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Travel Tips

Tips For A Fun Summer Road Trip

April 14, 2008 by admin Leave a Comment

Road trips can be fun, but can also lead to disaster for the unprepared. Arm yourself with a few simple tips and plan your trip the right way. Have some fun this summer and have a memorable experience you can look back on years from now!

A day or two before the date of your road trip, make sure to clean your car. Take care to vacuum the inside, throw out any trash, clean the windshields and wash the outside. Make sure that your car is properly serviced and ready to travel before going on your trip. Even minor problems can lead to disaster miles away from home where you don’t know anyone and don’t know where to go for help. Keep on the safe side and take care of your car issues before leaving.

You already know where you are headed, but do you have a schedule in mind? Depending on your trip, it is advisable that you calculate how much time you can drive without overworking or stressing yourself. Make note of rest areas where you can stop for bathroom breaks or to relax for a bit. With road trips, it is tough to know exactly how everything will pan out. Roads can be backed up and detoured or weather can be hectic, but either way, it is important to have at least a vague schedule you can stick to.

Driving on the back roads can provide a much better experience on a road trip. Back roads let you experience the local culture and can give you an insight as to how others live in the area. There are fewer accidents, crazed drivers and the pressure of constantly watching over your shoulder is eliminated. If you get lost, you have a chance to stop and sort your location out with a map or a GPS.

Take some CDs or create a playlist on your MP3 player to lighten your trip. Music can really cure boredom and help you enjoy your trip! This is especially a great tactic to use if you are traveling with children. Make sure to create a mix of everyone’s favorites and switch music styles so you don’t grow tired of listening.

The sun makes your skin the most vulnerable during the summer months with the relentless UVB and UVA rays shining down. Make sure that you purchase sunscreen and apply it at least fifteen minutes before going on your trip or participating in any outside activities. It is advisable to purchase sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30 or above to ensure your skin is safe. Sunglasses are another accessory you should not forget to pack. The sun can damage your eyes and lead to premature wrinkles. Protect yourself the right way and have fun!

People usually rarely do this, but should! Don’t forget to pack some garbage bags to hold your trash. If you don’t want to compromise the space, take some old rolled up grocery bags (make sure no holes on the bottom). This is a great way to collect trash such as soda cans, candy wrappers, banana peels, tissues and whatever else you may need to throw out. It is imperative that you don’t litter the landscape and dispose of your trash properly in a waste bin. Most truck stops and rest areas have a place where you can unload your trash.

Having a successful road trip depends on the amount of preparation you put into the planning. Use some or all of the ideas from this article to help you start preparing for a fun trip!

Filed Under: Travel Tips

Things To Know When Vacationing Overseas

April 13, 2008 by admin Leave a Comment

Vacationing in a foreign country is a wonderful, exciting experience whether it’s your first or third overseas trip. What is important to remember is that every country is different, including having different laws and customs. Follow the tips below to enjoy a pleasant vacation.

Spend some time before you travel to learn phrases in the language of the country you are visiting. Some important things to learn are greetings, road signs, how to ask where the bathroom is located, how to ask for a police officer, and how to ask about medical facilities. You also want to learn how to read signs in buildings. If there is a fire alarm, you want the exit, not the bathroom! Since you are probably not fluent in the language of the country, take a translation tool with you. There are translation apps for smart phones and electronic translation devices. It doesn’t hurt to also take a dictionary, just in case your batteries are low.

Do some research to learn local customs. If spitting on the sidewalk is a crime where you are going, you should learn that before you get arrested in a foreign country. If burping in a restaurant is encouraged, you can take care to not embarrass yourself by staring or commenting negatively. One excellent example of culture clash is the arrest of a woman in the United States who left her infant in a stroller outside a store. In the woman’s home country this is not only accepted, but also common. She was eventually released, at which time she retrieved her child from social services and went back to her home country. Imagine if you were an American in her country, and had called the police to report babies unattended in carriages outside a shop. You would be embarrassed when you learned that you wasted the officer’s time.

Find out what the tipping practices are in the area where you plan to travel. In some areas it is customary to tip every service person you come in contact with, in others, tips are insulting. It is a good idea to learn how you should tip to avoid any misunderstandings. Also, learn how much it is customary to tip. If you are in Thailand and a 10 baht tip is normal, you do not want to tip 100 baht. Likewise, you don’t want to tip 1 baht in such an instance.

When you are vacationing overseas, remember that you are visiting someone’s home. The people who live where you are traveling are kind enough to allow you to visit and enjoy what the location has to offer. Grumbling because the locals do not speak your language is rude. Be polite and considerate. If you do not understand something, people are generally happy to help as long as you are being respectful.

Remember that traveling overseas may be a once in a lifetime experience. Learn all you can before taking off on your adventure. Enjoy your vacation, and make the most of every day overseas with the tips listed above.

Filed Under: Travel Tips

Things To Get In Order When Traveling Overseas

April 12, 2008 by admin Leave a Comment

It can be thrilling to travel overseas. However, if you do not have everything you need in order, your trip may not turn on the way you want it to. The article below is going to provide you with advice to ensure your trip is as perfect as possible.

Learn which countries require shots for entry and be sure to get them. If a certain country has a shot requirement and you do not get this shot prior to going to this country, they might not allow you to enter. The Internet is a great place to learn about shot requirements and all the specifics involved with them.

Get a passport and if you already have one, be sure it is valid. Countless times, a person travels to the airport without looking at their passport to check for validity. When they get there, airport staff inform them that their passport is expired or there is some other issue with it and they are not allowed to board their flight. This problem can be easily avoided by simply looking at your passport’s details.

Reserve your plane tickets in advance and write down all of your flight’s information. Booking your tickets far in advance ensures that you and anyone else traveling with you gets a seat on the plane and you will save money by reserving in advance. Also, you should never rely on your memory when it comes to your flight details. You could be off by one simple number and miss your flight, so be sure to write down this information as soon as you reserve your seat.

Whether staying in a hotel, bed and breakfast, or other establishment, make your reservations as soon as you know for sure that you are going on vacation. Just like with plane reservations, be sure to write this information down to prevent any errors. Do not forget to call the place you are staying the day you leave for vacation to make sure everything is in order.

Find out what items you are going to need for your vacation. This could mean checking the weather forecast for your vacation. You want to make sure you know what you will require and what you can leave home. After all, you do not want to overload your suitcases.

Make a list of what you need to pack for your vacation and after placing each belonging into your luggage, cross it off the list. Having a list prevents you from forgetting items and makes the whole packing process much easier.

Get to the airport a little bit early. Generally, it is recommended that you get there about 90 minutes before your flight is scheduled to depart. Arriving early ensures you have enough time to go through security and customs prior to getting on your flight. And you never know if your plane may leave early.

As mentioned in the beginning of the article, going to another country can be thrilling. As long as you follow the advice this article has provided to you, you are on your way to having the trip of a lifetime. Bon Voyage!

Filed Under: Travel Tips

Things To Consider When Traveling

April 11, 2008 by admin Leave a Comment

Who does not love to travel? When you travel, you embark on a journey that you are going to remember for the rest of your life. This is why you should get out and travel as much of the world as you can. There is always a new experience that you can have, remember that. So do not hesitate to go on a new journey because it is an experience that you can reflect on when you look back on life. Have a look at this article and figure out some traveling advice you should follow.

Traveling internationally is always fun, but make sure that you have the proper identification with you at all times. Be sure to take your passport and make sure that you bring additional forms of identification. This way, you ensure that no complications arise and that you can get to all of your destinations with ease. When you fail to bring your passports and other forms of identity on you, people can become confused and hold you at the airport. So avoid confusion and double check to make sure you bring all the documents you need.

Check in with all of your flights and hotels before you attend your trip. Sometimes plans change and people make mistakes. You do not want to get caught in the middle of someone else’s mistake. So make sure that you call in advance before you take a flight, or check your flight’s status online. Then also call ahead to your hotel and talk to a receptionist to make sure all of your accommodations are met.

Let your family and close friends know where you are going to travel. Then check in with them regularly. You do not want to get lost or have anything bad happen to you and no ones knows. When you let people know where you have traveled, they can tell local authorities of your most recent location if you go missing. You can even send postcards to your friends and family and get them gifts as a thank you for helping to keep you safe.

Know where you are going to visit before you head out on your trip. Avoid going on a trip only to become bored and lost with what to do. There is a lot of information online and you can ask locals at the hotels or at souvenir shops about what you should be doing. Make the most out of your trip so that you have plenty of stories to reflect back upon. Just always make sure that you take a camera and that you are taking plenty of pictures so that you can show people all of your wondrous adventures.

Traveling can be very fun, but only if you plan ahead of time. Take the time to plan out a fun trip so that you can enjoy yourself when you get to your destination. Proper planning makes sure that you have fun, because when you plan you should be planning out fun things to do. Good luck and have fun on all of your travels.

Filed Under: Travel Tips

Things To Consider For A Successful Road Trip

April 10, 2008 by admin Leave a Comment

Going on vacation can be a fun pastime for the whole family. Road trips do require a bit of planning and with a few ideas in mind, you are sure to have a memorable trip. This article contains a number of tips to help your travels and prevent any mishaps!

With modern technology on the rise, it can be hard for some to imagine life without GPS. Remember, you never know what happens and technology can malfunction on a whim. Pack some good old fashioned maps of areas you will be driving through. This will ensure that you safely arrive on time and know where you are at all times. Most grocery stores and truck stops sell travel maps for this very purpose and they are quite affordable.

Eating at restaurants while on the road can get pretty pricey, especially in larger cities. Save some money and time by taking some groceries with you. Purchase non-perishable items or snacks that you are able to eat on the go. If you have an icebox, consider purchasing some cold cuts and bread to make your own sandwiches while on the road. Don’t forget to pack some healthy veggies like baby carrots or celery sticks with ranch.

It cannot be stressed enough that it is important that you drink plenty of fluids, most of it being water. Your local grocery store probably sells water bottle packs by the dozen. Purchasing bottled water before your trip is a smart choice as it will keep you hydrated, healthy and works well within your budget. Most small town stores, restaurants and truck stops do offer bottled water, but for ridiculously high prices. You can expect to pay almost as much for one small bottle of water as you would for a pack of 24 or 32.

Your car should be in tip top shape before going on your road trip. Not servicing your car and checking your spare tire can lead to disasters miles from home. It is much easier to be on the safe side and give your car a quick check up than to prolong a problem and have it cost you your money. This is especially important if you are working with a tight budget. Having your car breakdown, in a low population area can eat away at what you have budgeted for your trip and cost you precious time.

Keep some back up batteries with you. This is especially important to consider if you have a flashlight, boom box or anything that runs on batteries. Depending on where you are going, local stores may not have the batteries you seek or their prices are three to four times more expensive than what you would pay back home.

Pack a small first aid kit and keep it with you in your car at all times. First aid kits can be purchased at your local supermarket or you can choose to make your own. A successful kit should include items like band aids, adhesive tape, alcohol wipes, tweezers, scissors, antibiotic ointment and elastic bandage. Remember, these are just some of the items you should seek to include. By researching a more comprehensive list of items to include online, you can be fully prepared. Also keep in mind if you are traveling with a special needs person. This means if someone has diabetes or asthma, make certain to be prepared for any problems that may arise and bring proper medication.

If you have already put together a first aid kit, make sure to prepare a survival kit as well. Having a first aid kit is not the same as having a survival kit. These kits should include a flashlight, energy bars, a signal mirror, fixed knife, fire starter, compass, water container, canned food, cordage and some form of a shelter (tent or tarp). You never know what happens on your trip, so be prepared for anything and everything. It won’t cost you to add some extras to the trunk of your car!

Have a worry-free trip by applying all that you have learned from this article. Don’t go on your trip unprepared! Be armed with knowledge to prevent disasters and mishaps before they happen.

Filed Under: Travel Tips

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