Traveling is full of important decisions — such as which country to see, how much to invest, and when to stop waiting and eventually make that all-important airfare buy. But past the big image, it’s the small things which can make a trip easier and less stressful. Listed below are 10 simple but intelligent tips to smooth the way on the next vacation.
1. Park with your auto nose out.
If you come back to your car to discover a dead battery, broken windows because of thievery or any other possible problem, you will want your vehicle to be parked nose out for easier access to the battery, or for a simpler hook-up to a tow truck.
2. Leave time to market lots.
As airports expand, they need more parking spaces; these spaces are more often found in parking lots which are off-airport in every respect but title.
You’ll also discover that these lots are often considerably lower-priced compared to other lots. As a result of this, they are the perfect place for economy-minded travelers, especially for longer trips where you’re racking up a couple of days’ worth of parking prices. Also, these are the last lots to fill up; if you are flying during peak travel periods, you might have no option but to use these remote lots.
I have discovered that buses and monorails run frequently to these lots, but I always need around 20 to 30 minutes longer than I’d in less distant parking lots. If you’re trying to spend less, or are traveling over a significant holiday weekend, leave additional time to get from the lot to the terminal.
3. Pack essentials on your carry-on.
Recent statistics indicate that, typically, at least one bag on each flight is delayed or lost. If there’s anything you can not live without, pack it into your own carry-on. This is particularly true of items that aren’t easily or inexpensively replaced, like running shoes or a lightweight raincoat.
And you will get through airport security faster if you package your carry-on better. By way of instance, have your quart-size plastic tote with liquids and gels packed in an external pouch or right near the top of your bag so you can easily pull it out for screening.
4. Know your resort information.
If a) your luggage is delayed or lost; b) you miss your link and will be late checking in; or c) you will a destination you have never visited before, you will want to have complete contact information to your hotel on your own person. Before you leave home, print out the resort’s name, address, and telephone number, and program the latter into your mobile phone. It’s also a good idea to print out a map of the resort’s neighborhood, whether for your own use or to reveal to some confused taxi driver.
5. Just take the old money with you.
Exchanging foreign currency after you have returned home is a hassle, especially considering that almost nobody spends any time in a genuine bank nowadays. Why else do so many travelers have a lot of funny cash lying around?
If you travel abroad with any frequency and possess any stray foreign currency laying around, take it with you the next time you cross international boundaries. Then, when you get some local currency, you can swap the amount from any other country at exactly the exact same time.
6. Save your boarding pass.
Do you usually throw your boarding pass after you step off the airplane? You may want to reconsider. Your boarding pass can act as evidence of travel if your airline fails to give you the appropriate credit for frequent flier miles; this sort of problem is very common if you are flying to a codeshare partner of the airline in question. Your boarding pass may also be used as a receipt for tax purposes, especially if you’re self-employed.
7. Know when to use — and when to jump — the skycaps.
Skycap upside: You check at the curb, lose the bulky bag, and head directly to your gate.
Skycap downside: They do not offer you a seat assignment, and they cost a couple of bucks. (Do not forget to tip; skycaps frequently are not paid a complete wage and rely on tips to make their living.)
So when is it best to utilize the skycaps, and when can you bypass them?
First off, if you are running late, the skycaps can get you on a plane you would miss otherwise.
I do it this way, I walk in the terminal and have a look at both the length of the line for check and the clock. If the line is not too long, and I’ve got enough time, I go for the check-in; I get your seat assignments, can make any special requests, get credit for frequent flier miles, and can best address any issues with the flight such as delays or cancellations.
If the point is long and time is tight, then I walk out into the skycaps, tip them well and sprint into the gate. As I mentioned previously, your luggage may not move as fast as you do, but the skycaps will make the effort.
1 other situation: you have loads of time, but know that your flight is almost complete, and the line is extended. Every moment spent in line is another moment the aisle and window seats are given away. If you check in using all the skycap, then sprint to the gate to your seat assignment, you may often realize that the line at the gate is considerably shorter than at check, and you will really get your seat assignment faster.
8. Get your seat assignments ASAP.
As I mentioned previously, every moment you pass with no seat assignment is another moment your window or aisle seat is given to somebody else. Your very best bet is to check-in online, which may typically be performed up to 24 hours ahead of your flight. But note that not all flights, airlines, or courses of travel license advance check-in (or seating assignments).
9. Mark your luggage with an easily recognizable product.
The times of flower-pattern steamer trunks are long gone now all of us buy our bags in the exact stores in the same manufacturers.
The result: an endless stream of almost equal bags on the baggage carousel. The solution: mark your luggage by tying a colorful ribbon, stitching an exceptional patch, or putting a huge sticker on your own bags. You won’t see other passengers yanking your luggage off the carousel to test for their small name tags, and you will have the ability to see your suitcases come out the door from miles off.
10. Recall your flight number.
This may look like a no-brainer, but understanding your flight number can make your life easier in little or overseas airports that don’t list the full names of destination airports, or record by flight number independently.
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