Every time I get back from an overseas trip, this is what I do

The trip is over, and you’re probably reliving all the good times. That great little restaurant where mamma did the cooking, the festival you happened upon where the locals dressed as goats in memory of an ancient pagan ritual, all the things that went right. But what went wrong? Chances are it wasn’t all plain sailing and that’s why you need the post-trip post-mortem. Coaches review their teams’ performance in granular details after a match, as do generals after a battle because win or lose, you can always do better. Here are some points to ponder, with my own self-reflections from two months travelling recently in Italy and Morocco.

The flight

China Eastern is cheap but I won’t be flying the airline again. Credit: Bloomberg

Did the flight go okay? How was the check-in, did the airline perform as expected, did you get to the airport with enough time to spare? How was the seat? Maybe you could have chosen something better; SeatMaps gives you a brilliant cutaway graphic of the aircraft you’ll be flying. Was the food okay, or would you have been better off with a special meal?

In September my wife and I flew premium economy to Italy with China Eastern because it was a couple of thousand dollars cheaper than the same class aboard other airlines. The bulkhead seats near the starboard windows were okay on the way over but we changed our homecoming flights and lost our original seat booking. On the return leg from Shanghai we were seated in different rows in the mid-section, which has four seats across. The food was inedible and there was a five-hour layover in Shanghai each way. Despite the bargain price we won’t be flying China Eastern again.

In October we flew from Brindisi in southern Italy to Marrakesh with a connecting flight in Rome. Our incoming flight with ITA Airways from Brindisi was late arriving in Rome and we missed the Marrakesh flight and had to spend the night at the hotel from hell courtesy of ITA instead of in a posh resort outside Marrakesh. The next day ITA booked us on a flight to Paris with an Air France flight to Marrakesh. We arrived a day late but my wife’s luggage stayed in Rome – for almost three weeks. If connecting flights are unavoidable, make sure you have enough time to make your onward flight in case your incoming flight arrives late. Also, don’t fly ITA.

Packing

Did you use everything you packed? Or were there some things you used only once and could have done without? Or did you go light and need to buy stuff?

Reassess what you packed during your last trip and consider if you can take less next time around.Credit: iStock

I’m a chronic overpacker. Too many clothes, too much gear. On my last European trip two t-shirts and a pair of shorts didn’t see the light of day. Electrical adapters, chargers and cables I take in triplicate because, you know, they don’t always work. Also, camera gear that never left my case, including a miniature tripod. Next trip it’s three shirts, three pairs of trousers, and nix the spare cables and camera gear. If I miss anything I’ll buy it while I’m away.

Our overnight stay near Rome airport highlighted another wardrobe mistake. Since my checked bag was somewhere in the depths of Rome Airport, I had nothing to freshen up. Next time I’m taking fresh underwear, a black t-shirt and socks, a toothbrush and deodorant in carry-on.

Accommodation

Up to scratch? Was the price what you expected or were there any nasty surprises? We’ve been to Morocco several times and we know what hotels we like but finding a riad in Marrakesh defeats us. A riad is a traditional Moroccan city house, built around a central courtyard with windows facing inwards.

Many have been converted to hotels and they can be a delight but finding a decent riad in the right location in Marrakesh has been a perennial problem. Riad El Cadi looked good and the staff were lovely but it suffered from a lack of TLC, which didn’t come across in the images or the reviews. Management had taken their eye off the ball and it showed. Booked in at La Maison Arabe in 2025, fingers crossed.

Getting around

Trains, boat, bus or hire car? How did they work out? Did you book early enough to score a bargain or was it tough to organise last-minute transport, and expensive? Most travel operators use dynamic pricing, and the price rises as the supply dries up.

Bigger is not always better, particularly when you’re driving in Italy. Credit: Getty Images

I made the mistake of accepting a tank in Italy. When the compact hatchback I’d booked was unavailable, Sixt upgraded me to a Volvo S60. Nice ride, heaps of tech and sweet on the autostrada but winding through towns and cities it was a beast. Parallel parking required endless to and fro shuffles to dock the whale in the tiny opening that Italian municipal authorities decree constitutes a parking space. Next hire in Italy, a Fiat 500.

Navigation

Did you find your way around without too much trouble? Finding your route is a snap thanks to Google Maps and other GPS/GNSS-based navigation systems and I’m amazed to see a few travellers with paper maps.

Having said that, Google Maps took me on a weird and slow route through Italy’s Apennines between Perugia and Modena when the A1 Autostrada via Florence would have been a better choice. Next time I’ll take a good look at the map and not trust blindly what Google says.

Finding where I parked my hire car, or even getting back to a great-looking restaurant that I passed earlier in the day can be tricky but what3words is a brilliant app that tags the location of whatever you want to pinpoint and steers you back to it. Precise to within three square metres, anywhere in the world.