travel tips

Before you Fly

The first airline travel tips that you can follow will occur before you ever board the plane. First, make sure that you get to the airport with the recommended two hours to spare. This extra time will help to ensure that you get through security without jeopardizing your chances of making your flight and hopefully grab a bite to eat before you board. Keep in mind that liquids will not make it through the security staff, so wait to grab that Starbucks until you are actually on your concourse. Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off, since you will probably be doing just that in the security line, and keep your clothing loose and comfortable as well.

Stock your carry-on bag with any medications that you will require on your trip, and keep them in the original packages or bottles. Another good airline travel tip is to keep any valuable jewelry or electronics on your person, instead of tucking them into bags that will be checked. Keep your photo identification and your boarding pass handy, because you will be showing them a number of times before you make it to your gate. Once on the concourse, grab a light meal and a bottle of water or two if time permits. You are now ready to fly.

On Your Flight

Get There Early

One of the most important air travel tips, the one that will help to make up for any other problems along the way, is to get to the airport early.  Most airports won’t let you get a boarding pass unless you arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your flight, but you will also have to go through the security checkpoint.  Most people who fly suggest arriving at least two hours prior to your flight’s departure time, which is good number.  You don’t want to get stuck in the middle of the security line when your plane leaves the gate!

Pack Light

While every person’s definition of packing light is subjective, this is another one of the air travel tips that will make your flying experience easier.  Rather than try to manage the largest carry-on bag that you can get away with, pack a small bag with a book, some magazines, or whatever will get you through your flight, and pack a second bag that you can check.  If your bag is small enough, you can easily fit it under the seat in front of you, which makes getting on and off the plane easier.

Eat Before The Airport

In this set of tips for air travel, this is one that your wallet will appreciate most: eat before you go to the airport.  Many airports have a wonderful variety of businesses in their terminals so you can grab a bite to eat while waiting for your flight.  However, most of it is fast food, which is salty and greasy, and also overpriced.  Rather than spend two bucks on a bottle of soda that costs half that anywhere else, grab a bite to eat before you get to the airport.

Relax

Choosing the Luggage

Another travel packing tip to consider is in the selection of the suitcases that you will bring with you on your travels. If possible, opt for suitcases that have one sturdy handle that pulls up from the center of the top of the bag. This makes for much easier pulling, without hunching over or suitcase tipping problems. Garment bags can be lightweight methods for carrying dresses and suits that you will need to have for dressy evenings out, but if you have to stuff these bags too full of garments, be prepared for some serious de-wrinkling action in your hotel room. On the other hand, your carryon bag does not have to be anything too fancy; although a few separate compartments inside can help you grab your passport or boarding pass quickly and conveniently.

How to Fill It

Many frequent travelers swear by the travel packing tip of rolling clothing before placing it into suitcases, instead of the traditional folding method. Tightly rolling articles of clothing can not only reduce the amount of room needed in your luggage; it can also eliminate much of the wrinkling that you would normally see in folded clothing. When you select your clothing for packing, try to plan your travel wardrobe around one or two key colors, so that you can mix and match items to extend your outfit choices. Black is always a stylish choice, but khaki and navy can find their place in the basics as well. While clothing has its place in your luggage that you will check in, an important travel packing tip is to carry jewelry, medications and eyeglasses in your carryon for security reasons.

Number One: Reputation

One of the most important travel insurance tips is to be sure the company you would like to do business with has a good reputation.  There is nothing sadder than paying for travel insurance, something unfortunate happens, and the insurance company refuses to pay your claim for frivolous reasons.  If the company you are thinking about doing business with has a history of denying or not paying legitimate claims, you will want to find a different company to do business with.

Number Two:  Knowledge

Another one of the important travel insurance tips is to see if the company has in-depth knowledge of the travel insurance industry.  You want to do business with a company that knows what it is doing and that has knowledgeable service workers.  If all of your questions are answered with an “I don’t know” or “Let me get back to you on that,” it is a big red flag that this company may not be the best one to do business with.  

Number Three:  Price

Comparing prices is one of the travel insurance tips that are overlooked most often.  Remember that more expensive doesn’t always mean better.  Find out which insurance items you will need and purchase accordingly.  You do not need insurance that includes international travel if you are only flying two states away.

Number Four:  Coverage

Researching what is covered by the policy is another important topic for travel insurance tips.  Make sure that the policy states clearly what is covered in which circumstances.  Once again, you do not want to be injured far from home and discover that everything that you thought was covered under your travel insurance really isn’t.  An insurance company is not going to pay any claims that it can lawfully deny, so don’t get caught in that trap.

Regardless of age or income, everyone can benefit from money saving travel tips.  Whether aiming for a four-star, week-long vacation or a weekend getaway, there are travel tips that can save you money to be found with a little searching.  These tips can save you money on everything from hotels to airfare to food.

Money Saving Travel Tips For Lodging

One of the best money saving travel tips for saving money on lodging is compare prices.  Prices for hotel rooms can vary greatly, even if the hotels are located close to each other.  If booking a hotel room online, check several different sites for the same hotel rooms.  Chances are the price on one site will be lower than the prices on other sites.

Another tip for saving on lodging is try to be flexible.  For example, in Virginia Beach, a hotel room with an ocean view is more than twice as much per night than the hotel room with all of the same amenities but without an ocean view directly across the street.  If you are intending to spend your vacation days on the beach, an ocean view may not be necessary and that extra money could be spent towards something else.  With a little research, money saving travel tips can save you quite a bit of money over the length of your vacation.

Money Saving Travel Tips For Dining

One of the biggest expenses of any vacation is food.  With some money saving travel tips and a little prior planning, you can minimize the amount that you will pay for dining.  The first tip is to research restaurants in the area before leaving on vacation.  This way you know what types of restaurants are in the area and the price ranges for these restaurants.  Many people on vacation walk into a restaurant that they’ve never been in before and pay a much higher price than they intended to spend for the meal.  By choosing which restaurants you will eat in before you leave for the trip, you will eliminate the possibility of sticker shock when you see the menu.