2025 Eurail Travel Planning Guide and sinus relief
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Where in the world am I? Eurail Travel planning Hi there, I’m Dr. Mary Travelbest. I’m in San Diego now, sharing my best travel ideas and working on another book for you to enjoy: 5 Steps to Solo Travel, Part C. I’m about to launch on a 90-day trip around the world. Listener Story Spotlight I want to tell you about a listener named Kristen. Kristen loves to travel. She recently received a Fullbright Scholarship and took a trip with her husband and sons to a foreign country, Portugal, for several months. She’s full of great travel ideas and will be helpful as I continue to...
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Best of D. C. Smithsonian Museums
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
This is a Best of..... Have any questions? Please ask. The photo was taken by me on the grounds of one of the many museums of the Smithsonian.
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Train Travel: SLO to San Diego and Gluten Free Travel
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Episode title: SLO to San Diego by Train, GF Diets, and a Confidence Challenge Hi there. I’m Dr. Mary Travelbest, a world traveler who has traveled solo for over 50 years. I'm coming to you after a recent trip to Asia. I visited Taiwan and South Korea for 10 days. I’m here to share my best travel ideas and work on solo travel. I’m about to launch on a 90-day trip around the world solo again. The aim is world peace through cultural exchange. I’m about to travel the world for 90 days. Listener Story Spotlight I want to tell you about a listener who recently retired as a...
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Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Episode: Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan FAQ Should I use public transportation abroad? Episode: Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan Lesson Learned: Don’t schedule everything Day 1 Travel Tip: Trust your gut instincts, if unsure, pivot fast. FAQ Response: Should I use public transportation abroad? Yes, you should try it at the least, but not in rush hour with all of your luggage. One way to test it out is to try it early in the morning, before rush-hour workers arrive, but while it’s still light outside. Most of the time, you only need a card to swipe, and you...
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Seoul, South Korea and travel insurance comparisons
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Seoul, Korea episode Listener Story Spotlight A friend and a listener named Lois recently went to Hawaii. She told me she spent much time getting travel insurance for herself and her partner. She had to pay more than she expected as her partner was having a birthday between the day she bought the service and the day of the trip. But she said it was well worth it for her peace of mind. The FAQ for today is: Where to find the best travel insurance for a long trip abroad. 1. Start with a neutral comparison engine; you can see this in the show notes. Why use it first? Where to click ...
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Travel Planning: Ecuador
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Ecuador: planning Listener Story Spotlight I want to tell you about a listener named Pat who loves to take 40-minute walks. She does one every day. We have traveled together to Spain and have been ski buddies for over 10 years. She's a superb figure skater and loves cats. Maybe you even know my friend. Her last name is Brown, inspiring me to go to the Galapagos Islands this year. Thanks, Pat, for that encouragement. The FAQ for today is: How do you choose your outfits for weather conditions that constantly change? The answer is more straightforward than you think: It's basic...
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Travel Planning: Colombia
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Travel Planning: Part 1 Colombia In this episode: Where an I heading series: Part 1 Today’s Mistake- avoiding potholes and buying new tires Travel Advice: Safety and security tip FAQ: How do you use SERVAS? I use Servas International to help me plan my trips. You sign up on the website, and a representative will contact you and interview you. They will make sure you are a real person and check references. Then, you get a Letter of Engagement, and you can contact hosts and day hosts. Today’s destination: Planning my trip to Colombia Friends to meet in...
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Boulder, CO
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Boulder, Colorado FAQ: Isn’t it awkward to eat alone? Step 1 question Destination episode: Boulder, CO. Lesson Learned: Got on the wrong train line. Travel Tip: Screenshot your map before leaving Wifi FAQ Response to Isn’t it awkward to eat alone? Yes, it is the first few times. No doubt. But it gets easier with every time you do it. Soon, you’ll just walk in a restaurant and not even think about it. I can relate to the woman who has never done it, because I remember my first time. I was scared. I told the hostess: “I’ve never eaten solo in a...
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Blue Zone Travel
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Special Episode Blue Zone Travel The five "Blue Zones" in the world, which are regions identified as having a high concentration of people living to a very old age, are: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California, USA. Notably, four of these Blue Zones are located near oceans, making them easily accessible by sea travel. Ocean proximity: Blue Zones like Costa Rica and California are situated not too far from coastlines, making them ideal destinations for those interested in combining a...
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5 Steps to Solo Travel for the Woman on the Go: What are the 5 Steps?
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Are you traveling? Tell me why or why not. Need a confidence boost? Here are the 5 Steps to Solo travel, summarized and a link to the book on Amazon. Step 1: Local Solo Travel. Close to home local travel. Step 2: Domestic solo trips, familiar with the territory. Maybe cross country. Step 3: National travel with more complexity, such as Alaska or Hawaii Step 4: International travel in familiar cultures Step 5: Fully independent, adventurous international solo travel. I’ve been creating this podcast weekly since 2018. I’m on my way to helping more than 100,000 women travel...
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It’s the first of five steps that will bring you to the level you wish to travel. Only this is by yourself solo, or with a friend, independently, but not on a guided tour.
The steps in order: briefly, Step One is your first solo trip, nearby overnight. Step 2 is state to state travel, Step 3 is to a far away state or nearby country, Step 4 is to a far country and Step 5 is to a country where you don’t speak the language.
Before I became a solo traveler, I was shy and introverted. I did not have confidence in myself. I was often quite lonely and sad, and my life felt unimportant. I was bullied by my so-called friends as a young teen. These so-called friends smeared oil and grease from carbon paper all over my body and mocked me. This has never been publicly shared before, as I was shamed. The experience of travel has lifted a burden from my past and now I can share the lessons I have learned throughout this book—of new places to see and favorite places to revisit. This was a transformation for me, and I know it will transform you, irrespective of your age or lifestyle. This is no longer a story about being shy and under confident. Travel has changed my life and it can change yours too.
I started traveling. And I tried to find books on how to travel solo, but I was not able to find any that I liked. So I decided to write one and help the millions of other women my age who are desperate for this travel, especially after two years of not being able to travel. Think of the plans that are now being made. You need this book now.
Solo travel is about the experience, all which leads up to going somewhere new, and subsequent events. Books like this one help you decide where to go, how to go, what to see, and how to experience it at the level where you are. Do you want to know more?
Step One: No experience yet, but ready to start a solo trip. Suggested trips include: starting at a city where you have a family member or friend with whom you can stay. It could be Boston, New York, or even a suburban town in Montana. It should be relatively close to your home state and not for an extended period.
Consider: when you were in kindergarten, you were just starting out, and you knew it. If you realize you are once again just embarking on a new journey, you will give yourself some extra time and grace to travel alone and learn. Ask questions along the way. Don’t assume everything is going to go well (it won’t!). Accept that plans will go smoothly some of the time;celebrate those moments. When you look back on your personal history, you will be telling the story the way you saw it unfold, so it will be from your perspective alone as a Step One traveler. Don’t carry extra baggage from plans that didn’t go exactly as you prepared them.
Every chapter has step one guidance on what you need to travel, accommodations, packing, food, air and ground travel, safety and health and general travel tips. I also tell you of my lessons learned, including the most embarrassing ones. An example of that is when I drew out directions for a friend that had the wrong info. The water was on the east, not the west.
Step One Destinations found in the book include the following:
East coast:
Vermont, New York, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Boston
Midwest, USA
In this Midwest USA section Step One, we cover parts of Nebraska, Colorado, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
Now that you learned about Step one, You will hear the other four steps to follow.
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