Saturday, April 16, 2011

Travel Tips

Guess who's trip is only 31 days away?? If you guessed me, you're right! (and you're very good at reading the ticker I've so conveniently placed on my blog)

As the trip gets closer folks are offering up a lot of travel advice. Some of it is obvious stuff (pack light!) and other stuff will be really helpful. Today I am going to share some of these tips with you all.

1) Pack Light! - I know I said this one was obvious, and it really is. We hear it all the time. But as a woman, HOW do I pack light? No one ever taught me. My mom has just as much trouble as me picking which shoes to bring. Because, well, you just never know! Here are some hints that I have been given. Pick a color scheme. Earth tones, like brown or tan, or a cool palate like a black/gray base? Personally I'm going for the cool colors. Simply because I have more of those that I want to bring. Majority/flexibility rules!

2) Pack Light! 2.0 - Bring closes that are multi-purpose. I can wear this cute new charcoal gray cardigan I got from DKNY with both my jeans, a white tank, and flats AND the one dress I'm bringing along. Oh and the flats. I can wear them with my jeans or my dress as well. Find items you might be able to get a couple of uses out of before they need washing (like the cardigan!)

3) Bring along a reusable shopping bag. Like one of these. My boss happened to get me one for Christmas and it will come in very handy! It's small when tucked into its little pouch, so it is easy to pack and will fit in my pocket or purse when we're out on the town. But, if we want to stop by the market, or pick up a souvenir, I don't have to worry about bags. Plus, and this is its most important feature, it is WAY cuter than a grocery or department store bag. Priorities, people!

4) Wipes/Kleenex pouches - I hear that TP in public restrooms isn't always easy to come by. I think this one explains itself.

5) Ziploc Baggies - An old employee of mine told me this one, and I like it! Very clever. She takes a bunch of Ziploc bags along (whatever size you want) to keep her treasures in. Business cards, coasters, post cards, etc can all be stored in these bags and then labeled with the name of the city you were in. I love collecting those kind of 'souvenirs' because #1, they're usually free or dirt cheap and #2, they're great for the scrapbook when you get home.

There you have it, my 5 travel tips for the day. What tips do you have for other worldly travelers out there? Something you have, or do, that I must know about? Please share!

5 comments:

  1. I am a TERRIBLE packer! I bring everything in my closet while C brings only a few things. He is trying to rub off on me and the only way it's working is knowing we are going to a civilized area and if I need something, I can buy it!! One thing I do is roll my clothes and put them in ziplock bags. It keeps the clothes from getting as wrinkly and then you have bags to put your dirty clothes in after. Also when you pile the shoes on the top, they don't dirty up the clean clothes :)

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  2. What did we ever DO before Ziplocks?!

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  3. I definitely always go with color schemes when I travel internationally. I tend to do black/pink/grey everything b/c I own a TON of pink and black. :) As long as you can mix & match dang near everything, that helps. Like you said, it also cuts down on the number of accessories (shoes/jewelry/sweaters/etc) you need to bring.

    DON'T FORGET A RAIN JACKET! They don't take up much room, but you'll much regret not having one (that or a small packable umbrella) if it ends up raining on your trip.

    A friend of mine takes a piece of cardboard (or heavier paper) and wraps duct tape around and around it (a couple feet worth). You never know when it will come in handy (rips in suitcases, soles of shoes coming off, etc. you never know!). We used it MULTIPLE times on my trip to Norway last year.

    Finally, I always do AT LEAST one repack. Pack a week ahead of time, let it sit for a couple of days, and then pull it all out on your bed and look at it all and think DO I NEED ALL OF THIS? before you repack it all. I always end up hanging up 1/3 of the items. :)

    Hope this helps!!

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  4. The biggest things I do are the reusable tote, like you said in your post.

    Also, I use a cross-body purse/messenger bag. I like my hands free, but my purse secure. And they usually have space for all kinds of items.

    Pack a small tube of sunscreen in your bag along with a small note pad to use as a journal to write down little things you see, hear or experience.

    I also wear Keen sandles as my main walking shoe because they are versitle and comfortable. The I just pack a pair of flip flops and a pair of flats.

    I will be using a packing list I made a while back to make sure I don't forget anything when I pack for my Mexico trip in May. It's a lifesaver!

    MissConception

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  5. for international travel - I always spend time researching restaurants before I go. Especially in the big cities, it's so easy to fall into a tourist trap, and miss out on some great local stuff because you didn't think to make a reservation. You can always find interesting places to see. It's the places to eat that are the hardest to find.

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