Whether your business takes you away from home or you are looking for a memorable vacation, you can benefit from these handy tips on travel. While travel has tended to become faster and cheaper over time, there is still a big difference between the costs you experience as an unprepared traveler versus being a well-educated one.
If you are traveling light and planning to wash laundry as you go, use your daily shower as an opportunity to wash your underwear and even your lightweight shirt. It only takes a few moments and prevents you from building up a pile of laundry that needs to be washed all at once.
Make use of social media when traveling and when planning your trip. Many blogs and online forums have first-hand reviews of the locations you’d like to visit, plus you can ask people directly about their experiences. In addition, if you use sites that allow you to update your status, your friends might have good suggestions on what to do next.
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.
You can save more money to use on your trip by comparing all prices available for all your expenses. Search online or ask friends if they know of any deals for the location you wish to travel to. You might also want to travel during the week to reduce flight and hotel prices giving you more money to spend exploring.
A plastic shoe organizer over your hotel door can keep you organized. It is difficult to stay organized away from home, with little to no storage space except your suitcase. Put an organizer over your bathroom door when you arrive, the kind with the clear pockets is best. You can use it to store your essentials and keep them where it’s easy to locate.
When traveling by air, purchase your airline tickets as early as possible. Airlines that offer very low fares, like Southwest Airlines, have a limited number of seats available at the lowest price. By purchasing your tickets early you are assured of getting the best possible rates for air travel.
Traveling with groups can be frustrating to say the least. Who wants to miss their flight because one or more member of the group can’t be located. One solution is to make everyone wear the same color of brightly colored t-shirts or maybe even visors that can be take off once you are in the air.
Before leaving on an overseas vacation, ensure that there are at least six months from your planned date of travel and when your passport expires. Many airlines will refuse to allow you to board unless you meet this minimum requirement. In other cases, you will not be able to enter your destination country. In any case, it is easier to ‘be safe than sorry.’
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.
If you’re going on a road trip, have your car looked over before you leave. Most things can be replaced if they break while you’re out of town, but if your car breaks down you can be in a lot of trouble. It can be expensive to get it fixed or to find a way to your destination or home, that’s more headaches than you need.
Beware of high cell phone charges when travelling overseas. Cell phones are usually the most expensive way to contact someone at home when you are abroad. E-mail or Skype are the cheapest options, but if you prefer to use a telephone, buying a phone card and using a local payphone can also be relatively cheap.
Try wearing a vest that you can pack a lot of stuff in and to easily get past airport security. You can fit nearly anything small in these including your money and valuables. This way, you won’t have to worry about stolen purse or bags full of your cash or other small valuables.
Bring a clean-up kit if you are traveling by car. Spills and messes are very common on the road, where hitting a pothole can send snacks and drinks flying. If there are children involved, then messes are even more likely. Put together a kit that includes trash bags, towels, and wet wipes to make sure these clean ups are quick and painless.
A great traveling tip is to get to know the bellmen at your hotel and ask them lots of questions. Bellmen usually know everything that’s going on including hotel deals and things to do in the area. Getting some information from them can make your trip a lot better.
A great traveling tip that can help you save a lot of money is to limit the amount of gambling you do when you go for a cruise. The cruise ship casino may be tempting, but you won’t want to return home after losing tons of money from gambling.
A great tip if you’re traveling with kids is to pick up some disposable cameras. You can give your kids hours of entertainment by giving them disposable cameras. With a disposable camera they’ll be able to capture moments that they can later remember, and they’ll also stay out of your hair.
Educating yourself on the ins and outs of traveling can save you more than just money. Savvy travelers not only get to their destinations for less money, they often get there faster – and almost always less stressed out. The tips in this article are just the start of your travel education; be on the lookout for more ways to save time and money.
