We love to travel! It doesn’t even have to be international travel, we love to get into our vehicle and take road trips to different states or distant towns. There is so much to see and do just in the trek itself.
Having traveled quite a bit in the last few months, we wanted to offer some travel tips that has worked for us:
1. Do your research about where you will be visiting. Different places have their different customs and norms, so know before you go.
2. Learn how to pack light and smart. Don’t stuff your bags; leave room for souvenirs and items you might want to purchase. Also, when it comes to air travel, invest in a travel scale so you can know exactly how much your bags weigh and can avoid overweight luggage costs.
3. Leave travel and hotel details with a relative and/or friend who is not traveling with you, in case of emergency.
4. When flying, always pack your toiletries, 1 to 2 underwear, a pair of socks and a light sweater/jacket in your carry-on bag. If the airline loses your checked luggage, at least you won’t totally be out of some essentials. Also if you will be flying with children (especially younger ones) pack at least 2-3 emergency outfits for them and keep these in their carry-on bag.
5. Travel with a small first aid kit for unexpected bumps and scratches. Have multiple travel-sized hand sanitizers, disinfecting wipes, soap and tissues to disinfect the areas you and your travel companions will be using. Currently there is a growing fear about the coronavirus and we are in flu season, so be proactive.
6. Check the weather for all the places you will be traveling to and bring necessary weather items.
7. When traveling with children of any age, remember to pack snacks, entertainment items (toys, books, electronics) and extra batteries. The less you have to buy while traveling, the better.
8. Bring your water bottle on your trip so you can fill it up at different locations instead of spending money on buying water. Having your own water bottle saves you money and is earth-friendly.
9. If you are traveling internationally, consider getting a passport pouch you can wear under you clothes. You may prefer carrying your travel documents on you at all times or you may be are more comfortable locking them in your luggage or safe boxes. Do your research and choose which option works best for your case.
10. If you will be traveling with cash, DON’T keep all your bills in one wallet/money purse and DON’T carry all of it with you. This is to save you from drawing attention to yourself when you are making cash purchases. Instead, break up your monies into smaller bills, travel with only a bare minimum of cash during different trips, and perhaps keep different bills in different pockets. Devise a system that will work for you and your travel companions.
11. When planning to traveling internationally, see if there are any travel advisories for the country you will be visiting. One site that features these is https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/. Here, you can find out if there are any alerts you need to know about the country you are going to.
12. As much as possible, don’t travel alone. There may be times that this is unavoidable, so if you will be traveling solo, be extra vigilant and aware of your surroundings. There are people who prey on those who are traveling alone so be alert at all times.
13. Travel with a small first aid kit for those unexpected bumps and scratches. You may not need it, but it comes in handy just in case you do.
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Do you have any to add to this list? We would love to hear what works for you. Leave a comment to let us know.