Traveling is supposed to be fun, exciting or relaxing, but it is often filled with stress and disaster. To ensure your trip goes well, proper planning is crucial. The tips that follow are going to help you when planning your travels.
Leave your additional valuables at your home. If you bring many valuables with you, you run the risk of losing them or having them stolen.
After choosing the location for your next trip, take time to learn about. Get yourself a good map and take the time to review key spots. Memorizing some of the area will help you navigate it easier.
Plan your vacation way in advance to stay within your budget. There are many things you purchase for travel, most of them are cheaper, the earlier you buy them. Do your best to minimize last minute spending to make your travel dollar stretch.
Watch out for faux cops or faux government officials in foreign countries, as they may be criminals. You should always check credentials, and avoid releasing your passport or official documents to these individuals. Also, if you have to go somewhere with this person, be sure to walk along with them. Make sure that you do not get into an automobile with somebody that you do not know, especially if they are acting oddly.
When putting a trip together, choose the right digital camera for the particulars of your trip. For instance, rechargeable batteries are not great for backpacking in the woods for a week. You also want to pick out something that will focus almost immediately.
If you travel to an amusement park or other specific attraction, find out if online tickets are available, and print them beforehand. The small fee per ticket for this service is well worth it when you consider the lines that you can avoid. If it is somewhere like a park with lengthy lines for admittance, you can generally bypass these, too.
Bring a few cookies sheets with you when going on a road trip in which your children will be with you. Use these to level coloring books or playing cards for the children. For little ones, try bringing magnetic numbers and letters for educational enjoyment.
United States
If you are planning foreign travel, be prepared for emergencies, like possibly losing your U.S. passport. The United States Department of State maintains a website (usembassy.state.gov) where you can find information on how to contact the United States Embassy or Consulate in the country that you are visiting. Take this information along on your vacation. Usually, you can get your passport replaced within a couple of days.
Always verify when your passport expires. Different countries have different passport regulations. You may not be allowed into their country if your passport is expiring in a certain amount of time. This can be from 3-6 months of your trip, though there are some places where that time frame can be 8-12 months.
One of the first steps you should take is to find out if you need a visa to enter the country you plan on visiting. Sometimes the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly, so allow a lot of time for the host country to process your visa paperwork. Not having a properly processed visa will mean that you will not be admitted to many countries.
If your car has to be left at an airport while you travel, make sure you pre-book airport parking ahead of time. Parking reservations made the day you plan to leave will be costly. If you live close to the airport, see if taking a taxi is cheaper that it would be to pay for airport parking.
If you’re prone to forgetting things in the hotel room every time you travel, use dry erase markers to write reminders on a mirror. Notes on the mirror are hard to miss, while notes jotted down on a piece of paper can be lost. Plus, the markings easily wipe off, which makes this method very simple.
If you have problems with your trip, it can be frustrating. You can have a flight delay, or your rental car may be unavailable when you need it. When these things happen, you may not have a choice in who tries to resolve your issue with you. It can be easy to lose your temper. Try to stay calm and polite. You will accomplish far more this way, and your trip will be less stressful.
Have your favorite music on hand for road trips. Take favored CDs, MP3s and cassettes to enjoy during the long journey. That way you don’t have to hunt for a good radio station.
Car Seats
Do not forget your car seats. When traveling with smaller children, bring your own car seats, and forgo the ones provided by the rental company. To be safe, bring your own car seats with you.
Pick up a cheap contact lens case. They are great for packing small amounts of lotions or hair gel.
If you plan to take a very remote trip, think about purchasing insurance to cover any emergency evacuation, rescue or search costs. You’ll be happy you have it if you are stuck far from civilization and need rescuing.
Make sure you pack an extra pair of glasses or contacts if you need them. This will help to ensure that if the glasses you are wearing become damaged you will still be able to see. Do not pack your extra glasses in your carry on luggage in case it gets stolen.
When you travel, it is a smart idea to tuck a tag inside of your suitcases with your address, name and telephone number. So, if your luggage were to get lost, the person who finds it can call you. Having your luggage out of sight can result in it getting lost.
While travel can be a good time for all, it can be a hassle if you don’t have the right information. With this information available to you, your next trip should be more fun and simple.