The Traveling Brown Girls Carnival is back in town! This go round hosted by April Thompson of Absolute Travel Addict. The last time we all came together we blogged about our Travel Pet Peeves http://blackgirlinthebigworld.blogspot.com/2012/08/travel-etiquette-my-top-5-travel-pet.html and now we are coming together again to share insight on Travel Tips and Tricks for all our Travelista's on the Go!
It's easy for us all to get overwhelmed with our next trip and sometimes get so caught up that we do things that are so out of character, like forgetting to charge the camera, or loosing our passport at the last minute.... yes this happened to me the month before I went to India :-(
Since I know most of you are on the go here are some quick tips on ways to travel with ease!
PACK LIGHT
Most travelista's know to pack light but some may not know how to do so and still feel fabulous. My secret? SCARFS! I usually pack simple tees and add a scarf to spice things up. A scarf and accessories can enhance the limited number of outfits you pick.
CHECK IN ONLINE
This may seem like the obvious but have you seen the lines at airports?! You will be surprised at how many of those people are simply checking in! For women on the go we have no time for unnecessary lines. Checking in online before arriving to the airport can give you an additional 30 mins at the airport. You can even get your boarding pass on your phone nowadays and skip printing anything at the airport all together!
SKIP FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Foreign exchange counters and centers are not only EXPENSIVE as hell but they are also time consuming most times. I like to use my debit card at an ATM and just receive my foreign currency that way. There is still a small fee depending on the bank $3-5 dollars but it beats the currency exchange fee.
PREPARE FOR THE WORST
No...do not think that you will star in your very own version of "Taken" lol but think ahead. A big part of travel is dealing with the unexpected. While there are some things you will never see coming your way there are the typical things like loosing luggage, your passport, or money that we can have a plan for.
- Luggage: If your traveling alone pack underwear, deodorant, and toothbrush/toothpaste in your carry on. If you are traveling with a friend each of you should pack an outfit in the others luggage!
-Passport: Make multiple copies of your passport and visa's. Most times if you do this you won't ever need to take your passport out once you reach your destination.
-Money: Travel with insurance and use a prepaid card rather than your most used credit or debit card if you feel comfortable.
HELPFUL TRAVEL APPS ( for iPhones)
-TripIt: (FREE) app that helps you track all your travel itineraries including flight/hotel/ and activity confirmations
-Camera+: (0.99) ultimate app for folks like me who can't afford a DSLR yet. It enhances your original camera app by allowing you greater editing features, clarity, and more.
-Postagram:(FREE and can be downloaded on Androids) allows you to use photos in your photo gallery, instagram, or Facebook to send physical postcards to family and friends for 0.99 cents each.
-WhatsAppMessenger: (0.99) the best way to communicate when abroad...it's texting for free! Send sms, images, etc. with other users.
Lastly, remember travelista's "If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness,selfishness,and fears"- Glenn Clark
These tricks and tips should help you on your next trip....do you have any tricks or tips for travelista's on the go? What are your travel secrets?
