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Travel Tips ~ Travel Planning & Travel Packing Tips

Tips on packing for travel, travel clothes, money & more!

(See holidays to Dominican Republic, China travel clothing, How to Pack Suitcase)

Here are my travel tips that I've collected over the past decade or more. I've done a lot of packing for travel, and the more I travel, the better I get at it! Beach front deck chairs and palm trees cancun mexico

I know what to pack, and why, I know what size suitcase and backpack I need, I know what medications to take with me, I know how to work with my itinerary so I pack the right clothes, and I know how to avoid many of the pitfalls, like running short of money on the road.

Now, I share my travel tips with other travellers so they won't make the mistakes I did. Time spent on travel planning pays huge dividends.

You'll have a lighter suitcase to carry up 5 flights of stairs when the elevator isn't working, you won't run out of money when the banks are closed, you'll know what to do if you lose your passport, you'll have a flashlight handy when the lights go out, and you'll have a snack in your pack when your flight is delayed and your tummy's rumbling!

Sit back for 5-10 minutes, and read through my travel tips pages. Some tips you may already know; others may be new to you. And if you have a tip that's not mentioned here, please post a comment at the bottom of the page. Plan ahead, and enjoy your trip!

See all Travel Tips pages here ~ Travel planning pays off!

Here's how my travel tips pages started:

On a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, I needed some cash. No problem! Just find a bank machine and use the debit card. As long as your card works internationally, you can usually get cash in local currency. The first ATM machine I tried didn't work, nor did the second one, a few blocks away. Nor did a third.

About this time, I realized I kept meeting the same people at these bank machines. Turns out, we were all in the same boat: No money, and no way to get any. So we headed into the bank, just before 3 pm closing, to learn that the international ATM Cirrus system was down for the day. We were invited to take cash advances on our credit cards, and patiently got into line.

"No problem," said the bank person, "I just need to see your passport." Well, tourists out for a day on the town are encouraged to leave their passports in the hotel safe, and I had. "Without your passport, I can't help you," said the bank man. "So sorry."

Luckily, I had just enough pesos to pay for the cab back to the hotel, where I could cash a travellers check, but this money-less incident taught me a lesson: Don't count on anything being as it should. Now I plan my trips, and carry money in a variety of forms. I find that the time spent on travel planning is well worth it, as it allows me to relax and enjoy the trip.



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  • Kit Wilson - January 26, 2009, 12:52 am
    Thanks for this site, Karen: excellent for its good sense and concise clarity.

    I was a much travelled person in my long-ago youth and hope to become one again, so it's great to have your tips to get me organized at the outset.

    All the best to you.
  • Karen - January 26, 2009, 12:55 am
    Thanks, Kit!

    I try my best :-)
    I hope this means you are getting on the road again!
    Let me know if you have a travel tip to share.

    Karen
  • Kit - May 25, 2009, 3:17 pm
    Recently returned from six weeks far away, I am glad your tips came my way before I left, Karen!

    Even removing over half of what I thought I'd need, and ending up with one small valise and a carry-on, I started with too much Stuff. But with nothing too precious to ditch, I left shoes & sweaters here and there en route, and donated two items that never got used.

    It was easy to wrangle the bags myself, a cool feat for a senior solo traveller with a total of 12 flights to take! Two airport check-in reps complimented me on my light load of luggage.

    I did roll my clothes and pack 'em like sausages in plastic bags: a real space & time saver. True that a variety of garments is NOT necessary on the road. Took very little jewelry, but needed less; two silk scarves got a lot of use, as did a pair of cheap gloves and an acrylic cosy scarf in unexpectedly cold weather.

    Your advice re money proved invaluable, and it was well worth it to travel with the four different currencies already in my pouch.

    Ditto with the documents recommendations, and the tips re daily medications. Having packed a flat-folding spare bag was great: a cinch to expand into while driving, then to stow away again for flying.

    Also stored luggage at two airports for a reasonable fee during side trips needing only the overnight bag. And got very used to the security check routines, including emptying my water bottle and refilling it once passed.

    Using luggage locks that security staff can easily open proved smart, too.

    Thanks again for posting your info -- did much to ease my wonderful adventure!

    Kit
  • Did it Again! Same wardrobe for Costa Rica!
    Karen - January 23, 2010, 1:03 pm
    Just back from a trip to Costa Rica, and even though flight delayed 36 hours on return trip, meaning one (free!!) extra day at hotel, I still had enough clean clothes!

    I followed the same basic wardrobe, a bit of the China one and a bit of the DR one, as I knew I'd be away from the hotel for day trips.

    And Costa Rica day trips can take you from the central district at 3400 feet to sea level on the Pacific to 11,000 feet on Volcan Irazu. Let me tell you, it's pretty chilly at 11K altitude!

    And at La Paz volcano, at Poas, elevation 7800 feet, you're right at the cloud deck and on a mountain top, so it's windy, foggy, rainy and really chilly!

    I had my rain jacket, and a light jacket to go under it - they all layered beautifully, and folded up small in my day pack.

    On the free extra day at the pool, and on the Pacific at Punta Leona, I wore my black travel pants by Patagonia as they are lightweight, and the legs can be rolled up and fastened at capri level, so perfect for the resort or the beach!

    Packing light, coordinating outfits, etc DOES work well. I never had to do laundry, and still had a few clean things even on the longer trip.

    So be firm, people! You CAN pack light, and believe me, after being on a bus with the entire delayed flight back and forth from the hotel, we were all thinking dire thoughts about the group who'd dragged along their golf clubs.

    Such a hassle for the other travelers, and the drivers! Smaller is better when it comes to travel. Really!
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