Things Not to Do When Traveling

You’ve probably come across many blog posts on things to do when traveling. However, many travel writers don’t write about things not to do when traveling.  There are generally many mistakes travelers make while traveling. These lead to a waste of time and money. Some of them even ruin their travel experiences. So, if you intend to travel, here are some of the things to avoid.

Eating Near Attraction Sites 

Most establishments near major attraction sites sell their food at prices almost double the price you of the food you can find elsewhere. What’s more, these establishments know that most people won’t come back. Therefore, they don’t care much about quality consistency. Thus, you pay a high price for low-quality food when you eat new major attractions. 

Exchanging Money at the Airports 

Exchanging money at the airport will get you the worst rates possible. It’s like lighting up your money on fire. To avoid this, use a credit card or ATM. These options will give you the best rates possible. Credit cards and ATMs give rates close to the interbank rate. Thus, you avoid getting ripped off when you use a credit card or ATM. 

Bringing Traveler’s Checks 

Banks issue traveler’s checks for at a pre-determined value. This value enables users to exchange their checks for cash at any part of the world. These checks were very common before credit cards and ATM became accepted everywhere and widespread. However, they are currently useless. Only a few banks accept traveler’s checks these days. 

Using Bank Cards that Charge a Fee 

The money bank charges as a fee can be used to enhance the travel experience. So, don’t get a back card that charges you a fee. Instead, get a credit card that does not charge fees for foreign transactions. This enables you to avoid surcharges like ATM fees. 

Skipping Travel Insurance

For some travelers, insurance is a ridiculous addition to their travel expenses. But, traveling without insurance is a serious mistake to avoid. Travel insurance covers you when something unexpected happens while away. It protects you from non-medical and medical emergencies. So, don’t travel without insurance. 

These are just some of the things not to do when traveling. It’s crucial to conduct some research to know the specific things to avoid at your travel destination. That way, you will enjoy a more comfortable and fun-filled travel experience. 

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Safe Flying Tips for Pregnant Women

Traveling is one of those habits that once you get hooked onto, it is like a drug; you always want to indulge more and more. Despite the common fears that all pregnant women usually have about flying, it is totally safe to hop onto flights during your nine month journey. With a little preparation, flying can be a great experience if both you and the baby are okay. The following are safe flying tips for pregnant women that you should keep in mind when planning the trip.

Watch Your Timing!

While there is nothing to worry about when the mother and baby are in proper health, the timing of the trip is very important. In the first trimester, pregnant women are often overwhelmed with morning sickness, nausea and other pregnancy symptoms. On the third trimester, the stomach is bigger and she starts to feel a little discomfort. As a result, the second trimester is usually the most appropriate time to fly.

If you have to fly during your third trimester, be sure to check your airline’s policies for flying during pregnancy.

Keep the Body Energized and Relaxed

Flying can be quite exhausting to pregnant women, especially when traveling internationally. Without keeping your body energized and relaxed, it could be very hard to enjoy the trip. Remember to book a comfortable seat, carry healthy snacks and water to consume along the way whenever you feel hungry or thirsty. During stopovers, it is also advisable to get out of the plane and stretch a bit.

Talk to Your Doctor

Even if you are in proper state of health and feeling fit to fly, pregnancy has its share of fragilities and complications might arise at any time along the way. To be safe, make sure you talk to your doctor about your travel plans for recommendations on what to do in case of health concerns during the trip. Besides, you should also have a contingency plan in place in case of emergencies related to your pregnancy.

If you are planning to travel the world one last time before giving birth, go ahead and create memories. Just keep the above tips in mind and travel safe!

 

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How to Combine Business Travel with Family Travel

How to Combine Business Travel with Family Travel

For most people, mixing business travel with family travel is not easy, but according to my friend over at www.glassdawg.net, he says it’s very hard to do so, and it’s understandable because family travel and business travel have unique requirements. Nevertheless, when you have tips to guide you, the experience becomes better.

Travel with Kids More Often

As a way of preparing your kids for a family trip combined with a business trip, travel with them more often. This will also enable you to know the best way to extend business travel and provide a better experience to your family. Combining family and business travel might be difficult at first. However, your kids or family will eventually learn. In fact, you will look forward to hanging out with your family miles away from home after attending a business conference.

Check Expectations

To ensure an ultimate experience for everyone when you combine business travel with family travel, check everybody’s expectations first. Traveling with children requires flexibility and patience. That’s because things can go sideways. For instance, kids can throw up at a restaurant while being served an epic meal. They can also have a fever when you are preparing to catch a flight. If you have a small kid, they can cry at the middle of a business dinner. So, be patient and flexible when you combine business travel with family travel. Know everybody’s expectations and the best way to fulfill them. This will make the experience better for everyone.

Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself

Traveling with children when going on a business trip can be hard for any parent. It’s simply combining leisure with business. Therefore, if things fail to turn out as expected, don’t be too harsh on yourself. Just do your best to make the trip successful.

If you have older kids, combining business travel with family travel will be easier for you. That’s because you can share your schedule with kids and make appropriate arrangements. Nevertheless, make sure that you have time to have fun with your family no matter the situation.

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How to Avoid Stress during Holiday Travel

How to Avoid Stress during Holiday Travel

Many people leave their homes for holiday travel only to end up stressed. You definitely don’t want to be one of these people. That’s why you want to know how to avoid stress when traveling during the holiday. Holidays are busy travel seasons. Many people travel during this season and travel destinations are mostly filled to capacity. That means things can easily fail to go the way you expected. This can easily stress you out if you don’t have alternative plans in place. Nevertheless, it’s still possible to avoid stress during holiday travel.

Find Alternate Flights

In case the unthinkable happens, find an alternate flight. For instance, if your flight is cancelled or delayed, use the internet to find an alternate flight. There are many online tools that will enable you to get an alternate flight depending on the original reservation. Simply search on your chosen carrier or the available airlines.

Find Driving Directions

Being stranded in a foreign destination can be very stressful. No traveler wants to endure this experience. Therefore, know how to find travel directions depending on your itinerary and location. There are many applications including Google Maps that will enable you to know where you are going or find addresses at your travel destination with ease.

Get Important Contacts

It’s important to keep phone numbers or addresses of the people that may help you while traveling. For instance, get the phone numbers of your hotel, flight and car rental service provider. This will enable you to get assistance that you may need by simply making a phone call.

Share Travel Information

Keep family members, co-workers, and friends informed about your travel plans. Let them know about your departure and arrivals. This will enable them to help you in case the unexpected happens.

Check Out the Local Weather

Before you travel, find out how temperatures will be like at your travel destination. This will enable you to wear and carry the right outfit when traveling.

Even if you are not traveling now, you will need this information to prepare for holiday travel in the future. Follow these tips and you will avoid stress during holiday travel.

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How to Avoid Getting Sick When Traveling

How to Avoid Getting Sick When Traveling

It’s human to get sick and traveling doesn’t exempt you from getting sick. In fact, you are likely to fall sick if you get exposed to parasites, bugs and environments that make you more vulnerable to infections.

Fortunately, there are things that you can do to minimize your chances of getting sick. Here are some of the things that you should do to avoid getting sick when traveling.

Wash Hands Regularly

This may sound basic. However, many people forget to wash their hands while traveling. Nevertheless, washing hands helps in the control of infectious illnesses. Thus, washing hands more often will minimize the chances of contracting diseases like hepatitis A, flu, gastroenteritis, and even food poisoning.

Drink Clean Bottled Water

If you are not sure about purity of the local water or when you travel to places with poor sanitation, it’s important that you drink bottled water only. The local people may drink water from the local sources without health problems. However, your stomach might not have bacteria that provide protection against diseases that may arise from drinking such water.

Watch Out for Food Contamination

This is a major cause of gastrointestinal and diarrhea problems among travelers. If you don’t watch out for food contamination, you will expose yourself to Salmonella, cholera, and diarrhea, among others. Basically, make sure that you always eat fresh and thoroughly cooked food that is served hot.

Consider Eating Familiar Food

Delving into the local cuisine or eating the local food is a true pleasure for any traveler. However, if you experience food intolerance because your stomach is unable to digest local food properly, consider sticking to familiar foods. Something new or different can irritate your digestive system and cause cramps, pain, diarrhea, gas, heartburn and vomiting.

Stay Active

Exercising will enable you to stay healthy and fit. It will also enable your body to fight off infections. Exercising will improve your well-being and health. It will also strengthen the immune system thereby making your body less susceptible to infections.

Get Vaccinated

Vaccines provide protection against diseases. And there is nothing better than protecting your body from diseases. Basically, you don’t need all vaccines when traveling. Therefore, visit your doctor before you travel to know the most appropriate vaccinations for you depending on your destination and health condition.

These are tips on how to avoid getting sick when traveling. However, the most important thing is to talk to a travel healthcare provider or physician. This will enable your healthcare provider to check your body and guide you accordingly.

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