Travel is a fantastic thing to do. It broadens your horizons, lets you meet new people and see new places and it is a great way to take some time off to relieve stress and blow off steam. Travel can also be difficult and dangerous, however. Read on to find out what you need to know when traveling.
Always make sure that you have a set location for your important paperwork and documents when traveling. It is easy to lose or misplace these things. Determine a safe pocket or pouch ahead of time, and always take them out and put them back in this same location.
If you are planning on spending a large amount of money on your trip or vacation, consider investing a small amount more on travel insurance. It will insure that you are protected in the event that your trip must be canceled due to personal illness, natural disaster, or other uncontrollable events.
Before you leave on your trip, make sure you are up to date on all your vaccinations. If you are taking any prescription medications, be sure to bring extra along just in case. There is always the chance that your departure might be delayed, and you don’t want to run out.
When traveling to tropical areas, always keep your dirty laundry in a closed bag. Hotels and homes in tropical parts of the world aren’t as bug-proof as most American homes. Dirty laundry will attract insects, especially ants, meaning that clothing that was simply dirty, is now completely unwearable for the rest of the trip.
When planning a road trip, don’t forget to budget for the cost of fuel. While many other costs can be easily calculated in advance, the cost of gas is more difficult to figure, and can also add up surprisingly quickly. Online gas calculators can show you where the cheapest prices are and help you get an idea of what you’ll be spending.
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.
It can be beneficial when traveling to put together a large group of friends and family to travel with. In a large group, one will be less vunerable to criminals targeting lone tourists who look like ‘easy pickings.’ You will also have the added bonus of sharing your trip with the ones you are close to.
As you plan your vacation, don’t be shy about using your frequent flyer miles for a wide variety of traveling perks. Stockpiling your miles isn’t a good idea, because no one knows if they will be worth anything in the future. Go ahead and trade them in for a free flight or anything else that would make your traveling experience a little easier.
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.
When you are traveling with your laptop, bring an audio/visual cord with you. Most hotels have high-speed internet access and many also have a nice HDTV in their rooms. If you have an A/V cord, you can hook your laptop up to the TV, allowing you to stream videos or enjoy other online content from a large screen.
If you are worried about leaving items behind, consider using a dry-erase marker to leave notes on the mirror. You can also write on the mirror using a dry-erase marker because it’s hard to overlook. Dry erase markers wipe off quite easily and make this a convenient way to remind yourself.
Check what types of documents are needed for entry in your country of destination. A passport alone, does not guarantee entry into every country. While some accept a passport alone, others may have special requirements (such as unstamped pages in your passport book), and some require you to possess a visa.
Review the cancellation policy of any hotel or car rental company that you are considering using for your travel needs. If you are able to back out of the reservation, look into other offers when the time to travel gets closer. You may find that you will save a good bit of money or get a better room or car for the same amount.
If you are going to travel by air, make sure that you order your tickets with the same name that is on your identification. Even the slightest typo can cause you significant delays. If you have an alias listed, it could lead to being denied access to your flight at worst, and at best a lengthy questioning by authorities.
DRINK YOUR WATER! Why when we are traveling do we forget such simple things? Most traveler ills can be firmly laid at the door of dehydration. Keep a liter bottle of water on you, and make sure you drink it all and hopefully a little bit more. Save yourself the pain of headaches, and muscle cramps by keeping that water intake high.
While traveling you should always carry a water bottle with you. It can be difficult to find water at many travel destinations, and in the tourist areas a simple bottle of water will be sold at almost triple the normal price.
Now that you know what kinds of concerns there are when traveling, and how to counter them, you’re ready to book your own trip! Travel is great for your mind and health and can be a whole lot of fun. We hope you enjoy your trip and have a great time!
