Timely and Timeless Travel Tips!

     Fall is upon us and I have updated my list of favorite travel tips and ideas to make your next trip more organized, easier to plan and maybe even more fun!
      Did you know that when you buy your airline tickets online you have 24 hours to change your mind without penalty? Or if the price happens to drop the day after you buy your tickets (doesn’t that always seem to happen?) you can cancel them and re-buy them at the lower price? 
     We always begin and end our vacation at The Parking Spot.  With locations at JFK and LGA this company takes the stress out of airport parking.  You can go to www.theparkingspot.com and make your reservations online for no charge.  Be sure to sign up for their free loyalty club because you earn points with every park.  The points add up and then you can use them for free parking on a future vacation.  They even have printable discount coupons on their website for you to bring with you and use when you pay.  Your AAA card provides a good discount as well. They even give weary travelers (that’s you!) bottled water and coffee on your way out.
     Sign up for an Ebates account at www.ebates.com.  If you use their link for many hotel chains and rental car companies, you earn a percentage back on your purchase ranging anywhere from 2 – 6 percent on average.  It doesn’t sound like a lot but it adds up quickly and it’s truly found money.
     Unexpected events and illnesses can upset your travel plans and it’s certainly nice if you can get refunded for part or all of your vacation costs even if you didn’t purchase extra travel insurance beforehand.  Check the credit card that you plan to charge your trip on and see if it has built in travel insurance.   Two that do are the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Citi Prestige Card.  They have hefty annual fees, but they both provide generous benefits besides the travel cancellation insurance such as trip delay benefits, lost baggage protection, admission into select airport lounges and an annual air travel credit.  Check the specifics on line before you apply and see if the card would be worth it for you.
A few oldies but goodies:
    Write down your prescription medicines with dosages on a card and keep it in your wallet when you travel. 
    Bring a stack of singles with you for tips.  Even in another country it works in a pinch.
    Check out local supermarkets, especially abroad, for tasty, fun and inexpensive gifts for friends and family.
    Drink a glass of water for each hour you are on a flight to counteract dehydration.  
    Wear a larger ring than usual..  hands always seem to swell on vacation.
    Bring a small magnifying mirror with suction cups to stick on window.  Lighting in hotel bathrooms is usually horrible.
    Got any great travel tips that you would like to share?  Email me at travelingclaudia@gmail.com and I will try to include them in a future article.  Thanks!

I stayed in a really old hotel last night. They sent me a wake-up letter. – Steven Wright