You may forget important traveling factors when you’re hurrying to drive to the next destination or to catch a flight. Planning, therefore, is crucial to having a smooth trip. The following article will give you some ideas on what you need to do before your trip.
If you are planning to travel to a country in a very different time zone to yours, make sure you factor jet lag into your plans. Having a low key, relaxing first day planned will get your trip off to a good start, and avoid you having to explore when all you want to do is sleep.
Plan your packing. In these days of baggage fees and weight limits, most travelers carry one suitcase. To fit everything in, you need to be a smart packer. Check the weather forecast for your destination and choose outfits that you can mix and match. Opt for layers, which can easily be added or removed as the temperature changes. Also remember to wear your heavier/bulkier shoes so that they don’t hog too much space in your luggage.
Do not bother packing your entire makeup case. Makeup cases are bulky and often take up a lot of room. Instead, put any makeup you anticipate needing for your trip in a simple ziplock bag. Put it in your suitcase’s side pocket. This will save a lot of room when packing.
Airlines
If you are worried about traveling with a large carry-on bag, plan ahead. Airlines usually board in groups of five or ten rows, so pick a seat in row 11 or 21, not row 19. Also, as soon as the airline calls the seat block ahead of you, go get in line. This way you’re waiting at the front instead of the back.
Do not travel with wrapped gifts. When traveling for the holidays, it is tempting to get things done ahead of time and wrap all of your gifts, but don’t! The TSA does not allow wrapped gifts onto airlines and they may need to unwrap the gifts to inspect their contents.
Know the rules for your airline’s baggage check policy. Some airlines will make you go and claim your baggage and recheck it for connecting flights. Be aware of this so you can schedule flights accordingly. You do not want to get caught running across an airport to catch a flight because of baggage!
Plan far in advance when booking flights around holidays. Normally you can find the best deal by waiting until the last second to buy a ticket. However, around the holidays airlines know that they will be busy so they start increasing the price early as people panic and decide to buy tickets. If you absolutely want to travel during the holiday season you should purchase your tickets as soon as possible.
Think about how you can improve upon your next trip. While the above article is helpful, there is still so much more to learn. Keep this information in mind and start planning for the future. If implemented, these tips will improve the quality of your trip.