For many years I traveled as a business consultant which took me from exotic locales to sleepy little hamlets. This provided the opportunity to see parts of the country I might never otherwise visit. It also provided a value education in the art of travel I could use for leisure travel as well. Over time I learned to plan, prepare and pack in a way to reduce stress and truly enjoy the experience.
Here are my tips for making your trip a success:
Plan. If you are not one for group travel, planning trip details yourself can be fun. While many tours provide exposure to a large swathe of territory in a relatively short period of time, sometimes you might just want to limit yourself to a single location or activity. Careful planning allows you to use your travel budget wisely.
- Select your destination
- Make sure your passport (if needed) is up-to-date. Note: Your return date must be greater than six months before your passport is set to expire. Go to usa.gov for specific rules as these have changed in recent years.
- Determine your travel budget. Keep in mind some destinations are substantially more expensive during high season.
- Define the scope of your itinerary
- Research points of interest
- Determine the length of stay for each leg of the journey
- Book travel methods and/or rental car
- Book hotel or Airbnb accommodations
- Buy advanced tickets for excursions or attractions. Some venues, like the Vatican for example, require advanced booking
Prepare. Leaving home for a few days takes well thought out preparation, too. It only takes a few minutes and could save you time, money and aggravation. A click here, a phone call there and you’ll be thanking me for reminding you to:
- Give a friend or family member a copy of your itinerary
- Notify your financial institution of your travel plans to avoid your credit or ATM card being frozen due to suspicious activity
- Print out a hard copy of reservations, vouchers or venue tickets in the unlikely event electronic copies are not accepted or easily accessed
- Go to usps.com to have your “snail mail” held by the post office
- Notify your cellular provider to determine if additional charges are applicable for your destination. If you are traveling out of the country, they may offer a limited international plan to reduce costs
There may be other things to consider like lawn service or pet care. I also like to ask a close friend or neighbor to be on the lookout for packages on the front porch or newspapers in the driveway. If you don’t have a “smart” home, a $10 light timer could deter would-be burglars. I always want my home to appear lived in even when I am away.
Pack. Selecting what goes into the suitcase is always a challenge. Try to use a carry-on bag whenever possible in order to avoid Baggage Claim at your destination. A 21-inch rolling carry-on can accommodate enough clothing and accessories to last a week or more if you use one color palette for mixing and matching. Here’s my suggestion for a 7-day excursion:
- Lingerie
- One or two pair of pants or jeans
- One or two pair of shorts
- Four or five coordinating shirts
- One dress or skirt
- Comfortable shoes or sandals
- Lightweight jacket
- Make-up (travel size)
- Toiletries (travel size)
- Medication
- One costume jewelry statement necklace
- Cell phone and charger (international travel may require a converter)
If you are asking yourself why I left out things like your laptop and camera, I’ll explain. That’s because your cell phone provides all the apps you need. Most take great pictures and allows all the access you need to email and social media. Download the Kindle app to avoid lugging around yet another electronic device.
Try to avoid packing with the “what if” mindset. Select items that transition easily from day to night with the addition of a jacket or scarf. Nobody will remember you didn’t have a different pair of shoes for every outfit or you wore than necklace yesterday. Pack with the idea you may need to lug the suitcase up and down stairs or over unknown terrain rather than thinking more is better. It’s not.
You may still look at this list and say: No way, no how! I NEED my stuff! But do you really? Remember, too, that you are wearing an outfit to travel so it could be wholly or partially recycled for another day. Keep in mind most hotels offer laundry services so you will not run out of clothes. And even if you do, there’s always shopping!
A gentleman friend offers this advice: Only pack clothing you were planning to discard anyway. Maybe it is not your favorite color, near the end of its usefulness or is SO LAST YEAR! Simply throw it away after you wear it. To justify this position, you can always channel Marie Kondo and say it no longer gives you joy. Regardless, now you have room for souveniers or new clothes you found along the way! I’ve always said that dirty clothes take up more room in the suitcase than clean ones, so maybe I’ll try this next time.
Still skeptical? Check out Travelsmith.com clothing. They sell reversible tanks, tees, dresses and jackets making it possible to carry twice the wardrobe in half the space. Many of the items are easily rinsed out and hung to dry right in the convenience of your hotel room and require little to no ironing.
Just remember to keep ticking those items off your Bucket List. Plan your trip to get the most out of the experience. Prepare for the unexpected as best you can. Pack smart and don’t think it is necessary to be a fashionista while you’re away. Just plan to dazzle the people you meet with your sparkling personality and leave the rest at home!
