Travel Like a Local: What to Pack, What to Ditch for Amsterdam, Cancun, Jerusalem, Los Angeles…
Around the World, Featured, Travel Tips — By Alex Resnik on July 28, 2010 at 6:00 amIt’s time once again for our Local Expert Challenge! In our constant pursuit of specific, über-relevant on-the-ground travel advice, we’ve employed our worldwide network of Local Experts to guide you through new locales.
This week, we challenged our Local Experts to tell us about packing for their destinations: what’s necessary? what’s totally unnecessary? what’s a surprise item that a tourist wouldn’t usually think to bring? As always, you can click through to the destination names for our experts’ full run-down on bag-fillers, but we’ve compiled some of the most interesting tips here.
Necessary items
Perth
The key necessary items can be summed up in one simple phrase: Slip, slop, slap… Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat.
Insect repellent is also an unfortunate necessity in Perth if you’ll be spending much time outside, especially in the evenings, although I’ve heard it said that you’re better off buying the repellent here in Perth.
Amsterdam
It’s also wise to have cash on you for whatever purchases you’re planning on making. Most major chain stores accept credit cards, but if you’re looking to get off the beaten path and explore more local shops, restaurants and attractions, most of them do not accept credit cards.
Image: blogs.luc.edu
Grenoble
Grenoble takes pride in the fact that you can start a hike in the city center. No joke. Several mountain paths lead right out of town and to the summits. This means that you’ll want to pack a pair of hiking boots or at least sturdy trail shoes.
Cape Town
A windbreaker… Cape Town’s wind recently blew my large wooden driveway gate into the road, launched a 6 seater wooden table 20 meters across a garden, and took out a neighbors fence. It gets windy here.
Jerusalem
Modest clothing. Almost all the religious sites in Jerusalem insist that your shoulders be covered (men and women) and shorts are a no-no for women. A light scarf or two can double as a wrap-around skirt and a shoulder-covering.
Image: judaism.about.com
Las Vegas
Air-conditioner friendly clothing. The inexplicable rule in Las Vegas is that if it’s 110 degrees outside, the air conditioner will be set to 70 degrees in the restaurant where you want to eat. If you’re in shorts and a tank, you’re going to be cold.
Toronto
A sturdy coin purse. One thing visitors often like to comment on is our “loonies and toonies.” That would be our $1 and $2 coins. They can weigh your pockets down for sure, but they can also be handy…
Image: recycledcrafts.craftgossip.com
Totally unnecessary items
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is modern and progressive city, but its roots and culture are Muslim. This means some OTC and prescription drugs are restricted entry into the U.A.E… It’s also a good idea to leave the thong bikini at home too, although most anything else goes. Delete those “iffy” files from the laptop: objectionable materials are forbidden.
Cancun
Ladies, you do NOT need to pack 10 pairs of shoes. I love shoes as much as anyone can possibly love shoes, but trust me on this. You only need flip-flops, or comfortable sandals, and maybe one pair of high-heels, if you plan to hang around the resort and hit a few nightclubs.
Boulder
The majority of Boulderites would probably characterize themselves as environmentalists; thus, you should probably also leave your hummer or other gas-guzzler at home, as well as your fur coat.
[A] suit would be overkill at most businesses and restaurants, so instead opt for a natural-fabric button up, slacks, and casual shoes, ideally ones that are also appropriate for biking.
Vancouver
A fur coat or parka: Although Canada is known as the “Great White North”, it’s not cold enough to wear either of those items in the summer. I should also take a moment to clarify that in Vancouver, we don’t live in igloos, use huskies as transportation or eat whale blubber as our main source of food.
Copenhagen
Parents of young children should take it easy with the packing: kid-friendly city Copenhagen provides baby facilities almost everywhere, including travel cots, changing tables, high chairs and sometimes even diapers upon request.
Los Angeles
The temptation in Los Angeles is to get stuck in your rental car, driving hither-and-yon (and rubber-necking like Plastic Man). This confined existence is indeed the lot of many resident Angelenos, trapped daily by their long commutes and the thick traffic. I encourage you, dear visitor, to ditch the car every once in awhile.
Orlando
[L]eave your mature, adult self at home and completely surrender to one of the most imaginative and colorful places on the planet. Sure, you’ll spend a lot of money and stand in a lot of lines, but you can giggle your way through it.
Things you might not think to pack, but which come in pretty handy
Shanghai
Many locals find the pollution in Shanghai not only annoying, but hazardous, and to combat this they carry and often wear a small face mask.
You might also find locals always carrying a small notepad and pen, as with different dialects across China only one thing is constant—written script.
Image: weddingguideasia.com
Abu Dhabi
If aspirin is your choice of pain reliever, bring if from home. It is available in Abu Dhabi but is insanely expensive and is not formulated as the swallow type but of the dissolve in water and drink sort. This is perplexing as ibuprophen is normal.
Los Angeles
If you do buy maps of Los Angeles make sure that they include actual details of the area you want to traverse (there are a lot of highway-only maps out there that are useful but do not help you to actual find your destination).
Image: slworking2/Flikr
Oslo
Drugs (and by drugs, I mean the legal stuff): Many Norwegians are reluctant, or even downright sceptical, to pills of any kind, including meds for head aches, indigestion, red eyes, hangovers, etc. If you swear by Advil, NightNurse, Tylenol, Peptobismol or other horrid-looking concoctions, be aware that these types of meds may require prescriptions (and thus a visit to the doctor).
Booze and ciggies: Very expensive, so buy tax-free on arrival to save money (but remember the limits).
Boulder
If you don’t manage to drink enough water when you first arrive, you may begin to experience symptoms of altitude sickness (such as headaches, nausea, light-headedness, and shortness of breath). And if you couldn’t figure out a way to bring extra red blood cells along with you, osha root can help alleviate your symptoms.
Image: bearbrandosha.com
Amsterdam
[E]ven though Amsterdam is a major city, some of my friends experience severe hay fever here, so it may be wise to stock up on your meds (especially if you plan on visiting the tulip fields).
Grenoble
It’s always easy to spot the tourists at the grocery store– they’re the ones desperately searching for the bags at the checkout. You, however, will not have this problem because you know that most stores have done away with disposable sacks and now expect you to bring your own.
Go check out the rest of our Local Experts’ packing tips:
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