Are you afraid of flying? Is it keeping you and your family members from going to the destinations around the world that you want to see?
Check out www.fearofflying.com. Captain Tom Bunn’s website has a ton of free information to ease the fears of even the most nervous flyers. If the website is not enough, he has several programs that walk you through everything from how airplanes work, to calming the anxiety before and during your flight. There is no need to suffer through flying anymore.
If you are tired of having your jewelry arrive at your destination in knots, try this trick. Use straws to thread necklaces through and then place them parallel to one another on a washcloth. Roll them up into the washcloth, tuck them into your luggage, and there will be no more tangles!
We all know security measures have changed in recent years, and we all know the importance of locking our luggage. When doing so make sure to use Transportation Security Administration- TSA locks. These locks have a special key used by TSA agents to access the contents of your luggage, and do not need to be cut to search your luggage. The packaging for these locks will tell you if they are TSA approved. Locking your luggage without TSA approved locks runs the risk that they will be cut off during a search, leaving your luggage contents vulnerable to theft.
When you are traveling abroad its important to create and carry copies of your passports and credit cards. This way, if anything is stolen you can provide the appropriate numbers to the necessary parties if required to do so. Make sure to carry these copies SEPARATELY from your cards and passports! Also, make sure you copy the backs of your cards so that you have the customer service phone number if necessary.
If you are going to be traveling in an area that you do not normally make purchases in, you want to take a few moments to contact your credit card companies and let them know. This will hopefully prevent their fraud department from flagging your account, and stopping charges from going through while you are away.
Also look on the back of your card and make note of the collect phone number. This is the number you will want to write down, and keep in a safe place for travel overseas. The 800 number will not work overseas, so this is how you will get in touch with your credit card company in the event your card is declined, lost, or stolen.
Keep in mind that your credit card credit limit is in US Dollars. In recent months many currencies, including the Euro and Great British Pound, have become significantly more valuable than the dollar, so your credit limit will not go as far. Look at exchange rates before you travel abroad to see how far your money will go.
It seems that everyone goes on vacation and has a hard time fitting into their luggage on the trip home. Whether your luggage just won’t zip, or it is significantly heavier on the way home, this can happen for a number of reasons.
Sometimes we buy too much stuff while we are away. Everyone wants to bring home a little souvenir from their travels, so that can be a likely culprit.
Sometimes if you live in a dry climate, such as the Northeast, and travel to a moist climate such as Florida, your clothes will absorb moisture and weigh more on your way home. So you can have the same stuff take up more space, and weigh more on the way home.
Most airlines have a 50 pound limit for checked luggage, otherwise you will be hit with steep fees for overweight luggage. So, how will you fit everything into your luggage?
Purchase a duffle bag. I prefer the Adventure Duffle from LL Bean. You can buy it with or without wheels. Store it under your clothes on your way to your vacation destination. On your way home, unfold it and use it to store your new treasures, or clothes that won’t fit! Make sure to have a luggage tag and lock ready to go for it!
Here is the link for the Adventure Duffle:
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=33458&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&from=SR&feat=sr
On your way home from a vacation, the clothes never seem to fit in the way they did when you were at home. This is because they have been worn, absorbed moisture, and have been crinkled. So what is the best way to pack?
Solve this problem by folding clothes when packing from home, and rolling them when packing to return home. This will allow you to take very little time putting the clothes back into the suitcase, but they will be more orderly that just squishing them in.
With the new weight limits that airlines are imposing, and the cost of going over, you can’t afford to be caught my surprise at the check in desk. Travel with a digital luggage scale, and make sure you luggage is under the limit!
Here is one sold at LL Bean.
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=45660&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&feat=sr&freeText=scale
These little travel companions are worth their weight in gold. Luggage cubes allow you to segregate your items from one another – socks in one, tees in another, etc. You can even separate clean items from dirty. They also allow you to easily unpack when you arrive at your destination. Or if you want to keep all of your clothing in your suitcase, it will stay organized throughout the trip. You will not have to rummage through all of your clothes to find the last pair of socks.
They come in a variety of colors and sizes so be sure to experiment and find what works best for you!
http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=17978505&itemIndex=1&CATID=251&PRODID=61390
As we all prepare for spring break, school vacations, and eventually, summer vacations, it is important to remember that travel is supposed to be fun! This month I will give you tips to make travel stress free and help you stay organized throughout your trip!
RSS - Posts
