Traveling is something that you want to always have as much information on as you can, you want to always know better ways to travel so you can save money and time. This article is to serve as a place where you can gain a lot of tips and insight onto how to travel better in the future.
Plan clothing for your trip so that everything can be worn together. This reduces the need to pack individual “outfits” and allows you to plan for the number of days you’ll be traveling. If all of your clothes match, you don’t have to worry about which are clean when you’re doing laundry.
Always pack a map when you travel, even if you have a GPS system. GPS systems are not always reliable. If it were to malfunction or become broken, you would be lost. A highlighter can be helpful as well, allowing you to mark your map for easy reference. As a bonus, your well-used and marked up map, makes an excellent memento to remember your trip by.
Do not bother packing your entire makeup case. Makeup cases are bulky and often take up a lot of room. Instead, put any makeup you anticipate needing for your trip in a simple ziplock bag. Put it in your suitcase’s side pocket. This will save a lot of room when packing.
If you know you have to fly, do yourself a favor and wear shoes requiring minimal effort to take off. Don’t pick that day to wear your eyelet wingtips with hard-to-tie laces. Women can wear clogs or slip-ons; men should choose a casual shoe style that can be easily slipped on and off with one hand.
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.
If you’re going on a cruise, pack a travel mug with you. They’re great for filling up with coffee or tea while you’re wandering the ship in the mornings. They can also keep you from spilling your drink while in the buffet line. And if you’re going to be sitting by the pool, they’ll keep your drinks nice and cool for you.
When traveling to a new location, consider packing old clothing that you no longer care about. If you can discard old clothing along the way, you will have more room in your luggage for new clothes or souvenirs that you buy while on your travels. Also, travel is hard on clothes and can wreck new ones.
If you’re going on a cruise, make sure you bring a small day bag with you. You’ll find that your luggage won’t be available right away when you board the ship. So you’ll want to have a bag with a swim suit, a book, an extra change of clothes in it, and anything else you might need right away.
Tired of the same boring road trip? Next time you have to pack up and go to an out-of-town event, try something different. After you map your main driving route, pick a few random places off the beaten path to stop at along the way. It could be a small mom-and-pop diner, a state park or maybe your first visit to a comic book store. Not only will this break up your drive, you will have added memories to keep forever.
Always ask for upgrades. You can’t get it if you don’t ask. No one is going to offer you a free upgrade just because they like your shirt. When you check in with airlines and hotels, even car rental companies, ask if there are any upgrades available. If it is a special occasion like an anniversary, honeymoon or birthday, make sure to make mention of that.
To save money on baggage fees, you should weigh your baggage before leaving home. You can buy a good luggage scale for less than twenty dollars, and it could help you save big on airline baggage fees. If your bag is over the weight limit at home, it is easy to move things around or take something out, but it is much harder to fix a weight problem once you are already at the airport.
Ask around on the social networks you frequent for any tips or recommendations of the area you’re planning on visiting. You’ll be surprised just what may come up. Ask what the best hotels are, what the best restaurants are, what places of interest you should visit. Friends usually give the best ideas!
Lost luggage is common when traveling, so prepare beforehand by packing some essentials in your carry-on luggage. A change of underclothes, one outfit and a bathing suit enable you to carry on with most of your plans while you wait for your luggage to be located. To cover all bases, buy travel insurance that covers your luggage whether it is lost, stolen or damaged.
While traveling, it is important to keep your home safe while you are away and it will be empty. To reduce the chances of someone thinking your house is empty and easy pickings, you should have a trusted person tend the house. That person can get newspapers, mail and even move the cars around that may be in the driveway. Most importantly, they will mask that the house is empty.
One concern with traveling is being stuck without personal items if your luggage is lost. There are a few simple steps that can be taken to ease the impact of lost luggage. In your carry-on pack important medications, paperwork and a change of clothes or two. That way if the luggage is delayed you will still have all your proper medications as well as clean clothes. If you are travelling with another person, split clothing for the two people between the suitcases. That way if one suitcase is lost, clothing for both people will still arrive in the other suitcase.
The tips and advice you just learned is a great place to start when thinking about better ways you can go about traveling. When you’re actually out traveling then all you want to worry about is having fun, so be on the look out for more traveling tips that can relieve your stress when thinking about traveling.