A few simple tips that can save lots ot travel hassles

Travel is eye-opening and life-altering but it is also hard work
Be savvy and save hassles  (Courtesy: Pixabay)

CHARLOTTE, NC — Everybody loves lists, and one of the most popular for travelers is quality, practical tips for making your way through the pitfalls of globetrotting.

Not all tips suit the needs of every traveler, but those that work best are clever and can be used with minimal inconvenience. Here are some more suggestions we have discovered at Communities Digital News:

Lots of Uses for Wet Wipes:  A few small packets of individual antibacterial wipes can be invaluable.  They’re convenient when you have no running water available or for cleaning small cuts.  Not only that, the alcohol from the wipes helps stop the itching when you rub them on insect bites.

Pack smart, pack light
(Photo: Public Domain)

Pack Your Carry-on Strategically:  Sometimes it's impossible to avoid checking luggage, and on international flights checking your bags can save added hassles.  Airlines have become increasingly stricter about the size and weight of carry-ons.  When you pack, put any important stuff in a plastic bag and place it in the front pocket of your carry-on.  When you get to the gate, if you must check your bag, you can simply pull out the smaller plastic bag and board.

Old stickers make great
lint removers
(Photo: Public Domain)

 Luggage Stickers are Great Lint Removers:  If your lint brush is packed, or if you don’t have one handy, just remove the clutter created by your old luggage stickers and use the gummy side to take the lint right off your clothes.

Recycle Hotel Freebies:  Once those tiny bottles you bring home from the hotel are empty, refill them with your favorite brand of shampoo, hair conditioner and shower gel  instead of buying travel-size containers at the drug-store.  Toss them, along with your other small items, into a medium-sized Ziploc bag and you’re ready to go.  The clear plastic also lets you find things quickly and easily.

Pack Dirty Clothes in Hotel Laundry Bags:  Hotels that offer dry-cleaning or laundry services usually provide guests with plastic drawstring bags for their dirty clothes that you can use to haul your laundry home.  Just fill the bag, put it on the bed, and sit on it.  Your body weight will force the air out of the bag and then you can tie it closed with the drawstring.

Use Your Shoes to Get Through Airport Security More Quickly:  To speed up the X-ray process, empty the contents of your pockets into your shoes and place them on the conveyor belt.  At the other end, you can just pick up your shoes and move on to a less congested area to put everything back in place and slip on your shoes.

Save magazine perfume ads to freshen up your room
(Courtesy: Pixabay)

Save Perfume Ads for Your Next Cruise:  Those smelly magazine inserts may be annoying at home, but they can really come in handy at sea.  Use them to freshen up the air in your stateroom bathroom or them in the closet or dresser drawers.

Save Your Old Prescription Glasses:  Whenever you get a new pair of eyeglasses, relegate the old ones to your luggage, along with an inexpensive repair kit from the drugstore.  If something happens while you’re away from home, you may be able to make the repairs yourself.  If they’re beyond hope, at least you'll have a backup pair to get you through the rest of the trip.

Put Freebie Key Chains to Good Use:  Why not take those seemingly useless key chains that are used as advertising gimmicks and attach them to the ends of your luggage zippers.  This makes it easier to work the zippers and, as a bonus, helps identify your luggage on airport carousels.

Sounds silly but make sure your documents are in order
(Courtesy: Pixabay)

 Keep Your Passport Current:  It sounds logical statement, however many people do not know that if your passport expires in less than six months you MAY be denied access into another country.  Always make sure your passport has more than six months remaining from the return date of any trip.  It can save you more headaches than a bottle of aspirin.

A little planning can make a huge difference in a travel experience
(Photo: Public Domain)

Fraud Protection:  If a credit card(s) is stolen or lost, call the three national credit reporting organizations and the Social Security fraud line number immediately to place a fraud alert on your name.  The alert means that any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they must contact you by phone to authorize new credit.  Following are the contact numbers:

       Equifax --                                      1 800 525 6285

       Experian --                                    1 888 397 3742

       Trans Union --                              1 800 680 7289

       Social Sec Admin Fraud) --          1 800 269 0271

Traveling without hassles is hard work. The more you can do to simplify the process, the more enjoyable your experience will be.