Travel can mean the exhilaration of seeing new places or the nightmare of not having the comforts and security of home. Like anything, travel goes much more smoothly with a little bit of knowledge and preparation. Keep reading for some sound advice from seasoned travelers on making your journeys pleasant memories.

If you will be driving to your destination, fill a family member or friend in on your destination and planned route to get there. If something were to happen to you while driving, this person would be able to alert officials of your intended destination and the roads you would have been traveling on.

For safe traveling, don’t carry all your valuables in one place. No one wants to deal with missing belongings while on a trip, but if you do have to, it’s better to minimize loss. Put your credit cards, cash, jewelry, and whatever else you value …