What I mean is, I like to plan ahead a little when I go away so I can avoid those little headaches that people generally mention when they come home from their trip.
You know the ones: "Our flight got delayed / we couldn't find a taxi / my wallet went missing..."
I know sometimes you can't avoid these things, but I do have a couple of tricks up my sleeve ready just in case they happen to me. So why not share them with you and make your travel nice and easy too :)
Here are my 4 Quick Planning Tips for Easy Travel:
Book a driver before you depart rather than look for a taxi for when you arrive:
A driver doesn't actually cost much more than a taxi and you can get all of these extra benefits:- You'll know when you book how much it will cost
- Your driver will know the correct route to your destination (and won't ask you!)
- Your driver will meet you in the airport terminal (with a cool name card) so you don't have to wander around the airport trying to find your ride
- It's safer when travelling alone as you can let someone know back home who is picking you up at the airport
Keep your travel documents in one place as you receive them:
You can staple all of your papers together, or put them in a binder, or - my personal favourite - pop them into a travel wallet. If all of your travel documents (airline tickets, hotel booking confirmation, itinerary, etc) are in one place you can just grab them and go when you leave for your trip. Handy Hint: Put your documents in the order you will use them while travelling to save you searching through them all on the spot when you need one.Have a back up for money while you are away:
The last time I travelled, my credit card snapped in two on the morning of my trip. I had no time to get a replacement! Luckily I had an eftpos card and mobile banking on my iPhone so I could transfer my savings on the go whenever I needed money. It also helps to have an overdraft set up on one of your accounts if you'll be relying on credit anyway for your trip - but this can be dangerous budget wise, so if you can save some money before your trip, it's worth it. I was also able to pay people via PayPal while I was away - straight from my iPhone. It was extremely useful :)Plan to enjoy your down time:
Flight delayed? No problem if you have a book / ebook you have been waiting to read but haven't had time for. Or load up a movie on your ipad / iphone before you go. Bring chargers for your technology as battery will run out fast if you're using it for entertainment. I have a friend who saves catch up phone calls and emails for the airport and does it all on her phone (what did we ever do without them?!?)Small tricks like these can really make a difference to your holiday - no more "It would have been perfect if not for...." stories, just great memories!
What are your tips for easy travel?
Credits:
Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
