Traveling is exciting and can be a great time for you or one of the biggest headaches you will ever encounter if not done right. Read on for some great ideas on how to travel smart and take care of all the little things that if you don’t, will leave you wishing you stayed home.
Make sure that you fill any prescriptions that you take on a regular basis before you leave town on a trip. Running out of medication while visiting a new place can be both stressful and expensive as you have to track down a pharmacy that can fill your prescription for you.
When traveling in countries with unsafe tap water, remember other ways that you might be exposed. Close your mouth when using the shower and brush your teeth only with treated water. If you make tea or coffee with the water, allow it to boil for several minutes before steeping. Even a small exposure can make you very ill.
Be flexible when making your travel plans. Unless there is some reason that you must travel on a specific day, flexibility will save you money. Allowing a booking website to search for flights near your desired travel dates could save you as much as a hundred dollars per flight, especially if it shifts you off of a weekend flight.
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.
If you tend to travel a lot, a great thing to do is buy a postcard from every new location. Collect your postcards in a photo album (they are the same size as the average photograph) and write the dates on the back when you went there. Doing this will make your trip memorable and give you some nice pictures to look back on.
Keep a photo journal of a beloved stuffed animal When traveling with kids, make great memories and an awesome souvenir by taking pictures of your child and the stuffed animal doing fun things throughout the trip. At home, you can collect all the pictures and make them into a photo adventure book to remember your trip.
If you are packing for a cruise, don’t buy anything new for the trip. This is because most cruises today will allow you to remain in casual clothes even for dinner, and almost never require that you dress in black-tie formalwear. Whatever you currently own is most likely acceptable for the trip.
When traveling overseas, do not be afraid to use your cell phone if you need to make a brief call home. You may be charged a high fee, but you can avoid the stress of trying to figure out how to use phone cards. If you need to make several calls, consider using a phone service that operates over the internet.
Do you often forget things while traveling? Simply jot down notes on the mirror with a dry erase marker to help you remember. Paper notes are easily lost, but the bathroom mirror cannot be ignored. This is a great approach, and the markers easily wipe off.
If you’re running out of space in your luggage, try rolling up socks or stockings and stuffing them inside shoes. Anything you have that’s hollow – coffee mugs, shoes, boots, etc. – can be used to stuff things inside to give yourself a bit of extra room in your luggage.
If you experience difficulties, it is easy to become frustrated. Delays and scheduling conflicts occur every day. In these predicaments, the only two who can handle the problem are the agent and you. Each party has an interest in getting the matter resolved, but it can be hard not to let frustration get out of control. Be positive and maintain your cool. This will generate the best results for you.
If you suffer any sinus related issues, bring a cotton surgical mask along for your flight. The recirculated air in airplanes can wreak havoc on your sinuses plus it is a good place for germs to colonize. Wearing these masks can greatly reduce discomfort and ensure a more pleasant flight.
Take a sleep aid once you are airborne. It will make the flight go by in what seems to be minutes, instead of suffering through a ten hour flight, surrounded by snoring passengers. Do not take the sleep aid before you are airborne because you may find yourself in trouble if there is a delay in your flight and you have to leave the plane.
Hopefully this article has given you some tips and tricks on how to be a wise traveler. In this day and age you really have to keep your eyes open and your wits about you to keep traveling safe and smooth. Check your list before taking off and keep these smart tips in mind.
