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Whether you’re a seasoned traveler, or embarking on your first holiday, everyone can use some packing tips. Many people find that no matter what, or how much they pack, they always seem to pack the wrong thing. Forgetting essentials, such as a toothbrush, is easily done when you’re too caught up in preparing for every possible weather scenario. It’s important to stick to the basics, and pack light, no matter what type of vacation you’re planning. Although foreign destinations may require important details such as a passport or immunizations, many holidays require the same necessities, no matter what season you may be traveling in. Here are four things you should never forget to pack.

1) Prescriptions and basic medicines: you may remember to pack your prescription medication, but checking to be sure you have enough to last your trip may escape you. Be sure you have plenty, and a back up kept in a separate container, just in case you lose or misplace one of them. Because prescriptions are impossible to fill abroad, your health will rely on your ability to pack them correctly. This counts for everyone, whether you have prescriptions or not. Bring along the cold and flu, headache, stomachache, and any other medicines you’re familiar with. This will help you avoid the hassle of hunting down a pharmacy and translating packaging. If you’re planning on a long flight, bringing along some sleep aids is never a bad idea.

2) Sensible shoes: whether it’s a romantic cruise, or an adventure vacation in the mountains, bringing at least two pairs of shoes is always essential. Those planning on sight seeing in particular will appreciate a back up pair of shoes, especially if poor weather leaves the first pair soaked and unusable. You never want to miss out on holiday experiences because you are missing a decent pair of shoes. “Sensible shoes” also means those that are broken in, don’t make the mistake of purchasing a new pair for your trip, only to have it ruined at the end of day one by painful blisters.

3) Sunblock: although this is commonly packed for island getaways, you may forget to pack it when you’re headed for colder climates. Sunblock is just as important in the summer as it is the winter. Bring along a strong SPF for lounging on the beach, and a lighter one that can be worn on a daily basis. For women: make sure the daily sunblock is a non greasy formula that wears well under make up, so you can avoid unwanted oily skin in your once-in-a-lifetime photos.

4) Local currency: if your holiday destination is overseas, odds are you’ll need to convert your currency. Many people make the mistake of waiting until they’ve arrived to convert money, which is a bad idea for many reasons. One: you will be over-charged by poor conversion rates in airports and other convenient locations. And two: you’ll likely need local currency long before you find a conversion counter. Don’t be caught off guard by horrible conversion rates through your debit card, instead, convert a bit of spending money before you leave, so you don’t overpay for as little as a bottle of water in the airport.

This post was written by Holly Adams from CouponCroc.co.uk – check them out for Thomson discount codes before you travel.

This is a guest post written by Mindy Clairbel. Mindy runs MyCCFinder, a website that offers several Hot Deals promo codes, and discount codes on just about everything.

A nice vacation is something we all enjoy. Just getting away from your hometown, seeing what else is out there and getting away from the office are all great reasons why a vacation is often enjoyed.
I think it’s also safe to say that we all love vacations, but we often limit how often we go just because of how costly they can be. Although they can be costly, like anything we can find ways to make them cheaper. By considering the time of year you go, the destination and how long you’re going for, the price can fluctuate very easily. To start finding a good deal though, you must first use a good travel website to find you that good deal.
TravelZoo: TravelZoo is probably my favorite travel website. Every Wednesday they can send you an e-mail of the best travel deals for the week. This includes everything from tours around Europe, hot spots in the Virgin Islands and Alaskan cruises. If there’s a good deal out there, TravelZoo will definitely let you know.
Expedia: Expedia is another great site to consider. They have everything from rates on rental cars, airfare and even hotel deals. This is a well known site that strives to find you the best deals.
Kayak: What I like about Kayak is that it compares all the prices with other top leading companies. So say that you’re looking for the cheapest way to fly from Michigan to Arizona, they will compare rates with all the airlines out there. Then, you can easily decide because it will tell you the cheapest way to get there.
Priceline: Priceline is also great because you can “name your own price”. Say you want to stay at a hotel in Colorado. You can then decide how many stars you want it to be and you can sort by other things like price and reviews. Once you have a whole list of hotels to choose from, you can find the one that you’re interested in and offer a price. They will then let you know if it’s accepted or not. I’ve been able to save about $50 on a hotel before just through this site!
If you’re looking to take a vacation in the near future, you may not have to save up as much money as you had thought. With the help of these sites, they will surely find you the best deals out there. They are all easy to use and may even help you get in an extra vacation each year!

Because I will be flying during this holiday season, I cannot help but wonder what kind of experience awaits me. The crowds are a given, but delays and cancellations are always just a guess. The one thing I can control, however, is my own preparedness. Here are some tips to help you save time during the check in and security processes.

Do not check bags. If you carry on your bags, you will avoid check-in lines, luggage fees, and be flexible if your flight changes at the last minute. You will also avoid baggage-claim hassles when you arrive at your destination. (One bag is allowed in the overhead compartment, as well as one under the seat in front of you.) Contact your airline carrier for carry-on baggage dimensions. (I travel with one suitcase and a full backpack.)

If you cannot travel light enough to carry on, ship luggage or gifts ahead. Try using UPS or Luggage Free , via their ground service to save money.

Avoid the check-in line. Twenty-four to 36 hours before leaving your home, check in at your airline website and print your boarding pass. If you do not check bags, you can bypass the check-in counter entirely and proceed directly to the security area.

Arrive early. Whether you check luggage or not, it is important to arrive at the airport in plenty of time to go through the check-in and security processes. Security wait times can sometimes be painfully slow. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Website provides estimated waiting times at major airports. A good rule of thumb is to be at your departing gate an hour early for domestic flights and 2 to 3 hours for international flights.

Passing smoothly through security. Your preparedness can really pay off in the security line. With your boarding pass and government-issued ID handy, slip your belt, keys, phone, coins, and jewelry into your carry-on before you reach the security area.

Your liquids must be visible and travel down the conveyor belt ahead of your other items. As many 3-ounces or less containers that can fit into a one-quart zip lock bag are allowed. Some liquids such as prescription medications and baby formula are allowed, but you should point them out to the screeners before you go through security.

Quickly place your shoes, jacket or sweater, and laptop, into a tub and onto the conveyor belt. Your carry-on bags can follow your tub. Check the TSA Website ahead of time for updated restrictions on toiletries (liquids), gadgets and other items.

Do not wrap those holiday packages until after you arrive at your destination. Otherwise, they are subject to inspection and may be unwrapped.

Quickly gather all your items from the conveyor belt (double check that you have everything) and carry them to a nearby area.  There you can replace shoes and retrieve personal items from your bag, such as jewelry, watch, belt, etc. Put your ID away and proceed to your gate with your boarding pass.

Source: Fodors 1,001 Smart Travel Tips, 2nd Edition, 2008.

Have you ever stood in the middle of an airport with people scurrying around you like busy bees in a hive—going and coming, coming and going every which way? On a recent trip, I observed the activity around me and wondered how many people actually pass through airports each year. In case you’ve ever pondered this, here’s a look at the domestic and international fronts regarding how many passengers fly each year, and the busiest U.S. airlines and airports.
*Note: The information that follows relates to the first seven months of 2008.

Domestic Travel

Passengers. 392.6 million passengers took to the skies on U.S. carriers via 5.586 million flights. That’s 1.5% fewer travelers and 2.1% fewer flights than in the same time period in 2007.

Busiest U.S. Airports. The top ten list for busiest airports includes Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas / Ft. Worth, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston Bush, and Charlotte.

Busiest U.S. Airlines. Southwest, American, Delta, United, US Airways (includes merged US Airways and American West), Northwest, Continental, AirTran, JetBlue, and SkyWest make up the top 10 busiest U.S. airlines.

International Travel

Passengers. From January through July this year, 55.9 million people flew on 515,000 internationally scheduled U.S. carriers—up 4.5% and .9% respectively from last year.

Busiest U.S. Airports. The U.S. airports that held the busiest international schedule of flights were Miami, New York JFK, Atlanta, Newark, Houston Bush, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas / Ft. Worth, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit Metro.

Busiest U.S. Airlines: American, Continental, Delta, United, Northwest, US Airways (includes merged US Airways and American West), ExpressJet, Executive, Spirit, and JetBlue made the top 10 list for flying the highest numbers of international passengers.

Remainder of 2008
Historically, the holidays are the busiest time of the year for air travel, but with the present economic conditions in the U.S, it will be interesting to see how many people choose flying as their mode of transportation. We’ll follow up this blog with air travel information covering August through December 2008 just as soon as those numbers are available. Stay tuned. In the meantime, we’d like to hear your comments.

Source:
U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (www.bts.gov)

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