Travel & Leisure Facts and Notes

I have put together some tips to make travelling less stressful for the seasoned voyager.

1. Planes, trains or automobiles?

What mode of transport you decide on can vary depending on the type and length of journey. Long trips are obviously taken by plane, but shorter one might be easier by train, or maybe automobile. When trying to work out which to choose, you should consider factoring the time it takes to get to the airport, as well as time spent in the checkin line or passport control. The weather is also a deciding factor. It wouldn’t be the first time that poor weather delayed a flight.

2. Consider Alternative Airports if you’re flying, consider alternative airports that are outside the city you’re going to visit. As a rule, these airports have fewer flights, less overbooking and fewer delays than their larger counterparts.

3. Print of Copies of Destiantion Maps

Prior to leaving you home, it is a good idea to source maps of you desitnation cities. This is easy to do on the internet. Just go to CitySearch.com (http://citysearch.com/) where you can print off what you need. Place these printed maps in a plastic sleave. You don’t want them to get wet if it rains while your out exploring.

4. You Don’t Need to Carry Hard Copy

Rather than carrying large piles of brochures or sales letters, take electronic documents on diskettes and have them printed at a local printing service. Similarly, if you are working a booth in a trade show, it’s a good idea to carry electronic documents in case you run out of the stack you shipped from the office.

5. Check your Mobile phone Service

Cellular companies are always offering new rates and deals. You should check to see whether this is the case for you. Some offer a flat rate for international calls. Finding if this is the case for you can possibly save you a lot of money.

6. Pick a Hotel that Caters for the Business Traveller

If you require the use of photo copiers or faxes as well as internet access, it is best to find a hotel that has the business traveller in mind.

7. Don’t Forget Your Electric Adaptors

When travelling abroad, remember to pack you voltage adaptors for your electric appliances as well as mobile phone adaptors. Any travel shop will usually have a selection for you to choose from.

8. Use a Calling Card

Phone bills can get quite expensive, especially if calling friend and family from a far off place. A much cheaper option is the prepaid calling card.

9. Apply for an International Driver’s Licence

If you are travelling overseas, it is a good idea to get aan international drivers licence as it may be accepted in far more countries that you own own one. This shouldn’t be hard to obtain and just require you to shpw your current licence. Your locall AA should be able to supply more information for you.

10. Make sure you Protect Against Theft.

Photocopy all of your important documents and leave the copies with someone you trust at home. When packing electrical equipment such as laptops or cell phones, try and do it in a way that disguises what they are. You can get laptop bags that do this. Another thing is to NEVER put important documents in outside jacket of trouser pockets.