Novice Navigation: 9 Why-Didnt-I-Think-of-That Travel Tips for Getting Around Soundly

Getting lost is only fun in music, food, thought, dance and conversation. Not as much in a foreign land where you may not speak the language and you’re desperate to make the departure for the matchmaking tour bus in Spain! (Yes, there really is such a tour.)

“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

I’m just back from an extended jaunt through Italy, Croatia and even a bit of sightseeing on the east coast of my own vast country.  I employed a few tried and true methods for staying somewhat oriented, and added a few I thought might be useful to share with seasoned and novice travelers alike.

Happy travelers landing in Rovinj, Croatia

• When you first arrive, seek out and identify a few tall landmarks for orientation during your sojourn in a city. Paris has the very convenient Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur on the hill to triangulate your position, but many European cities have towers to keep your sights on.  Bangkok has the grand canal, golden gleaming temples and distinctive buildings that keep me somewhat on track.  I use rivers, beaches, and hills as well and I make a point of mentally logging where my accommodations are in relation to these landmarks.

Always reliably visible - Tour Eiffel

• Take bike tours! I love these tours for the outdoors experience, exercise, and informative and interesting introduction to a locale. I find I’m always better oriented after I enjoy a bike tour – much more so than if I take a motorized tour.

Nicholas Montemaggi, Helene Lohr and Sara on our bike tour through Reggio Emilia, Italy - tweeting perchance?

• That said…I do recommend utilizing the convenience and efficiency of ‘On/Off’ buses or boats.  With one ticket, you can hop on and hop off – and back on again whenever you like – a city bus or boat that travels a circuit that often includes the most popular sights and monuments. I particularly love the boats on the Seine in Paris. Nighttime is dreamy.

Day or night, she is one fine looking dame. Notre Dame overlooking the Seine

• Take photos of bus and train schedules for quick reference.  I went on a day trip to San Marino, a republic sitting in the midst of northern Italy, and when I got off the bus, I snapped a photo of the return bus times.  This way, I was able to stay flexible about my meandering afternoon, knowing my options without the need to procure a printed schedule.

(I already deleted these examples from my phone  – sorry! They’re only temporary)

• Similarly, I’ve taken to snapping pictures of ‘You Are Here’ maps for convenient reference whether in a city or even on a hiking trail.  It’s amazing how much I wander off track after plotting out my course on one of these local maps. There’s so much to see! It’s like I’m drawn down alleys and up stairwells like the mesmerized princess Aurora of Sleeping Beauty fame, as the enticing spindle beckons her.          The photo below helped my friend Helene and I navigate efficiently and quickly to the other side of the island of Rab, Croatia, when we opted to hike across rather than sail over with the boat that was our home for a week, courtesy of Right Path Adventures. It helped oodles – to pick the right path 😉 –  when we were trying to cut through to the private and unmarked bay for our promised rendez-vous with our friends and transportation. (Don’t try this at home!)
  

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien

Super handy map snapshot to avoid getting lost and literally "missing the boat"!

• This may sound elementary but this is especially for my fellow Californians who have little experience on public transportation: Before you set out on a day trip, know your bus or train #, the stop or the track where you catch it (in the right direction!)  the stop where you need to get off the bus or train for your planned destination, whether you must obtain a ticket before or after you get on (or if you need exact change) and in the case of my comic episode in Barcelona, whether you need to flag down the bus – even when you’re standing dutifully at the correct bus stop! I wrote about this foolish fiasco on the Fairen Del blog

Imposing bus driver - you better have your ticket! Bologna, Italy

• Set an alarm on your phone or watch for a few minutes before your stop if you’re sleepy.  After a long day sightseeing, you’ll often find that the minute you sit down on a bus or train, your body slumps into exhaustion and wants nothing more than a cat nap.  Bring on the purr and remove the angst of missing your stop.  The train may be late, but it’s not permitted to arrive and leave a stop early.

New York City subway

• Practice your hard-earned foreign language phrases!  Asking for directions (politely) is a wonderful way to engage with locals.  People love being helpful.  I implore you to be courteous and use “excuse me”, “please” and even “sir” or “madame” as much as possible. It might make the difference between finding the Louvre, as requested, or being directed to the infamous sewer tour. 😉   I even wrote a Tongue-in-Cheeky Travel Tips post about the etiquette of fumbling your way through foreign language interactions.

Don't you want to ask this man for directions in Italian? After procuring your gelato, of course? 😉

• Finally, of course tap into the fabulous navigational benefits of traditional regional maps as well as Google Maps on your mobile whenever and wherever you can, but often cell service or WiFi is limited and so I personally don’t rely on its availability.

So I bid you to go forth and explore!  By all means, feel free to share your favorite methods in the comments section here for staying oriented in the Orient and beyond.

Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand

All photos by Gina Stark (except the one I’m in)

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