Sunday, October 14, 2012

5 Tips and Tricks for Travelista's on the Go!




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? 



25 comments:

  1. Great tips Martice. I am going to have to practice the pack light tip. Italy trip is in 3 weeks.

    You can read ours at http://wcptakealeap.blogspot.com/2012/10/5-travel-tricks-tips-for-travelistas-on.html

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    1. Yay to Italy!!!! the picture with the scarf is from Rome lol!

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  2. Checking in online is the BEST tip!! Even the self-assisted kiosk can get a line. I've also found it helpful to go through a security checkpoint that may not be near my gate. For ex, in Charlotte, USAir security check gates are always crowded. That's bc Clt is a major hub for the carrier. I find another carrier that is near a check point with less of a crowd, and once inside the terminal, find my way to the correct concourse and gate number. :)

    Sharee

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    Replies
    1. PREACH!!! It's horrible how insane check in lines are! Good tip on security checkpoints...those too can make you miss a flight lol

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  3. OMG Whatsapp saved my life! Now I'm on a mission to convert all my international BlackBerry Messenger users over to WhatsApp or Kik or Viber!

    Thanks for participating! Great post!

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    Replies
    1. Whatsapp is what's happening lol! Of course thanks for reading!

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  4. Great tips! Trolling through your posts. Great read, will look out for more :D

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    Replies
    1. Oh wow you just warmed my heart today! Thank you so much!

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  5. I tell everyone who travels to see me to skip the foreign exchange. Such a rip off! I love postagram, a little too much maybe. That .$99 per postcard adds up!

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    Replies
    1. thanks so much for your comment! And yes if you plan to send a postagram to your entire network..let that go lol

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  6. Great post, Martice, and you're right, foreign exchange is a big fat rip-off. I use the post office ATMs to withdraw cash. Much cheaper. If I'm shopping, I use my Capital One card because they have no foreign transaction fees! Yessss.
    Loving the Glenn Clark quote!

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    1. Thanks so much for your comment. I never thought of using the post office ATM's....and let's all have a moment of silence for credit cards with no foreign transaction fees! They add up to a flight upgrade lol!

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  7. Very cool tips! Your tip about the scarf to dress up t-shirts is so on point. Accessories can really make or break an outfit, and when you pack light, sometimes you think you can't take all the extra stuff. Will definitely use this tip! Thanks!

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    1. Thanks for reading! Scarves do the trick every time!

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  8. That are good tips for traveling i recommend you to get flights for pakistan where you can find lot of natural places and precious historical places.

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  9. Ok, love that Glen Clark quote! Guess out of all this is the most important thing: watch out for yourself but be fearless. Fearful travelling is like playing football without the ball: No Fun!

    Found you Blog through "Kay in India" having read your "Farewell India" post I was wondering how you experience as black woman in India was. Back in the days I had a good number of black (all West African) friends in Mumbai and New Delhi and I witnessed how difficult certain things were for them.

    Greetings!

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    1. India is definitely a place of joy and chaos. I have multiple posts all about my time there...good/ bad/ ugly lol. If you get a chance check out my time in the Himalaya's and my early post about almost getting married lol

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