Hassle-Free Travel: Preparing For Your Summer Getaway

Preparing for a summer getaway. If only we could wave a wand and arrive in our dream destination on time, on budget, and with everything we will possibly need neatly packed in a small, bottomless bag.

While waving a magical wand and having everything fall into a blissful place isn’t quite possible, there are steps that can be taken to achieve the same end. From packing to budget tracking, airport layover solutions, and safeguarding against the unexpected, prepare for hassle-free travel for your summer getaway by following these easy-to-implement tips.

Pack with Proficiency

Summer vacation luggage has the tendency to inherently be more compact given the lightweight clothing that goes into the carry on for warm weather locales. Still, getting every needed item into that small box can be a challenge.

For the most proficient packing, start with three lists:

• Clothing items (including shoes and accessories)
• Toiletries
• Everything else (electronic must-haves, umbrella, etc.)

Once gathered, these items can be sorted and placed into the carry on in the order they’ll be unpacked, leaving shoes in a position inside the case where each pair (as well as most of the weight you’ve packed) will naturally fall at the bottom of the case as it’s being ushered through the airport on its two roller wheels or, if you’re lucky, the more efficient spinner wheels.

Unsurprisingly, proficiency in packing comes in many forms and doesn’t necessarily only mean efficiently plucking the right items from your inventory and strategically placing them into the case. It also means carefully selecting items so that you’re not overpacking. For example, proficiency can thrive in a selection of separates (tops and bottoms) that can easily be pulled out a second day and paired with a different coordinate to complete an entirely different ensemble for a second day or evening. In addition, one can become more adept at packing wisely by also paring down your list of toiletries and sticking to travel-sized containers.

Wise selections and proficient packing can make all the difference in a seamless, hassle-free travel experience.

Travel Insurance. Yes or No?

Is travel insurance worth it? It is for all-inclusive travel packages (think cruises, safaris, and so on) if you want to be able to get all or a portion of your money back if you need to cancel the trip or the trip gets interrupted.

Not all travel insurance policies will cover an interruption over and above the amount of the full trip cost. If you anticipate having large unexpected expenses getting back to your home destination sooner than your original travel plan allows, then you may want to purchase a travel insurance policy that has interruption coverage over and above the amount of your initial trip expense. That way you’ll be covered for those unexpected trip change expenses.

For a minimal cost averaging 4-10% of your total trip package, most travel insurance policies will also cover a significant portion of a necessary medical evacuation and even include a secondary medical policy that picks up the costs not covered by your primary insurance policy. These are in addition to cancellation and interruption coverage which are standard benefits (amounts vary) included in most policies.

Most standalone policies offer other optional benefits as well, such as:

In many cases, you can pick and choose the coverage that’s best for you.

Whether you’re investing $1,200 or $120,000 in your trip, it’s probably worth evaluating your trip package cost to see if the additional four-to-ten percent cost for travel insurance is worth it to you. Some travel credit cards actually offer travel insurance if the trip is booked using their card so it’s not always necessary to purchase a separate travel insurance policy.

Tracking the Budget

Tracking your budget and expenses while traveling internationally can get a bit dicey with currency exchanges. For this reason finding a travel expense app that works best for you is essential for keeping up with the hard costs of the trip - in U.S. dollars.

Apps like

sort expenses by category so users can easily track daily spending for, say, dining. The app offers more than 150 international currencies and it easily tracks them while also converting the international expenditures back to U.S. dollars for seamless tracking on relative terms.

Perhaps best of all: Tripcoin doesn’t need an internet connection to perform its tasks and it offers a Dropbox backup (via internet connection when one is available) in the event your mobile device is lost or stolen.

Making the Best of Airport Layovers

Avoid the crushing boredom of an extra long airport layover by pre-planning activities long before the trip begins.

Believe it or not, some adventurous travelers actually plan extra long airport layovers in cities that have retail and attractions in areas easily accessible from the airport just so they can experience a bit of the local scene during their trip. It’s like a trip within a trip. Layovers of five to eight hours are the perfect amount of time to get a taste of the local cuisine or put foot to pavement to explore a trending part of town.

But if leaving the airport seems a bit risky or you have hesitations of another sort, most large airports have plenty to discover if you’re willing to do some research ahead of time or investigate on the fly once you’ve arrived.

Some hidden surprises awaiting discovery at airports around the world include:

• Butterfly Garden (Changi, Singapore)
• Yoga Rooms (various, including Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare and Miami International)
• Hollywood Theater (Portland International Airport)
• Museum-quality exhibits (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport)

Planning ahead to discover local must-visit spots for layover must-do activities or must-see attractions within your layover airport will squash the boredom and anxiety of any lengthy layover.

Summary

Perhaps a little pre-planning combined with proficient packing and efficient budget tracking is the magic wand for a harmonious travel experience. Give it a try and see how much of a difference it makes on your next trip!