Traveling can be pretty intimidating to someone that has never gone on a trip before. It can easily lead to a bit of information overload because of all of the resources you can access. Below are some tips to help you in organizing this information so that you can start traveling smarter and safer.
If you’re traveling to a country where you’re likely to want to enjoy a bottle of wine, bring along your own corkscrew. If you don’t know the area or speak the language, tracking down a corkscrew just for that impromptu picnic can turn a relaxing afternoon into a harried scavenger hunt.
On your next flight, chew gum to keep your ears from popping on take off. The pressure changes during a flight can pop your ears. This is not particularly painful. It is, however, rather annoying. Before take off, start chewing a stick of gum. This will often prevent your ears from popping or at least, ease the pressure.
To stay in good health, you should go see your doctor after traveling abroad. Ask your doctor to test you for exotic diseases to make sure you have not contracted anything while abroad. Just in case you contracted something, you can get the help you need quickly and not contaminate the people around you.
If you’re far away from home and find that you’ve left your phone charger at home, call the front desk of your hotel and explain the situation. Most hotels save the abandoned or forgotten chargers that are left in hotel rooms; if your phone is a fairly common model, it might save you from paying fifty dollars for a charger that you only use for one or two days.
Traveling with children is very different than traveling alone or with adults. Young children in general do not have the social skills to always behave as they should. Be patient with children, bring along a lot of healthy snacks and even a few unhealthy ones to help their temperament. Be sure to have lots of easily accessible activities handy as well. Try to avoid travel when your child is extremely sick if at all possible.
When flying, always try to pack light. Mix and match outfits and pack only the essentials when possible. Packing just one suitcase means less baggage to carry through busy airports and security. It also means more cash in your pocket, with the rising baggage fees most airlines charge.
Take earplugs for flights and hotel stays. With the right level of noise blocking you can eliminate the volume that accompanies airplane travel. Also sleeping in hotels in an unfamiliar location can be hit or miss as far as the outside noise level. These earplugs can be the difference in a good night’s sleep or a grouchy morning.
Hopefully, these tips have provided you with some very valuable information, as well as given you a way to organize all of the thoughts and information you may have already had on traveling. Keeping these tips in mind when you start traveling can help you enjoy more of your trip.