If you’ve got a trip coming up, then you’ve come to the right place. Preparing for a trip can be one of the most stressful things you do. But below we have some advice for stressed out trip goers that can help things run much smoother and not leave you needing a vacation from your vacation.

When traveling it can make a big difference to travel when it is not a holiday or popular vacation time. If one goes on a time that is unlikely to be a popular vacation time they can avoid many hassles. There will be less crowds and waits for attractions. One can have a much more relaxed time.

Package tours are a way to get the most out of a limited travel budget. Investigate the opportunities available at a particular destination. It may be possible to do more, see more and have more fun, by investing in a package deal that includes extra services and amenities. These packages frequently offer savings that are impossible to replicate through buying individual services.

When booking your hotel stay, pay attention to cancellation policies and fees for date changes. Prepaying for a cheaper rate only benefits you if you can definitely travel on those dates. If you might have to change dates, you can save more money by paying a higher rate at a hotel with a more lenient cancellation policy.

Don’t be afraid to cash in your airline miles. Many travelers let their miles accumulate and never bother using them. Reap the rewards of your traveling and spend the miles you’ve earned! Miles have expiration dates, so be sure to use them before they expire. Often you can use them on items other than travel, so check out your options and get to spending.

Use other’s experiences to plan your vacation. By utilizing online review sites, as well as friends and family’s experiences, you can avoid making mistakes that have been made by others. Online review sites can help you choose the best hotel, restaurant, attraction and often contain many other useful tidbits to make your vacation the best it can be.

If you are traveling by air and have to make multiple stops in airports, take a look around at some of the bookshops. Many airport bookshops now trade in used books. You can take that paperback you just finished on your last flight and get a new one to read, while you wait for your upcoming transfer.

Dining out while traveling can become expensive. Save the hit to your wallet by visiting a local grocery store and stocking up on groceries. Make as much food as you can at your hotel, and take snacks along on day trips. Even raid your own cabinets before you leave and take food with you. When you do decide to dine out you will appreciate the dinner that much more!

If your schedule allows it, leave yourself one day after your vacation before going back to work. You never know what kind of surprises you will encounter when you get back home. Plus it will also allow you to transition into reality and your daily grind a little bit easier.

To avoid having to talk to your seatmate on a long flight, wear headphones, even if you don’t feel like listening to music. The headphones will indicate to your seatmate that you are busy and unavailable to chat, which will allow you to relax or get some work done without being bothered.

Make plans to participate in a scavenger hunt if you are traveling on a cruise ship. When going on vacation with a large group of family or friends, take the time to divide everyone up into teams and challenge them to find items or information. Not only will you have a good time, but everyone will learn a lot about the ship.

Take a photo of your luggage that you are checking. It will save you a good bit of time and grief if it should get lost during transport. You will be able to present a photo of the bag to the airline and they will have no question as to whether the bag that they have found is yours or not.

If you are traveling by plane, look for the opportunity to trade books at the airport bookstore. Many are beginning to allow travelers the opportunity to leave one of their old books and pick up a new one. This service is usually free and gives you something new to read on your flight.

Get a doctor’s note to give to your insurance provider, that states that you are fit to travel if you have a pre-existing condition. Official documentation will go a long way with the insurance provider. If you have your wallet stolen while on vacation, go to the police report and get a written police report.

Make sure that the alarm in the room is not set. The previous occupant of your room may have set it, and you don’t want it to inadvertently wake you up when you prefer to sleep in.

A great tip if you’re traveling abroad is to let your host down easy when they offer you some type of food that you don’t want to try. An easy way to do this is to simply tell them that you’re allergic. They’ll accept that and be fine with it.

Volunteer to travel. Many charities now offer volunteers the chance to travel abroad for free in-exchange for time and work at the destination. These trips can last from a few weeks to a year or longer, and the work could involve, building local schools, constructing water wells, working in orphanages, fundraisering and much more.

Hopefully at least some of these tips will be helpful for you on your upcoming vacation. While each tip may not work for every person and every vacation, you should now be armed with some extra knowledge to make things run a lot smoother and help you avoid any problems.