Dealing With The Weather When Travelling

The topic of the weather is often one of those great topics that help to fill an awkward pause in the conversation. But thankfully that is not the reason for this post today. Over the past week in Brisbane, the weather has been somewhat dismal with multiple days of rain. Which all up left me changing my plans on a couple of days.

The recent weather in Brisbane though got me thinking about how I have handled the weather when I have been travelling. For the most part, I have experienced reasonably good weather for most of my travels. There have been days here and there that have been less than favourable, but generally, I have done what I can to make the most of it.

My Experiences With Weather

Often the weather is not something that I particularly remember. In reality, there has not been a single day that I can recall the weather stopped me at least getting out and seeing something. But there have been days that I can remember the weather did affect how I did things.

Vancouver Rain

Right back at the beginning of my first overseas trip, I visited the city of Vancouver. Throughout the ten days that I was in Vancouver, I believe there was some sort of rain on all but a couple of days. Although I did not believe I even thought of packing an umbrella, it was one of the first things I purchased.

But I never let the rain spoil my time or leave me stuck in my hotel room. It was not heavy rain by any means and having an umbrella solved any big problems. Mostly I was able to duck between awnings or find something to do in one spot between breaks in the rain.

The most memorable day was a visit to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The rain was a little heavier in the morning but I still decided to take the time to go for a look. The rain stayed away for the most part and it seems so did the people. Which made it much easier to explore the area, without the crowds.

Iceland Snow

I had no doubts when I was to visit Iceland that it would be cold. My visit was down for that time between winter and summer, that could be either way on temperature. I was prepared for the cold and it was not an issue as long as I kept moving outside.

But my visit to Iceland was also the first time that I actually got to experience snow falling. It was not a blizzard by any means, and if you take a look at the picture above it is very little, but it was still snow. Of course from my point of view, it was much more interesting to get out there and experience it than stop me doing anything. There was more chance that the cold temperature might have stopped me, but it didn’t.

Texas Storms

One sort of weather that you don’t want to get caught out in is a storm. The only time I can remember this being a problem was one day when I was in Fort Worth, Texas. I was seeing the area with a friend who lived locally and we had some outdoor things planned.

The plans changed when we were heading to the car and could see the dark grey clouds building. She suggested we find something indoors instead. Thankfully she knew the area and we soon arrived at a museum. It was within minutes of entering that the storm hit. Even though it only lasted 15-20 minutes, we were very glad to be stuck indoors and not outdoors.

Melbourne Weather

One of the worst times that I have had with weather is in the city of Melbourne, Australia. They say that it is the sort of city that can experience four seasons in one day. While I have not seen four seasons myself I have experienced the drastic changes that can occur.

The last visit to Melbourne there were days that went from a warm morning to heavy wind and rain in the day and ending with a mild evening. The wind even managed to push the tide high enough to break the banks of the Yarra River. Definitely can be an interesting experience. But again it was not one that stopped me getting out and experiencing the area.

Whether To Stay In Or Go Out

To date, I have been pretty happy with the way things have gone weather wise. I have not had to truly huddle down in the hotel room through the wild weather. But at the same time, I know that you have to make the decision based on the weather you are experiencing. There is no way that travelling or not that I would put myself at risk just to do some sightseeing if the weather was severe.

Often the point of weather around travel is either under or overplayed. I have seen so many people complain about being put out by a little rain. But at the same time, many people who have ended up stuck in the hotel through a cyclone not say a word. If you are sensible, pay attention to forecasts and make good decisions you can be accepting of whichever way your holiday goes.

How Do You Handle Weather When Travelling?

I would like to know how you handle the weather when you are travelling? At the first sign of rain are you staying in the hotel room? Or does it take something much more severe to keep you inside?