Though it is supposed to be about relaxation and leisure, travel can often be stressful and disastrous. Your vacation can indeed wind up a nightmare when you don’t plan properly. To get the most from your future travel plans, it would be a good idea to continue reading.
When you’re traveling, if you’re going to use a public computer, make sure you don’t use it for anything sensitive like banking or checking your credit card balance. Thieves often install keyloggers on public computers in tourist heavy areas, which means they’ll have access to your sensitive information.
A doorstop may be of help if you’re going to be in a hotel in a not-so-great area. These nifty devices can help hold doors closed just as much as they can help keep them open.
Try your best to get an aisle seat on the plane. The window seat provides a view, while the aisle seat lets you have access that is unrestricted to overhead baggage and bathroom access.
Make sure that someone you trust back home knows your travel itinerary. This will let them know your whereabouts at all times. For the sake of your safety, always keep in touch with this person too. If they are aware of your location and communicate with you often, your family and friends will not worry.
There are some criminals in foreign cities that pretend to be police officers, so be careful. Do not ever give someone your passport; they may steal it. If someone insists you must visit their office, then walk there with them. Don’t enter a vehicle with a local you don’t know.
You should know the tipping conventions for the bellboys and housekeepers. Generally speaking, it is about a dollar for each piece of luggage, and between $2 to $5 for cleaning the room. If you treat the staff well, then they will treat you well.
Only pack things that are necessary. The fewer things carried, the less the chances of having the items stolen or lost. Bring as few shoes with you as possible; they are heavy and take up lots of room in your luggage.
Put your personal ID info inside your bags. A luggage tag hanging from the outside of your luggage can easily be ripped off in transit. Put your ID inside your luggage so it can be returned to you if it is lost.
Join a price watcher for travel. This allows you to enter your destination and the website alerts you to any price change. When the airfare or hotel price drops by an amount you choose, the site will send you an email alerting you to the change. The alerts keep you from having to constantly check on such matters.
Melt a bucket of ice if you want to have fresh water for morning coffee. Tap water is not always the best tasting option, so fill up the ice bucket with lots of ice to melt overnight. You can use it to make coffee.
If you have to drive a distance to the port to get on a cruise,drive there the night before and stay at a hotel that has free parking. Even if they don’t publicize the service, it can’t hurt to ask about free parking deals at your hotel.
Join travel forums and social networks. Discussing experiences with fellow travelers is an excellent way to get ready for a trip. You’ll have the opportunity to meet new friends, and through sharing your stories you can help others avoid your mistakes — and avoid the mistakes that others have made.
Keep your business card or some identifying information from your hotel when venturing out. If you are walking around and about on the local streets and get lost, you will have this business card to show people who don’t understand your language. It’s quite helpful for those who are not familiar with the local language.
Rush Hour
Just keep in mind you will probably pay more and it doesn’t really save that much space. Fold your clothes with a more efficient technique when you are packing them. These minimizing tricks will allow you to pack more in a smaller space.
Do your best to avoid traveling during rush hour when you are driving. If you must travel during rush hour, plan for delays. Perhaps you can let your kids blow off some steam while you grab a bite to eat.
Is your hotel less than glamorous? If the surroundings make you nervous, bring along a rubber doorstop. Slide it beneath your door overnight (and use the chain and lock, too). It is relatively easy for an intruder to compromise a chain or lock, but it will be almost impossible to get into a room that is secured with a doorstop.
Try taking a mild sleeping aid during your red-eye flight. A lot of people find it hard to sleep on planes, due to the unfamiliar surroundings, uncomfortable seats and aircraft noise. Take a mild sleeping pill to get you through the flight. Nothing too strong, but enough to make you drowsy. Take the pill during the flight, and not beforehand, in case there is a problem and you do not take off.
Think about packing a pair of cookie sheets if you are going on the road with kids. The sheets can be used as a flat surface under coloring books or to play cards. You can even bring magnetic letters, numbers or shapes for the little ones for educational fun.
If you are forgetful, write down reminders on your bathroom mirror using a dry-erase marker. This prevents you from losing a piece of paper, and the information will be readily available. Dry erase markers wipe off quite easily and make this a convenient way to remind yourself.
Before you travel, make budgeting easier by finding out about currency exchange rates beforehand. You will know how much you are able to spend and even save money. This will increase your fun and reduce your expenses.
Jet Lag
If you’re going on a road trip with your small child, make sure you take a break every couple hours or so. Breaks may offer you time to stretch and use the restroom. Letting small kids get out once in a while will help stave off motion sickness. Your trip may take a bit longer, but the reduction in stress is worth the small delay.
No matter what the time is in your home-land, make sure you stay out of bed until 8pm local time. This will help you assimilate to the new time zone much quicker, and help to ward off jet lag. Although you may feel sleepy, if you go to bed to soon, you are only protracting your jet lag because your body is going to remain in its usual time-zone mode. It’s easier to overcome jet lag if you adjust to the local time as quickly as possible.
Jet lag happens to be a real drag. It cannot be entirely avoided, but getting lots of sleep before your trip can definitely mitigate things. You should also make an effort to sleep during the flight.
When going on road trips you should plan to stop to have your vehicle services along the way. On road trips, often you find yourself on long stretches of road that may not have many services if an issue arises with your vehicle. While planning your route, look for service stations that offer mechanic services. Keep their phone numbers close at hand as you travel.
Another important suggestion is to ensure that you are getting the rates they offer to residents of the location you are visiting. In many cases, rates are jacked up when they know you are a traveler and the increase can be substantial. A lot of hotel offer locals special prices just to fill up their rooms. Knowing someone who lives in the city you are traveling to can be beneficial. Have them call the hotel and ask about the availability of a deal. This approach can help you save a lot of money.
See what different types of transportation is out there. Buses are not what you may think. You can often find great prices for buses, and they are clean and quite a few offer free WiFi outlets along with other perks you wouldn’t have thought of. Some lines have package deals which make planning your trip a cinch.
When trying to adapt to a different time zone quickly, stay up until 8pm or later. Although you may feel sleepy, if you go to bed to soon, you are only protracting your jet lag because your body is going to remain in its usual time-zone mode. You can get rid of your jet lag quicker by adjusting as soon as possible to the current time zone.
If you hope to avoid potential delays, aim for early flights. Airports are normally extremely busy, so the delay of one plane causes the planes scheduled to depart thereafter to be delayed as well. The first flight during the morning is very limited with delays.
A dream vacation may go belly up if time isn’t taken to research prior to planning. Look up reviews for hotels and research activities to do. Their experiences can assist in avoiding the wrong hotels or parts of town.
When you travel, don’t forget to pack a plastic contact case. They are great for packing small amounts of lotions or hair gel.
Some travel websites off e-tracking options that you can use. You will get updates on the most cost-efficient options to travel. You will receive email alerts if the flight that you have booked or shown interest in has dropped the price and is available at a cheaper rate.
Make sure that you are honest when it comes to travel insurance. If you have any medical issues, fess up. A company will probably not pay your bill if they find out you already had an illness. This will leave you with a large medical bill to play.
If there is one available, request a room on a higher floor. While this might seem inconsequential, a thief is easier able to access a ground floor room. You should also opt for a room without sliding doors whenever possible. Rooms such as this can be broken into easier.
While travel can be a good time for all, it can be a hassle if you don’t have the right information. Use what you’ve just learned to make your next adventure easy and fun.
Don’t be too rigid with your trip time, especially if another person needs a bathroom break. Stopping for a few minutes really isn’t a big deal. It’ll help you stay away from grumpy travelers, too.
About The Author
