1. Sign up for a TSA PreCheck status program. Period. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in the TSA PreCheck line, and have looked over at the throngs of poor souls waiting in the general security lines. I don’t understand how not every single person who travels doesn’t sign up for this – it’s such a stress-saver and time-saver. My personal program of choice was Global Entry because we travel internationally, and it speeds up the customs process, but you can read more about a comparison of the 3 biggest programs here: https://www.cnbc.com/select/tsa-precheck-vs-global-entry-vs-clear/ 

2. Split meals on travel days. Speaking of airports, if you wait to eat past security, it’s a given that the prices for food & drinks are higher. It’s a good idea to split your meals with a travel buddy or significant other during travel days, as long as you have similar tastes. Keep in mind, though, that it’s important to limit situations that introduce bickering, especially during travel, so if you can’t agree on a dish, then splurge here and look for ways to save your money elsewhere. 

3. Foresee and limit conflicts. Does someone from your party tend to show up late for every date? Or does another individual detest the beach? With every trip there will most likely be compromises along the way, but if you can work around points of contention ahead of time, it will make for a more enjoyable trip for everyone. Give the late guy wiggle room on times, and maybe forego the beach this time and choose an activity that everyone will enjoy for the trip. For instance, take a couple that argues about whether or not to rise early for breakfast – one loves breakfast, and the other loves to sleep in. If they can decide ahead of time that it’s ok for the one who loves breakfast to venture out on her own and not have to drag her spouse with her, then the conflict can be completely removed from the equation, and they can focus their energy on the fun activities to be enjoyed together later in the day, without a building resentment. 

4.  Contain liquid-type personal care items in zipper storage bags. If you have travelled a while, it’s not a question of if that bottle of body lotion will open, but when. And when it does, it’s so much better to have opened in a zipper storage bag that contains the ooze than directly into your suitcase. I will pack bottles of shampoo, bodywash, lotion, sunscreen, hairspray together in a single bag (instead of having to dedicate each bottle to a its own bag, which is more economical). Even if the lotion gets on the hairspray bottle, for example, it can be easily rinsed off in the hotel sink, as well as the bag itself. 

5. People on the street want your money. Not to discourage you from exploring the city you paid your hard-earned money to visit, but just be aware that tourists are targets for those that hustle the streets of that city, especially if it’s a popular destination for travel (like Paris, or Las Vegas). First of all, be smart and don’t stand on a street corner, pull out your wallet and start counting your money. There’s so much to say about that, yet I’ve seen people do it several times. There are mild (but still tricky) ways for locals to ask for your money, like handing you a rose while you’re enjoying dinner at a patio table, adjacent to the public sidewalk, or placing a string of plastic beads around your neck (such has happened to me in New Orleans). Once you are holding that flower, or wearing that offered trinket, there’s something ingrained in the not wanting to be rude that these people prey upon, and they’ll most likely get $5 from you this way. Unless you’re prepared to pay them money, hold up your hand in a “stand back” type of gesture and shake your head in a firm but friendly “thanks, but no thanks” way. 

6. Get your bearings before you leave the hotel. One giveaway that you’re a tourist is to stare at your smartphone constantly as you navigate the streets. You don’t have to have a photographic memory for this tip, but before you leave the hotel, see about how many blocks North (for example), then how many blocks East you’re looking to walk to get to that restaurant or meeting place. You’d be surprised how this instills a little confidence in you as you walk around as well. You can look at your surroundings and take in the city, rather than the map (plus, it’ll give you a little swagger, as you notice others looking at the map on their phones). Share the general route with the group you’re travelling with, so everyone will have a mental picture of the terrain (“we’re going to walk East about 5 blocks, then South about 2 blocks to get to the restaurant. Look for Canal Street and you’re there”). It may put everyone more at ease to get a basic picture of where they’re going. 

7. Remember tipping money. When estimating budget money for travel, remember to dedicate some to tipping (for example, $1 per bag for the shuttle driver, $2-$3 per day to leave in the hotel room for the cleaning staff, $2 for the Lyft driver, $20 for an outstanding tour guide, etc.). We all understand and accept the concept of tipping a waiter, but it’s easy to forget the other service workers out there that work hard for their meager paycheck. You can find further reading on tipping here: https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/money/money-etiquette/tipping-etiquette-guide 

 Another note on being prepared with money for tips: to a first-time cruiser, cruises can be a frequent opportunity for unexpected tips, as there are multiple attendants to each cabin, several waiters per table in the dining room, a porter to bring your luggage to your cabin, bartenders, spa services, on-shore excursions with tour guides, etc. My rule of thumb is this: for however much you paid to get on the ship (when you reserved your cruise vacation), match that with the money you bring on board for activities and tipping. So, if the cruise costs $500, you’d ideally want to bring $500 on board with you, to leave enough for tipping. You can read more about tipping on cruises here:
https://www.frommers.com/tips/cruise/a-guide-to-cruise-gratuities-has-cruise-tipping-gone-overboard 

8. Go into it knowing that waiting is part of the process (and that things don’t always go according to plan). Several years ago, my friend and I waited for 2 hours in line to get into Versailles. And, in this last trip with my boyfriend, we took a complimentary shuttle to an airboat swamp tour that had several other unexpected (to us) stops to pick up people from other hotels along the way before reaching the tour spot. I have experienced a few cancelled or delayed flights, and even a train with a broken engine where all passengers were forced to find alternate methods of travel. These things happen, and it doesn’t mean that the world is out to get you. Always have a method of entertainment while you wait for solutions to situations like these (such as a couple downloaded episodes of your favorite TV show, or a deck of cards). You’ll be ahead of the game and take it all in stride while others have a meltdown when things don’t their way. I once read about one man who was able to keep a cool head while waiting in line at the airport gate after his flight was cancelled, and landed himself a free room for the night and $1000 in travel coupons because he was nice to the ticket agent immediately after a fellow traveler blew up at her. 

9. Plan some activities - not too little, but not too much. For the first couple of trips I planned with my boyfriend, his one request was that we weren’t having to be somewhere at a certain time. He wanted to go on vacation to relax and to not have any time commitments. But as we reached our travel destinations in these first trips, we quickly found that we were (then) the type of people who would end up staying in our hotel room the whole time, if not for some type of planned activity. Try to create a balance of an every-other-day planned activity. Then on the days you don’t have anything planned, the day is open to take your time and choose to go out (or not). 

10. And finally, a tip for the ladies: It’s a great idea to always travel with feminine products, even if your cycle just finished - altitude does weird things to your body.  

I’m working on content! Coming soon.