Little Travel Tips

Added 9/8/2010

Booking a swimming vacation? Just because the hotel or condo is beachfront, doesn't mean swimming is allowed. For example, there could be dangerous currents in front of the resort. So contact the hotel or resort and make sure the beach in front is a swimming beach.

Booking a hotel as a single? Don't assume the room rate is less than for a double. Be sure to check the rate on the double and, if the same, book the double for a larger room. Especially if booking in Europe where the rooms tend to be much smaller than in the U.S.

Going to the United Kingdom? Most British post offices will change foreign currency without any commission charge.

Check out the expiration dates of your credit and/or debit cards before going away. You don't want them to expire while you are away from home.


Added 7/28/2008

Here's another one on being nice to the cleaning staff. Some hotels don't allow a late checkout. If you would like to stay in your room a bit longer, look for your housekeeper. Ask her if she can clean your room last. Give her a nice tip and enjoy your room for a few more hours.

Looking for a better hotel price? Call the hotel directly and ask for the very best price. Still not happy? As them if they can do any better. Tell them what you are looking to pay (Gee...I was looking for something under $100.). If they have a lot of unbooked rooms for the night(s) of your stay, you just might get the rate you want.

If you'd like to visit multiple cities with one frequent flyer ticket you just might be able to do it, particularly if one of those cities is your airline's hub where you'd have to change planes anyway. Call your airline. You might be able to spend a few days in the hub city, then continue on to your other destination, and do it all on one frequent flyer ticket.

Don't assume that package deals offer the biggest bang for the buck. Get on the e-mail list for the hotel, airlines, car rental, etc that you want to use so you get alerted to specials. Add up all the components before booking the package. You might be surprised to find out that each part booked separately actually saves you money.

If you need a dark room to sleep in you probably get pretty annoyed at window drapes that don't close completely. Throw some clip clothespins in your suitcase to take care of the problem. Or grab a skirt hanger out of the closet. The clips on a skirt hanger will work well also.




Added 7/6/2008

Frequent flyers might be getting statements in the mail. Don’t simply discard the enclosures. Very often they contain information on earning double or triple miles if you stay at a certain hotel. And who knows….that particular hotel just might fit in with some upcoming plans.

If you’ll be traveling internationally and taking expensive equipment with you, photocopy the serial number and the receipt to take with you. Or, alternately, register your equipment with U.S. Customs. That way you don’t have to argue with the Customs official as to where your equipment was purchased.

Don’t drink the water. At least that’s the rule in a lot of countries. And that goes for the ice cubes too! (I’ll never forget the pisco sour I had in Peru. I forgot to ask if the ice cubes were made with bottled water!) If you must have ice cubes, think about bringing a cheap disposable ice cube tray with you. Fill it with bottled water and freeze them in your hotel room refrigerator.

If you’ll be at a hotel for a few days and usually leave a tip for housekeeping at the end of your stay, consider tipping at the beginning of your stay. Introduce yourself and give your housekeepers their tip. Bet you won’t run out of fresh coffee and clean towels during your stay.

To save some money on food, check out the deli counter in grocery stores. In the U.S. there is usually a huge variety of fresh food, both hot and cold. Or simply grab some cheese and a loaf of fresh bread. Add a bottle of local (and inexpensive) wine if you’d like.

When buying city maps, look for laminated ones. Using a dark erasable marker, circle what you want to see during the day. Once your destinations are laid out on the map, it is easy to plan your route. Then, for the next day, erase the previous day’s markings and start again.



Added 6/28/2008

I don't know about you but to me traveling can sometimes be pretty overwhelming. From researching hotels or car rentals online, to fitting all of your clothes into a bag small enough to carry on board, to getting through airport security, wouldn't it be nice if everything was just simpler, easier or cheaper.

So I'm starting, here, to list a bunch of quick travel tips that, one way or another, I've managed to come across. And to keep it simple and easy, I'll write about just a few over several posts. Some you'll already be familiar with, I'm sure. But if you start seeing new-to-you tips, don't forget to check back here for more.

Here’s an oldie but goodie to help save for your trip. Get a large jar and, when you come home at the end of your day, deposit all your coins into it. Or, for another spin on this, take a $1 or $5 bill out of your wallet and tuck it away. After a while deposit the money into a special vacation savings account.

Frequent flyers might be getting statements in the mail. Don’t simply discard the enclosures. Very often they contain information on earning double or triple miles if you stay at a certain hotel. And who knows….that particular hotel just might fit in with some upcoming plans.

If you’ll be traveling internationally and taking expensive equipment with you, photocopy the serial number and the receipt to take with you. Or, alternately, register your equipment with U.S. Customs. That way you don’t have to argue with the Customs official as to where your equipment was purchased.

Don’t drink the water. At least that’s the rule in a lot of countries. And that goes for the ice cubes too! (I’ll never forget the pisco sour I had in Peru. I forgot to ask if the ice cubes were made with bottled water!) If you must have ice cubes, think about bringing a cheap disposable ice cube tray with you. Fill it with bottled water and freeze them in your hotel room refrigerator.

If you’ll be at a hotel for a few days and usually leave a tip for housekeeping at the end of your stay, consider tipping at the beginning of your stay. Introduce yourself and give your housekeepers their tip. Bet you won’t run out of fresh coffee and clean towels during your stay.

To save some money on food, check out the deli counter in grocery stores. In the U.S. there is usually a huge variety of fresh food, both hot and cold. Or simply grab some cheese and a loaf of fresh bread. Add a bottle of local (and inexpensive) wine if you’d like.

When buying city maps, look for laminated ones. Using a dark erasable marker, circle what you want to see during the day. Once your destinations are laid out on the map, it is easy to plan your route. Then, for the next day, erase the previous day’s markings and start again.

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