Traveling is a wonderful and sometimes odd experience. It can be necessary, for recreation, or both. Whether traveling for pleasure or business, you can befit from some good traveling advice. This article helps you maximize your experience in both instances.
If you are a student planning travel to a foreign country, consider getting an international student identification card before you leave. Many restaurants, museums, and tourist stops offer discounts when you show student identification. Although the card costs money to obtain initially, the savings you achieve are often far greater than the base cost.
For safe traveling, don’t carry all your valuables in one place. No one wants to deal with missing belongings while on a trip, but if you do have to, it’s better to minimize loss. Put your credit cards, cash, jewelry, and whatever else you value in a variety of different locations — some in your bag, some in your pocket, some in your wallet, and such. That way even if something gets stolen or lost, you probably won’t lose everything.
When staying at a high-end domestic hotel, bring along your own A/V cable for your laptop. Most hotel rooms at nicer hotels offer free in-room WiFi and a large HDTV, but will then charge a premium for in-room movies. Having your own A/V cable gives you access to your own selection of downloaded movies or an online account.
Get a workout in before you get on the plane. Long flights are found to be hard to sit through. Remaining in a stationary position can cause stiff muscles and cramps. Getting a good workout or stretch in before your flight can leave you feeling relaxed and reduce the chances of your body stiffening during your flight.
If you are traveling road-trip style and you have a smart phone, try downloading apps such as GasBuddy so you can look up what gas stations have the cheaper prices before you get into town. Spending 10-11 cents more per gallon can add up to quite a lot of extra cash that you could be spending elsewhere.
When deciding what to wear on your feet when you go on a plane ride, keep in mind that you will be most comfortable in shoes that slip off easily. Crocs or flip flops are best because they can be taken off or put on in an instant.
Use soft-sided carry on luggage, instead of a hard-sided case. When trying to cram your luggage into the overhead bin, soft-sided cases will have more give and be more easily stowed. There is no chance that a hard-sided case that is too big will ever fit. It will have to be gate checked and you won’t be able to access it until you deplane.
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.
Stay up as late as possible, or at least until around 8 o’clock in the evening, to help adapt to the time change. Although you may feel sleepy, if you go to bed to soon, you are only protracting your jet lag because your body is going to remain in its usual time-zone mode. Focus on your adjustment to local time, and you will decrease your jet lag quickly.
When traveling abroad, keep your medications in their original bottles. Carry copies of prescriptions as well for verification. Ask your doctor for notes pertaining to any narcotics your medicines may have to show your particular need for them. It is also wise to carry a list of generic names for your medications in case the standard is not available at your destination.
Try locating airlines that are not popular. Many smaller airlines do exist and many are great, cheaper alternatives to the larger more popular airlines. Many of these exist for international, but you can find some domestically as well. Try getting on a flight that stops at your destination, but goes a little further too.
If you are traveling to a beach location, bring home a little bit of sand with you. This makes a great souvenir; put the sand in a small bottle and write the name of the beach on it. You can also write something special that you did while you were on your vacation. If you are able to collect sand from several different places, you will probably be surprised to see how different they are from each other.
If you are traveling with children, separate each of their outfits and put them in an individual freezer bag. Label the bags with the date that you want the child to wear the clothing. While it takes a little planning to do, this idea makes your mornings run much smoother since the kids just grab their bag and get ready to go. They do not have to dig through their suitcase, potentially creating a big mess.
Keep prescription medicine in their original bottles. While space is often at a premium when packing, it is important to keep your medications in their properly labeled containers, especially when traveling internationally. Each country’s drug laws can vary, and if you are prescribed a narcotic (which are more closely regulated), get a letter from your doctor to avoid potential legal troubles.
A great traveling tip is to be aware of the value of the currency that you’re using so that you leave an appropriate tip whenever you need to. This sounds like common sense but many people make the mistake of leaving a poor tip because they forgot they were dealing with a foreign currency. A good tip will result in better service.
Everyone will probably go on a trip at some point. When you take the time to learn a little in advance, your next trip can be less stressful, more economical, and more enjoyable. The tips you read here will help you gain the benefits of traveling and learn what it takes to be travel savvy.
