Don't Travel Until You Read These Great Tips

Just about everyone has to travel somewhere at some point in their lives. While some business or pleasure traveling can be enjoyable, some journeys can be boring, dangerous, expensive and full of hassle. This article contains some tips to make your travel experience better, and help you avoid some of the common pit falls.

When traveling abroad, you should make sure to carry a photocopy of your passport and other important documents in a separate location from the originals. Having a copy of your passport will greatly speed up the process for getting it replaced at the local U.S. consulate or embassy. You may also want to leave a copy with a friend at home.

If you're worried about travelling alone, especially if you're a female, you should consider taking some self-defense classes before you go. This way you can learn basic ways to get away from a mugger or rapist in the event that you need to. Most areas have a few schools that teach self-defense at reasonable rates.

Enroll in the loyal customer club. These clubs reward you with a free night after you've stayed a certain number of nights at their participating locations. Even if aren't planning to stay with them again, enroll anyway. Being a member often entitles you to extra benefits--anything from drinks to internet access--during your stay.

A plastic shoe organizer over your hotel door can keep you organized. It is difficult to stay organized away from home, with little to no storage space except your suitcase. Put an organizer over your bathroom door when you arrive, the kind with the clear pockets is best. You can use it to store your essentials and keep them where it's easy to locate.

When packing luggage for your trip, store your socks in shoes. If you are packing more than one pair of shoes for your trip, save space back packing your socks and pantyhose inside them. Socks and pantyhose can take up a surprisingly large amount of space in your suitcase if packed separately.

Make sure that your shoes are comfortable whenever you travel, and easily removed. Most of the time, airport security will ask you to briefly remove them. Your comfort should be a priority. On planes and in airports, you will walk a little but sit a lot, so heavy-duty support is not necessary. Sandals and flip-flops are best for traveling.

Don't tempt robbers! Especially when traveling abroad or in unsafe areas, don't make your belongings look tempting to steal. Instead of carrying around shiny new backpacks and gear, use older things. If you don't have any older gear that will work, stick some duct tape on your new pack to give the impression that it is older.

Never put your home address on your luggage. When filling out the information card on your luggage, use your business address instead. If you do not have a business address, leave it blank. If you happen to leave your luggage somewhere, only give your contact information to the hotel or airline staff.

If you have questions about the hotel, the best time to call is around midnight. The people working the desk most likely aren't busy and will be able to give you their full attention. If you call during the day, most likely they've got people there in person and others calling on the phone to distract them.

Lost luggage is common when traveling, so prepare beforehand by packing some essentials in your carry-on luggage. A change of underclothes, one outfit and a bathing suit enable you to carry on with most of your plans while you wait for your luggage to be located. To cover all bases, buy travel insurance that covers your luggage whether it is lost, stolen or damaged.

Don't stop researching prices after you have booked your flight, rental car and hotel room. You may find that the prices have dropped even further. Be sure to thoroughly read the cancellation policy on your reservations. If you can, cancel your current reservations and book at the better rates.

When traveling with kids, make sure that you plan a few activities especially for them. It will make it easier for them to make it through their tenth meal at a restaurant if they will know that the next day they will be going to an amusement park to have fun.

You can travel internationally and save money. Travel to destinations where the U.S. dollar is the closest to the local currency in value. All inclusive packages are also a great way to save money when traveling. Last, talk to your travel agent and they will be able to point you in the right direction.

When booking airline travel, prices are generally lower on those flights that no one else is interested in taking. For example, very early morning or very late evening flights are generally the ones that are not as popular. While you may not get a good night's sleep, you will save a fair amount of money. In addition, if you fly to your destination on Monday and back home on Thursday, you can save money as well.

The next time you need to travel somewhere, be it a quick local trip with your family, a business trip or a long distance journey abroad, consider referring back to the tips in this article. By utilising some of the ideas and advice mentioned, your travelling adventure could be cheaper, easier and safer.