Brent and Michael's Secret Travel Hacks, Part 21!
Buy evacuation insurance, get membership discounts, scratch those insect bites, don't tell border control you're house-sitting, sleep better, and always buy the local candy!
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Yet another edition of our unusual travel hacks!
For other travel hack columns, go to Part Ten and Part Eleven and Part Twelve and Part Thirteen and Part Fourteen and Part Fifteen and Part Sixteen and Part Seventeen and Part Eighteen and Part Nineteen and Part Twenty and Part Twenty-Two and Part Twenty-Three and Part Twenty-Four.
Here are our latest hacks:
Are you an American living overseas? Don’t forget to vote! (Michael and I enthusiastically endorse Kamala Harris!)
Michael and I just spent two months on a cruise ship, during which time there were three medical evacuations via helicopter.
Such evacuations are extremely expensive — anywhere from $20,000 USD to hundreds of thousands of dollars. And this is only for medical transportation, not the subsequent treatment.
I cannot emphasize enough how, if you’re traveling — especially outside your home country — you always need some kind of medical evacuation insurance. Frankly, I think it’s even more important than medical travel insurance since emergency care is usually relatively affordable, at least outside the U.S.
If you’re buying travel insurance, always ensure it has very generous evacuation (or “repatriation”) coverage — ideally, at least $500,000 USD.
We really like Genki travel insurance — called Genki Explorer — which has unlimited coverage for both emergency medical treatment and medical evacuation. (We then rely on the insurance that comes with our travel credit card for trip interruption or cancellation: Chase Sapphire Preferred or United Gateway or Explorer.)
Another cruise ship hack: CruiseCritic.com offers “Roll Calls,” a message board listing upcoming cruises on every major ship currently sailing.
At your ship’s “roll call,” you can get updates on your ship and voyage, including tips and suggestions from fellow and former passengers. People also organize small independent tours, often with discount codes. Posting on your ship’s Roll Call will also let you meet other passengers before you even get on the boat.
Our friends Seby and Stefan over at the Nomadic Boys have a new book out! Out in the World is a guide for gay travelers. It tells the (cute) story of their relationship and travels, as well as specific destinations and attractions of interest to LGBTQ travelers, plus tips on traveling as a gay couple.
We need to meet again for dinner soon, guys!
Rather than order two medium bowls of pho, ask for an extra large bowl and a second empty bowl, then serve it Asian-family style. It's the same amount of food, usually for 60% of the price.
Likewise, is the internet right that ordering a large pizza is cheaper than two mediums? Actually, it very much depends on the size of the “large” and the “mediums.” Here’s a calculator to determine the best pizza value.
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