Toronto Canada Part 1
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Toronto Part 1 of 2 FAQ: Do you travel on public transport? Let’s explore one city. The FAQ for today is: How would I travel around Toronto on public transport, if needed? Here are a few facts about their public transit. Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is your central transit system—includes: Subway Streetcars (trams) Buses PRESTO Card is the smart fare card you'll want to use. It gives discounted fares for seniors (65+). Ask ChatGPT about the best travel options for you, whether it's the subway or any other mode of transportation. It will provide detailed information instantly....
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Around the World Travel Summary Part 2
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Where in the world am I? In San Diego today. Trip Summary 2 Hi there. I’m Dr. Mary Travelbest, recently on a 90-day journey around the world, excited to connect with fellow travelers and share our experiences. Listener Story Spotlight Today's listener story is about 79 year old Sandi Biback who I met in Toronto and helped organize an afternoon with women from the JourneyWoman organization. She was called in to help and rose to the occasion. She is traveling to Bhutan in October and has shared several tips with me for purchasing Travel insurance. She's seasoned in...
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Around the World Travel Summary Part 1
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Hi there. I’m Dr. Mary Travelbest, coming to you from a recent trip, on a 90-day solo journey around the world. Listener Story Spotlight Alina, whom I met in Toronto and who hosted me for my final four nights, is trying to travel to Seattle this week, but she’s been affected by the Air Canada airline strike. She’s a great traveler who has visited Japan, Spain, and many European countries. She was an excellent Servas host. Look up if you want to encourage world peace with cultural exchange. Quick-fire FAQ: The FAQ for today is: What was my favorite...
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Flashback 2020 Covid travel South Dakota
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Flashback to 2020 Travel This was Covid Travel. Solo Travel. Road trip around the midwest USA. This episode is unscripted, unedited and raw. Listen to Dr Mary Travelbest tell you about her travel to some of the best places for women to travel. Badlands, Sioux Falls, and hiking in the National Parks. You will enjoy hearing about me getting poison Ivy, hiking with animals in Centennial, getting a sunburn in the hot springs and driving 5000 miles without touching anyone and being fully masked. Let me know if you listen and what you think. It's an experiment to see how this content resonates with...
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Travel Planning: Peru
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Where in the world am I? Peru planning Hi there. I'm Dr. Mary Travelbest, returning from a recent trip to Asia. 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 Raquel from Peru. She has been a friend for 40 years and has encouraged me to travel to Lima since then. She created all the images and designs for my first published travel book in 1993. She's been a friend for swimming in...
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Travel Planning: Brazil
Dr Mary Travelbest Guide
Where in the world am I? Brazil planning Hi there. I’m Dr. Mary Travelbest, returning from a recent trip to Asia. 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 Juliana who is from Brazil. She was a student of mine and now she works with me. She gave me a list of all the places in Brazil that I should be going to.She and I have known each other for 3 years. She’s so beautiful...
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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...
info_outlineWhat is Step Five?
Step 5: This is for the person who has been to many different countries where they speak another local language. You have faced challenges like surmounting new cultures largely unfamiliar to your own, or navigating travel in a place where transportation is limited.
Step 5 is a full travel champion. You are adopting unique experiences with geography and nature firsthand, even with countries you may not read about in the news or on social media. You will meet people who are different from you. Certain challenges will occur when you visit some countries like China, where you can’t read the street signs as different letters are used for language, or when you try to bargain at the market for fruits in Kenya.
I’ve traveled solo to six continents, and some of these have opened up my mind to new freedoms; for example, in Asia and Africa, I was free to use sign language to communicate basic needs.
If you are heading on a journey which is Step 5, be prepared for freedom surprises, including losing your health, passport, luggage and/or cash. You want to have copies of everything important in a safe place and a backup ready for when you need it. If you are not yet a Step 5 traveler, you could combine a Step 5 with another step. This way, one part of the trip will include relatively more variety and freedom, while another part of the journey would be more relaxing and restful for you.
This section involves the uncharted or unknown and foreign languages you don’t speak. Africa, Asia, and South America are great places to start. Chile, China, Korea, and Japan fall under this chapter. Some of these regions will require you to have a visa or travel permit to visit. This is the peak step 5, or most difficult and freedom loving travel of all. Many readers will not make this kind of a trip, but it’s always a challenge to learn what’s available and dream about it.
Step Five can also be impossible to visit in some countries like North Korea. It can also be for one day, interplanetary travel. Who else is ready? Step Five is Freedom travel; it’s about getting out and having unique experiences in nature, with countries you may not know how to spell, and to see people who are different from you. If you are heading on a journey which is Step Five, I want you to be prepared for anything, including losing your passport, luggage, and cash. plus many unexpected events, both good and not so good.
However, you may combine a Step Five with another step as well. If you are heading to a country on this list or simply uncharted to you, be sure to get all of your documents in order.
That concludes the five steps of Solo Travel, in short form.
Send me your travel tip. You can send it to my website, Facebook page, group, or Instagram. You can send to my Twitter, blog, and maybe you’ll see your tips in Dr Travelbest’s 5 Steps to Solo Travel.
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