Mike’s Travel Tips

Hello friends. Thanks for visiting again.

So, this has nothing to do with our current travel adventure, but several of you have asked if I could resend my travel tips that I have compiled over the years.

While it’s true that I have learned a few things, I am still learning. However, these general travel tips work for me, and may help you to maximize your adventures. I hope you find them helpful, but as always, when traveling, use your best judgment…

When planning for a trip and traveling, I use these rules of thumb:

• If it does not fit in your carry-on luggage, you don’t need it 
• Start with everything that you need, then whittle it down from there. Less is more.
• Coordinating your colors to get the most out of less clothes
• Always pack a scarf and a swim suit. You can thank me later…
• Don’t bring your jewelry
• Don’t worry about what you will wear or your hair too much. Nobody else cares or is going to even notice…
• Use the little pocket on the front of your suitcase for your parking lot claim check and keys. The repetition will pay off, again and again…
• Never leave your house keys or registration (with your address on it) in your car at the airport
• Always bring earplugs, reading glasses and a pen on the airplane
• Keep your meds and your glasses with you. Never check them!
• Consider packing your old clothes instead. You can leave them at the hotel when you check-out!
• Want more room in your suitcase? Wear your coat and boots on the plane.
• Bring your walking shoes. (For comfort, pack from your feet up.) 
• Always bring a sport coat 
• Never forget your handicap parking permit
• A perfect trip probably would only require a toothbrush and a passport
• If you travel a lot, register for TSA Pre-Check and/or Glabal Entry. For less than $20 a year, you can skip the lines and leave your shoes on.
• If you’re driving, consider renting a car instead of taking your own.
• Never sync your phone with your rental car
• If you’re thinking of buying a new car, rent the car you’re interested in on your next trip. (It’s like a really long test-drive.)
• Pay the extra money for a good hotel/room. Your memories will thank you later.
• Location. Location. Location. (B&Bs and boutique hotels are cool!)
• Free breakfast and free happy hour might make it worth the extra dollars
• In big cities, higher floors are usually quieter
• A room with a view is worth a thousand words, and the extra $$$
• Always make friends with the hotel staffers! 
• Always avoid rooms near elevators and ice machines 
• Traveling does not have to be expensive
• Use your credit card for everything you buy. (I prefer Southwest.) The miles add up fast!
• Sign up for reward membership, and stay at the same hotel chain/rent from the same car rental companies. You’ll earn free rooms, discounts, and other perks.
• Avoid renting a car whenever possible
• Parking can be expensive
• Avoid renting at the airport. It can cost more than twice as much as other locations around the city.
• Use public transportation (buses and subways). Save even more by purchasing a transit pass.
• Use your Government/AARP/AAA discounts when booking
• Check hotel Web sites for pricing. Frequently, they are cheaper than the so-called travel discount sites.
• Compare hotel and car rental deals to the Southwest airline site. (Don’t forget to log-in so you get bonus miles.)
• The best travel sites are often Southwest, Kayak, Cheapoair.com
• Groupon often has awesome all-inclusive travel deals, and you can also get restaurant deals once you get there
• Many hotels have free airport shuttles
• Avoid the hotel bill altogether. Sleep on the train…
• Once you are there, make the most of it
• First thing when arriving in a new town, look for mountains, tall buildings, etc. that you can use as landmarks to find your way around
• Don’t be afraid to ask the hotel to hold your luggage 
• Want the best of the best? Look at where Tauck.com travelers stays/eats/etc. Those guys know how to do it! (This is especially helpful if you are arriving in a town and just want to jump in without doing a bunch of research.)
• Buy a hop-on/hop-off tourbus pass the first day, and ride the whole loop.  It will pay for itself in figuring out your remaining agenda.
• Always ask the locals where they eat and play, and make it a priority to go there
• Always make a prioritized list of where you want to go before you leave home, and go to the most important places first
• Skip the hotel food. Eat well and play hard. These memories have to last you a lifetime…
• Don’t hesitate to buy things. You can make room in your suitcase by mailing your dirty cloths home!
• Always keep a wine glass or two (and a bottle of wine) in your hotel room
• Check the local laws about serving alcohol on Sundays before making brunch plans
• Always ask for the table that you want when getting seated at a restaurant
• Don’t post everything on Facebook. You might as well just put a sign up that says “I’m not home, rob me please”!
• Always use your credit card instead of cash. It is easier, and you will earn miles (and if you have the right card, you won’t pay currency exchange rates when traveling abroad)… 
• If you don’t like the menu, don’t hesitate to get up and leave
• Get lost. The beaten-path is worn out. Sometimes, less can be way more…
• When arriving at your hotel room, always make sure the alarm clock if off, and hide the advertisements. Make it your home.
• Stay an extra day or two and visit other places nearby
  To maximize the battery on your cellphone when hitting the town, and other phone tips:
• Turn off the GPS when not in use
• Turn on power saver
• Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not in use
• Close apps when not in use
• Most important! Ensure as many apps as possible have Location Services turned off.
• Install and use a VPN
• Enable “Find My” and know how to use it
• Invest in some AirTags

I hope you find one or two of these tips useful. Happy traveling my friends.

– Mike