No matter how you plan on traveling, there are some great tips just waiting for you. Use the information below to teach you how to pack your bags, book your hotel and plan your travel itinerary.
When traveling, it’s important to pack light. Pack items within other items (rolled-up socks and underwear inside your shoes, for example). If possible, bring knitted or microfiber garments that you can roll up tightly in your bag. Always bring clothes you can wash in the hotel sink and hang to dry if necessary. Roll all garments instead of folding.
When traveling to a new city, try your best to look as if you belong there: Never let anyone see that you are lost. Checking your map in the middle of the sidewalk is a sure-fire giveaway, as is asking for directions. Remember, new arrivals are good targets for pickpockets and muggers.
When traveling to poor countries or countries with high crime rates, keep all of your valuables out of sight. Don’t wear a camera over your shoulder or even a cheap watch on your wrist if you don’t want to attract the attention of thieves and beggars. Carry a shoulder bag for these types of items instead.
Peruse the blogosphere. Bloggers are everywhere, and there is most likely one, if not many, bloggers blogging about your destination. Their blogs are a great resource for finding information about hidden gems of the city–restaurants, hotels, attractions, and more. Don’t be shy. If you contact them, many will be happy to answer your specific questions as well.
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.
Instead of putting your liquids in a plastic bag to prevent them from leaking, try unscrewing the lid and putting a piece of plastic from a grocery bag over the top and screwing the lid on over it. While a zip-lock bag will prevent spills from ruining things, this method will prevent things from spilling in the first place.
When you arrive at your destination don’t hesitate to ask for help in any way. The locals of the town should be more than willing to give you good advice on where to visit. You want to make the most out of your experience so don’t be shy, remember you’ll probably never see those people again anyway.
To stay in good health, you should go see your doctor after traveling abroad. Ask your doctor to test you for exotic diseases to make sure you have not contracted anything while abroad. Just in case you contracted something, you can get the help you need quickly and not contaminate the people around you.
Sometimes long flights can cause you to sit and sit and sit. Don’t be afraid to get up and walk down the aisles every once in a while. Exercise is great for you and when the plane reaches its’ destination, you won’t feel so lousy and you will avoid the stiff feeling in your legs.
Just keep in mind you will probably pay more and it doesn’t really save that much space. Try folding your clothes in innovative ways that will take up less space. You may even find some techniques which permit you to pack two or three times as much contents in your bag!
Keep your money discreetly tucked away while traveling. It would be terrible to be stuck in a foreign place with no way to pay for necessities. Put cash on a money clip and hide it in a secret place. Try to carry the minimum amount of money with you so that you do not risk losing much.
To save money when booking flights, see if you can fly to or from an alternate airport. Airlines often charge much less for different routes, so check out all your options to see which one is the cheapest. Even if you have to rent a car, it could still be cheaper to fly into a different airport.
When reading reviews of destinations by other travelers, try to identify whether you and the reviewer have the same expectations and circumstances before basing your decision on other travelers’ experiences. One person may give negative reviews due to a lack of kid-friendly features and attractions; if you are traveling without children or on a business trip, such a review would not be particularly useful for you personally.
If you need to travel across the country but are on a limited budget, consider traveling by bus. In the past, bus travel was viewed somewhat unfavorably, but today major players like Greyhound, have made major improvements to attract the growing number of travelers who can’t afford plane tickets. Today bus lines are a more civil experience. Cleaner, newer buses are the norm and most stations offer free wireless internet access and sundries.
Try to pack light when travelling. The last thing you want to be doing when is lugging heavy bags and suitcases through airport terminals and onto buses and trains. Only pack items that you are sure you will need and think about which items you could buy at your destination.
If you are traveling in a car, take the time to go slightly out of your way and visit small town bars and restaurants. You will meet some interesting people and have the chance to sample some of the local fare. Residents of these towns will instantly recognize unfamiliar faces and often go out of their way to talk to you.
While you pore over ideas and plans for your traveling, keep these tips in mind. The advice here will help you out with any type of travel.
