
You need to make sure that you plan your trip ahead of time, whether you are traveling for pleasure or for work. Here are some tips to help you.
When going to a foreign country, use ATMs to withdraw money. Most of the time banks and the like get much better exchange rates than you as an individual can get. The amount will vary; however, this can save you a lot of money.
If you will be traveling through a smaller airport, check which airlines offer services there. One of the main reasons for this is charter flights, which often service flights through smaller airports but aren’t listed. You can find some sweet deals this way.
When taking a flight, you should not assume that your airline will be able to provide everything that you need, regardless of the length of the flight. If you think they will come in handy, pack a travel pillow, a light blanket and comfortable headphones. If you are concerned about not getting anything to eat on the flight, bring along your own snacks also.
Purchase tickets on the Internet in advance and print them at home when you have a specific destination, like a theme park, in mind. There is generally a fee associated with an online ticket purchase. However, it is a small one, and the trade off for skipping long ticket lines is a big advantage. You can also often skip the admissions line altogether.
When you get to your hotel, give the alarm a try. Lots of travelers have had the unpleasant experience of being awoken by an alarm set by someone else. In order to get the most rest, turn the alarm off or set it for the time you actually want to be awake.
Use travel as an educational tool for the members of your family. Even developing countries can be perfectly safe if you plan carefully for safety, and it’s an awesome learning experience for your children. Time abroad is one of the best ways to learn to tolerate and understand other cultures.
When going on a long trip, pack a raincoat with a lining. The weather can change at any given moment. Also, the rain coat can double as a windbreaker in cold weather or even a bathrobe while you are in your hotel room.
Always check expiration dates on of all of your passports. There are rules about your passport in many countries. Even if it is still valid, if it expires soon, you may have problems. This can be from 3-6 months of your trip, though there are some places where that time frame can be 8-12 months.
Pre-book your airport parking space in advance. In some places parking booked on the day you fly will cost more. Try taking a taxi to reduce the expenses that you pay.
If you are a forgetful person and you plan on traveling, bring a dry erase marker along to write little memos on the mirror in your hotel bathroom. This helps should you forget things from your room. You can do this because dry-erase markers will easily wipe off of mirrors with just a little bit of tissue paper.
You will be comfortable when you are prepared. Then you can travel with more confidence and be prepared for the little issues or delays that always seem to pop up.