Planning Tips for Avoiding Vacation Disaster

A stress free travel experience is what you need when planning your next vacation. Have you ever gone on vacation and then when you get back, you need another vacation to recover? I have been travelling with my career for more than 20 years and I assure you that I know what I am talking about when it comes to travel tips. I hope these simple and easy tips will help you plan so you can enjoy your vacation even more.

The first travel tip to remember is that you are on vacation and you do not need everything that you have at home. Pack light, and ladies... this means you. I know that you want to have the perfect pair of shoes for each outfit, but if your shoes are not the same color as your hat, sunglasses and watch... not a single person is going to notice, and if they do notice, who cares anyway because you are on vacation and you are suppose to have a stress free trip. Right? Ok, here is the compromise, take a few pairs of shoes, but use simple colors that will match all of your outfits. Take black shoes or clear shoes that can match anything. Take just the essentials, toiletry and hygiene products are a must, but taking your hairdryer is not. All hotels have hairdryers, irons and ironing boards. If you forget items like a razor, hotels keep items like that on hand just for you.

Since we are referring to packing light, please forget the snacks. Trust me, unless you are diabetic and you need a snack on hand for medical reasons, you do not need a snack. If you want a snack when you are travelling, there are plenty of stores everywhere in the world for you to get a snack and drink. Trust me, leave the food home. It is just more to get in the way.

If you are flying, be sure to know the baggage restrictions and costs for airlines as they are changing all the time. Keep some single one dollar bills on hand for tips, and know when you tip and when not to. Tip your bellman at the hotel $1.00 for each bag that they transport for you. This should be $2.00 per bag in New York , Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. It is ok to tip more. Trust me, if you tip bigger at the beginning of your trip, people will come running when you request something. This also works in clubs, bars, and with beach or pool waiters. As an example, if you tip someone $10.00 when you receive your first drink, you will never have to look for them or have any delay in service, not to mention if you are in line for a drink, you probably will get served first.

My next tip for a perfect vacation is to have a reserve of cash in your bank account for unexpected things. What if you get robbed? What if you need a new ticket home? Trust me, if your vacation budget is $1500.00, keep an extra $200.00 or $300.00 that you do not plan on spending as an emergency fund.

Another tip is to use a travel agency. You can get really good deals and save hours of time searching websites for the best airfare or hotel rates. Many times travel agents have package deals with really nice accommodations for very good prices that are not advertised. You can search for reputable travel agencies at www.travel-findings.com

My last tip is to not book any events in advance for your vacation. Instead, make a list of what you want to do with costs and the info for the event, but decide when you are there when and what you want to do. You will find yourself more relaxed without the stress of meeting a time schedule.