Ten things to AVOID in traveling

The Amsterdam forum has seen a few shots at compiling a list of things to avoid.  Try a search for "things to avoid" and you'll find the latest threads.  This is a compilation of some of the best and/or recurring pieces of advice.

• AVOID being separated from your baggage on the train ride into town.  There isn’t much street crime in Amsterdam, but the Centraal Station and the train are where it will happen to you first.
• AVOID the obvious tourist traps, such as Madame Tussauds and the Ice Bar (this advice applies in all European capitals, by the way), also AVOID everything sited on (the western side of) the Damrak.
• AVOID combining soft drugs with hard drugs (such as alcohol), and don’t take anything you have no experience of without also taking advice.  There are fatal combinations which will result in you jumping out of a third-storey window believing you can fly.
• AVOID walking in the cycle lanes.  Amsterdammers love riding down tourists in the cycle lanes.
• AVOID renting a bike and getting its wheels stuck in the tram rails, it's a sure way to break a bone.  If you haven’t ridden a bike since you were a kid, AVOID renting a bike at all;  that’ll be much safer for everyone.
• AVOID forming a large group on red rental bikes wearing knitted hats with AMSTERDAM across the front and pompoms dangling from them and ringing the bikes' bells like idiots, unless you are Italian (in which case this is the unmissable core of the Amsterdam experience).
• AVOID trying to stay away from other tourists.  It's a fool’s errand (it just can't be done) and the tourists in any city are the people doing all the fun stuff.  Large groups of drunken British males celebrating someone’s stag night are the exception and should be avoided at all cost.
• AVOID a pointless search for “typical Dutch cuisine”.  It either doesn’t exist or it's awful.
• AVOID falling into a canal, especially in the winter.  Most deaths in the canals are men;   many of the bodies are recovered with the trouser flies open and it happens most often in the winter.
• AVOID museums devoted to sxx or drugs, unless sxx and drugs are really your thing, in which case ... welcome to Amsterdam, have a great time.

Source:

10 Foods to Avoid Before Boarding Travel

1. Beans
Avoid anything that can cause excess gas to build up in your stomach. That includes the obvious suspects (beans) as well as other usually good-for-you foods such as broccoli and cabbage. Besides the embarrassment of being gaseous, you don't want to spend the flight feeling bloated.

2. Carbonated Soft Drinks
Soda can cause flatulence. Plus, carbonated beverages with caffeine will both keep you from napping and lead to more trips to the airplane's toilet. The carbonation might also cause you to belch or get heartburn.

3. Explore Your World
Explore Travel with our newsletter filled with tips and ideas to plan the ultimate getaway. Join AARP today for savings on airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises.

4. Garlic
Eating garlic can cause bad breath. Halitosis in the tight quarters of a plane is not a nice thing to share with your seatmates. As garlic is absorbed into your bloodstream, it can cause body odor — again, something those sitting near you can do without.

5. French Fries
The smell of fries wafting from airport food stands might beckon, but the fats and oils in fried food can cause heartburn, which can lead to a very uncomfortable flight. Food high in trans fats and salt can also lead to fluid retention, which, in turn, can cause your feet to swell.

6. Alcohol
You might want to calm your nerves by indulging at the airport bar, but alcohol can have a dehydrating effect. Since airplane air may also leave you dehydrated, you set yourself up for a double whammy. Plus, a stiff drink or two can leave you with bad breath.

7. Cheeseburgers
A lot of people have difficulty digesting meat. Indulge in a burger at the airport, and you might find yourself spending the flight with digestive issues as your body tries to process the fat. Eating meat can also lead to unpleasant body odor as it stagnates in your digestive tract.

8. Coffee
A lot of us like to grab a pick-me-up before a flight, but it's best to avoid doing so. Besides leaving you with coffee breath, a cup of joe not only can make you jittery and dehydrated but also can irritate your bladder, making you generally uncomfortable.

9. Hot Peppers
Spicy food can cause stomach discomfort and bladder irritation; it can also cause bad breath and leave your mouth burning. You don't want to deal with any of these things during a flight, so save the spicy treats for when you land.

10. Apples (and Other Fruits)
Apples aren't easy to digest and, like other fibrous fruits, can leave you gassy. Avoid them before flying. Ditto orange juice. It's very acidic and likely to cause heartburn. Plus, vitamin C can make you have to urinate more, meaning more treks up and down the airplane aisle.