Travel can mean the exhilaration of seeing new places or the nightmare of not having the comforts and security of home. Like anything, travel goes much more smoothly with a little bit of knowledge and preparation. Keep reading for some sound advice from seasoned travelers on making your journeys pleasant memories.
Many out of the way destinations are often overlooked for vacations. For example, while St. Thomas in the Caribbean is incredibly popular, with very little extra effort one can make a trip to Vieques off of Puerto Rico instead. It has many of the same amenities, is much less crowded, and will make your vacation seem much more special!
If you travel often, invest in small reusable plastic bottles. You can find reusable bottles at most large supermarkets. Putting your regular shampoos and conditioners in these small, reusable bottles is more cost efficient in the long run. Travel sized toiletries are often very overpriced for the small amount of product inside them.
If you enjoy alcohol, there’s no better way when traveling, to get to know a new city than with a pub crawl. Visiting multiple establishments in the same night, will give an interesting cross-section of the city that you wouldn’t gain any other way. Plus, you’ll make some new friends.
For a trip to wine country or just a beach getaway, if there’s a chance you’ll be drinking wine, pack a waiter’s corkscrew. This tool will come in handy for the bottles you buy at the winery and can make picnics and hotel drinks much easier. A corkscrew can be especially difficult to buy when traveling abroad, so plan ahead and toss one in your suitcase to make life easier.
Preparing a budget for various expenses before traveling will help one not overspend while on vacation. Having a budget already laid out will keep one more conscious of their spending. The increased attention on not overspending will prevent stressful and frustrating situations such as bouncing a check from occurring. Also it will give one more peace of mind.
If you need to use the bathroom during a long flight, please make sure to put your shoes on when entering the restroom. You never know what kind of germs can be on the floor of the plane, especially near the commode. When you return to your seat, feel free to kick your shoes off.
If you’re going to use the safe in the hotel, it’s recommended that you wipe off the keys before use. And once it’s locked, press all the keys. Some hotel staff have been putting a powder on the keys that when a light is shined on them it lights up which ones you’ve pressed and they’re able to take things out of the safe.
Many people are born, raised, live their entire lives and die in the same place. If one is afforded and allowed the opportunity to travel and explore the world outside of their hometown then the advantage should be taken. Learning about new people, places and things allows one to grow and learn about different lifestyles, ways of living, ways of viewing the world.
Challenge yourself to pack only one bag. The more bags you have, the more weighed down you will be making it harder to move from one location to the next. A great way to meet this challenge is to map out your clothing needs prior to packing, and then consider ways to mix and match clothing to do double and even triple duty.
Avoid getting bumped when you are using an airplane to travel. First, be sure you get an advanced seat assignment. With seat assignments, you only get bumped if you are late. Next, you can check-in online. You can do this twenty-four hours before your departure and this will help save you a seat. Last, do not be late.
Mail, newspapers and door hangers at your home, should be managed by a friend or neighbor. Thieves look for accumulating mail or papers and especially fliers, as a sign that no one is home. Have a neighbor or friend monitor these for you and if possible, have them move the car occasionally as well.
Look into last minute deals with cruise lines. They are a often much cheaper than what they would be if you were to book in advance. The cruise lines are anxious to book their empty cabins and will give a great rate for the last minute booking. These can also be found and booked through travel sites.
When traveling, try to learn the bus or subway system before even leaving for your trip. This saves the time and hassle of trying to figure out where you are going and how to get there. You can find the subway and bus system maps of many international cities online.
When traveling to a country where you do not speak the language and you have diabetes, it is important to learn a few key phrases to in the language of the country or countries where you will be traveling. Learn the phrases “I need sugar,” “I have diabetes,” and “I need a doctor.”
Try to find and wear clothing that has hidden pockets. Not only is this convenient for you because you have room to carry more items, but it is helpful for keeping things from thieves and pickpockets. They will never find your valuables in a hidden shirt, pants or jacket pocket.
Before going on a road trip, make sure you have your car’s fluids checked (oil, coolant, brake fluid, ATF, windshield washer etc.) This not only saves you time by not having to do it sometime during the trip, but it can also help you avoid disastrous stalls along the way. Nothing is worse than being stuck in the middle of the road far from an auto shop during a road trip.
Talk to any road warrior and they can tell you both stories of great trips and disaster journeys. Some of the things they have learned have been shared in this article. Keep these tips in mind in preparing for your future travels, and you are sure to come home with great memories rather than headaches.
