Taking that well deserved vacation can be a treat for you and the entire family. However, before you decide to book your vacation, read some helpful hints about traveling in this informative article. Use the tips and information provided to help you have a more pleasurable experience.
Don’t over-schedule your vacation. While it is important to plan some activities, especially ones which require tickets or additional travel, leave yourself plenty of free time. There is no better way to see a location than to just wander around. Take the time to explore and see where you end up.
If you pack electronics while traveling, either remove the batteries or flip them around. Some small electronics can be easily flipped on. You definitely do not want them flipping on in your bag during the trip. There is a good chance the battery might be drained by the time they are unpacked.
When planning a trip, don’t count on a single booking website to show you the lowest fares. Compare prices across a variety of sites, including meta-searchers if you can find them. Also check with the airline and hotel directly, as they may actually be able to offer you a better rate than the website.
To make it easier to find your luggage when it comes around, put a very unique tag or marker on your bag so it sets itself apart from all of the others. It can be a scarf, some neon tape, a sticker, etc. Just make sure that it is something bright and obvious.
Make sure to drink plenty of water when travelling, especially when travelling by air. During busy, hectic days of travel, many people neglect to stay adequately hydrated, leading to feelings of nausea compounded by the stress you feel when travelling. Always have a bottle of water on hand.
If you are staying at a hotel while traveling, be sure to figure out where all of the emergency exits are located. You never know when there might be a fire drill or even a fire. Your map reading skills aren’t going to be at their best when you are woken by the alarm at 4 AM, so it’s better to know in advance.
For added security, bring a doorstop with you to your hotel room. Some hotel locks are flimsy and not exactly secure, but if you jam a doorstop under the door before you go to bed, you will feel safer. This also works for shower rooms and bathroom doors, where the locks may not be secure enough.
While traveling, request peppermint tea or bring some along for your own use. Pack along some peppermint lozenges or candies. Peppermint is soothing and can help settle an upset stomach due to new culinary delights or motion sickness. In a pinch, it can also act as a breath freshener if you are caught out in the wild without a toothbrush or run out of toothpaste.
If you plan on visiting the National Parks often, it would be best to invest in a National Park Pass. It’s only $50 annually, and it covers your entry to all the national parks.
Purchase an inexpensive prepaid cell phone in your destination country if you travel abroad. Many phone companies have very high fees for international use. Instead of racking up a large bill, purchase an inexpensive prepaid cell phone when you arrive, so you can stay in touch without the massive bill.
Before you pack, it is wise to make a checklist. This helps so that once you put away each item, you can check it off the list and not have to worry if you forgot something. It will also help the packing process go quicker, leaving time to do other last minute things.
When planning a trip to a foreign country with children, try immersing them in the culture with a lot of information about the destination prior. You can easily accomplish this by buying books about it, movies that feature the places, etc. This can help them get excited about the trip.
A great traveling tip that can save you a lot of money is to write to people when you’re going on a cruise. A lot of cruise ships will charge you an arm and a leg for using their Internet or phone service. You can avoid those high charges charges just by writing to people, and people love getting postcards from afar.
If you suffer from motion sickness rather easily, you may want to take some form of medication before traveling by plane. There are a lot of great motion sickness medications that can now be bought over the counter, or you can talk to your doctor and have him prescribe something.
If you need a premium seat for any reason, you should reserve it as soon as possible to assure that you will get the seat that you need. You can tell the agent at the time of booking or in many cases you can select your seat as you are booking your flight on the internet.
The easiest way to pack a large amount of clothing in a small or medium sized suitcase is by rolling it. In most cases, luggage can hold more of your clothing and other items if you roll your items as opposed to folding and stacking it inside of your suitcase and it also minimizing the amount of wrinkles that may occur with your clothing during travel.
To save money on travel, seek out memberships! Many groups offer discounts on hotel rates, including the AARP, AAA, and various hotel rewards clubs. These rates are typically much cheaper than advertised ones, and can even save you money on top of already discounted rates. If you travel regularly, your membership fees will quickly pay for themselves.
Traveling is something that most of us love to do, and many of us travel to various locations every chance we get. But it can be expensive and dangerous at times. Make sure you’re following this travel advice before you take your next trip. You’ll be thankful that you did.
