Travel tips

I travel with a carry-on and only enough clothes for three days. One advantage of traveling alone is that no one complains if I wear the same clothes over and over. I don’t consider travel to be a fashion show.

In each city, I stay a minimum of two nights so my clothes have enough time to dry. I hand-wash my quick-drying shirts and quick-drying underwear every night, and they usually dry overnight, unless the humidity happens to be high. My socks can take two nights to dry, so I wash them every two nights. I’ve found that Merino wool socks dry quicker than cotton socks.

After reading an article about the Mobile Passport app, I tried it in 2018. Using the app on my cell phone, I loaded my passport information, took a selfie and, on the night before a return flight to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) from abroad, completed the normal form required for entry to the US.

In this issue, I’ll share the experience of another adventurer who chose to travel during these uncertain COVID times plus, for those contemplating getting back on the road, a strategy or approach to consider.

Egypt adventure

I have learned many things during my past travels, including never to arrive at a destination after dark. If there were no public transportation that late, I would have to take a cab, which I normally would only do as a last resort, as a taxi is not cost-effective and I have been ripped off by drivers several times.

For years, I never considered myself a globetrotter, so I never enrolled in the Global Entry program (www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry), which allows expedited clearance through Customs for preapproved travelers upon arrival in the US. Members can enter using automatic kiosks at select airports.*

It is with a note of sadness that I announce that this month’s collection of readers’ On-the-Road Travel Tips — things that enhance the travel experience while actually traveling — will be the last in the series. It feels rather like parting ways with an old friend who served as a loyal companion through the tough, travel-restricted times we have endured during the pandemic.

Welcome to another edition of readers’ On-the-Road Travel Tips. Little did we know that this COVID-inspired undertaking over a year ago would take on a life of its own. We greatly appreciate all of the positive feedback about it that we continue to receive, and please keep sending in your tips related to anything that enhances the travel experience while actually traveling. Keep in mind our 125-word (or close) limit.