With all the available travel guides, sifting though thousands of guidebooks, well-meaning advice and brochures can be difficult. Fortunately, this article is full of helpful information which can make your next trip a great one.
Public Computers
Don’t use the public computers in your hotel or anywhere else they offer free internet while you are on vacation. Public computers may have keyloggers installed on them so that once you log into your bank account, whoever installed the keylogger then has access to the account as well.
If traveling by air, it is important to think ahead of time. Many airports are located in major cities, and reaching them in congested traffic can be difficult and time consuming. Always do your packing the night before you travel. Complete and execute all of your plans well in advance of your flight. It is horrible to miss a flight.
Use a price watcher. This allows you to enter you destination and the website alerts you to any price change. When hotel or airline prices drop, the website will send an email to alert you to the price change. This saves you from checking every day for the price.
Hotel etiquette calls for tipping the bellhop and housekeeping staff. Standard tips are generally $1 for each piece of luggage, and $2-$5 for the housekeeper each day of your stay. You will find that this simple act will make your stay overall that much better, and the people who work there will go out of their way to please you.
Become a member of forums and websites that revolve around travel. Having other travel enthusiasts to talk with and share notes with can help you plan your trip. You can make new friends, while avoiding costly mistakes many travellers make on vacation, but most importantly you can find information that will make your trip pleasurable.
You may find yourself at an unsavory hotel at some point since not everyone is able to live in the lap of luxury. Bring along a rubber doorstop for safety. It can be wedged under the door overnight, along with the chain and lock. While it is relatively simple to break a chain or lock, entering the room will be almost impossible if you have the extra protection of a doorstop.
See if you can get the local rate at a hotel when traveling. Look for “local” rates or deals when traveling or special discounts for certain groups such as AARP, certain professions or travel clubs. Call to see what offers they have available. You can save a lot this way.
The best way to ensure that your plane leaves on time is to take the earliest flight possible. A flight delayed earlier in the day could cause other flights throughout the day to become late too. If you take the first flight of the day, you reduce your chances for a delay.
Don’t forget to pack your child’s car seat when you hire a rental car. Bring your own car seats if you want to ensure the safest option for your children.
If your road trip involves children, pack lots of snacks. It is best to pack more than you anticipate needing. This keeps them happy and busy so that they don’t cause a ton of issues when traveling. Just a little bit of junk food is not a bad thing every now and then.
If you want to travel to a new country, don’t exchange currencies at the airport. However, they are usually higher exchange rates due to the convenience they present to the traveler. Before you travel, look up nearby banks that do currency exchanges, as you will typically be able to find much better rates.
With the tips above, you can begin dreaming about your vacation and planning for it. Page your luggage, grab your passport and prepare to have a grand adventure!