Whether you are traveling by boat, train, plane or car, there are lots of things to think about when you are taking a trip. Get out your notepad and get ready to write these tips down, because we’re about to tell you how you can take a great trip without the headaches.
When taking a road trip to an unfamiliar area, be sure that your car is serviced and you have a full tank of gas. The last thing you need is to break down, unaware of where the nearest gas station is. Keep an empty gas can in the trunk of your car in the event that you run out of gas. You will be able to make your way to the nearest service station and fill up the can, rather than calling someone out to do that for you.
To save money when traveling for pleasure, look into swapping homes. Swapping homes saves you a great deal of money that would otherwise be spent on a hotel room. It is also a great deal more comfortable and spacious than your average hotel room. There are several places online that allow you to make house swapping arrangements.
When you arrive in a new hotel room, let the hot water run in the shower for a little while. Even the nicest of hotels can be somewhat dirty. Letting the hot water run will help kill spores that the regular cleaning might have missed. You aren’t paying for the water bill in the room anyway.
If you’re going on a trip where you expect to be doing lots of walking, break in your new shoes in advance. This will prevent blisters and help keep your feet from becoming sore. Good shoes can be the difference between the most enjoyable walking tour of your life, and a torture session.
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.
If you’re going to be traveling soon, don’t go through a travel agent. You’ll find your trip costing twice as much. Rather, shop around online through different bargain dealers like expedia.com or travelocity.com. This will help you save some money that can be better spent when you arrive at your destination, perhaps on souvenirs, or for that nice guy online that gave you this tip.
When picking a destination, remember to know the lay of the land before you go. You can do some research online or ask people that you know, who have been to the particular destination that you will be travelling to. If you have an idea of what you want to do at your destination, before you even get there, it can help your whole travel experience to be much smoother.
If you can afford to travel by helicopter, this can be one of the best methods of travel to choose from. It is much more private than other air travel and every bit as quick. It also allows you to bypass long lines or waiting around in airports.
Keep your money, travel tickets, and other important papers tucked into a special pocket in your clothing. It would be worth it to pay someone to sew in a custom pocket for this purpose. There are too many instances of purses and luggage being stolen, or simply misplaced, and the consequence can be disastrous when you are traveling.
If you’re flying to your destination, be careful when you recline the seat. It’s always advisable to check with the person behind you before you recline you seat. If you don’t, you’re liable to break a laptop screen, spill someones drink, or just bang their legs into your seat. Better safe than sorry!
If you have a laundry list of questions to ask about the hotel that you’ll be staying in, call the front desk in the late evening or overnight. Hotels are significantly less busy during these times, and you are more likely to speak with someone who isn’t especially rushed or trying to check five people in all at once.
Make your travel plans more affordable by tracking airfare with online services. Get an idea of what you would like to pay for your flight, put the location and the dates into the website and then wait until the fare goes down to your pre-selected price. You no longer have to keep checking every few days sincy you will get an email when the fare reaches your ideal price.
When packing your luggage, use your extra shoes to hold small items such as socks, jewelry, toiletries, or electronics chargers. The space inside the shoes would otherwise be wasted space. This can also help to keep you more organized if you know, for example, that all of your prescriptions medications are in your shoes.
Check the dates of the reviews that you are reading about your potential destination. Many things change with time, and a review that was written long ago may not be as accurate as you need it to be to make a sound judgment as to whether to visit or not.
Remember to bring an extra passport picture with you when traveling. If your passport gets lost or stolen, it may take time to replace it. If you have a spare photo, this is one step than can speed up the process. You can get on your way faster when you have the documents needed for passport application forms with you.
No matter where you’re going, buying insurance when you fly is a good idea. Insurance will let you cancel your travel plans last minute with a full (or partial, depending on the insurance) refund. Last minute emergencies happen and you don’t want to be out several hundred dollars for missing your flight.
Hopefully you have now made yourself and checklist or to-do list about traveling. The advice set forth here should serve you well in the future as you travel whether it be for business or for pleasure. Taking a trip should be fun and exciting and now it can be with this information.
