More Than WE Know

You all know the story of Hanzel and Gretel - they scattered breadcrumbs behind them in the forest so they’d be able to find their way back home again.

Of course, I don’t recommend literal breadcrumbs (they didn’t work out too well for H&G either). But I do recommend that you always know how to get back to where you are going when you’re in a strange city. 

While you probably know the name of your hotel, you may not know the address or the phone#.  If you get in a cab with a driver who isn’t familiar with that hotel, or there is more than one of that chain in the city, you will have a hard time getting back. 

The simplest method is to pick up a brochure when you check in.  It can be anything with the hotel’s address on it - a brochure, stationary, a pen, a matchbook, etc.  As long as it has the address, you can be assured you’ll be able to find it again.

Special considerations for walking:

If you’d like to get out of the hotel for a walk be sure to turn around and look back at the hotel when you leave. Get a picture in your mind as to what it looks like from that perspective.  That way you’ll be more likely to recognize it when you come back.  And be sure to take a look at the nearest major cross-streets.  You’ll have an easier time asking for directions back to the intersection than back to the hotel.

Also, the concierge will most likely have a map of the neighborhood which can help you to navigate you way around.

And of course, all of these tips are even more important if you are traveling in a country in which you don’t speak the local language!!

So, tell me - what do you do to keep from getting lost when you’re in a strange city? Have you ever gotten lost?  

photo credit: duoloz cats

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