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Basic Travel and Vacation Safety Tips

Traveling far away needn’t be worrisome, just follow these simple tips for staying safe on your next vacation or trip:

Do Your Research

One of the most important things you can do before a trip is to do your research. Research your hotels carefully, read the many available reviews to make sure the area in which you are staying is safe. Get all the best guide books for your destination and make sure they are the most recent versions. The latest guidebooks will help you decide where to go and what to do, and also give you specific safety tips for that particular area. Get maps for each area you will travel around in, so you don’t get lost. Visit hotel websites and tour websites. Don’t hesitate to contact the hotel before booking, should have a question.

Hotel Safety

If you’re hotel provides a safe, make sure to use it for any valuables you may have in your room. Take a note of where the exits and fire alarms are on your floor. When checking in to your hotel, don’t leave your luggage unattended at any time. Consider registering with only your first initial and last name or as Mr. and Mrs. so that one cannot tell whether you are a male or a female or are a female traveling alone. Be sure to memorize the hotel address and name or to carry a hotel matchbook or notepaper with you at all times to avoid confusion with similar hotel names. Try to avoid rooms on the ground floor of a hotel as they may have doors or windows that are open to the street or a back alley, increasing the chances of a break-in during your stay. Guest rooms that are closer to the elevator are safest due to the higher amount of traffic passing by. However, these rooms may tend to be noisy, so consider a room that is one room away from the elevator as an alternative. Consider leaving your television and a light on when you leave the room, so a would be burglar would think someone is in the room. Purchase a safety appliance such as the SwissTech BodyGard which has a hotel motion safety alarm option, where you can attach the alarm to your door and if someone tries to open it, the tool emits a loud noise.

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Vacation Safety Tips

Some of us are so eager to get away that when vacation time comes around, we throw caution to the wind, failing to take the usual precautions that keep us safe in day-to-day life. Unfortunately, there are con artists out there who know this and are ready to take advantage. What’s more, even innocent accidents can blight a vacation. Small problems can prove much more troublesome than they are at home. It’s best to be aware and well prepared, so you can be sure of a trip that is safe and fun all the way through.

When you’re driving away from home, be aware that the rules of the road may be different from those you are used to. This can apply even if you’re still in the same country, as there are different kinds of terrain to account for and drivers in different regions develop different habits. The most dramatic example of it will arise if you visit a country where people drive on the opposite side of the road. In this situation, take your time to adjust to the new ways you should be moving and the new areas you should be paying attention to. Even if you usually drive a manual transmission, it may be a good idea to have a rental care that is an automatic to reduce the number of new things you have to worry about while driving on unfamiliar roads.

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Planning a Relaxing Vacation

A common so-called irony in life, is when a person finally gets around to taking a much needed vacation, and falls ill as soon as they are away from work.

The reason for this situation being common is easily explained. Most people, as they are preparing for a vacation, are in a hectic state; trying to tie up loose ends at work, getting packed, finding a house and or pet sitter, finding visas or passports, organizing and cleaning the house, getting the yard prepared, creating “to do” lists for people, the list goes on. When you finally set off on your vacation, your body needs a break. Your immune system has been suffering from lack of sleep and excess stress. It’s an ideal time for a virus to attack and get a solid foothold.

There’s another reason illness attacks during vacation. Often people choose a trip that is not relaxing for them.

Two years ago my wife and I went on a vacation with friends. We went cross-country skiing at a resort. The cabin we stayed in was beautiful, we were surrounded with close friends, and the weather was nice - Seemed like a recipe for a wonderful vacation. Unfortunately, our friends were far better skiers than us, and ran us so ragged we were painfully stiff for days. Also, we let loose in the evenings, and trying to keep up with our friends’ drinking proved to be a big mistake. My wife and I returned from our vacation exhausted and ill.

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Protecting Your Home While on Vacation

Vacation should be a time marked by relaxation, excitement and exhilaration. Usually the experience turns out for the best, aside from all the freeway traffic and waiting in line. However, all of these positive vacation experiences can be erased in an instant when you discover that your home has been burglarized. Yes, it’s been known to happen. Some experienced burglars actually scout out a home and determine when the best time to rob the house would be. Is there anything you can do to prevent this from happening?

How about the ingenious idea of turning on the lights? It seems reasonable that shining lights scare away burglars from trying anything suspicious. After all, burglars enjoy the dark, right? Actually, the best burglars find a way to blend in to their surroundings, perhaps even appearing to be everyday individuals going about their business. Underestimating the planning skills of the burglar may be a mistake, especially if you live in an affluent neighborhood and have luxuries in clear view, such as a late model automobile. As soon as a burglar sees the lights on but also a conspicuous lack of movement he may figure out your plan.

How about the option of house sitting? If you can find a family friend to house sit for you this may be a smart idea, though a professional house sitter (or acquaintance) may wind up costing you some money. A more important factor to consider is how the house sitter will react in an emergency situation. A burglar may mistakenly believe you are gone but encounter you hired help or even choose to overpower whoever is in charge of watching. It’s true-violence in the home is on the rise, statistically speaking. Sometimes when people are faced with an emergency they panic and don’t know what to do. Bad idea, if this leaves your home at risk and you liable for someone else’s welfare.

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Travel Tips For Packing Luggage - Packing Tips For Your Vacation

Before you head out on your next vacation, here are some travel tips for packing luggage.

If you have babies in diapers, pack an extra suitcase just with diapers. As you use them up on your trip, you can have some extra space for items you may purchase.

To quickly spot your luggage at baggage claim, buy the most obnoxious loud color you can find. This will help you in two ways. One, you will be able to easily find your bags, and two, anyone thinking to steal someone’s luggage will not pick such an obvious color.

Another tip to easily find your luggage is to tie a bright ribbon on the handle or wrap it around your bags.

If you are flying, do not pack any sharp objects into your carry-on luggage unless you never want to see the item again. It will be permanently donated to the airport.

If anyone asks to take your luggage, be sure they are who they say they are. Ask for identification. Thieves sometimes go around impersonating tour guides.

It’s a good idea to put an emergency set of clothes and toiletries into your carry-on just in case your bags get lost. But no sharp objects, don’t forget.

You may think a wheeled bag looks geeky as opposed to a nice shoulder bag when it comes to carry-ons, but after traipsing all over the airport with your heavy bag, especially if it contains such things as a laptop or other electronics, you will be thankful for the wheeled geeky carry-on!

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Top 7 Easy Packing Tips for Business Travel

Frustrated with business travel? Unsure how much to pack? Use these top 7 tips to get ready for business trips and make travel as easy as possible.

1. Make a list.

Have you ever arrived at your destination only to discover you forgot your toothbrush? Make a list before you pack. Create your own, or find pre-made lists for your specific travels online. For example, Luggageonline has suggested packing lists for both men and women (http://www.luggageonline.com/packing_women.cfm). Jot down other important information on your list, such as the hotel’s name, address and phone number.

2. Reserve time for packing.

Carve out "pre-travel" time to get ready to go. Avoid throwing a week’s worth of dirty laundry into your suitcase! In your pre-travel time, you can launder dirty clothes or pick up any extra needed items, such as a new business shirt or a gift for the client you’re meeting. Schedule the time you need to get ready, at least one to two hours, to help keep last-minute travel stress to a minimum.

3. Pack the essentials.

What are the absolute necessities for travel? You’ll need your business attire, of course. Plus make sure you have all your travel documents, such as your e-ticket, driver’s license and hotel information. Carry your passport for international travel. Make photocopies of these documents to keep in your suitcase. Be sure to bring credit cards and at least some cash. In some places, such as China, using credit cards is challenging. Investigate where you’re going—you may need to convert money into foreign currency before you go. Remember to include a stack of business cards! Take your needed electronic items, such as your mobile phone, on the plane with you.

4. Pack just enough.

Once you’ve packed the essentials, don’t over-stuff your suitcase. Pack enough clothing for each day of your trip, plus an extra shirt or two for variety. Strike a balance between packing too little and taking too much. With too little, you’ll have to dash off to the nearest store to get deodorant or a pair of socks, and, if you buy these items at the airport or hotel store, expect them to be costly. But, if you over-pack, you’ll be lugging that extra weight from the airport onto public transportation to the hotel. Err on the side of packing light. Use your packing list to guide you. Include a backup set of clothes in your carry-on in case your luggage gets delayed.

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Vacation Packing for Traveling to a Tropical Climate

Usually we don’t spend much time thinking about what we will take when we start packing for that vacation, whether it’s for a hot or cold climate. In the case of a tropical clime you have a few special considerations to make in your packing.

It is going to be hot and often these tropical places have a lot of humidity, so it will feel rather sticky out from time to time. Think light and casual in your packing. Cotton fabrics will wick moisture away from the skin and they dry quickly help you to feel a little better outside. On a personal note think about picking up an extra strength anti-per spirant for your underarms cause the regular stuff may not cut it in this tropical environment.

Another good way to pack appropriately for the climate is to check the weather ahead of time that means going online and checking out some of the weather forecasts for the week ahead in your vacation destination. If you are going to be spending much more time there, say in the form of many weeks you can do a little research in almanacs and find out what the climate is like normally at the time of year you will be spending there.

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Planning a Family Vacation — Tips for Getting Out and About on Your Trip

A vacation is grand, but there is more to it than just arriving and lounging around in your hotel. When planning a family vacation, these tips will help you enjoy your daily excursions.

When you leave your hotel for the day to go out sightseeing, be sure to write down your hotel name and address on a slip of paper.  This is especially important if you are traveling out of the country and are in a city you are unfamiliar with.  My friend and I were vacationing in Quebec City one time and we forgot the name of the hotel we were staying at.  Luckily, she found a business card from the hotel in her purse, so we were able to tell the cab driver where to take us.

Don’t forget to bring your cell phone with you.  Even if you don’t plan to use it, keep it with you just in case of emergency.

If you are traveling out of the country be sure to carry some of the local currency with you.  Don’t rely on your credit card all the time as you may have an unexpected costs such as a parking fee, admission to a park, or other such unexpected expenses.

Call ahead to the places you plan to visit to make sure you know what their hours are and also cost of admission.  Some places open early or close late or vice versa on a whim.

Try not to over schedule your day.  If you try to pack in too many activities each day you’ll be too tired to fully enjoy your vacation.  It’s better to see less sights and enjoy yourself more.  You can always come back and visit again another time.

No matter what you are doing it’s a great idea to bring along some bottled water.  It’s a lot cheaper to just bring your water with you and refill it at water fountains rather than paying full price each time you get thirsty.

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10 Tips For Sleeping on Airplanes

We all want to arrive at our destination relaxed and refreshed but that does not always happen. Getting some sleep when traveling across time zones or on long flights is often necessary but not always accomplished. Here are some tips to help you get some shut-eye on your next flight.

1) Wear comfortable, loose clothing for the flight. Natural fabrics that breathe are the best, bring a sweater or jacket in case it is cool onboard.

2) Take off your shoes and bring a warm pair of socks to put on. This will allow for better circulation and help you feel more relaxed..

3) Choose a window seat. You will have something to lean against and no one will disturb you getting up when you are asleep.

4) Try to get a seat over the wing area, this section of the plane is usually most stable during the flight.

5) Drink lots of water, planes tend to be dry and being dehydrated will interfere with sleep.

6) Avoid caffeine, nicotine or other stimulants that will keep you awake.

7) Bring something to block out noise, either a good pair of earplugs, CD player or a MP3 player. The drone of engine and cabin noise is often enough to keep people awake. Noise-cancelling headphones are highly recommended to air travel.

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Give Stress a Vacation

"Stress is the trash of modern life - we all generate it but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life."

~Danzae Pace

"Some of the secret joys of living are not found by rushing from point A to point B, but by inventing some imaginary letters along the way."

~Douglas Pagels, These Are the Gifts I’d Like to Give to You

Stress in everyday life and especially at work is on the rise. Stress is a state where an individual tends to lose his or her balance, mentally or physically.

At work, it is usually caused by having the feeling of having too much to do. Rushing to attend meetings or having a packed schedule often result in stress. While some stress might be necessary for you to function at your best, too much of it will take a mental and physical toll.

Hence, learning a few measures on how to deal effectively with stress is extremely important. And perhaps the best (and most enjoyable, but expensive!) way to reduce stress is to give yourself a vacation. After all, what could work better to beat stress than taking yourself completely away from the source of it? If taking a long vacation (and staying away from work for weeks) seems too stressful to think about, try taking several short vacations in a year.

How does it help?

Research conducted in 2006 threw up the following statistics:

• Middle-aged men who skip vacation for five years increase their risk of heart attack by 30%.
• In the United States, 32% of paid vacation time is spent in non-vacation activities.
• 30% of people work during their vacation.

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