Travel can mean the exhilaration of seeing new places or the nightmare of not having the comforts and security of home. Like anything, travel goes much more smoothly with a little bit of knowledge and preparation. Keep reading for some sound advice from seasoned travelers on making your journeys pleasant memories.
When traveling, it is important to remember to pack only what you need. This rule is most applicable to trips by air, as luggage fees are much higher now than they previously were. Most airports will sell anything you might not have room for and major surrounding cities should as well.
Ask a friend or family member to drive you to the airport. You can save on cab fare and long term parking fees. Many people will be happy to perform this favor for you, especially if you are willing to reciprocate later on down the road, when they are taking a vacation.
Secure travel arrangements in advance to help maintain your budget. Despite the many, many different things you can spend money on when you travel, virtually all of them have a common characteristic: they are cheaper the earlier you purchase them. Your travel budget can stretch further if you keep last-minute expenditures to a minimum.
Protect your liquids from spilling when you travel with a homemade bottle stopper. Before screwing the cap on your travel-sized toiletries, cover the top with a small piece of plastic removed from a plastic shopping bag. This will both protect your clothes from the liquid and keep the liquid inside its container.
To travel efficiently, research the place you are going to as much as possible. You should know about the culture of the country you are traveling to, so that you do not do anything offensive or forbidden. For instance, be careful about the way you dress, and avoid certain hand gestures.
Remote areas are often among the most interesting of possible travel destinations. Just make sure you take necessities like your prescription medicines with you. One way of looking at it is that if something isn’t available for sale where you are then you probably didn’t need it anyway! Items like medicines, however, can be indispensable so don’t leave having them to chance.
If you are traveling with children, it is best is they can have a suitcase with wheels. This way, they can really help with the luggage and it’s super easy to pull. They will also feel a sense of independence and will be happy to help out with the luggage.
If you’re far away from home and find that you’ve left your phone charger at home, call the front desk of your hotel and explain the situation. Most hotels save the abandoned or forgotten chargers that are left in hotel rooms; if your phone is a fairly common model, it might save you from paying fifty dollars for a charger that you only use for one or two days.
Talk to any road warrior and they can tell you both stories of great trips and disaster journeys. Some of the things they have learned have been shared in this article. Keep these tips in mind in preparing for your future travels, and you are sure to come home with great memories rather than headaches.