For many, travel serves as an exhilarating, enlightening and thoroughly enjoyable way to learn about themselves and the larger world around them. Travel offers you the chance to learn about new people and cultures. Using these tips will help you while you are traveling.

Take a minimum of valuable items with you when you travel. The more items you have with you, the chance will be higher that you will leave one behind, or an item gets stolen.

Before you travel, make a list of what you will pack. Put together a list of things you must take with you. You can start doing this a couple of months out, but should be finished about a week before your trip. Even if you put off packing until the last minute, you can look at your list to avoid taking too much, or worse, forgetting something vital.

Make sure that someone you trust back home knows your travel itinerary. Thus, there is always someone who knows where you are supposed to be. You should also contact that person regularly. If they are aware of your location and you contact them regularly, no one will need to worry.

The bell hop and housekeeper should be tipped appropriately. You don’t have to overdo it, though, just a simple dollar per bag and no more than five dollars a day for the housekeeper is adequate enough. Tipping ensures good service and is sure to make your interactions with hotel staff more pleasurable.

Stores tend to overcharge for these items, and the space saved is minimal, so save the money. Look for innovative ways to fold your clothing in a manner that saves space. Trying out different folding techniques will allow more to fit in your bag.

When packing light for longer trips, try bringing a softly-lined raincoat. You don’t know what will happen with the weather. As an added bonus, your rain coat could be used as a light jacket when it’s chilly, or as a bathrobe.

If you plan to hit the road with a small child, take breaks every two or three hours on the road. Taking a break gives you a chance to visit the restroom and walk around a bit. Having a child exit the car regularly will also avoid motion sickness. While you may not get to your destination as quickly as you’d hoped, you will get there in good spirits.

Rental Car

Are you securing a rental car? Know what is in your car insurance policy prior to heading out of town. Rental car staff is trained to sell additional insurance, and you might not need it. Your car insurance could protect you while in the rental. Find out before you reserve your car.

If you go on a cruise, use formal dinners to chat with fellow passengers. Many ships place you at large tables with people you’ve never met. Have a positive attitude and speak with all the people you come in contact with. You will see them each day, and you might learn quite a bit about them or the ship at the same time.

Traveling a great distance from home is not always necessary for a fun getaway. You don’t have to leave the state. There may even be sights you haven’t seen in your local area. Save on travel expenses by staying local and supporting local businesses. You may be surprised to find a real gem, hiding in your own “backyard”.

Do not go to a currency exchange if you can help it. There is a cheaper, faster method for getting the local money you need. The easier method is getting your currency from an ATM. Bank ATM’s tend to have better exchange rates and are generally less expensive than an exchange.

Don’t forget your medications. In the rush to pack and leave on a trip, many times people will forget to take along key items such as medications. Your medication may not be available in other countries.

Try not to bring luggage with you when traveling by plane. This saves times and unneeded travel. Instead, have your luggage sent via FedEx or UPS to your destination. In the long term this will be worthwhile.

A road trip is the perfect opportunity to listen to playlists of your favorite music, so do not forget to bring your CDs or MP3 player with you. This way you don’t have to worry about relying on the radio while you drive.

Always bring a contact case wherever you travel. You can put small amounts of gel or lotion in them if you plan to only use a little bit.

When traveling, make sure all your contact information, including your name, address and phone number are visible in your luggage. By doing this, your luggage will always have your information on it, even if the external tag gets detached. This will give you peace of mind whenever you cannot locate your luggage immediately.

You can travel via bus to avoid outrageous baggage fees. It is much cheaper than what an airline will charge. So, if you have quite a bit of “stuff” going with you, think about taking the bus.

If you plan going camping or hiking, be sure to keep a map handy of the surrounding area. You’ll need a compass to make sense of the maps, but a GPS would be the ultimate safety tool.

Plan ahead for international travel by obtaining electrical currency adapters prior to the day of departure. They are generally 3-4 times the price when you purchase them in a tourist area or in an airport gift shop.

When taking a vacation abroad, bring along local currency so you have money to spend right away. You do not want to find yourself stranded late at night with no way to exchange your money. Go to one of the larger banks to get your money converted to the foreign currency. Then, when you land for your vacation, that is one less thing you have to worry about.

As previously suggested, travel truly can serve as a vibrant gateway to the world, allowing adventurous individuals to escape the daily grind and broaden their cultural horizons. Take all this info to heart, and increase your traveling enjoyment tenfold.