6  Essential Travel Tips 

My husband Don and I are embarking on a long-overdue vacation to these two bucket-list destinations soon...London and Paris. We've been doing a lot of planning to make sure we have the best possible experience. We've learned from past travel experiences, and even more from planning this one!

Here are some tips for making travel more enjoyable:

1. Begin watching YouTube videos for your destination

Watching videos of Paris and London has been a great way to add to the excitement of our trip. We've booked tours in advance, which will save us time from having to wait in long lines to purchase tickets. It was a suggestion from this video. 

Special thanks to my friend Lori Hawkins for her help with our bookings. Lori is an experienced travel agent and is very good at finding the best places to stay and see at an affordable price. You can reach her at JustAskLori@yahoo.com.

2. Discover the app "TripIt" 

My husband entered all our travel information into this app. The TripIt app allows you to organize your trips and access your travel itinerary on your mobile device. The app will notify you about any flight changes or delays.

Rick Steves reports these benefits:

Addresses, confirmation numbers, etc. are all included, plus there are places for notes and scanned documents.

Ease of Use: TripIt either automatically flags reservation confirmations in my email, responds to those that I forward to it, or allows me to input my own. I can access it on my phone, my iPad, or my computer.

Digital storage: I upload a digital copy of correspondence or confirmations and they are readily available off my phone as I travel if I need them.

Real Time updates  Trip it also monitors your flight information and will notify you if there is a schedule change or disruption. Last fall I heard about a cancelled flight a good 7 hours before the airline notified me and it gave me time to rearrange my travel for that same day and still get to my destination.

Record of my trip: I sometimes have difficulty recalling the names of hotels and restaurants. If I ever want to know the name of a hotel I stayed at 2 years ago in ???, I can access the past trips section and find the information quite easily.

3. Pack with travel cubes 

I find packing with travel cubes makes travel more enjoyable by keeping my clothes more organized. Here are a few more tips:

• Roll your clothes: Rolling your clothes helps to reduce the amount of space they take up.
• Use the right size cubes: Choose compression cubes that are the right size for your clothes. This will help you maximize the space in your luggage.
• Pack heavier items in the bottom: Pack heavier items, such as shoes and books, in the bottom of your luggage. This will help to keep your clothes from getting crushed.
• Label your cubes: Label your cubes with the contents so you can easily find what you're looking for.

4. Downy Wrinkle Releaser

 Pack a small spray bottle of Downy Wrinkle Releaser.  Mist the outfit you choose to wear the day before you need it.  Lightly mist with wrinkle release and use your hands to smooth out your clothes. The next day they will be fresh-looking and ready for the day.

5. Don't overpack

• Plan your activities: Think about what you'll be doing on your trip and pack the clothes you'll need. Sight-seeing requires casual and comfortable.
• Choose versatile pieces: Pack clothes that can be worn in multiple ways.  For example, a pair of jeans (pack your most light-weight) can be dressed up or down, and a simple black dress can be worn for multiple occasions.
• Consider the weather: Pack clothes that are appropriate for the weather at your destination. If you're not sure what the weather will be like, pack a mix of clothes that can be layered. Layering is a great way to stay warm and comfortable with having to bring a lot of bulky clothes.
• Pack light shoes: Shoes are one of the heaviest items you can pack, so choose wisely. Pack a pair of comfortable walking shoes and a pair of sandals.
• Don't forget the essentials: In addition to clothes, be sure to pack the essentials, such as toiletries, medications, and chargers.
• Pack a carry-on only: If you can, try to pack a carry-on only. This will save you time and money at the airport. 
• Wear your heaviest clothes on the plane: This will help to free up space in your luggage.

6. Learn common phrases of the local language 

My first was how to say, "Where is the ladies room?" in french. You know that's going to come in handy! 

Using a few words, like please, thank you, and hello in the local language goes a long way.

I will be traveling with my Parisian's Pure Indulgence skincare travel bag. It has everything I need to keep my skin looking it's best while we travel.