Travel Tips - Why Didn’t I think of that?
How many times have you gone on vacation or traveled for work, and thought to yourself that you should have remembered to do something or should have done more research ahead of time before leaving on your trip? I’ve traveled the world, and there are many times that I haven’t done enough planning to make my vacation easier to manage. I’d like to share with you some tips that will help make you a better traveler and get one less headache.
- If possible, I would recommend using a Travel Agent/Travel Planner. Why would I ever recommend this to you? Well, I know that it’s so easy to go to the internet to find the best pricing for your flights, hotels, rental cars, etc., however upon arrival at the airport or your destination, the following could happen:
- Your flight is cancelled!
- There is no rental car waiting for you!
- There is a problem with the hotel finding your reservation!
I know these are extreme examples of what we don’t ever want to happen, however you need to be prepared to handle. I know that you are now panicking and wondering how you are going to fix these issues since you planned the entire trip on your own. This is where your Travel Agent/Travel Planner comes in and is your one go-to person/advocate to help you remedy these issues. Let them help you and try to remain as calm as possible!
- Educate yourself on your destination so that you are aware of any safety concerns or if there are any tourist scams. Be smart and know your surroundings as well as you can.
- Do yourself a big favor and let your bank and credit card company know that you are traveling to ensure that your debit or credit card is not denied because you are making a purchase that is out of state or in another country.
- When traveling internationally, please try to use your credit card for all purchases because your bank will always give you the best exchange rate for the purchase.
- Before traveling, contact your cell phone provider to make sure your plan allows for calls to and from the country you are traveling to. If not, you may need to change service plans.
- If you are traveling internationally on an extended stay, you may need to purchase food from markets that don’t provide bags. Be aware that you may need to have your own shopping bag(s) ahead of time.
- If you are traveling on a plane that still provides meals, please make sure that you contact them ahead of time to let them know if you have any dietary concerns or allergies that they need to be aware of.
- If you are traveling with kids, please plan to bring any snacks and activities to keep them occupied while on the plane. Don’t count on the airlines to provide these anymore!
- If you are traveling on a long flight and you aren’t in business or first class, your seats may be very close to other passengers. If you are concerned about bad smells, you may want to bring a very small amount of Vicks or another ointment that you can place in your nostrils. Take it from one has learned this lesson the hard way.
- Learn to take yourself out from behind the camera. Take time to enjoy what you are seeing right before your eyes because that moment in time will end before you know it.
Whether you are traveling for work or for pleasure, try not to stress yourself out and enjoy the experience. What I have shared with you are a few helpful tips that I have learned that will help make your experience more enjoyable. I know that work travel can sometimes be a chore, however, take the time to find something enjoyable during these trips because I can bet there is something to enjoy on each trip that you haven’t done before.
Let me know some of your travel tips! Please respond to this blog so we can share in the future.
Thanks, and happy traveling!
Written by Rick McMasters