With the help of our guide, today you will discover many great secrets to having a successful trip. Apply the information to your planned destination to enjoy having a memorable experience. These tips and tricks will help you to save time and money with little to no work at all.

If you are planning a trip abroad, make sure you get your passport well in advance. Many people underestimate how long it takes to get a passport for the first time and are left scrambling and paying extra fees to get it expedited. Plan for your passport to take six to eight weeks to arrive, especially in peak travel season.

Do not bother wrapping gifts. A lot of people buy small souvenirs when traveling. If you are planning on bringing something back to a loved one, don’t bother wrapping it before you return home. On the off chance that your bag is inspected, it will have to be unwrapped anyway.

Study up on the language of the area you are planning to travel to before you leave. Language barriers can be tricky. Obviously, you can manage in a foreign country without speaking the language. Even so, it is always a good idea to brush-up on important words like “police” or “hospital.”

When planning a major trip, you should always purchase travel insurance. This protects you against loss on big ticket items like international flights, as well as helping you recover the costs of lost baggage or other emergency expenses. Travel insurance covers you if you have to cancel your trip or if your trip has to be ended early.

When traveling in another country, be sure to clean your hands and under your fingernails often. Try not to touch your face, especially your eyes and mouth ,to prevent any bacteria or germs from getting in. This is especially important if you’re visiting a less developed country to avoid getting sick.

This travel tip goes out to all those who are proud to be Americans. You know who you are and you’re terrific. The only thing is, if you travel globally, you embarrass our country if you engage in loud, flag-waving, obnoxious behavior. You will make a far better ambassador for the U.S., if you make an effort to observe the cultural and behavioral norms around you and adjust your volume and actions, accordingly.

Try not to broadcast the location of your wallet. Be secretive about where you are keeping your money and precious information. Knowing where it is could give pickpockets an edge. Never put your wallet in your back pocket. If you are in a habit of doing so break it. Your back pocket is very easy to steal from.

If you’re going on a cruise, pack a tackle box and keep your valuables in it. Cruises often have a lot of thieves aboard them and you don’t want to risk losing something important to you. Thieves will often ignore something like a tackle box, leaving your valuables safe.

Road trips are fun but at the end of each day of driving you want to just relax so choose a hotel that is near restaurants or has room service. You can call ahead where you plan to stop and ask the hotels what food options are available nearby.

When traveling with children by plane, try to book a direct flight if at all possible. Even if you have to pay a little more, it will be worth it when you arrive at your destination with happy children. Non-direct flights often result in increased stress for all due to long layovers and changes in flight schedules.

Bring a dry erase board and markers with you when you are traveling on a cruise ship. Put these items up on your door; you will now have an easier time identifying your room, and your family can write notes on it to tell you where they are going. Prepare the dry erase board before you leave for the trip by gluing magnets to the back of it.

Plan your budget before your trip. There’s nothing worse than being away from home and realizing you don’t have enough money to do all of the fun things on your list. Plan so much per day for food, entertainment, souvenirs, and cab/bus fare if needed. Stick to that amount each day. At the end of your trip, you might be pleasantly surprised by how much you have left over.

When you are traveling to a certain city or location, have the local specialty at several different restaurants. This is a fun way to get introduced to the local fare, and you can make a game out of deciding which establishment cooked the meal the best. This idea will also encourage you to visit a lot of different places during your stay.

To pack light while traveling, make time to plan ahead. Lay articles of clothing out before you pack, and make sure that each top can go with more than one bottom. Bring clothes that are comfortable and easy to wash, in case you need to do laundry on the road. Think carefully about the shoes you bring. It is best to wear your bulkiest items on the flight, to make more room in your luggage.

Now that you have found out about the secrets to having a successful trip take a moment to see how you can apply them directly to your planned destination. Enjoy having better preparation for anything that comes your way. Use these tips to build memories that you will remember for the rest of your life.