Preparing for travel has a lot to do with your budget, and finding low cost options for your trip isn’t impossible. While you prepare to get going, you want to know that you are making the right decisions, from your transportation to your accommodations during your trip – all which can be found easier if you use this article and the tips that are given to you.
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Try to avoid calling attention to the fact that you are a tourist. There are many people who earn their living by preying on unsuspecting vacationers. To avoid looking like a potential target, consult your maps and itinerary before you leave, avoid conspicuous jewelry and clothing and keep your camera in your bag when you are not using it – not dangling around your neck.
Where’s your Luggage
Always know where your luggage is. Airline and bus employees have been known to steal items out of cases when they are checked in. Additionally, other travelers might “accidentally” pick up your bag in hopes of finding expensive items. This also allows you to move between transit options faster, instead of standing around waiting for your luggage.
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.
Pack some plastic zipper bags. You know you need them to get your liquids and toiletries through security, but extras can always come in handy. You may need a few extra for snacks on the road, as a garbage bag, or as an ice pack in an emergency. Most of all, they come in handy when you are packing to return home and have a soaking wet swimsuit to put in your bag.
If you are planning on traveling to Athens in the coming months, keep your eye out for promotional deals online through various discount travel sites. By signing up through a discount site and entering desired travel destinations and dates into their database, you will receive emails that will alert you when there are especially low prices or good promotions to your next intended destination.
Plan ahead
Apply for a credit card that has loyalty points, making sure to always pay off the card in full. This strategy can help you earn a free flight or a free hotel room to use for your vacation. After you’ve earned your reward, save up for your next trip.
When you know you will be on an airplane for an extended amount of time, make sure you dress for the occasion. Wearing tight jeans will not be comfortable and will make you miserable by the end of the ride. Try sweatpants or a loose fitting cotton dress.
If you are traveling in an unknown territory, you can check out reviews of restaurants and hotels online. Having access to the internet on your smartphone, can be a really useful thing when deciding what hotel to spend the night in or where to dine. This can help you avoid bad areas and neighborhoods or really low rated restaurants.
If you take prescription medications, plan for your vacations. Carry enough of your medications with you to cover your entire trip plus an additional week. You will most likely not be able to fill prescriptions while traveling, plus you want to be covered if you are delayed at any point during your trip.
Make all your travel arrangements yourself
Book your flights online because many airlines will charge an extra fee when you talk with one of their workers to secure your travel plans. Check your bags online because doing it at the airport could also subject you to extra fees. Be as self-sufficient as possible to save money.
If you and a group of family or friends are traveling by car, bring a walkie talkie wherever you go. Cell phones need to have a cell tower in order to work properly. Walkie talkies only need each other, making them more beneficial than the phones when you are traveling in rural areas that might not have cell phone coverage.
To make traveling with children easier, make sure to bring plenty of entertainment. Pack coloring books, blank paper, markers and pens so they can color and write. There are a wide variety of travel games available in retail stores. These games are small enough to play on a child’s lap, and have pieces that lock into place to prevent messes.
Keep your bags on unupholstered furniture to prevent any kind of bed bug infestation. Check the room thoroughly to see if there are any but if you are feeling at all unsure, keep the baggage up. That is the way that the bed bugs are going to hitch a ride back to your home and begin their infestation there.
Never dress provocatively when traveling alone. Consider the culture that you are traveling to. The things that are not considered to be revealing in the states, may be considered offensive in other countries. Make sure to research acceptable attire before you leave for your trip. It could really save you some uncomfortable moments.
Before going on a road trip, make sure you have your car’s fluids checked (oil, coolant, brake fluid, ATF, windshield washer etc.) This not only saves you time by not having to do it sometime during the trip, but it can also help you avoid disastrous stalls along the way. Nothing is worse than being stuck in the middle of the road far from an auto shop during a road trip.
Rather than renting a car, consider using Uber, in most cases, its much less expensive than a rental. Besides, getting around through Athens can be a nightmare, let someone else do the driving for you.
You don’t have to stretch the bank to travel with safety and fun, and you can prepare the best when you are aware of what decisions are appropriate. As you make your plans, keep these tips in mind so you can make the best decisions possible regarding travel to anywhere in the world.