Travel Tips

Traveling anywhere in the world can be fun or stressful depending on how well you pack. When you are going overseas, it is a good idea to learn about all of the things you’ll need and to plan you clothing and personal belongings carefully. Packing well can make your trip extra special and less hassled.

First, pack all of the important things you need in a place that is secure, yet accessible. If you are traveling with your family, have all of these things in the same place to prevent confusions. Important documents to keep on hand include airplane tickets, passports, IDs, boarding passes, copies of prescriptions, and other things you could need quickly to help your time in the airport go smoothly.

You should carefully plan out what to pack in your carry on. All airports have special rules as to what can and cannot be taken onboard the plane. These rules change frequently, so your best bet is to call the airline about a week before your flight to be sure you are up to date on the rules. You can also check the airline’s website. A general rule of thumb is to not carry anything that could be considered a weapon, including nail clippers, lighters, and pocket knives. Even pens are now considered too sharp to carry on a plane. Also, water bottles have been restricted in some airports, as inclusions in carry on luggage. [Read more…] about How to Pack for Your Vacation

Choosing the deck that your cabin is on can be an important decision in adding to your cruise enjoyment. Different cruise ships have many floors, or decks, and not all decks are the same. The upper-most decks on a cruise ship are usually the most desirable, but even if you cannot afford to be on one of those prestigious decks, the good news is that is doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

When choosing a deck for your cruise adventure it is wise to look at the location of your cabin on the deck you are considering. Before committing yourself to a particular deck, from the ship’s layout pay attention to what is located where. Is the elevator shaft or engine room in close proximity to your cabin? Does the deck you choose have the disco on it that may be noisy late into the night? Does this deck contain the children’s activity area which may be noisy during the day when you wish to nap? [Read more…] about Choosing a Ship Deck for Family Vacation

Part of the fun of taking a cruise is being able to see different places when you dock at the various ports of call. Each ship’s itinerary is different and it is up to you to choose a cruise according to the places you want most to see.

Your cruise brochure, on-line web search or travel agent can tell you what ports the ship stops at, and what the best sights to see are. The ship line you choose to cruise on tries to pick ports that have things of interest for their passengers to enjoy. They encourage excursions to enhance your cruise experience.

It is best to plan the excursions you wish to take early on in your cruise experience, and sometimes even before you leave home. Some tours tend to be more popular and will often book up fairly quickly. Sometimes you can book excursions ahead through your travel agent but if not plan to book the excursion you want to take during your first day on the ship so you won’t miss out. [Read more…] about Planning Excursions for a Family Cruise

Travel insurance can be a big help when traveling on your vacation. The question, though, is when do you really need to purchase travel insurance and why? Here is a list of times when you should consider purchasing travel insurance.

Traveling abroad – Whenever you travel outside of the country, you should always have travel insurance in place. It’s too easy to lose your luggage in those long trips that often require switching of planes.

You also have to consider that when you’re traveling abroad, your health insurance may not cover any medical costs that occur outside of your country. Travel insurance will cover you for any lost items and emergency medical costs that you incur while you’re outside of your own country.

The insurance can cover a good portion of what you lost or your medical bills, so take advantage of it. It’s better to be safe than sorry in these situations.

Traveling with expensive equipment – If you own a laptop and plan to take it with you on your long distance trip, you should consider getting it insured. All too often, laptop owners have their laptops stolen while they’re away from their car or while you’re away from the hotel room.

Laptops are expensive to replace – like other expensive items, such as jewelry. Travel insurance will help you recover a portion of the loss of that item, enabling you to replace it easily.

It also helps covers the costs when an unfortunate accident occurs. It’s better to pay a little money for the insurance then to get socked with a major loss because something happened while you were on your trip.

Planning an expensive trip – If you’re going on an expensive cruise, traveling abroad or flying first class on a popular airline, you should consider travel insurance. It will cover you in case something unforeseen happens.

If you have an unexpected death in the family right before you’re about to leave for your trip, the insurance will keep you from losing your money. If the airline you’ve booked a flight with all of a sudden goes bankrupt right before your trip, the insurance will cover the loss there.

Don’t assume the airline will honor your flight booking and give you a refund in the event they file bankruptcy. It’s not likely that will happen, since they’re filing bankruptcy for a reason.

Travel insurance can be a huge help to you anytime you travel a long distance, abroad or with expensive items. Keep your traveling investment safe by purchasing some kind of travel insurance and avoid those unforeseen things that happen which end up costing more money in the end.

Travel insurance covers many different things, so do your research and what each company offers. Determine what you really need and protect yourself the next time you plan to travel.

Feeling over-worked, over-tired and under-paid?  Need a cheap travel destination to get away from it all? Stop wondering and start packing! Being the workaholic that you are, you’re probably expecting to have to do a ton of research, but it’s easy once you know a few insider tips. 

There are many cheap travel destinations out there, but these few are exceptionally cheap. Don’t be afraid, though – they have all the beauty of an expensive trip. Costa Rica is the second smallest country in Central America.  This makes it very easy to see most or all of the country in just under a few weeks. 

There is no part of the country that has a greater travel time than 10 hours by car.  While in Costa Rica, visiting the beautiful capitol San Jose is super easy due to its great bus service.

Also while in Costa Rica, make it a point to see all of the breathtaking mountain views, sunsets over the beach, and sparkling rivers.  You can see Costa Rica in all of its beauty at absolutely no cost to you! 

Another priceless tourist attraction is the Montverde cloud forest. Sleeping over is at no great cost, either.  You can find hostels as cheap as $8 per night and hotel rooms as inexpensive as $15 per night in San Jose.

Margarita Island, Venezuela is another cheap travel destination and yes, the name of it is foreshadowing what’s to come. If you’re looking for a great margarita at the price of a cola, then you’ve come to the right place.  Speaking of drinks, a beer in beautiful Margarita Island generally goes for about $1.

Nightlife on Margarita Island just may be your deciding factor.  They have great discos which feature authentic Latin/Western music.  A lot of local clubs feature live music that you can swing your hips to. 

Hostels are modestly priced here as well. They’re not as cheap as Costa Rica, but they generally go as low at $13 a night. Meals here might as well be free.  A fresh seafood meal goes for around $7.00 and is delicious.

Another great thing about Margarita Island is its infamous 320 sunny days out of the year.  Being so beautiful, it’s suggested you take in a little scuba diving, fishing, tanning, or riding horseback as daytime fun.  Here, you can buy authentic souvenirs such as wicker items from the natives at local markets.

Cheap travel destinations like these make your quick getaway as enjoyable as possible.  It’s always great to be able to go away for a week or two and not have to worry about it burning a hole in your pocket.  Enjoy your well-earned vacation!