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...
info_outlineWelcome to my shownotes for the History of Dr. Travelbest episode. In this episode: The FAQ is FAQ: People ask me, what qualifies as independent or solo travel?
Today’s Special episode: History of Dr Travelbest
Today’s Mistake- traveling with a baby crying
Travel Advice- Unplug
FAQ: People ask me, what qualifies as independent/ solo travel vs a tour group?
Answer: Even if one day of your travel is on your own, without a guide to show you all of the sights, you are now independent. If you are alone, that is solo travel. You are never really alone, though, right?
Let’s say you go on a cruise by yourself, and maybe even get paired up with a roommate. Are you still independent? Yes, because you are not on a “tour” . Are you going on a cruise excursion? That is likely a tour.
On a cruise, my ship stopped in Acapulco. I hired a driver for the day and that was independent travel, because I had the control of where I wanted the driver to take me.
Special episode: History of Dr Travelbest
Doctor Travelbest was founded in 1993/4 while I was starting my company, Sun Marketing. The name was an alias, because my name had nothing to do with travel, and I had not worked in the travel industry. My first book was founded with the idea of helping women travel independently, since I had been to every continent by myself or with a friend. except Antarctica. Nearly 30 years later, 5 Steps to solo travel, a series for women to travel in their Prime, has been launched with a part A and soon Part B and maybe more. Hundreds of thousands of women have discovered Dr. Travelbest and a billion miles has been traveled since the start. The stories and the lessons are authentic. No one has paid me to write about any of these companies or destinations. I currently teach marketing classes at Point Loma Nazarene University and consult with clients as part of my service to the community. I have a doctorate in Marketing, in Business, not in a medical field.
What kind of a traveler are you, Dr Mary?
When given the choice between solo, Independent, or tour travel I will choose Solo or independent depending on if I had somebody to go with or not. Tour travel works for places that can't be accessed without a guide. There's a place for that role in my travels, too.
My most recent trip was a train travel trip up the coast of California and back in a few days. I traveled light, carrying only two small backpacks, and healing from a broken wrist. I really enjoyed that trip because I didn't have to drive and I could relax and enjoy the company on the train. I met a few people who were really nice, including the conductors. I've even reached out to them afterwards to make a lasting impression.
In my first book, there was an appendix that gave types of travel to types of locations. Test yourself to find out what kind of a traveler you are. It’s easy and quick. My profile turned up “adventure travel”. What’s yours?
Once you know what kind of travel you aspire to, consider the options of where you want to go, not who you want to go with. What is the best season for YOU? What is your schedule looking like? Consider the costs, and the costs of staying home, too. For some of you, the cost to stay home is more than you think.
My friend Cindy and her husband Mike traveled independently for more than a year. They both retired and rented their home to a friend while they traveled the world. They researched and set some plans, and the rest of the planning was done from abroad. In today’s world, this kind of trip is not only possible, it’s doable. Another couple, Jim and Marlene moved to Panama in 2017. They are finding that they can live very comfortably in Central America, visit the grandkids here in the USA when they want, and not have to work the jobs that they had before. Talk about changing careers, he’s become a musician, instead of a businessman.
Lessons learned: traveling with a baby crying
As I write this, I’m listening to a crying baby on the plane across the country. The parents are trying to satisfy the child, but they are doing a terrible job. Is there something that can be done? I’ve been in this position before with a crying child, but I don’t think it went on for this long. This has been for more than an hour in all. If this is you, please take your baby for a walk down the aisle. That worked for my kids. Maybe the kids are overtired and overstimulated. They need to settle down and relax.
Tips: Unplug
Unplug yourself from the many creature comforts and technology that we have at our fingertips. Spend your time and money wisely and buy something that no one can ever take from you, memories. I don’t necessarily think that you should jump out of a plane like George Bush did two times. But you can experience a lot while in an airplane, in an airport, and on a train, as well as in the car driving to our wonderful National Parks, for example.
I want to bring meaning to your travels. Send a question or travel tip to [email protected]. We can connect on my website, Facebook page, group, or Instagram. Subscribe to YouTube, Twitter, or other social channels. Find the 5 Steps to Solo Travel book series on Amazon. The show notes have more details for you to connect.
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email: [email protected]