Travelers put up with inconveniences that not only result in uncomfortable traveling but make us 2nd guess taking another trip. Travel comfort tips do not require a luxury budget to implement. The masses of people are unaware of some very straight forward tips, techniques and travel accessories in the marketplace, available to everyone and on an affordable budget. I would like to bring to your attention the pitfalls of travel to avoid and to steer you in the right direction of the smart traveler’s choice of comfort and stress free travel tips .
The Pitfalls of Travel can be Avoided.
Have you ever arrived at an airport or started out on your travels, dead tired, with bulging suitcases, and a chaotic itinerary in hand or perhaps no plans at all? Have you ever been subjected to exhaustive security checks, spent several hours crammed in tight travel quarters, coming away from your journey irritable, hungry, exhausted and uncomfortable? Have you ever suffered from a dead cell phone at a crucial moment, being caught in the rain and no back up dry clothing, and standing in long lineups for events and attractions? Have you ever overpaid for inadequate and ordinary meals and services? This list of uncomfortable travel situations goes on and on and happens regularly for the unorganized, unplanned traveler.
While spontaneity can be applauded for the carefree heart and can result in some great travel experiences, they must be prepared to put up with the hardships that may accompany uncharted travel plans. The uninformed and ill-planned traveler may end up in a multitude of costly and compromising situations which may result from:
– lack of reservations
– not taking advantage of discounts
– inadequate travel space
– overcrowded venues
– seasonal closures
– long lineups
– booking the wrong adult or family section
– inadequate vehicle rental insurance
– physical impairments due to jet lag, sleep deprivation, motion sickness
– suffering from improper food and snack availability
– ignoring safety and health guidelines
– packing improper clothing and footwear
– non securing of travel documents, financial and personal valuables
– lack of personal convenience items
While this does not include an exhaustive list of scenarios, it surely represents an array of pitfalls that the unplanned traveler may succumb to, which may cause financial hardship, be a detriment to our health, and at least cause travel discomfort.
Identification of Travel Styles and Preferences.
The discerning traveler must come to terms with their preferred style of travel and plan their travel accordingly. The travel choices are tremendous and exhilarating to each of us, and range from 5 star accommodations, business class travel, Michelin star dining, to backpacking, hostels, cooking your own meals, and every level in between. We have choices to make whether it be international travel, domestic locales, adult only or family venues, urban or rural settings, stay cations. Making prudent destination choices will enhance our ultimate travel enjoyment. Financial budgets should be a major factor (to be noted later). Booking into a wrong destination with unreasonable expectations, and we may come away entirely disappointed. Its also important to match physical limitations with activities. It may be harmful to go rock climbing if we’re not physically fit, and we must consider walking long distances will be exhausting if we are not in shape. If we suffer from motion sickness, then we should reconsider air travel, cruises, train travel.
What is your travel budget?
We often consider the vacation budget to end upon booking the excursions, travel tickets, and accommodations, but fail to consider the added cost of local transportation, food and snacks, and sight seeing activities, baggage fees and more. Budgeting on a per day basis will allow for extras and unexpected costs. Whether we use credit cards or cash, we often forget currency exchange rates, and spend with no benchmark in place. A discerning traveler considers pre-booking, obtaining discounts, shopping for currency exchange rates, and carrying local currency.
Plan Before You Leave.
At the risk of over planning, a structured travel plan makes the most out of limited travel times. We create unnecessary stresses on ourselves by leaving the packing to the last minute, leaving the travel details too vague, and not packing some essential items and accessories that would have made our travel more comfortable. By not anticipating travel requirements, we may forget the essentials and include redundant items that just take up space. In addition to proper attire, we should consider the conveniences to pack to keep our electronics charged, our favorite snacks, items to keep us warm and allow us to sleep if so desired. If we fail to make appropriate reservations, we may miss the events and attractions or pay peak prices. Some preliminary study may unearth attractions we would otherwise miss. We often find when we leave in a flurry, we neglect the best pet care attention, house sitting duties, and yard maintenance. When we finally depart on the trip, we are bedraggled, our home site not secured adequately, the baggage ill prepared, and plans in the air and we have failed to pack the comfort travel accessories.
Tips for Comfort Travel.
It often comes down to making the best of travel situations and if we are prepared we can minimize discomfort. We can relax and be comfortable with proper clothing attire, keeping your cell phone charged, bringing appropriate electronics to watch movies or listen to music. By having your favorite healthy snacks, picking the right seat, use some sleeping methods, you can arrive at your destination more rested and ready to tackle the destination. In future postings I will be portraying my best:
– packing lists
– suitcases
– carry on
– luggage scale
– document holders
– charger and cords
– sleeping aids
– travel pillows
– clothing and travel gear
– food and snacks
– mobility and hydration
– transfer to destination rides
– pros and cons of destinations
– the best value of attractions and excursions
1.46 billion people travel annually ( 1 in 5 people)
We have a choice to put up with the many inconveniences of the travel industry or by applying some basic travel tips and utilization of comfort accessories, we can travel smart, be rested and comfortable. While travel disasters can happen, with some tips we can minimize and control the fallout.
In future reports, I will be pleased to share these tips of comfort and convenience gleaned through years of personal travel experiences, observations, exploration of the marketplace, and capitalizing on others good advice. I welcome hearing from you in regards to travel experiences, feedback, and questions that will be a benefit to all of us who have the travel bug.
Until next time
Dale Andrews