We all know that certain criminals and scam artists like to target tourist, as they see them as an easy target.

Have you ever been a victim (or close victim), and what would you recommend to your fellow travelers to avoid the same situation?

Leave your advice as a comment below…

Looking for some travel inspiration, or simply just want a bit of escapism for a couple of hours. Here’s a few films that get your fellow Mobal members in the mood for travel…

1. Leap Year

A woman who has an elaborate scheme to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day, an Irish tradition.

Read about this movie on the Internet Movie Database here

Suggested by Roberta H

2. A Year in Provence

We watch the four-part “A Year in Provence” before we travel to southern France (every six years or so). It always gets us in the right frame of mind!

Read about this movie on the Internet Movie Database here

Suggested by Kathie C

3. A Good Year

Read about this movie on the Internet Movie Database here

Suggested by Loretta L

4. Under the Tuscan Sun

While on vacation, a just-divorced writer buys a villa in Tuscany on a whim, hoping it will be the start of a change for the better in her life.

Read about this movie on the Internet Movie Database here

Suggested by Loretta L

5. Letters to Juliet

An American girl on vacation in Italy finds an unanswered “letter to Juliet”

Read about this movie on the Internet Movie Database here

Suggested by Loretta L

6. My Life in Ruins

A travel guide rediscovers her romantic side on a trip around Greece.

Read about this movie on the Internet Movie Database here

Suggested by Loretta L

7. Mamma Mia

Read about this movie on the Internet Movie Database here

Suggested by Loretta L

8. On the Road to…

Two carefree castaways on a desert shore find an Arabian Nights city, where they compete for the luscious Princess Shalmar.

Read about this movie on the Internet Movie Database here

Suggested by Mardav

9.Stealing Beauty

After her mother commits suicide, nineteen year old Lucy Harmon travels to Italy to have her picture painted…

Read about this movie on the Internet Movie Database here

Suggested by Tina J. Gordon

10. A Room With a View

When Lucy Honeychurch and chaperone Charlotte Bartlett find themselves in Florence with rooms without views…

Read about this movie on the Internet Movie Database here

Suggested by Pattie Meehan

11. French Kiss

A woman flies to France to confront her straying fiancé, but gets into trouble when the charming crook seated next to her uses her for smuggling.

Read about this movie on the Internet Movie Database here

Suggested by Bill Garofalo

Got a favourite travel movie? Suggest it below…

1. The argument for small tour groups

Lina Thieben says:

I prefer small group tours….detest large group tours…treated like a bunch of cattle. I have traveled a lot with OAT and their groups are under 16 people. They take care of everything for you including schlepping luggage. The group is small enough that they can be responsive to people’s special needs and requests. They are always taking you on
discovery outings and listen to others recommendations. I just returned from a “big tour” of 40 people and will NEVER do this again. Life is to short

torrey reid says:

Us too! we like private and small groups the site above we highly suggest for small groups and TRAVEL2EGYPT.com for private tours, happy travels!

Harvey says:

When younger preferred doing it on our own. As the years accumulate it is easier with a tour but sans umbrella e.g. Tauck…with small groups and all amenities taken care of including top hotels.

2. The argument for going solo

Harriet says:

We always self-tour and self-cater. I’ve never felt more sorry for people than the cruise folks we met waiting in the Vatican Museum line who had 6 hours to spend in Rome!

We take our two kids along on all of our trips, never go for less than two weeks, and since we homeschool, we make the travel planning process as educational as the trip itself.

D.B.Porter says:

I prefer going my own way & not following the guided tours. Following guided tours insulates one from actually experiencing the people and culture. Plus, I find that the tour guides often guide you to unsavory gift shops that will sell crap for premium dollars. I do like the hop on, hop off buses that many urban areas offers, to insure that I will see the prime destinations at my own pace.

Masrud says:

I like a self tour with a good guide book, like Rick Steves. That way, when you find something really interesting, you can hang around and spend more time there before moving on. On the other hand, if I were dealing with a foreign language, I’d probably be happier with a small group and tour guide who speaks the language!

Ray Schwartz says:

I have traveled to almost 50 countries as International Buyer and retiree for the past 30+ years, over 3 million air miles. I no longer go on tours. I do not like to travel with Americans ( complain too much !) I stopped going on city tours, museums, factories, show rooms, etc. Been there, done that. I tried Globus’ Monograms a few times and that is OK. But now I book the flights and hotels and play it by ear after that. It works great for me and allows me to find more exotic, less traveled places. For example, I have visited the Great Wall 6 times at various locations, the most recent where I was the ONLY visitor there ! Great ! I have my favorite air routes,airlines, hotels, etc.

For instance, when I go to Rome, being Catholic, I stay at a hotel on St Peters Square at the Vatican.

3. The argument for combining tour groups with going solo

Martin says:

I usually use both when I have the time. The first day I will take a guided tour so that I can get some idea of the layout of the city; then the second day I will use the local rail, tram, or subway system to visit the sights I want to see at my own pace.

Anne says:

We like both. If it’s a leisurely trip, we love studying the street maps and going at our own pace. We also study the public transportation available and go for it. However, in a country like Russia where a travel visa is required, it’s easier to go with a small group–the group guide can provide a visa for the entire group and that definitely

K Miller says:

So many cruises, too many big tours. Love the cities that offer an open-top bus to familiarize you with the city and gets you to the cites you came to see. Hiring a taxi on your own can be exciting and often less expensive than group tours.removes some of the hassle factor.

Gail says:

We do all three- I plan our overall trips, we catch city tours in non-English speaking countries, and then travel about ourselves using guide books, and also hire guides for special areas like ruins, etc. In English-speaking countries we generally travel about ourselves, using guide books and other resources we’ve gathered before the trip.

We’ve also used small group guided tours for Guatamala, Tibet and Northern Ireland, where we want to do a standard tourist route and not rent a car or where one is forbidden to travel alone.

We’ve never used the large tour groups, but I have friends who believe the high-end tours with included guides, attraction and museum entrances, meals, accomodations, etc., save them money in the long run. I guess if you are going to travel high-end anyway, this might be the case.

Calvin Lyons says:

We do both, just came back from 22 days in France, all self-guided with a Renault lease plan car…great!! We also love the Grand Circle riverboat tours..have been on three great ones:The Seine; the Rhine and Moselle; and the Rhone.

The Grants says:

We like both. Our first trip to Italy, we did a fully guided bus tour with Insight tours. On several of the days, when there were optional tours, we struck out on our own with the Rick Steve’s guide. We are currently planning a European Land and Cruise vacation. We’ve already made arrangements for some local guides in Milan and Lake Como.

Will be on our own in Amsterdam. We’ve arranged for a personal guide and driver in Cork Ireland. Then are doing some of the ship excursions in Vigo, Lisbon, and Barcelona.

On several of our cruise vacations, we like to find a local car rental and go off on our own. Usually the local car people can make some great recommendations

Luis R says:

I went to Italy in 2008 for a business trip but to Bologna but was able to spend a few more extra days with my girlfriend there. We visited Rome and Florence and found tours in both cities that take you through a pre-determined route and you choose to get off the bus at every stop and spend what ever time you wish and then take the bus when it comes back at the scheduled time to continue the tour. You had 24 hours to complete the tour for just 22 euros. You could also leisurely enjoy the entire tour without getting off the bus in about 2 hours or so. I found this concept very good. Both tours appeared to be operated by the same company. So this was a mix of a tour and getting our own way because we combined the bus route with getting around on foot to see specific attractions in both cities.

Carol Shaw says:

If asking about day tours, and the answer there is, it depends, as others have pointed out. Once you have done a tour with a private guide, you never want to go back to a group tour, but often, it is more relaxing on your own (although you might miss a lot you would have like to have seen).

Now, on group vacations versus driving on your own, I have a different opinion. While traveling on a bus with a lot of your new best friends (hopefully no more than 30) may leave something to be desired, spending 2 weeks or so with no one but your spouse, having to do the driving, and arguing over directions is probably a lot worse. Plus, again, you probably miss a lot of things a guide would have shown you. On the other hand, you need to have a lot of stamina to put up with those all day stints on bus tours.

We do a lot of cruising, because we have the social life, and we still get to go somewhere new every day or so. Granted, the exposure is limited, but as we are over 60, it is the best of both worlds. We have not done river cruises, but are considering them, as they seem to be a floating bus.

4. The argument for booking a personal guide

Peter Dunkley says:

It takes more effort – but provides a more enjoyable, flexible and informative travel experience – to hire a guide locally at each city/destination. You can do this through a local travel agency. You’d be surprised how inexpensive it can be. Just prepare your itinerary, list your requirements and send the data off to a short list of three agents for quotation. I’ve done this in many countries over the last few years, including Myanmar, Uzbekistan, China and India. For me, it’s the only way to go. Having a personal guide answer all your questions gives an insight into a country you never get if you travel with a group – even a small one.

5. The argument for basing it on your location

BL says:

It largely depends on where you’re going and for how long.

For easy places (most of Europe), it’s much more enjoyable to go at your own pace; if you’re going somewhere with aggressive touts (such as India), sometimes it’s nice to have a “tour guide” to fend them off for you.

For short trips, a small group may help you to be more efficient with your time, even if you feel like cattle. That having been said, that would seem to be a great argument against taking short trips!

juantag says:

If I’m visiting someplace for the first time, and want an easy overview, I might jump on a tour bus or sign up for a walking tour–but it really depends. If it’s a place I find appealing for reasons beyond the typically touristic, I might be tempted to abandon a guided tour at the first turn, and so I would much prefer to be left to my own devices.

I have led several tours in Europe, especially Spain, and enjoy it very much. But these are groups with common interests, not just average tourists. The least common denominator can never be satisfactory.

Evan Jackson says:

We always start off on our own, making our own travel arrangements, and, sometimes, our accomodations. We may take a tour at a destination, depending on local recommandations.

Getting a day pass on the local bus line with jump on, jump off priviliges speeds up a day’s sightseeing. You listen to the spiel for the complete round trip and then stay on the bus to first stop you want to visit. We can spend an extra day somewhere if we want that way. We can pick and choose where we want to eat, again based on locals recommendations. My wife ducks into a beauty salon or gift shop and finds out where the workers eat on their time off.

I went on several tours while stationed in the US Navy and that was the cheapest way to go and insured that I dinn’t miss movement of the ship. But I never enjoyed the herding off and on the bus and some of the eating establishments were rather dubious. Maybe they belonged to the tour operator’s relatives. One thing I can say about those tours is, knock on wood, I never contracted any of the local maladys going the tour route.

We would definitely take a tour to the more exotioc places like Russia, China or a country where English was not readily spoken, and/or we could not read the signs.

Carlanne Herzog says:

Dependent on the country we’re visiting determines whether we go “on our own” or use a guide. In Europe, we feel confident enough to go it alone, thereby being able to explore at leisure whatever we find interesting to us. In out-of-the-way places, like Cambodia or Myanmar, both of which we’ve visited in the past two years, we prefer to have our own car and driver plus private guide. This still allows us to determine, within reason, when we leave the hotel and how much we’ll see in one day.
In countries where there is a lot of bureaucratic red tape, often tours are the only way to go. I would categorize Egypt and Jordan as examples. A Nile cruise is a wonderful to experience the wonders of that country and not spend hours on end trying to get from place to place, and then trying to prove your have a hotel reservation when the hotel says you don’t.
Research is essential for all trips. It helps a lot to talk with other experienced travelers to see what their thoughts might be regarding a country they’ve visited and which you are considering.

Agree or disagree? Leave your comments below…

Some movies make the location almost more important than the actors.

Which movies get you reaching for your passport?

If you watch ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’ and don’t get an urge to visit Italy, you should have your passport confiscated!

Share your favorite travel-inspiring movies  as a comment below…

1. Skip the hotel dry-cleaning

Instead of dropping my laundry off at the front desk, I take a walk around the block and look for the nearest dry cleaner—probably the same one the hotel would take them to.  By cutting out the middleman I usually pay a quarter of what the hotel charge.

Brian Serues, Cottage Grove, Wis.

2. Stock up on crosswords

About a month before leaving on vacation, I started clipping the crossword puzzles from the daily newspaper and pasting them into a blank notebook.  The puzzles keep me occupied during my trip.  The newspaper’s crosswords are so much more interesting than those generic books of crosswords that you can purchase at the airport.

Brian Shelton, Schertz, Tex.

3. Compare prices with foreign airlines

Recently I was booking tickets online for an upcoming flight to Europe from the East Coast.  One particularly attractive fare was offered on a US based airline, as well as on their foreign partner airline.  Same flight, same base price.  But imagine my surprise when, searching both airlines for availabilities, I discovered that it was more than $100 cheaper per ticket to book the flight with the foreign airline versus the US airline.

Brett Simms, Brooklyn, N.Y.

4. Getting the right maps

For road trips on the Continent, European maps are much more helpful when it comes to
reading road signs.  They’ll say Roma instead of Rome, Firenze rather than Florence.  I could spend all day waiting for a road sign for Munich and miss the exit for München.

Bill Starks, Helena Island, S.C.

5. Pack a homemade medicine kit

When traveling with my kids, I always bring a Ziploc bag that includes four things: a bottle of Benadryl, a bottle of my children’s ibuprofen, one of those little medicine cups, and a thermometer.  This all-purpose kit can help with minor ailments, or treat a more serious flu until you can get to a doctor.  Best of all, it beat driving around at 2am looking for an all-night pharmacy.

Beth Steuer, Larose, La.

Got a tip to share, leave it as a comment below…

Do you prefer to follow the umbrella or just follow your nose?

Let us know what you prefer and why by leaving your comments below >>

As voted for by Mobal Members. It’s enough to make you want to stay at home…

1. Uncomfortable airplanes

Lee Lutz says:

“Where to begin? Probably the small seats with your body contorted.”

Daniel Dougan says:

“It’s not the lines at check-in or security. I think it’s just the hours of sitting on a plane. I often wonder when the Star Trek Transporter will become a reality.”

Richard Thomas says:

“Without a doubt, the long, uncomfortable flights. We live on the west coast and enjoy traveling to Europe. Even with the best connections, getting there and back is almost unbearable. Every one of our trips begins with the discussion about whether we really want to go there – because of the pain and discomfort of the flights to and from.”

Jean Gilnert says:

“Going anywhere in the U.S. on dirty, cramped, U.S. planes that nickel and dime you for everything.”

Jack Barry says:

“Having to sit like a sardine in a plane and be treated like an annoyance by the flight attendants (in most cases).”

carol says:

“Those dam boxes under middle seats on long hauls. You think, oh I’ll be able to keep my feet elevated, that’s good for me. Wrong. The box is too big. You and up “sharing” the minimum space next to you!”

carol says:

“oh, and I gotta agree with Daniel: the 8-9-11 hours in “steerage””

2. Airport security checks

Nelda Kersey says:

“Having just returned from a trip to Portugal and an almost trip to England (we were delayed an extra 8 days in Portugal due to the volcanic ash, could not get to the England portion of our trip and had to wait our turn to get home to USA)the travel headaches are many. The most glaring are the inconsistencies in the security process from airport to airport and the rudeness of service people in airports–government and private. The nicest service people seem to be in-flight airline personnel. Air travel is very hard work and takes mega patience and flexibility.”

fred says:

“Security lines at airports. I am a frequent business traveller. The security lines are so unpredictable it is hard to plan how much in advance you need to arrive at the airport. Then it’s the taking off shoes, getting out the liquids bag, taking out the laptop, taking off the coat…then doing it in reverse. All while some minimum wage person is yelling at you while the line snakes forward.”

Sharon Clay says:

“We just returned from a trip to Italy. My daughter was “elected” to go through 3 different types of security screening.”

3. The whole flying experience

chansen says:

“Without a doubt – the whole flying experience. Everything from trying to find the best rates, dealing with additional charges, the line at check-in, security, waiting at the gate and being herded aboard, being scrunched in the seat for hours on end and the inevitable delays. I hate it. I wish I could take a pill and wake up wherever I’m going..or beam me there, Scotty.”

Benton Stewart says:

“Air travel. No question! It is the most tiresome and unrewarding part of travel.”

Walt says:

“Travling is the worst thing about traveling!”

The increased costs of baggage and significant reduction in customer service and the long waits for security, etc. make travling uninviting!

Jim Gardner says:

“The air lines, the airlines, the airlines. Believe it or not flying was once a fun thing to do. Now every trip that involves flying will be a pain in the behind.”

Kim says:

“Without a doubt the airlines make travel a nightmare”

Lynn says:

“Keep in mind that the word travel is derived from the word travail. Nevertheless, I was a road warrior before the phrase was coined and I can tell you the worst part of the travel experience today is every aspect of the air travel, which has, in the nearly 60 years of my air travel, gone from a pleasure to a suffering. I’d rather ride a public bus almost anywhere in the world, and have, rather than traveling via today’s flying cattle cars and contending with the crowds, baggage, security and all other kinds of hassle. I try to use mileage and other perks from my frequent flyer status to upgrade to roomier seating and make use of private clubs, choose the best route to result in the shortest possible time in transit getting to my destination and travel as lightly as possible. And for Mary, in one of the preceeding comments, I would add that she should just lean back in her own seat and get as comfortable as possible. Airline seats are the worst design for the human body one could imagine and the slightest bit of relief from leaning them (even the few available inches) backwards is necessary and justified to get some relief. My wish for the specifiers and designers of the seats is that they should spend the hereafter riding around in one for eternity.”

Viktor Nagornyy says:

“I have to agree, air travel does suck from time to time. That’s when you need something extremely entertaining to keep boredom away. Or sleeping pills :-p”

4. Luggage

Martin Flahive says:

“By far it is luggage – carrying, screening, toting, minding – the whole thing. Packing light helps, but it’s still the worst aspect of domestic and international travel for me.”

Charles Schmitter says:

“While returning from a medical mission in Guatemala this past weekend, I was held captive by a TSA woman in Houston who repeatedly x-rayed my carry-on contents together and separately, commenting that I had “too much stuff” in my bag!I am convinced that she deliberately caused me to miss my flight to Detroit so that I had to stay overnight in Houston.”

Sharon TOm says:

“Returning from a short term mission in South Africa. The airlines actually lied to us (big duh?). Said we were 3000 pounds over weight. By the time they “resolved” this issue, we taxied out (late), #2 in line for take off…the pilot announces the flight is canceled…due to too many crew hours.

OK, back thru Immigration, grab the luggage and wait and wait and wait for hotel rooms.

Next day, we again are 3000 pounds overweight and late. Guess what? When we landed in the US…no luggage, they took our luggage off AND we missed our connecting flights. Pilot again lied that no luggage would be taken off. What is with this? They don’t fly enough? Lying, just lying gets me!”

Sandy says:

“The whole airline experience from start to finish has become unbearable. The baggage issues have me thinking twice and three times about traveling.”

5. Airport transfers

Phyllis Rizzi says:

“Getting to and from airports, train stations, etc. Best cure for that is to stay in one place for a longer time.”

6. Other passengers

cap manuel says:

“Unruly kids / children and passengers talking loud as if everyone wants the hear their comments and complaints…

why is that when the plane arrives at the gate…everyone stands up as if they can get off before the door is open…??”

Mary says:

“The inconsiderate idiot sitting in front of me who insists on reclining his/her seat, thus parking their big ole head in my lap, and simultaneously preventing me from lowering my tray, viewing the movie screen, or getting anything out of my bag on the floor. I think I feel a nasty coughing fit coming on!!”

Sharon Clay says:

“Then we got on our 747 and found that there was a 3rd person in our 3 across seating row, and we were accompanied by a group of 50 15 yr olds on a trip to the US.”

7. The price of flying

Masrud says:

“The price of airline tickets. I think most everything else can be dealt with, ticket prices are rising and it doesn’t look like things will change for the better any time soon.”

8. The check in process

Texas Traveler says:

“What I dislike most is the airport departure hassle. Long flights are not fun, but the frenzied, crowded atmosphere that so often surrounds airport checkin and security lines is worse. I try to start in plenty of time to turn in the rental car (especially early if I’m not familiar with the airport), check bags (only if absolutely necessary), and go through security unconcerned that anything in my carry-on is verboten and knowing I won’t have to sprint from there to the gate. Leisurely airport procedures are a thing of the past, and there’s no getting around it. Airports have become the bus stations of the 21st Century, with necessary security procedures on top of it all. I find that large doses of advance planning and patience are the best antidotes for departure stress.”

Agree or disagree? Got another suggestion? Leave it as comment below…

1. Use baby wipe to remove stains

As well as being good at killing germs, you can also try using baby wipes on your clothing if
you spill food down yourself.

Charles Rybczyk, Richmond, Va

2. Make a travel journal for your kids

Before we went to London, I created a personalized booklet on our computer with fill-in pages
like “the new foods I tried”, “best candy”, “words I learnt” and the “most fun/boring museums”.
Instead of being daunted by lots of blank journal pages, my daughter had a blast answering
the questions and filling in all the details.

Carole Sapp, Warren, Vt.

3. Thou shalt not sightsee on the Sabbath

If you plan to visit Prague, and the Jewish Holocaust memorials, remember that synagogues
close early on Friday and stay closed on Saturdays.  Make sure you aren’t only there for the
weekend.

Carol Scherzberg, Media, Pa.

4. You won’t always save by bringing the rental car back early

Alamo has instituted a new early-return policy at all of its locations, designed to discourage
customers from returning cars early.  If you show up at the lot a day or two ahead of
schedule, Alamo will recalculate what you owe them on a daily rate.  If it turns out to be less
than you would have paid for the week, they’ll charge a $15 fee.  Yet another reason to read
the fine print on your contract carefully.

Carol Schmidt, Yarmouth Port, Mass.

5. Avoid unnecessary minibar charges

While I was reviewing the itemized bill prior to checking out of my hotel, I noticed a $7.50
charge for a beer from the minibar.  I was very surprised since I had put my own drinks back
in the minibar to replace what I’d taken.  When I asked at reception they told me that the
minibar was weight sensitive.  Once I explained, they removed the $7.50 charge.

Carey Schweisguth, Americus, Ga.

Got a travel tip to share? Leave it as a comment below…

It would be a lie to claim that 100% of the travel experience was wonderful and hassle free.

What is the worst aspect of travel for you (and if possible, how do you try and avoid or improve it)?

Leave your answer as a comment below…

1. Use hangers for in-room laundry

Instead of bringing one of those bungee cables to hang-dry my delicates and socks, I pack a couple of mini plastic hangers—the ones that bras and panties come on when you buy them.  They take up very little room in my luggage and can be thrown away at the end of the trip.

Danne Prendergast, Huntington Beach, Calif.

2. A small key ring will thwart prying fingers

A padlock zipper tells thieves there’s something in your bag worth stealing, but a key ring is much less obvious.  Best of all, you’ll never have to worry about forgetting your combination.

Cynthia Rainer, Cape Coral, Fla.

3. The ideal toiletry bag is a lunch box

After years of looking for years for the perfect toiletries bag and being frustrated by many that were less than ideal, I’ve finally discovered one that is just right: a soft-sided lunch box I bought at the supermarket.  It has an outer-zipped pocket with small compartments and lots perfect for often-used items like toothbrush and toothpaste.  There’s a small removable zipper pouch inside for those smaller hard-to-find items like nail files and pill bottles.

Space inside is just the right size for larger items like shampoo and hand lotion.  Other helpful features include both a small handle and shoulder strap, and a waterproof, easy-to-clean interior.  This lunch box was designed for children, so I know it’s going to last.

Cynda Ramos, Brooklyn Park, Minn.

4. Enjoy your coffee anywhere on the cruise ship

Bring a travel mug for early-morning coffee fill-ups at the buffet.  Your coffee stays warm, and travels well around the ship—the mug specifically designed to stop spillage—and you don’t have to linger in the restaurant after you’ve finished eating breakfast.  When you return to your room or your favourite deck chair, you’ll have a fresh cup.

Chris Reed, Union City, N.J.

5. You can suspend more than your newspaper when you’re away

On several occasions, DirecTV has agreed to pit my account on hold while I was away traveling, without penalty, additional fees reconnection charges or the like.  So, instead of having a monthly bill of $65, I have mine protracted, without fail.

Cheryl Rounsefell, Chicago, Ill.

Got a travel tip to share? Leave it as a comment below…