Think Bizarre, Travel Like an Expert This Summer

CINCINNATI, March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer, whether you're planning an elaborate vacation abroad or simply heading away for a quiet weekend escape, expert traveler Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern," offers a list of useful tips to make your next trip a success.

    10. FIND A STORY LINE ...  To become a traveler, not a tourist, look for
        stories and plan trips around them. Sitting on a beach doing nothing
        can be part of a relaxing vacation, but it's not traveling.
        Book trips with story lines that allow you to walk in history's
        footsteps. For example, take a train from St Petersburg to Venice on
        the Orient Express, bike through French wine country or drive the
        Pacific Coast Highway.

    9.  EAT LOCAL ...  Local chefs practice smarter food handling of familiar
        products, so in China, eat Chinese food; in Italy, eat Italian, and
        so on. Eating American-style buffet options can be less safe than
        eating goat's heads soup in the Djemma al Fna in the same city. Also,
        remember that going local means saving money.

    8.  THE HAPPY FACE RULE ... Finding a great restaurant is no secret.
        My friends are always amazed that I can find the greatest restaurants
        when we travel together by simply sitting on a street and observing
        which restaurant has the most diners with smiles. Eat in restaurants
        with lots of happy customers. Web sites like chowhound.com or
        andrewzimmern.com are also great communities with which to compare
        notes.

    7.  SAFEGUARD YOUR STOMACH ...  Whatever my stomach problem, whether
        it's nausea, heartburn, indigestion, an upset stomach or diarrhea,
        Pepto-Bismol has worked for me for 40 years. It is the only stomach
        product I carry with me. Because of different security rules around
        the world, I keep the chewables in my carry on.  To help prevent
        major problems, common-sense food safety practices like washing hands
        and using anti-bacterials are musts.

    6.  SPEND SMART ... Museum passes, train passes, pre-purchased theater or
        sporting event tickets work for traveling and sightseeing in cultural
        capitals around the world. They save time and money and often mean
        skipping long lines. Also, try booking weekend stays in business
        hotels, which see lower occupancy rates at that time.

    5.  STAY PROTECTED ... Give photocopies of your credit cards, passport,
        driver's license, etc. to a close trusted friend, or keep them in a
        safe place in your home. Always travel with local embassy, hospital
        and police numbers at your fingertips. I also like to keep a fake
        wallet in my travel bag, an old billfold with $20 and an expired
        credit card that can be handed to a mugger without any second
        thoughts.

    4.  GO OFF THE BEATEN TRACK ... Be adventurous and flexible, it pays off
        in many ways. Everyone who yearns to see Europe looks at Italy and
        France, and most also end up there. Look instead to the next country.
        I like Belgium for example, a country that I have visited three times
        and keep returning to because it is easier to navigate minus the
        crowds. Ditto Malaysia, Vietnam, Ecuador, the Czech Republic and the
        Dalmatian Coast.

    3.  THINK AHEAD WHEN PACKING FOR KIDS ... Bring car seats, sippy cups
        and plastic sandwich bags -- for snacks as well as for soiled diapers
        when there's no place to throw them. And don't forget Children's
        Pepto ... looking for a kid's stomach remedy in a foreign country
        is a buzz kill.

    2.  ENSURE PEACE OF MIND ... I book restaurant reservations in advance
        and arrange for car services, tours and the like -- most of which can
        all be cancelled with lenient terms up until the last minute. I also
        keep extra travel insurance in case of a major accident abroad, which
        only costs me about a hundred bucks a year, and always keep a
        doctor's number handy.

    1.  BE PREPARED ... That's the number one tip and the most important. The
        extra five pounds that I schlep around everywhere (everything from
        Pepto, to an extra book, to the 'other' pair of shoes) is worth it --
        knowing that when I need something, I have it.

About Andrew Zimmern

Andrew Zimmern is a food writer, dining critic, radio talk-show host, TV personality, chef and teacher. He is most widely recognized as the host of the Travel Channel's hit television program "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern." For additional information, please visit http://www.andrewzimmern.com.

About Pepto Bismol

Pepto-Bismol is the only leading brand that can provide soothing relief for five different stomach symptoms: nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach and diarrhea. Manufactured and distributed by Procter & Gamble, Pepto-Bismol is available in multiple forms and flavors: liquid, chewables, caplets, Cherry and Original flavor, Regular and Maximum Strength and Children's Pepto. For additional information, please visit http://www.pepto-bismol.com.

About Procter and Gamble

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R). Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella, Gillette(R), and Braun. The P&G community consists of almost 140,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

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