I used to agree with this, at least in theory. Then, I visited Thailand. My travel guide said something to the effect of, “don’t eat from street stands,” and in the same paragraph, said that’s where you get the true local flavor and the best food! I “risked” it – my first experience involved chili smoke that burned my eyes, and an attempt to communicate in Thai (which I did not speak) – but it cost less than $1 and it was the best Thai food I have ever had. For two weeks, I almost exclusively ate street food.

I took another trip recently to a developing country, and same thing – street food ended up being the best!

I take ‘a Pepto a day’ while traveling for preventative purposes, and, knock on wood, have never had a problem.

I do agree with the water advice – I avoid local water religiously (including fruits/veggies that could be contaminated). I used to buy bottled water, but on a recent trip, I used chlorine dioxide tablets. It’s the same chemical used to treat your municipal water. REI sells 30 tablets (enough for 30L) for about $13. The downside is it takes 4 hrs to treat the water, but it kills everything. I fill up and treat my Camelbak at night, and I’m ready to go in the morning. (I also bring a small water bottle, so I have water in the evening while the other is being treated).

Thanks for your readership, and your comment. It’s definitely appreciated. While I can’t reply to everyone, I try to reply to a few.

While it’s true, because I travel a great deal, I generally fly up front (using miles to upgrade, or via a free upgrade due to elite status with the airline), I certainly “enjoy” economy accommodations on more than a few occasions every year, especially on those dreaded “express” routes, or on flights shorter than 2 hours.

I am unaware of a 100ml bottle size limit once you pass through security. Once we pass through security, my wife and I generally purchase a couple of half liter (17oz US) or larger bottles of water for the flight, even if we’re flying first or business class, in the airport. We just stuff them in our carry-ons.

I do understand your annoyance with the airlines about beverages. Many pour beverages for each economy passenger out of a can or bottle into a plastic cup, and then don’t give you the remainder, even on a transatlantic flight. As you said, they make you keep coming back for more. It makes no sense to me, but then much of what the airlines do these days make little sense to me.

Just go to one of the shops which sells magazines and sundries, plus water, that seem to proliferate most every airport and buy a bottle or two for the flight.

Regards,

Ned

It all comes down to a personal decision about whether the “destination at the other side” is worth the ordeal of flying (which seems to be continuously getting worse). For some people, the answer is an immediate, unequivocal “yes.” Perhaps they’re inherently low-stress individuals. Or maybe they have a preternatural ability to transform every hassle into a delightful adventure, or advanced skills in using “a book and a smile” to glide gracefully through any travel difficulty. May their preferred deities bless them with long and happy lives.

But others, who lack those abilities or skills and may have had one too many bad experiences with airlines and/or the TSA, may decide that the benefits of air travel are not worth the stressful ordeal. Unfortunately, I’m in this category. Since there doesn’t seem to be anything I can do about the airlines and the TSA, I have reluctantly decided that “if I can’t get there in my car, I don’t go.” (I do not find the available Amtrak routes and schedules a practical alternative.)

That said, I am fortunate that I have enjoyed visiting places accessible only by air. My sadness and anger at the loss of that opportunity is tempered by the fact that I live in a place that offers so many interesting staycations; and also that (for the moment) I have enough vacation time to take driving trips around the country. I have to take those road trips by myself while I wait for my friends to accrue enough vacation time to join me, but solo travel offers its own heady blend of pleasures and challenges to anyone open to experiencing them.

The point of all this is simply to remind readers that there are alternatives to the increasingly stressful ordeal of air travel. Those alternatives may not always be practical or desirable, but they’re always worth considering when planning vacations. Contrary to what the airlines and the TSA would like us to believe, we have no obligation or duty to accept what they inflict on us. And choosing to “just say no” may offer an ideal solution to the continually increasing stress of air travel.

That being said, if you want to avoid flying, why limit yourself to close to home? If you’re going somewhere within the U.S. or Canada, just burn a few extra days of vacation time and drive there instead. Yes, a weekend trip to California or Florida from Dallas stretches into a week, but I always have a great time seeing things on the way out there. Plus, you have a lot more flexibility once you get where you’re going if you have your own set of wheels.