Organizing a do-it-yourself trip is an exhilarating adventure, but often a cause of anxiety and psychological stress. When the responsibility rests on our shoulders, we must be ready to face any difficulties that may arise. To enjoy a 100% holiday you need to be 100% serene. The key word is: organization. If practicality is not your strong point, you were right to enter this article, where we will answer the question: “What to do before leaving for a trip?”.
Current travel restrictions have catapulted us into a state of profound sadness and disappointment over the cancellation of a vacation scheduled months ago, without considering the current absence of rosy prospects for future air travel. But let’s not lose heart! Continue to read and learn about travel tips and how to be safe when traveling.
Family travel tips
Stay away from the wild crowd
It’s a simple principle of economics: the higher the demand, the higher the price. A solution? Leave the best known destinations. Avoid the more touristy places and choose less trendy destinations: a trip to the countryside of Lazio or Tuscany by the sea, or choose Adelaide instead of Sydney, or Maine instead of California. With a little research you will find fun ideas for a trip with the kids and you can enjoy the luxury of not having to fight with masses of families looking for an ice cream maker or posing for a family selfie. You will also experience the thrill of succeeding in a journey a little more adventurous than usual.
Choose large spaces
Many teens love to be outdoors, and this is great news for parents who want to save money while traveling. Plan days that include nature walks instead of expensive attractions, use the local gardens so your children can make friends with the local children, and opt for a picnic instead of the usual restaurants. Another possibility of saving, when you are in nature, is camping. Children can live the experience of complete immersion in nature and learn some basic tasks (such as arranging the space after a barbecue): it is an ideal situation, to try at least once, even if you think it is not for you.
Only the essential
Those who pay attention to savings know that it is often the little extras that make the difference, especially if you are traveling with children. Bring water bottles to refill, buy ice creams at the supermarket, find out about the places you visit instead of paying extra for audio guides, and stick to the “look and don’t touch” line when entering a gift shop.
Budget travel tips
Don’t buy a guide
The web is increasingly full of information, travel blogs are many as well as forums. Finding all the information you need is no longer as difficult as it once was. An extremely useful site that I feel I can recommend especially if you chew a little English is wikitravel, in addition to my blog, of course! Well, now that you’ve read all of these tips, try to put as many of them into practice as possible and you will immediately see your expenses drop. As you will have understood, the secret lies in using unconventional methods but above all it lies in getting rid of the vacationer mentality and entering the traveler one.
Travel light
It may sound strange but traveling light can actually save you a lot of money. The ideal would be to be able to travel with only hand luggage in order to avoid unnecessary surcharges from the airlines. Remember to weigh your luggage before leaving. In addition, if your luggage is heavy, it will also be tempting to take a taxi rather than walking. I believe that a good backpack is the ultimate solution for low cost travelers.
Always carry a water bottle
The cost of water can also have an impact on the cost of your trip. Always carry an empty water bottle or bottle with you to refill. In some countries it is inadvisable to drink tap water but it is still worth having a bottle because many hostels / hotels provide bottles of drinking water for their guests. The solution suitable for all situations is the bottle with integrated filter.
Top travel tips
Take out travel insurance
Taking out travel insurance before you leave is not only useful, but highly recommendable. In some cases it is even essential, such as when traveling outside the European Union. Popular travel insurances offer coverage for medical expenses , baggage protection and compensation in the event of damage, theft or loss. We would never want to face such problems when we are away from home, but making sure before you leave is the best way to travel in safety and peace of mind.
Choose accommodations and rentals with free cancellation
Sometimes, when we organize a trip, we are not entirely sure that we will be able to leave. A new job, an unexpected event in the family … cancellation is a risk to be taken into account. For this reason, we should always book accommodation, tours and car rentals with free cancellation, even at the cost of spending a few euros more. A small price to pay to feel more comfortable before a trip.
Cash or prepaid card?
Traveling with a lot of cash on you is never a good idea and it doesn’t help to feel safe while traveling! The prepaid card or, even better, two cards from the most popular circuits – Visa and Mastercard – are the most convenient alternative. However, remember that, in the case of car rental, the prepaid will almost certainly not be enough and you will need a credit card in the driver’s name.
Travel with baby tips
Organize your travel well
When traveling with children, especially if they are small, it is essential to be organized. Choose your destination carefully and in advance, study it as best you can to find out what the possibilities are for families, select the structure in which to stay overnight or the stops to do daily. Leave room for a few free moments to live peacefully with last-minute decisions and do not worry if every now and then you will have to reorganize the days: children are unpredictable and it can happen some bad days in which to satisfy their needs.
Less is more!
If you are a serial traveler, you are used to visiting well and a lot. With children it is different: it is better to select a few destinations and see them calmly, perhaps even involving the older ones in planning the trip. For example, is there a museum or some attraction that they would be curious to visit? It is worth putting it into the program.
Jet lag: how to deal with it?
The management of the time zone change depends on the age of the child. If they are very small, indulge their needs. It will take 2 or 3 days to enter the new time zone. If they are older try to keep them active when they are sleepy, if it is daytime, and in a short time they will return to normal sleep and wakefulness rhythms. Remember that children are more flexible than us!
