verification. Anyway, for a certain piece of information, it’s best to confirm it one or two more times.