Top 10 Travel Tips

I was going to call this post "Tour Planning Tips" but I realized that most people aren't planning trips for large groups. However, many of you will probably take a vacation at some point, so I thought I would share these tips. And on the subject of vacations, they are really important! Our bodies and our minds were not meant to work constantly 24/7. This is something I keep re-learning as I forget to take breaks. So whether you are a freelance contractor, like me, or an employee, manager or student make sure you plan a rest for yourself. If you don't plan it, it won't happen, and then your brain will switch off or you'll have to run away to Europe (not the worst option).

Planning the trip is half of the fun! And will instantly lift your spirits as you look forward to it.

Heidi's Top 10 Travel Tips

1. Do Your Homework. There is something to be said for the backpacking trip where one books a round trip plane ticket and leaves the rest up to chance. I hope to take that kind of adventure someday. However, most times you will be planning more aspects of your trip, so step one is do do some research. Get to know the area you are visiting, lookup other traveller's reviews on TripAdvisor or other websites. If you are booking a hotel, TripAdvisor Room Tips are great to help you pick the newest, quietest space. Turn on Private Browsing on your internet browser as you compare hotels, flights, and car rentals. Often the prices will go up if the websites track you searching the same parameters.

2. Talk to a Real Person. This may seem obvious for those of you who grew up before Google, but for those of you who didn't, listen up. Often I find it's faster to get the information I need about a hotel or flight connection by calling directly. It's also easier to ask a real person if they have any discounts or special offers. Some hotels have phone-only discounts available, and others will be able to tell you that the rooms on the first floor have been recently renovated. Clarify fees over the phone, and ask to get emailed a copy of the quote if you are not booking right away.

3. Plan Your Meals. One of my favourite parts of travelling is discovering new restaurants. The website/app Urbanspoon is particularly helpful for this in larger cities. Sometimes it's nice to stumble across a gem of a restaurant, but other times you will be hungry and just want to eat. Plan a few go-to meal places so you're not stuck at the hotel restaurant or with pizza delivery. (This is especially important when your dance company is in small-town BC and needing dinner at 11pm).

4. Get the rewards. It's free to join most frequent flyer and hotel rewards programs. Even if you don't fly often, the rewards often last for 5-10 years, so small trips can add up. Any international flights will give you a huge amount of points, which can often be used for rewards such as cameras, groceries, clothing, etc. And you can earn things like Air Miles and Aeroplan points through day-to-day purchases anyways. A hazard of signing up for every program is that you'll end up with a few extra wallets, but I think it's worth it. (If you travel for work, make sure that you or your company is adding frequent flyer numbers to the bookings. You can still earn the points when someone else pays for the flight)

5. Pack well. There are lots of articles on how to pack well for travel, so I won't repeat them. Again, a little bit of planning will save you stress and overweight baggage fees. I have recently started using packing cubes to organize and love them. I bought the Onsight Clothes Box from Mountain Equipment Co-op.

6. Don't go into debt. Part of planning a vacation or a trip, or a dance tour, is budgeting. If you can't afford a vacation, don't put yourself into debt to go. Look into other more affordable options or use some or all of your rewards points. House-sitting or volunteer trips can be good ways to see a new area, take a break, and save some money. That said, make your budgeting realistic and set aside enough money to keep it low stress. If your vacation budget means you have to eat at McDonald's every day just to get to Prague, you're not going to enjoy the trip. And if you have more than one bag plan to take a taxi to the airport instead of trying to take the Canada Line. Your travel day will be much more pleasant.

7. Allow for contingency time. Most of these tips seem to have to do with the planning side of things, which if you know me should not be a surprise. I love having the key things planned and orderly, so that I can relax and enjoy myself. Things go wrong with travel, flights are delayed, bags are lost, or the Santa Claus parade delays the airport shuttle. Allow yourself extra time in your travel plans, whether you be driving, busing, or flying. If you ever think to yourself "that connection is a little tight, but I can make it" the connection is too tight. Remember that with any travel you also need time to eat, visit the bathroom, and navigate a new space. Better to have an extra hour enjoying a leisurely lunch that to be running across O'Hare. (This tip should be #1 if you have children or people with mobility challenges with you)

8. Bring things to travel well. Travel days suck the energy out of you, even if you are excited and are going somewhere warm. More so if you are on a red-eye from Vancouver to Charlottetown at the end of November (ask me how that one goes next week). Bring along things to make you comfortable and happy. My essentials are: gum, full water bottle, book or magazine, podcasts, and snacks. Other things that are awesome: neck pillows, earplugs, sleep mask, crosswords, iPad. Make sure you bring some entertainment in case the TVs cut out, or if you are flying in the US where many planes don't have TVs. If travelling with kids, bring toys and books! Don't forget to plan your meals and hydration, as most airlines charge ridiculous amounts for an average sandwich once you're in the air.

9. Don't over-schedule.  This is one I keep re-learning, in all aspects of my life. I like to fit as much as possible into a day. But you're on vacation, and the Louvre will still be there next time you're in Paris. Whether you're on vacation or travelling for business, you still need to have some restful "me" time scheduled in. It might be doing some exercise, or going for a walk, or getting room service instead of going out for food. Make sure you don't overextend yourself (and remind me to take my own advice).

10. Enjoy Yourself! Have fun! And let me know what your best travel tips are, or when a trip went horribly wrong!


Links:
Lifehacker.com has lots of great articles on travel, efficiency, and packing. Just set yourself a time limit or you could spend all day there.

How to Fit Two Weeks of Luggage Under the Seat In Front of You (also from LifeHacker)