Regardless of your destination or intent while traveling, leaving home is potentially fun and stressful. Use the following advice to make sure that the excitement outweighs the stress.
When being serviced by a smaller airport, look into all the different airlines that have flights. Some small airports may have charters with better deals.
This suggestion is not meant to scare you, but make sure that you are using a recommended taxi service as there is always a chance you could be getting into a bogus vehicle and robbed. You have to be certain that the taxi is real. It is not hard to put up a taxi sign on a car; if you get into the wrong vehicle, you don’t know where you will end up.
Give your itinerary to a family member. Then they’ll know where you are. You should also contact that person regularly. If they are aware of your location and communicate with you often, your family and friends will not worry.
Traveling afar sometimes makes you want to bring parts of your home along. You should make sure you do not take too much, so only bring the toiletries you really need. Jot down the toiletries use typically use daily and really need. Pack other valuables on your trip, as well.
Put identifying information inside your bags, as well as on the outside. It is easy for a baggage tag to come off the exterior of your suitcases while they are en route. Place your contact information and itinerary in your luggage in case it gets lost.
While you should talk to your doctor beforehand to ensure it is advisable, taking a sleeping pill might be the answer to an otherwise taxing flight. Some people have a lot of trouble sleeping on planes due to the unfamiliar people, uncomfortable seating, and noise level. You may want to consider bringing sleeping pills with you on your flight, in order to rest comfortably. Take the pill shortly after takeoff.
If you plan to travel abroad with kids, try packing a couple cookies sheets. Their flat surface is great under playing cards or coloring books. If you’ve got little kids, take along those magnetic numbers and letters so you can also spend time teaching them.
Always look at the expiration dates that are printed on your passports. Many countries have specific rules concerning your passport. Most countries will not permit you to enter with an expired passport if it is within a given time frame. Typically this date is around 6 months, but some countries demand up to a year.
Jet Lag
No matter what the time is in your home-land, make sure you stay out of bed until 8pm local time. This will help you assimilate to the new time zone much quicker, and help to ward off jet lag. Even if you are tired, going to bed too early can prolong jet lag by keeping your body in your home time zone. Jet lag will go away as soon as you’re on the local schedule, so get your body adjusted as quickly as possible.
Whether you’re just taking a short road tip or flying to the other side of the planet, good planning makes a world of difference. The above tips will help make your trip one that you will always remember.