Travel Tips for the Vacationer
Having been a business traveler for a large portion of my professional career, I can tell you that travel for vacation is very different than travel for business. Here are some things I have learned about what you should and should not do when traveling on vacation.
- Regardless of where you go, and how you get there, have some kind of basic plan as to what you’d like to see when you get there. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate itinerary of dozens of things to do but you should at least have some kind of an idea as to what you want to see.
- Nothing puts a downer on a vacation like getting to the destination and realizing you have no idea what it is you actually want to do.
- At a bare minimum, I would suggest you have at least one thing you either want to see or accomplish for each day you are on vacation. Even if it’s just sitting on a beach doing nothing, put that on your list.
- If you’re flying, it’s always a good idea to pad an extra day to the front of your travel. So if you want 5 full days in a particular location, plan for 6 or 7 days with the extra days being exclusively for travel.
- In cases where you are pre-booking a cruise or other tour that requires you to be at a specific place or time, always try and book your travel so you arrive a day early. If flights get delayed or cancelled the extra day gives you a buffer.
- For road trips, Google Maps is definitely the preferred navigation tool but sometimes batteries die, or cell reception is low. Bring an actual map with you, and if you have access to a dedicated GPS device, that can help when cell service is unavailable.
- When it comes to using GPS navigation, use some common sense. There are countless stories of people who blindly follow GPS instructions and end up way off course. Be aware of what highways you need to be on and what route the GPS is sending you on.
- It’s always good to have one person drive, and one person navigate.
- When it comes to using GPS navigation, use some common sense. There are countless stories of people who blindly follow GPS instructions and end up way off course. Be aware of what highways you need to be on and what route the GPS is sending you on.
- In cases where you are traveling to a different country, be aware of cell service roaming charges. I got hit with a $3,300 cell service bill because of a lack of communication on my roaming charges. Talk to your cell carrier and find out if they have a roaming pack that’s reasonably priced. Or better yet, when you arrive at the new country, pick up a local SIM card and put it in your phone. It’s probably cheaper than paying your carrier.
- Whether it’s business or vacation, always make sure you have travel insurance. If you have health insurance through your employer, they probably provide travel insurance as well. You never know when you might need it.
- Dukoral is the greatest preventative medicine for traveler’s diarrhea. Any time I travel to countries where the water and food may be questionable, I always get a booster of Dukoral. Cheapest place to get it is Costco but any pharmacy should have it. It’s a liquid mix you drink.
- Speaking of travel illness, always make sure your vaccinations are up to date depending on what country you are visiting. The CDC has a great site to help you know what shots you may need.
- Remember that when you go to a foreign country, you are the foreigner there. The way people are treated, the food they eat, the customs the follow, and how they interact with you may be very different than what you are used to back home. Culture shock is a real thing so if you are going to a new country, do some research prior to your departure on what to expect when you get there. I use WikiTravel religiously for just such a thing.
The last tip I’ll give you is the most important. Enjoy yourself! When you get to where you are going, embrace everything that happens both good and bad. When the trip is all over, all of the experiences you have in that place will be part of your story. Soak up everything you can.