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Uber: watch out for foreign transaction fees!
Looking at the search queries that bring traffic to this blog, I noticed some people are wondering about bank fees when using Uber abroad. The answer seemed obvious to me, but I realize it’s not, so here’s a quick post to give you an answer. When you book a ride on Uber (this also applies to food delivery), you’ll be charged in the currency of the country you’re in. If you’re in Paris, it’ll be in euros. If you’re in New York, it’ll be in US dollars. If you’re in Dubai, it’ll be in UAE dirhams… If you’re in the eurozone If you’re in the eurozone (France, Italy, Germany, Spain,…
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Food delivery apps in Dubai (with promo codes)
After a long day of sightseeing in Dubai, you don’t necessarily feel like going out for dinner. It can be nice to order meals on an app and have them delivered. Delivery services seem particularly popular in Dubai: you see couriers everywhere and the service is very efficient! Here are the 3 apps you should know and use Deliveroo Certainly the easiest to use for us French: it’s exactly the same app you might use in Paris, Bordeaux, Rennes, Nancy, … So you don’t have to install a new app or even create a new account if you already have one. The app is in French, which can be handy…
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Deliveroo in Dubai: review & promo code
If you’re interested in using Deliveroo in Dubai, just use this link: https://roo.it/jbm-tusc It will give you a promo code worth 60 AED (about 15 €) to use on your first 4 orders. After a long day of sightseeing in Dubai, once you’re back at your hotel or Airbnb, the last thing you want to do is head out again for dinner. Especially since, depending on where you’re staying, it can be quite far from a restaurant or a grocery store. That’s probably why food and grocery delivery apps are so popular. Among them: Deliveroo! If you already use the Deliveroo app in France, you’ll feel right at home. It’s…
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Shopping in Dubai: How to get VAT refunded?
Dubai has some of the largest shopping malls in the world. Take the famous Dubai Mall for instance, which spans 800,000 square meters and houses 1,200 shops! Needless to say, these places are a shopper’s paradise, and it won’t be easy to resist temptation given the endless shopping possibilities. The good news is that Dubai offers a tax-free shopping program for foreigners: you can claim back (part of) the VAT on your purchases. But don’t get too carried away: VAT in Dubai is only 5% (compared to 20% in France) There’s an administrative fee of AED 4.80 per receipt You get back 85% of the VAT (after the administrative fee…
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Careem Review: Uber’s Equivalent in Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Although Uber is available in Dubai, it’s always interesting to look into local apps. They may offer more services, better rates, etc. Regarding transportation, it’s always good to have at least two apps on hand in case of high demand: if no driver is available on one app, one might be available on the other. In Dubai, the alternative to Uber is called Careem. Careem has been around since 2012 and operates in more than a hundred cities across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. In addition to “cars with drivers,” Careem lets you hail official taxis, order food delivery, have your groceries delivered, send a courier, and even…
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Prepaid SIM / eSIM in Dubai (United Arab Emirates): how much does it cost? Where to buy one?
Are you planning to travel to Dubai or anywhere else in the UAE? You’ll probably want to get a SIM card to have internet access without paying a fortune with your French SIM card. Here’s how to do it. Buy a SIM card before you leave It’s not the most budget-friendly option but it might be the simplest one: you can buy a SIM card before your stay in Dubai in the UAE. Our partner Holafly (see offers and get a 5% discount codeNomad Bento offers a prepaid SIM card that they’ll send to your home before you leave. Their rate is €54 for 6 GB of data valid for…
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Last days in Thailand
After 6 months in Thailand, we finally decide to leave, because it has been raining non-stop since November 1st, and for several days, I haven’t even felt like leaving the apartment: the streets are flooded, there are insects everywhere, it’s humid everywhere. My infections are back and I have to do another round of tests in Koh Samui. I can’t take it anymore! So after the Moderna booster we decided to get after our Janssen vaccine, we treat ourselves to 3 last nights in Koh Samui: 2 nights in a luxurious hotel, and one last night in a regular hotel in Chaweng, but not far from the airport – for…
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Koh Samui & Koh Phangan with our nomad friends (Thailand)
Since May 2021, we hadn’t seen a single familiar face, so when our two nomad friends J. and F. announced they were coming to see us in Koh Samui, at the same time, we were over the moon. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal They’re seasoned travelers and true “travel hackers,” so this week together turned into an “upgrade to 5-star hotels.” The first one loves switching hotels, so thanks to him, we were able to crash at a few in Koh Samui. The second one gifted us Marriott Bonvoy Gold status (his status allows him to gift it to someone for a year), which…
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reMarkable 2 software update 2.10: Google Drive, Dropbox, and Connect subscription
Everyone suspected that version 2.10 would bring something amazing. It brought us a hot shower and a cold shower. Google Drive & Dropbox The hot shower was the integration of Google Drive and Dropbox. For several days, people were thrilled, congratulating themselves for having early adopter believed in the company Everyone was so excited that nobody read the release notes to see where they could link their Google Drive / Dropbox accounts directly on the tabletThe answer is: you can’t. You have to do it on your PC/phone/tablet by going to my.remarkable.com At the very bottom, you’ll see “manage integrations” and that’s where you can link your Drive or Dropbox…
