Traveling can be an amazing, wonderful time.
You may learn new things, see things you’ve
always wanted to see and maybe only thought about in dreams. Perhaps you will even make some new international friends. In this article, you will learn some great tips and get
some advice on the ins and outs of traveling.
To get the best deals on flight prices, browse through several travel sites at once before you purchase your tickets. Some good options are kayak.com, southwest.com and priceline.com. On external websites, you can often find ticket prices that are less than the price on the original retailer’s site. However, always make sure to read the fine print to avoid hidden fees. Bon Voyage!
Before traveling make sure you get enough sleep. For many people, the few days before their vacation are filled with either stress or excitement, sometimes leading to a lack of sleep. When this happens, you tend to ‘crash’ when you reach your destination, meaning that you waste vacation time because you are already exhausted. A good night’s sleep before traveling will mean that you arrive invigorated and upbeat.
When planning to fly for a trip, don’t forget any frequent flier miles you might have racked up. It does you no good to hang onto those once you’ve already gone on your big vacation. Even if you don’t have enough miles to cover the whole trip, many airlines will allow you to discount your rate using your miles.
If you plan to opt for a night flight or just a very long flight in general, it may be best to bring some sort of sleeping aid. It’s quite difficult to sleep on airplanes anyway, but if you take a sleeping aid right before takeoff, you can arrive at your destination fresh and ready to take on the world!
You should have a door stopper when you are going to get a hotel room. Occasionally, particularly when you travel in countries that are less developed, it’s important to stay in a hotel room that has more security. If the door on your room doesn’t have an extra deadbolt or chain in addition to the main lock, place the door stopper beneath the door before you head to bed.
When traveling by air in the U.S. you can get through security faster if you wear slip-on shoes. Since you have to remove your shoes when going through security it is better to have shoes that come off and go on quickly so you can retrieve your other belongings quickly.
If you are concerned about the safety of your wallet on your next travel adventure, consider using an alternate form of storage for your vital belongings such as your cash and personal identity cards. Many different types of wallet storage are available that stay conveniently hidden beneath your clothing, from a belted waste pouch to a zippered wristband.
If you are traveling abroad and have food allergies, make sure to learn the name of the foods you’re allergic to in the foreign language of the place you’re traveling to. Another good idea is to make sure you know what you’re exactly eating. Stay away from foods that you may be allergic to or foods you may not be able to digest. This preventative measure will ensure your safety during travel.
If you are going on extended vacation and leaving your home behind for a month, it might be worth it to you to stop cable fees and other utilities. Make sure to inform other services you subscribe to, such as pool cleaning or housekeeping while you’re away. Doing all of these things, ensure that you will have a worry-free vacation.
Some hotels have video games in them for you to use. If you’re traveling with kids, ask the front desk to disconnect these. Most of the time as soon as they’re turned on they’ll bill you for playing them. So if you take a shower you may not notice your kids have been playing them until you get your bill at checkout.
For added security, bring a doorstop with you to your hotel room. Some hotel locks are flimsy and not exactly secure, but if you jam a doorstop under the door before you go to bed, you will feel safer. This also works for shower rooms and bathroom doors, where the locks may not be secure enough.
Camping is a popular vacation pastime, but with the extensive equipment it requires it is not a cheap one. Before deciding to invest in all the gear necessary for extended camping travel, it is best to “get your feet wet” by making short day hikes at nearby nature attractions to see if the camping lifestyle really appeals to you.
Bus travel is a great way to see the country side. It allows you an inexpensive way to get from destination to destination while sitting back and allowing someone else to do the driving. You will get to enjoy the scenery and even have frequent stops to see each place, without having to spend too much or bother with gas expenses.
Take digital photographs of your travel documents like passports, licenses and tickets prior to beginning your trip. If something happens to these documents, you then have a digital backup from which to look up account numbers and other data. Save these photos in a few locations, including your computer and a backup on the cloud.
Now that you’ve got some of the basics on traveling, tell your boss you are taking a vacation, get your plane ticket, boat ticket or whatever means you plan on taking and go!
Remember to always be safe whether traveling alone or not. Ask for directions and help if you need it. Most people will not bite. Above all,
have an amazing time and always stop to smell the roses.
