Travel Enjoyably With These Great Tips

Saturday 1 June 2013

Travel Enjoyably With These Great Tips


Travel can be a fun-filled activity, but always remember to learn at least a few words of the native language. ‘Please’ and ‘thank you’ are a must, but phrases such as ‘I’m lost’ and ‘Where is the train station?’ will prove invaluable in the event you actually need them. It’s much easier than trying to act out complicated activities!

Having a good set of maps or road atlas can save one from a possible disaster if they get lost or electronic map devices such as GPS or smart phones run out of battery. Many things can cause electronics to malfunction and stop working. Having backup option can save one’s trip.

Bring a bag-of-fun for your kids. Make sure to have enough supplies to keep your kids entertained for the duration of the flight. There’s nothing worse than an, “Are we there yet,” ten minutes into a three-hour flight. Card games, special coloring books, and puzzles work well and, if you can afford one, pick up a portable video player. The hours of entertainment value are well worth the cost.

To keep your travel arrangements within your budget, make them as far in advance as possible. 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. By minimizing last-minute expenditures, you can make your travel stretch that much further.

If you are traveling to a hot country, remember to pack insect repellent. Insect bites can be not only annoying. They can be also painful, and many countries won’t stock the industrial-strength repellent available back home. While abroad, apply a liberal amount of insect repellent as night approaches to ensure you get an undisturbed sleep.

If you are taking a cruise, bring a tackle box and use it to store your valuables. Most thieves are only interested in what they can quickly find and get out with. They probably will not think to look in a tackle box for valuables.

Don’t rely on ribbons and bows to make your luggage stand out from the rest of the pack. These adornments can very easily be torn off in transit. Instead, opt for luggage in a bright, unusual color or vivid pattern that stands out on its own and can’t be removed.

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.’

Use noise-cancelling headphones. Because of all the engine and background noise on an airplane, you have to crank the volume on your headphones up dangerously high just to hear the music. Invest in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, which cancel out the background noise and let you clearly hear your music at a reasonable volume. Even if you don’t listen to music, they are great for just reducing the noise.

When traveling by air, shipping your baggage ahead of you might be worth considering. Many airlines charge baggage fees of $25 or more per piece. Often, you will find that FEDEX and UPS offer less expensive rates for shipping your bags. The front desk at many hotels will hold your luggage if it arrives ahead of you.

As you make your travel arrangements, consider renting a vacation home from the residence’s owners. There is a large selection of properties online, and owners are usually very willing to negotiate the price of the home. At a hotel, the employees can’t always authorize those types of changes to the rate. Always ask for references and make sure that you look at a lot of pictures of the home before you book your vacation.

Look at items carefully when packing for an international flight. Things like hair spray bottles that have a picture of a flame to show that they are flammable are not allowed. So try to find ones that are not, and save yourself the hassle and embarrassment when you are at the airport.

In summary, there are some obvious tips that have been tested over time, as well as some newer ideas that you may not have considered. Hopefully, as long as you follow what we suggest in this article, you can get started with a new life of exciting and safe travel.

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