Are you planning a trip and not sure what you should be thinking about? There are a lot of things to remember when planning a trip to make sure that nothing will go wrong! Read on for some ideas on what you need to remember to have a safe trip.

When travelling out of the country, make sure someone back home has a detailed copy of your itinerary. Make sure they know where you’ll be staying and have a way to contact you in case of an emergency. This is also good on the off case that something happens to you they can find you.

When you are traveling to a foreign country, learn something about its customs ahead of time. It will help you avoid embarrassing mistakes in local etiquette. It can also help you understand and appreciate the culture a little better. In a way, you will be representing your country in a foreign land, so you would want to make a good impression.

Before buying a travel guidebook, look online. Much of the information available in expensive guidebooks is also free online. You can print out this information and carry it with you, saving both money and weight in your baggage. This method also allows you to pick and choose which pieces of information are vital for you, and only carry those.

Plan clothing for your trip so that everything can be worn together. This reduces the need to pack individual “outfits” and allows you to plan for the number of days you’ll be traveling. If all of your clothes match, you don’t have to worry about which are clean when you’re doing laundry.

If you are traveling overseas, you may want to consult a health practitioner about what vaccinations are recommended. Different areas of the world have different diseases and you always want to be prepared for what you are walking into. There are plenty of vaccinations out there that can keep you safe.

To avoid high exchange rates in foreign countries, stop at an ATM for your bank when you disembark from your flight. Large banks get much better exchange rates than an individual, so pulling money out once you get there is a hassle-free and inexpensive way to get the currency you need.

Camping is a popular vacation pastime, but with the extensive equipment it requires it is not a cheap one. Before deciding to invest in all the gear necessary for extended camping travel, it is best to “get your feet wet” by making short day hikes at nearby nature attractions to see if the camping lifestyle really appeals to you.

To save money when booking flights, see if you can fly to or from an alternate airport. Airlines often charge much less for different routes, so check out all your options to see which one is the cheapest. Even if you have to rent a car, it could still be cheaper to fly into a different airport.

Learn the tipping culture for whatever countries you plan to visit. In some cultures, tipping is automatic, while in others, it does not exist. There are still a few cultures in which tipping is considered a great insult, so mind your manners by checking the customs. You do not want to insult your server.

If you are traveling for a wedding or special event, do not book your hotel room under the block of rooms reserved for the party. Hotels usually give these events the corporate rate, which is higher than other discounts that they offer. Try making reservations with your AAA membership or hotel rewards program.

When travelling, one important concern is keeping valuables and personal information safe. Before you depart, scan copies of your passport and other IDs and save them digitally somewhere, such as an email account. That way if any important documents disappear, you can access copies in emergency situations. To protect valuables, such as, money or credit cards, split them up between bags or people in the party. That way, if one bag gets stolen, not every valuable disappears with it.

If you are going to travel, make sure that you are aware of the local laws and obey them. If you are out of your area more than likely the laws are different, and ignorance does not necessarily mean that the court systems will show sympathy. There is a common saying “When in Rome do as the Romans do”.

If you are traveling with your children in the car, give them the opportunity to sit in your seat. Your child will feel special and enjoy getting some quality time sitting with the driver. It will also keep the trip exciting for both the adults and the kids.

A great travel tip is to be polite at all times when you’re traveling abroad. If you give someone a hard time like you would in your home country, bad things could potentially happen to you. A lot of behaviors that are acceptable at your home, are not so easily accepted in other parts of the world.

Make sure that when you are traveling on long flights, to stretch your legs as often as possible. The majority of trips are going to be cramped, as you will want to make sure that you do not get sore during the flight. If possible, take a walk to and from the bathroom to get exercise.

If you have never even traveled within your own country then you may want to hold off on going to a foreign country which speaks another language. There are some real skills associated with travel in general and you will want to develop the basic ones before you jump in head first.

As you can see, there are so many things to think about when planning your trip to make sure it’s as safe and enjoyable as possible. If you’re planning a trip, make sure to go over this list carefully and check off each idea to make sure your trip will be the best it can be.