“When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” When it comes to traveling, truer words were never spoken. Traveling can quickly become stressful and overwhelming if you don’t carefully plan and organize your trip beforehand. Here are a few things to remember before going on vacation, so you can just sit back, relax and focus on enjoying your trip:
Book a Parking Slot in Advance
One of the most frustrating things you can experience before going on vacation is arriving at the airport on time, only to end up driving around in circles for an hour, looking for a place to park your car. You could risk missing your flight if you don’t book a parking spot in advance. Fortunately, reserving a parking slot is now as easy as one-two-three with the help of websites like ParkON.com.
ParkON offers parking in more than 200 parking lots strategically located near all the major airports in the country, including Los Angeles International, LaGuardia and Miami. LAX parking can be notoriously difficult, but with this service, you can simply search, select and reserve a slot online in less than five minutes. ParkON guarantees the best prices, and secure parking, so you won’t have to worry about your car at all until you get back.
Make Lists
Even if you’re not normally the most organized person, making travel checklists can be a real lifesaver when you’re going on vacation. Keep a list of the things you have to bring, including clothing, toiletries, gadgets and chargers. Make a separate list of all the places you want to visit, activities you want to do, and restaurants to check out. Lastly, keep a list of your most important travel items, such as your passport, wallet, IDs and cards.
Pack Light
Even the most seasoned travelers make the mistake of over packing sometimes. It’s natural to want to pack extra items “just in case,” but resist the temptation. Most of the time, you’ll end up coming home with your extra items untouched, and you will have lugged them everywhere you went for nothing. Try and pack only items you’re a hundred percent sure you will use, and if you ever do end up running out of clothes, you can do laundry just about anywhere you go.
In the unlikely event that you unexpectedly have to go somewhere fancy and you haven’t packed for it, you can simply pick up a new outfit locally. It’s a good excuse to buy a souvenir from the place you visited, and might even be cheaper.
Bring Backup Cards
No one wants to be stuck in an unfamiliar place without funds or a way to access your money. We hope for the best, but the reality is that sometimes disaster does strike while you’re on vacation. It’s always a good idea to bring backup bank and credit cards so you have an alternative source of funds in case you lose your wallet or get mugged.
When it comes to traveling, chance favors the prepared mind. Take the time to carefully plan and organize your trip, and you’ll be able to minimize stress and reduce the chances of any unexpected, unpleasant surprises popping up.
