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12 Summer Vacation Tips for Traveling Families
Summer is the most popular time for traveling and vacations. Many of our customers take family vacations. From road trips, to flying, no matter how you get there, we want to help make sure you have fun! The team at Home Comfort Experts put together this list of travel tips to help keep everyone happy and having fun.
Read Reviews Online
Before booking any hotels, resorts, side-trips, etc. read what others think about them. It’s the best way to get a real feel for the quality, price, service, potential problems, and anything you might want to know.
Related Read: Vacationing? Set Your Thermostat for Savings and Comfort
Safety Tips
Have a neighbor pick up any newspapers and check for packages from UPS or FedEx on your porch. It’s always good to have a neighbor check on the house while you’re away. Also, close all blinds and leave a light on in your home, or even better, a light on a timer to make it appear someone is home.
Turn Off Your Water
If a pipe breaks or a toilet decides to leak, the damage could be astronomical if it has days to leak without being detected. Play it safe and turn off your water at the main source to avert a potential disaster.
Stop Your Mail
It’s easy to stop your mail for few days to keep it from piling up in your mailbox and possibly alerting strangers that you’re not home. The post office lets you quickly put a hold on your mail online. You can schedule it to resume delivery the day you get home.
Snap a Pic
Your phone is a handy trip companion. Use it to record lots of information in a snap. If you have to check a bag, snap a photo (it will help you describe the bag if it gets lost) and a close-up of the airline’s baggage tag (so you have a record of the airline’s routing info).
When parking your car at the airport, an amusement park, or sports facility, snap a quick photo of the section and row you parked in. Also take pictures of passports, tickets, important papers, etc. They could come in handy if you lose the paperwork itself. Keep your charger handy, too.
Stash Extra Cash
Even if you plan to put everything on a credit card, it’s always good to have cash handy. What if your purse or wallet get stolen? Stash cash in a few different places. A couple hundred dollars worth should cover you in case of emergency. Don’t forget to carry some small bills for tipping. Great places to stash cash are in socks, under shoe inserts, or in a toiletry bag.
Make Copies of Important Papers
Keep both digital and physical copies of your passport, visas, driver’s license, birth certificate, health insurance card, serial numbers, and important phone numbers ready to go in case of an emergency.
Pack Earplugs
Earplugs are great for muffling the sounds of crying babies, barking dogs, whiny children (especially your own), honking horns, really anything that might be annoying you. Bring a pair for everyone.
Don’t Plan Too Much
Trying to cram too much into a short time period usually backfires – especially if children are involved. Crankiness, hangriness, and meltdowns will surely show up if too little downtime is scheduled. While theme parks are great fun, they are exhausting as well. Plan a day in between of just hanging at the hotel pool and relaxing.
Buy Insurance
Especially when planning big, expensive trips, travel insurance is worth purchasing. The typical plan will cover emergency medical expenses and baggage loss and delay, and recover at least some of the cost of your trip if your vacation has to be canceled or cut short.
Keep Medicines with You
Whenever you’re separated from your luggage, such as during your flight, keep medicines and any items you can’t do without in your carry-on so you don’t lose them if your luggage gets lost. Dramamine or other motion sickness medicine is always a good idea.
7 Must-Have Items
1. Suitcase – a durable, lightweight, smooth-rolling suitcase or bag that holds a lot and doesn’t tip over easily.
2. Duct tape – it comes in handy for so many things. Packing a whole roll is annoying, so take a 2-foot strip and wrap it around a pencil.
3. A copy of your passport – you’ll probably never need it, but if you lose your passport, having a copy greatly expedites the process of getting a new one. A scanned copy that you e-mail to yourself works fine.
4. One-quart resealable sandwich bags – for getting liquids, gels, and toiletries through airport security. Pack a few extra ones in case one rips or someone you’re traveling with forgets to bring one.
5. A travel pillow and blanket or sweater if you tend to get cold.
6. Entertainment – a book, e-books, games for the kids, etc. This includes several sets of headphones for the kids and yourself.
7. Snacks – no one likes a hangry traveler!
