I received a request from a tipsy ready for any travel tips I may have. Always one for sharing my opinons, wanted or not, I thought I would present you ladies with my top 5 travel tips:

1) An oldie but goodie, make a list! And check it twice! Now I know I sound like a Christmas song but seriously, you need to check that list. I always end up forgetting something.

2) Never travel with designer items. Whether it be a handbag or shoes or what. You don’t want to scream “I have money, rob me!” If you are travelling outside of the US everyone will know you are a tourist as soon as you open your mouth, so there is no need to draw extra attention to yourself.

3) Travel with medicine. I always have ibuprofen on me, but when I travel I carry a small pharmacy. I have bad allergies so sudafed or benadryl is a must. I learned this the hard was on my trip to Paris (allergic reaction to laundry detergent = not good). Medicine is expensive in foreign countries too.

4) Wear comfortable clothes on the plane but don’t look sloppy! You may not be able to check into your hotel right away so what you wear on the plane might be what you wear your first day of vacay. You don’t want to be in sweats in all your pictures. I usually go with boyfriend jeans and a fitted tee

5) Lonelyplanet.com. I pretty much booked my whole trip to Europe through this site. They have a listing and ratings for any type of lodging you are looking for (hotel, hostel, b&b, etc), as well as a variety of tours in every city. They also have a ranking of all the things you should make sure you do in each city, and forums to ask other travelers any questions you may have.

One last thing…

If you really want something don’t be afraid to splurge! You don’t to get home and be mad at yourself for not buying something when you had the chance, it may not be there if and when you ever go back. Besides, you are supposed to treat yourself on vacation 🙂

The last portion of my trip was spent in Great Britain. First in Edinburg, Scotland, then in London. Edinburgh might be my favorite place from this trip. Not only was I excited to be in a country that spoke English finally, but my dad’s side of the family is Scottish, so I was able to get a little family history while I was there. I visited the highlands and Loch Ness but, unfortunately, Nessie the Loch Ness Monster did not make an appearance.  I did, however, get to taste some excellent whiskey. London was also fabulous. Lots of friendly people, and we found a restaurant owned by 3 Texans. Who would have thought you could find good Mexican food in London? AND they give free margaritas to anyone from Texas. Needless to say we were happy campers that night.  Here are some fun facts I picked up about the UK:

1) Scottish people think 82 degrees is hot. I had to explain to them that they don’t know the half of it.

2) Scotland does whiskey tastings the way most places do wine tastings.

3) Scottish people really know how to make bread and fudge. Two things not good for my waistline.

4) In the UK an eraser is called a rubber. So when a little kid asks you for a rubber don’t have a heart attack.

5) Oxford University is not actually on Oxford street in London. Its not in London at all actually.

6) London Bridge is not very impressive. The Tower bridge is the cool one.

7) London has better clothing than Paris. True Story.

8) Scotland is freezing in May. London is just cold.