11 Tips From An Experienced Traveler

So you are studying to pass the CSET English exam and have an adventurous spirit: you have decided that you want to travel the world and teach English in a foreign country once you pass the CSET. Perhaps you are planning on taking a much needed vacation after you pass your CSET.

If you have little travel experience, you may not know where to begin in planning for your trip. Below are 11 travel tips that will help reduce the stress of your journeys.

1. Choose your method of travel wisely. There are planes, trains, and automobiles for you to choose from. Pick your method of travel carefully. Of course air travel is the only way to go for long trips. Shorter trips of a few hundred miles might be faster by bus, train, or automobile. You may want to rent a car to avoid putting miles on your own car. Car rentals are also lots of fun because they usually have some nice features your car might not have. Whatever you decide, consider the time spent traveling to and from the airport or bus station, plus time spent standing in line for check in, security, and departure. Also, you should check the weather forecast over the Internet. The last thing you want to hear is that your plane can’t land due to bad weather or that your flight is being delayed due to a bad storm.

2. Choose airports outside the city you are going to visit. Airports outside your vacation city generally have fewer flights, less overbooking, and less delays than larger airports located within major cities. You can also get a cheaper flight this way as well.

3. Get an International Drivers License. If you are traveling outside the U.S., get an international driver’s license. An international driver’s license is more recognized than your local driver’s license. The cost of an international driver’s license is cheap. You can obtain an international driver’s license simply by showing your local driver’s license at your local Automobile Association.

4. Use the Internet to get maps before you leave home. A map will greatly reduce the stress of your trip. Before you leave home, get maps of your destination city. You can visit a website like City Search (http://www.citysearch.com/) and print out maps. You can also map out where the closest rent a car business is, where your hotel or villa is, where to eat, and anything else you plan on doing on your vacation. You should put all your printed maps in page covers inside a binder so as to keep them protected.

5. Find hotels that cater to business travelers. Hotels that cater to business travelers will have Internet capabilities and offer access to business machines such as faxes and photocopiers. You will need this equipment if you plan on filling out lots of job applications for teaching English. If you have a laptop, email yourself all the maps and other notes you’ve created. Use your laptop