Avoid Common Travel Disasters with these Great Travel Tips

Travel can be much easier and a lot more fun if you observe a few simple rules. This article presents several important travel tips that will help keep you safe and sound on your next trip.

(c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann

• Know the location of your destination airport. Many cities have more than one. If they are several miles apart and you have booked accommodations close to the wrong airport, you could be in for a big surprise when you land.

• Investigate airport codes. London International Airport in London, Ontario, Canada is YXU. London City Airport in London, UK is LCY. Both cities have the same name, but are on different continents. Know where you (and your luggage) are going before you fly.

• Always allow two hours between connecting flights when you are booking airfare. This allows some leeway for delays.

• Check with your mobile wireless carrier to see what your plan covers. It might be cheaper to get an international SIM card or cell phone for your trip.

• Skip airport delays by printing boarding passes at home and/or downloading to your smartphone. Having a printed pass is useful if you happen to lose your phone or it is stolen.

• Travel insurance is a must. If you fall ill while away from home, you might find that your current insurance does not cover things like emergency transport or special medical treatment overseas.

• Make a list of things that you must remember before you leave. Post next to the door and double check prior to leaving home.

• Remember your passport, ID, tickets, and other important documents. Keep them all together in a single place so that you do not forget them. These items should be on your list in the above tip.

• Scan copies of all documents and save to your smartphone or a flash drive. In addition, send the scanned documents to an online email address that you can access while you travel.

• Ensure that the names on all tickets exactly match the names on IDs and passports that you will be using during your trip.

• Remember glasses and/or contacts, medications, allergy treatments, and necessary health care products. They should go in your carry-on if you are flying.

• Pack noise-cancelling headphones. They will allow you to relax and listen to your music, language recordings, or movies without distraction, no matter what your mode of travel.

• Be sure to dress appropriately for both departure and destination locales. Check the weather online before leaving and be aware of seasonal fluctuations that can occur (like hurricanes during hurricane season or rainstorms during the rainy season in tropical destinations.) Dress in layers for optimum flexibility.

• Make a note of where you park your car in the parking lot of an attraction or airport. Jot down the details on a piece of paper and/or save on your smartphone.

Paying attention to these tips should make your next trip a little easier and allow you to enjoy yourself more.