Avon England

Imagine an English town, replete with half-timbered houses, ancient pubs, quaint inns and three live, working theaters…all prospering and hosting thousands of tourists… why? Because the greatest writer of the English language (and some say the greatest writer of all times) was born here, lived here, married here and was buried here. And who might that be? William Shakespeare, of course!

A two hour train ride from London, and you’re transported to the 16th century. Or, perhaps you are leaving on a group tour of England and you haven’t really done your homework about where you’ll visit or what you’ll see. You are in for an experience indeed. Remember your English Lit professor who spoke reverently of “The Bard” and then you read a couple of the plays, but weren’t sure you understood them? Well, it will all be clear very soon, because you will be surrounded by the aura, the ghost, the memory of the immortal William Shakespeare.

Born here in 1564 on Henley Street, his childhood home is still preserved. See how a working class family lived in the 16th century; his father was a glove maker (a good trade back then) and prospered. He sent his William to school where he obtained a fine, classic education. Shakespeare courted and married Ann Hathaway, whose home also is beautifully preserved and open for visiting, but he left her and his children for the bright lights of…no, not Broadway…London! Talk about success! He became actor, manager, theater owner and author of 37 plays of histories, tragedies, comedies and numerous essays. He amassed a tidy fortune before returning to Stratford.

You may visit his burial place in Holy Trinity Church. The very best part of the visit is actually attending one of his plays in his home town. The Royal Shakespeare Company has its home here and the greatest names in English theater have performed on this stage, at one time or another. You should order tickets in advance, but if you haven’t, and are persevering and lucky (as I was,) you can obtain a ticket at the pre-curtain waiting line. I saw one of the Henrys there one June evening a few years ago, and the memory remains fresh. Brilliant acting, excellent acoustics, fabulous scenery and special effects, all in all, a very satisfying theatrical evening. The only down side was the intermission bar: the Brits still don’t understand “on the rocks”! One tiny ice cube on a very hot summer night Midsummer’s Night Dream.

For those who are theater buffs and have time, visits can be arranged to the Property Shop, Wigs and Makeup Shop, Scenery Workshop & Studio and (this one sounds fascinating!) the Armoury where swords and weapons and body armor is custom made for each actor.

By this time you’ve worked up a hunger and a big thirst…so it’s time for a real British pub. There are several historic pubs and a few small, tucked away spots that serve light food, or even dinner at the larger venues, so you can eat and drink with the locals and have a jolly time.

About the Author

Green

Environmental protection has become the number one problem in the 21st century because of changes in climate, so many countries the world worry about their environment. Developed by Columbia and Yale universities, environmental performance index ranks 140 countries based on 25 categories, ranging from water and air quality and finishing the regulation of pesticides. Western Europe: Switzerland Switzerland is one of the richest and most polluting country in the world. Of the eight indicators, including sanitation, water quality, forest and regulation of pesticides, Switzerland received the highest score – 100. Not surprisingly, the average life expectancy in this country – in 1981.

Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Croatia Croatia occupies 20th place of the cleanest countries in the world and is number one in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The country is on the Adriatic Sea – emphasis on clean local beaches. Croatia offers a clean, natural water and national industrial products.

Central & South America: Costa Rica Costa Rica is located on the 5th place in the world. Its economy relies heavily on ecotourism. Despite the destruction of forests in other Latin American countries, Costa Rica conducted successful avoidance deforestation. He receives an assessment of 97 out of 100 in the category of forestry, air pollution and climate change.

Asia and the Pacific: New Zealand New Zealand takes 7 place in the world of ecology. The country is known as a haven for people in need of recreational activities. The country pays great attention to preserving the environment, receiving 84.5 out of 100 points on an index of effective protection, as well as to assess the quality of water and air. Fishing, hunting, tour for New Zealand. This country is so clean that there is easy to spend the night in sports sleeping bags

Middle East and North Africa: Israel Israel is a country of 49 cleanest in the world. 7,2 million inhabitants enjoy a good quality water, sanitation, infrastructure and excellent air quality. These categories compete even with the cleanest European countries such as Switzerland. Life expectancy in Israel is 81 years old. Israel received 100 points for the management of forestry resources, but only 4.5 of a possible 100 for the regulation of pesticides.

South Africa: Mauritius Mauritius 58 cleanest countries in the world. The island is located at 1200 miles off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. His 97.7 average health compared to other sub-Saharan Africa, where the average reaches only 44.5 out of 100. Mauritius is well supplied with clean drinking water and has a developed infrastructure of sanitation. Clean Air competes with Scandinavian countries.

travel

People have been taking Caribbean travel vacations since the colonial times. Today, millions of U.S. citizens visit the islands each year to experience the tropical extravaganza that a Caribbean travel usually has in store for all its visitors.
Below are some Caribbean travel tips to help you get the most out of your tropical excursion:

Get an early start.
If there’s anything you absolutely must do when you go on a Caribbean vacation that is to start early. There are a lot of things you need to take care of. Trip planning can be a tough nut to crack. Often, a passport may be required before you can enter the country you are planning to travel. One Caribbean travel tip you ought to consider is to prepare all your travel documents as early as now.
Choose an island.

Culture-shock. That is bound to happen if you don’t do your research beforehand. One thing you should remember about the Caribbean is that it has a culture that is as widely diverse as its people. So take this Caribbean travel tip: read up on the culture and people for the places you will travel.

Another thing, as you travel, keep abreast of local news coverage. If you are in an area experiencing civil unrest or a natural disaster, or if you are going to a place where communications is poor, register with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for your own safety.

Registration at the State Department’s TravelRegistration.state.gov website takes only a few minutes, and certainly invaluable in case of emergency. In addition, you can also get up to date Caribbean travel tips and information on any country in the world by obtaining the Department of State’s Consular Information Sheet.
Entry.

Every island in the Caribbean has its own entry requirements. That is why your first Caribbean travel tip is to prepare all your documents before you leave home. If you can show proof that you are a U.S. citizen and a return or onward ticket, most countries will allow you to visit for up to two or three months.

Take this as both a Caribbean travel tip and caution: There are countries in the Caribbean with areas infected with yellow fever. If you come from any of these areas, you may be required to have a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever.
Also, some airports may require departure tax of up to $25.
Return.

There are some Caribbean countries that require only your birth certificate as an entry requirement. However, this should be reason for you to slack off on your travel documents. Remember that U.S. Immigration requires that you document both your U.S. citizenship and identity. Take this Caribbean travel tip and make sure you can return to the United States with both these documents.

But what is the best document that can prove your U.S. citizenship? The best proof is a valid U.S. passport. However, other travelers give these Caribbean travel tips as documents you can use besides that to prove U.S. citizenship:

Expired U.S. passport

Certified copy of birth certificate

Certificate of Naturalization

Certificate of Citizenship

Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen

Jet Lag Remedies

If you know that you have been experiencing jet lag lately, you’ve probably been doing some research online to find out what is going to work the best for you. The reason that I like researching remedies online is because I can get reviews from other people that have used the products themselves.

What I have found with reviews is that if the high majority tend to like the product, there’s a good chance that I’m going to like the product as well. Well, I did some research online and this is what I came up with as my favorite jet lag remedy products.

Before I get situated with the jet lag remedies, you’re going to want to use this checklist as a good example on how you can find the perfect product for yourself.

• If it has good reviews, there’s a good chance its going to work for you.
• Look for natural products as these are going to be better for you.
• Read the ingredients. If they have things you don’t know about, you’re going to research them.
• If it’s FDA approved, this is a huge plus but be aware that many of the products out there aren’t FDA approved.

The top products that have high marks online…#1 Lewis N. Clark: Some of the highest reviews online. Lots of compliments on how the product works for many on long flights. Comes with 32 tablets that is enough for 40 flights. The typical package 32 should cost you no more than $15.

#2 JetZone Jet Lag: Made of 100% natural homeopathic travel medicine, its uniquely formulated and its extremely easy to use. You don’t even need to drink water when you’re taking them! 30 tablets are going to run you around $3. These are by far the cheapest on the market.

#3 No Lag Homeopathic: These are designed for 2 year olds and older and will relieve the stress of tiredness and more. Its safe, natural and has some great reviews online. A whole package will generally set you back around $15 or so.

There are going to be more than this when you do your homework online. Just make sure that you read the reviews, as well as what is in them because there are a lot of scams out there that won’t do anything for you but take your money.

Be sure to check out the products above and see what can work the best for you!

Travel Information

Now let me ask you this, are people coming back to you after having their dream holiday traveling cruise and telling you about the great travel experience they had to how little they really spent? are you wondering how on earth they got the last minute deals so easy that you can not get? It is not as difficult to get the cheap holiday airline travel as you might think, just a little planning and preparation with good relevant information will do. Now where on earth can you get the information?

Go online, period. Yes I can hear you say can I not get good traveling deals from street traveling agents? yes you can but the best place for you getting the cheapest great holiday prices is through online travel agents. Do you know that surfing online travel agents save you a lot of things than going off line from one travel agent office to another or rather making calls here and there? It saves lots of overheads as a customer and even the agent. Now let me compare surfing deals online to off line to you and I believe yourself will come to agree with me.

First, there is a very simple comparison between online site and off line street agent. In this busy period who has that time going everywhere and asking of prices from different agencies, never when internet is right here to do the same task. Very much better prices is available through online travel agents as they tend to offer much lower prices.

There is a straight forward booking platform for everyone going online to book traveling deals without much fuss. Thus you do not need a ticket, only confirmation number and photo ID to board. Now you have been told some truths about cheap holiday airline traveling, how do you then know which sites are good from the bad ones? Check out for this criteria if presence, then you are on a safe ground

• registered with a recognized professional association. If the travel agent is
• independent
• registered with an office address
• capable to offer a secured payment system

Spending a little of your time finding good deals on airline travels, you will literally join thousands of people enjoying the great good deals on cheap holiday airline travels out there for you.

Online Travel Booking

When you consider traveling, which one do you prefer, booking online or employing a travel agent? This may be a common concern to many tourists and before you make a decision, be sure that you know all pros and cons about these two ways. Employing a travel agent used to be tourists’ first choice, but with the development of technology, more and more people plan their vacations on the Internet.

The conspicuous advantage of booking online is that you can save a lot of money for your trip. According to your own booking, the total cost will certainly be cut down since you don’t have to pay the travel agent’s fee. You can find cheap flights by using search engines and professional booking sites and sometimes those sites also offer great bargains on hotels. Nevertheless, be aware of both the price and the quality of your booking. A necessary step before you make a reservation for a room is to read customer reviews and check the location of the hotel. When it comes to flight booking, the same method also works. If you arrive at an airport which is far from the city center, you will spend more time and money although the flight cost is low.

Another advantage of setting your trip up online is that you can always customize your itinerary according to your own preference instead of taking a package deal through a travel agency and getting involved in a tourist group. However, travel agents still have the overwhelming advantage that they have much more resources than you can find online. Normally, they don’t care much about the airfares, but they tend to have more control with itineraries and cruises.

Anyway, your choice between booking online and employing a travel agent should be made according different situations. If you are planning a simple and short journey, booking online may be your first choice and traveling on your own will add a lot of fun. On the contrary, if your travel plan is complicated and hard to organize, turning to a travel agency for help will save you a lot of trouble. So to speak, a travel agent should be considered when various factors are added into the travel plan such as flights, hotels, itineraries, diets and multiple destinations. Making these plans and arrangements are what travel agents do for a living and they are experts at that. They can not only give you some practical advice and tips about the trip but also work out a vacation plan that meets your needs most. Moreover, sometimes good travel agencies can help you to cut your travel expenses because they have abundant resources and know the way to get the best deals.

Thus, they can give you some considerate advice such as book the tickets later to catch an off-season discount, and change the route in order to save some money. With regard to the fine print which most people forget or ignore, a travel agent is asked to make sure that every tourist is aware of the details.

It is travel agents’ obligation to satisfy customers’ needs so they have to dig deep into the travel plans. They usually double- check dates, routes and details and make sure that tourists have all the documents needed for traveling. Also, searching for the cheapest bargains and customizing itineraries are important parts of their jobs.

If you are a person who would like to invest your time and energy to have a unique trip of your own, making your travel arrangements online is not an impossible task to you. But when something goes wrong during the journey, you’d better have some phone numbers at hand so as to call for a help to solve the problems.

In one word, it is totally up to you to choose the way of traveling you prefer. The key lies in the evaluation of your true needs and finding a prefect balance.

Luggage

Traveling is one of the most worthwhile activities anyone can have in an entire lifetime. Visiting various places, experiencing various cultures, getting to know fresh people- these are just some of the splendid things one gets to experience when travelling. And let’s face it, with the hustles and bustles of daily life, everyone needs a little time off to clear their heads and get away from it all.

Packing is one of the primary steps that people do, after organizing and deciding where to head at. And sometimes, this is the most difficult part of the preparation because vacationers are confused what to put inside their bags. Some over-pack due to pointless vanity bits and pieces, while some overlook the important things to bring because they are too languid to carry a hefty luggage.

But don’t worry, whether you’re heading to somewhere sandy, uphill, or contemporary, I’ve listed down 10 things you should bring for your retreat.

A durable, trendy wheeled bag/ backpack – Your bag will house everything that you’ll be bringing during your holiday. And just like any home, this one must be secure and able to contain everything that goes in it. When choosing a bag, always consider two things: One is the size and functionality, and the other is style. More often than not, these two things go hand in hand. Take into account the place where you’re going to and try to come up with a shortlist based on your travel destination. For example, if you’ll be heading for the mountains, make sure you get a good backpack with all the necessary attachments and places where you can hang your flashlight and water bottle. If you’ll be staying in a high-end hotel, make sure you bring along a polished traveling suitcase that’ll make you blend in. Wherever you choose to go, make sure you’ve got the suitable bag for the proper location.

A well-rounded daypack – Some of the most critical things come in a smaller package during the trip. Carrying an extra tote wouldn’t hurt especially if this contains maps, snacks, bottled water and other stuff that you want to clutch around your back or shoulder while checking out the area.

SECURED-BELT BAG AND POCKET MONEY: A well-planned trip entails a well-planned budget. Anyone who goes on a trip or vacation obviously needs money. You need pocket money to buy food and drinks, to pay cabs or rental cars, and, probably, to buy some take-home mementos from the place you visited. And to secure your money, it is suggested to carry them in a belt bag. Not only is it safer but also its light-weight so you can carry it anywhere without thinking where you left it off.

FIRST-AID KIT: We can’t prevent accidents from happening, so always bring a safety kit when travelling. Toiletries, medications, bandages, etc. are just few of the things you should to pack before you leave. Also, have with you the contact numbers of the local hospitals/ clinics as well as your insurance company in case any accidents take place. It’s better to be safe than be sorry.

Proper head-to-toe essentials – These are not only part of human’s principal needs, but also one’s fundamental travel necessity. Be it for swim wear or heavy coats, having ideal attires are a rule of thumb when traveling. Plus, taking some comfortable foot wear should also be on the list, no matter if your feet’s comfort is defined by a pair of furry boots or a pair of colorful flip-flops.

ESSENTIAL GADGETS: Along with your battery-operated stuff, also bring emergency equipment such as your mobile phone and laptop to still be able to get in touch with your loved ones. Most hotels or vacation residences have access to high-speed internet so while on that wonderful paradise, you can still update your friends and family on Facebook or Twitter. And in case you get bored, you may also want to bring along portable DVD and mp3 players; it might come in handy if your chosen room doesn’t have any television set.

EXTRA JUICE FOR YOUR ELECTRONICS: It’s essential to carry around gadgets when travelling such as flashlight for emergency, alarm clock, and cameras to take snapshots of magnificent views. However, some outlets are not compatible with your electronics’ voltage and might cause significant harm. To avert this I suggest you carry around battery-operated gadgets, since batteries are very affordable and readily accessible in any stores. In addition, pack along extra batteries in your carry-around tote bag in case you run out of power while on the road.

Research notes and maps – Mind-gears are always part of the travel-gear. Guidebooks, maps, and even notes that you jot down on your research before riding your way to a different place are significant. Make sure that you have all the information printed in case you forget them. Remember that buying maps is less costly than buying your way out of from being lost in a certain area.

WEATHER SHIELDS: If you’re heading for a sandy or hot-weathered location, never forget to apply sun block/sunscreen lotion to avoid getting too tan or getting a skin disease while travelling. With global warming heating up the world, never forget your sunglasses and umbrella to avoid getting a heat stroke. For tourists going to a cold and chilly spot, bring a hat or waterproof jacket to avoid getting damp in case it rains.

Back-up Documents - It is important to produce copies of your passport, tickets, insurance documents, credit cards, and IDs, and keep them in a protected place in your luggage. You can also leave some of the duplicates at home to ease the whole replacement process in case you lose them during your trip.

Travelling should be a lot of fun. And it will be if you’re well-packed and ready for anything. So pack those bags and along with it, that optimistic attitude and sense of adventure. Remember, you’re doing this to get away from all the strains of everyday living, so don’t let carelessness turn your escapade into another source of anxiety.

Travelling

It is hard to plan the right vacation these days with all the options on places to go, and things to see. From beautiful beaches, to lavish resorts, to the most fun your kids can have, there is just everything out there. There are plenty of Rental properties around the United States to visit for your dream vacation, and by using helpful websites that search for current rental availabilities and offers, you are only one step away from enjoying the vacation of your life.

When using a informative website to help you find a rental property or condo, this makes finding a place to rent a lot easier then just calling around. These websites boast unlimited amounts of information about the best time to visit, when rental properties are the cheapest, and when properties come available. It always makes things much easier when you have all the information and help you need at one place, so you do not need to search around the internet to find what you are looking for.

Florida has so much to offer throughout the state when it comes to vacationing, whether it is a family vacation with the kids, or a nice relaxing vacation with your spouse, so finding the perfect destination and rental can be challenging at times. By utilizing a search engine that is specifically dedicated to finding you multiple different options in the area you plan to stay at, it will end up making your entire experience in Florida that much more enjoyable. Planning and booking a vacation should not be made so difficult to do, so having unlimited resources and information at your finger tips makes this process go as fast and effortlessly as possible.

Safety Travel

Traveling abroad, student travel, safety and road trip planning

It is no secret that when young people vacation with their friends, alcohol consumption is high and partying is the primary past-time. However, with the unfortunate tragedy of Natalee Holloway’s death while on vacation in Aruba, it is important for young people to keep safe while traveling. Irresponsible drinking is not the only issue involved with unsafe travel; there are several safe travel tips that need to be kept in mind while vacationing to ensure your safety.

Whether you’re traveling abroad to Paris, spending spring break on South Padre Island, Texas or taking a summer road trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, it is important to keep safe and aware of your surroundings at all times. By following just a few, small travel tips and keeping a few things in mind, you can ensure that your vacation goes smoothly and that you have a great time.

Basic safe travel tips:
Knowing your limits

Hangovers are not the only thing you need to worry about when partying; binge drinking can lead to black-outs, alcohol poisoning and even worse – death. Most importantly though, alcohol clouds your judgment severely and makes bad situations and decisions look alright. Try to monitor your alcohol consumption and the alcohol consumption of those traveling with you. This leads me to the second rule: the Buddy System.

Buddy System

Remember those afternoon buddy checks at the local swimming pool? The buddy system, it is tried and true and it works. Wherever you go with your friends whether it’s the bar, a club, the beach or a party, keep tabs on each other. Try to stay together at all times. Realistically this doesn’t always happen and people get separated. If you do get separated or you decide to go your own ways, which is not recommended, try to check in with each other at least every hour or so. Also, plan ahead a meeting place if you cannot locate each other. It is important to remain with your friends or close by them at all times. For guys, if you find yourself in a fight, you have your buddies there to help you out. For gals, if you’re receiving unwanted sexual advances, your ladies are there to help you out of an unwanted situation.

Don’t take candy from strangers

When young people vacation, they are out mingling, partying and meeting new people. You need be careful of strangers though and shouldn’t completely trust anyone. Be careful of what they’re offering you; there are a lot of scam artists out there. For women, if a man buys you a drink you need to be aware of the fact that he may try to drug you or if he buys you an excessive amount of drinks that he may be trying to get you drunk and take advantage of you. Not to sound like EVERYBODY is out to get you, but you need to be aware of the possibilities and be wary of trusting people you have just met. Most importantly though, never leave alone with someone you have just met and never give them the number to your hotel room.

Think of the consequences

To take risk of sounding like my mother, you really do need to think of the consequences of your actions. They need to be kept in mind, especially when traveling abroad.

Traveling abroad and student travel tipsKnow the rules, customs and laws

Each year more than 2,500 Americans are arrested abroad and more than one-third of those arrests are drug related and student travel related. Simply because it’s legal to smoke marijuana in Amsterdam, doesn’t mean that it is legal to take it with you to Germany. When you’re traveling abroad it is vital to be completely aware of the rules, custom and laws that are associated with the countries you are visiting. Young people and students are commonly arrested for being intoxicated in public areas and for drunk driving; this is common for not only people traveling abroad, but also for student vacationing in the United States. If you do get in trouble while traveling abroad, contact the local US embassy.

Dress to unimpress

Theft is another common vacation mishap. Leave the bling at home, don’t carry excessive amounts of cash and don’t bring with you unneeded credit cards. Dressing nicely, wearing a Rolex and flashing your cash screams steal from me. In case items do get stolen, you should make two copies of your passport identification page before leaving. This will help expediate the time spent getting your passport replaced if it is lost or stolen. Leave one copy in your hotel room and the other back home with someone easily contacted.

Road Trip Tips:Plan ahead

Before embarking on your trip, you need to plan ahead, and come up with a travel itinerary that should include what roads you will be traveling on and where you will be staying. The travel itinerary should be given to someone who is not going with on the trip so they can know where you are at all times in case something does go wrong.

Check it out

It only seems logical to have your car tuned up before heading out on the road; however, this is a step that is often overlooked. Before leaving on a road trip take your car to a local car shop and have them check it over, change the oil and have the tire pressure checked. It is also recommended that you have access to AAA or some other emergency roadside service in case something does go wrong.

And last don’t pick up hitchhikers. It is not 1960 anymore and it is not safe.Vacations are supposed to be fun and by keeping these few safe travel tips in mind, you can make sure that they remain that way.

About the Author

Travel Tips

Are you ready to get started on the travel journey of a lifetime this holiday season but feel as though you are forgetting something important? Don’t fret! All you need are a few holiday travel tips to make sure you stay on the right track. Whether you’re going to spend time with your family, or are taking everyone on a fun getaway, it is important that you plan well. So to help you out I am providing some holiday travel tips that will make your vacation time with family and friends a breeze.

Find Out Peak Travel Dates

One of my top holiday travel tips is to find out when the peak travel dates are – then avoid them like a plague! Peak travel dates have two problems associated with them: 1) plane tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, and more tend to be more expensive, and 2) everyone else will be traveling on those dates, hence the name peak travel dates. If possible, plan your vacation time at work a few days before the peak travel period so that you can avoid the rush. And also try to plan coming back a few days after – that way you can almost always guarantee reductions in prices, reductions in holiday traffic and reductions in headaches.

Do Your Comparison Shopping

It is important to stay abreast of holiday travel tips that help you find the best deals for your money. That starts with finding flight specials and continues with locating vacation destination deals. If you are going to visit family for the holidays and are not in need of a hotel room or transportation when you arrive then flight costs are all you will need to take into consideration. There are plenty of websites that give great holiday deals. Shop around with the major travel search engines such as Expedia and Travelocity, but also look at Cheaptickets.com and others for great rates. Also, you will be surprised to find that many airlines will have great deals if you search their website directly. And if you want the best comparison shopping experience, I recommend using SideStep.com. They use a side-by-side comparison of every flight special, sorted by price. I have found the greatest success using their services.

If you are traveling to a destination that does not include free room and board, then one of my holiday travel tips is for you to comparison shop for great all-inclusive package deals. You can find great places to stay during that holidays that have 3- and 5-night vacation packages with meals and activities included. Also, you will want to try to get a car factored into the price if you need one for your trip. The more specific you are when planning and the earlier you book, the better your results will be.

Plan Your Connecting Flights with Great Care

This is one of the holiday travel tips that will reduce your stress level significantly. I say this because I know the feeling of sitting in the airport waiting to board the first of two connections when you hear the airline attendant politely (and nervously) inform passengers that the flight has been delayed for an hour or more due to a snow storm in “Sock-It-To-Me,” Kansas. When you hear the news, your thoughts quickly shift to your connecting flight that is probably scheduled to depart on time – 30 minutes after this flight is supposed to land. You know pre-boarding begins 30 minutes prior to take off to ensure the flight leaves on schedule. And that’s when questions like “What will I do if my flight doesn’t land before the other flight takes off?” and “Are there additional flights available?” begin to rush through your mind. And of course, the final thought will be, “Why didn’t I schedule my connecting flight for a later time?”

This anxiety can be avoided by choosing connecting flights that allow for an hour and a half or more of layover time. I know that when you make the choice to find connecting flights as close as possible to the time your first flight is to land that you are simply trying to get where you’re going quickly and want to avoid boredom in the airport. But usually one and a half to two hours isn’t that long when you consider that it takes time to exit the plane, find the connecting flights departing gate, which could be in another terminal, then get settled before it is time to board the second plane. Besides, if you allow yourself the extra time, you are almost guaranteed the promise of making your connecting flights – a promise that is more than welcome during the busy holiday season.

Plan Your Packing In Accordance with Current Airport Security Measures

This is one of the holiday travel tips that actually sounds unfair – and trust me; I used to feel the same way too. But after enough hassles at the airport security station, I finally gave in and realized that I couldn’t change what I couldn’t control. So now, instead of fussing at the ways airports are trying to ensure our safety, I simply plan ahead by packing my belongings in accordance with their security measures.

One way to do this is by making sure to pack all of liquids and gels that are larger than 3 ml in the bags I plan to check. The airport has signs up everywhere that let you know that you cannot carry liquids and gels through the security checkpoint; these items include lotion, toothpaste, baby oil, aerosols (hairspray), perfume bottles, bottled water, and much more. If you carry them through the checkpoint they will find and confiscate them – you cannot stop this from happening. So to avoid the drama, why not simply pack them away and happily greet them at the baggage claim at your destination? You are allowed to carry liquids and gels 3 ml and smaller in a zip-top, clear bag, so you are not completely left out in the cold. And by sticking to the rules, you, your family, everyone in line behind you, and airport security will be much happier.

Remembering this helpful holiday travel tips will definitely help make vacationing during this holiday season a better experience. If you are in need of additional holiday travel tips, remember the last time you traveled and all of the challenges you faced, then apply them to the holiday season. By doing this you can assure yourself that you won’t be faced with any unwelcome surprises.

About the Author