No matter what type of travel you’re planning, you definitely want to plan everything out prior to departure. Here are some tips to help you.

When traveling by airplane, it is important that you think ahead. Most airports are close to major urban areas, making them difficult to get to at busy times of day, like rush hour. Pack what you can the night before your flight so you are sure to be ready to leave the next day. Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare for your flight. Missing your flight is something you do not want to experience.

To enhance your personal safety in hotels, bring along a doorstopper. When you are on the road in countries with little or no development, you want some more security with you in the room while sleeping. If you do not have a door that is equipped with a chain or deadbolt, use a wedge doorstop before retiring at night.

Include identification inside your bags in addition to outside of them. It’s easy for a luggage tag to fall of if it’s hanging off your luggage. Place your contact information and itinerary in your luggage in case it gets lost.

Ice Bucket

If you drink coffee, sit out some hotel ice so it melts. Since the tap water may not taste too good, fill the ice bucket with ice and let it melt while you sleep. As the sun rises and your eyes open, you can be assured the water in the ice bucket is clean, filtered and ideal to drink or use for your morning java.

If you plan to travel abroad with kids, try packing a couple cookies sheets. They can be used to make flat surfaces for playing cards or a surface for coloring books. If you are travelling with little kids, think about bringing magnetic toys like educational numbers and letters.

Make sure you have a space reserved to park at the airport if you’re going to leave your car while you travel. Parking on your first vacation day may cost a lot. Try to take a bus or cab to save even more.

Know what the currency exchange rates are ahead of your vacation, to make budgeting easier and faster. That way, you don’t have to worry about spending more money than you realize. Doing this will allow you to maximize fun while minimizing spending.

Consider purchasing a yearly National Park Pass if you plan to visit more than a couple times a year. The pass is $50, and it can be used at any of the parks for a year.

Take lots of breaks when driving with kids. These stops are great for restroom breaks and the chance to stretch a bit. Getting little kids out of cars here and there can help them avoid motion sickness. Though you may be traveling longer, your stress will be reduced.

Booking travel online is a great way to get everything done at once. When you visit a good travel site, you can plan an excellent itinerary quickly and easily. You can make hotel reservations, schedule flights and set up rental cars with the use of your computer. You will be able to see reviews and pictures of hotels without having to go anywhere. You can also find deals on travel sites, and they often offer great last minute deals, too.

Jet Lag

Make sure you don’t fall asleep before eight pm so you can adjust faster to a different time zone. If you go to bed early, even if you’re tired, it can make your jet lag stay longer because you keep your body in sync with the time zone from home. You will overcome jet lag fast if you help your body quickly adjust to the time zone changes.

Make sure you tip well. When you board the boat, give the steward twenty dollars. Since you’ll probably have the same employees caring for you on the whole trip, being generous with them will ensure that your trip goes well.

Going on a long road trip is a great excuse for bringing along your favorite music. Bringing music along gives you a constant source of enjoyment, unlike the radio which can have interference at times.

It’s important to get up once in a while to stretch your muscles and get your blood circulating. Being in a sitting position for a long time can do harm to your muscles and even cause blood clots.

Once you travel and plan the trip well, you can have a more comfortable stay at the destination. Then you can travel with more confidence and be prepared for the little issues or delays that always seem to pop up.