Traveling is exciting and can be a great time for you or one of the biggest headaches you will ever encounter if not done right. Read on for some great ideas on how to travel smart and take care of all the little things that if you don’t, will leave you wishing you stayed home.
To get the best deals on flight prices, browse through several travel sites at once before you purchase your tickets. Some good options are kayak.com, southwest.com and priceline.com. On external websites, you can often find ticket prices that are less than the price on the original retailer’s site. However, always make sure to read the fine print to avoid hidden fees. Bon Voyage!
When traveling, it is important to make sure your airline will suit your needs. Different airlines maintain different niches. Some are inexpensive, some provide superior service, and some cater to far more destinations than others. Before you book any trip by airplane, research different airlines first. It will save you a headache.
Use websites that allow you to name your own price on hotel rooms for your next overnight stay. You can save a considerable amount of money by doing this. You won’t be able to know ahead of time what hotel will accept your bid, but the savings more than make up for it.
Before departing on a trip, the wise traveler makes sure at least one person back home knows where he will be. This “home base” contact should also be updated with any unplanned changes the traveler encounters on the way. Someone who knows where a traveler is – and where they should be – can be a great help in the case of trouble on the road.
If you will be out of town for a few days or more, consider having someone you know drive by your house occasionally to make sure that everything looks okay. You may also want them to go inside and turn lights on at night. This will let anyone watching know that the house is being cared for.
Sanitize your area. You may get a few sideways glances, but in the confined space of a crowded aircraft, you are just asking to get sick. Bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer or some sanitizing wipes and wipe off your tray table, armrests and any buttons, as soon as you sit down. Be sure to also use it on your hands and try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
If you plan on traveling with young children, make sure to stop often on the way there and back. Explain them in details where you are going, and how long it will take to go there. Prepare some activities to keep them busy during the trip, such as coloring books.
If you have young children and are planning to fly, you should remember that they will need something to help “pop” their ears when the plane is taking off and landing. You can bring gum, or if you child swallows gum, tootsie rolls are the perfect alternative, as they can be chewed just long enough to help.
If you’re going on a cruise, pack a highlighter in your luggage! There are tons of activities that go on during the cruise and most of the time you’ll get a nice little newsletter that details what’s going on and where. You can use your highlighter to mark which ones you want to do, and save yourself some headaches.
Double check your reservations. It may seem obvious, but there have been many cases where reservations suddenly disappeared from the databases, leaving you and your family with no place to stay. To prevent this from occurring, check with your hotel several times throughout the process to make sure that your reservation is still right where it should be.
If you need a rental car for your trip, ask your travel agent which car rental companies are available while on your travels. There are different companies that serve different cities in the world. Using your travel agent will save you the effort and time, calling around, trying to find the best car and rate.
When traveling by car such as before a long trip across country one should take the vehicle to their usual mechanic. They can check to make sure everything is in good working order before relying on the vehicle. Oil changes and a tire check will cover all the obvious bases and the finished product will be a reliable means of travel.
Look at items carefully when packing for an international flight. Things like hair spray bottles that have a picture of a flame to show that they are flammable are not allowed. So try to find ones that are not, and save yourself the hassle and embarrassment when you are at the airport.
When traveling with small children, try to bring some food, drinks, and snacks that they enjoy. Most children do not like the food and drinks that the airline offers. Also, make sure to bring toys, games, and activities that they will enjoy for the whole flight so they will be entertained.
There are cheaper ways to sleep when to travel to a new country than than the typical hotel. Try to find people renting out rooms in the towns and cities you will be staying in. Not only is this much cheaper than a hotel, but this provides you a great opportunity to really experience the culture of where you’re staying.
Give the appearance of confidence when you are out and about at your travel destination. If you look lost and confused, you are likely to be targeted by criminals or scam artists. You will look like an easy target if you appear as though you do not know where you are going.
Hopefully this article has given you some tips and tricks on how to be a wise traveler. In this day and age you really have to keep your eyes open and your wits about you to keep traveling safe and smooth. Check your list before taking off and keep these smart tips in mind.
