In almost all situations when in a big foreign city, once you’ve checked into your hotel, you can then start roaming the streets without your passport. Be sure to lock it and other important legal documents in your hotel room safe or at the front desk safe, and leave it there until you check out. The number one way to ruin any travel experience is to lose your passport. You don’t need it on the street, and no one will steal nor pickpocket it from the hotel safe.

As the internet and smartphones get more sophisticated, so do greedy and needy advertisers use more ways to lure customers. For example, when you see so-called customer reviews that are very favorable, they’re most likely written by ad agencies, employees or freelance writers who get paid to post them. Remember old-time carnival barkers peddling their phony wares? 

Before taking a cruise, booking a hotel or planning to dine at a posh café, first you may opt to look up online ads and alleged customer praises. Take the info with a grain of salt, and then talk or email with friends and family who have actually experienced the destination.

In other words, when on a cruise, don’t be a royal pain on the Royal Caribbean. Actually, when you behave sensibly, you’ll not only make other travelers happy, you’re sure to better enjoy your trip.

Be prepared for the usual unexpected happenings. Your flight is delayed or cancelled due to bad weather. It won’t do you any good to complain to the check-in desk people, while other travelers pile up behind you with exactly the same problem. Airline employees can’t do anything about it, but would appreciate your courtesy. In fact, a considerate inquiry could get you quickly on another flight.

The London Daily Mail recently ran an article about fake homeless beggars on city streets who actually make good incomes, often from tourists. Of course, many you see in in your travels are truly homeless for various reasons, including alcoholism, drugs and mental illnesses.

However, whether you’re a tourist or resident who often encounters the fake or real homeless, giving cash is not the best way to help. It will only keep the crooked ones in business, as well as increase the problems of the truly destitute addicts and those with mental illnesses.

If you feel concern for street people in your neighborhood or on your travels, most effectively help them by donating to legitimate charities, such as the Red Cross and Salvation Army. Those and other community organizations need your contributions so that the scourge of homelessness can be dealt with most effectively.