It matters not whether you are preparing for a recreational trip across state lines or across the border; a trip away from home is cause for great excitement and possibly a great deal of stress. These tips should benefit your travel plans.

One important thing to keep in your wallet is a color photograph of your child. This can come in handy if he or she gets lost. Losing a child in a foreign place can be very stressful and scary. Sometimes these kinds of things happen. Being able to show a photo might make a critical difference in the time it takes to locate your child should he or she get lost.

If you travel to a foreign city, keep a lookout for people pretending to be police or law enforcement. You must not give anyone your original passport; it may be gone for good if you do. If an officer or official asks you to come to their office, do so on foot. Never get into a car with a strange local.

When you get into your hotel room, check your alarm. Many people have been awakened up by early hotel alarm clocks because they were still set on the old alarm. Be sure to set this for whatever time you feel is comfortable to wake up at.

If you will be traveling with a toddler, be sure to bring items to entertain them. Familiar and favorite toys are a great start. A new toy may keep their attention even more.

Watch your important belongings when traveling. When carrying a purse, make sure you keep it tucked under your arm. Also, do not use bags that someone can easily open on a crowded subway or in another crowded public area. Select a travel bag that will help you keep your belongings safe.

It is not uncommon to provide the housekeeper and bell hop with a tip. A good rule of thumb is $1 per bag/luggage and about $2-5 a day for housekeeping. Tipping the people who assist you during your stay will help to develop a relationship with the staff, and entice them to provide you with optimum service.

Information Inside

Make sure that you have personally identifying information inside your personal luggage in extra addition to outside tags. External luggage tags can accidentally be removed during transit. In case something happens to your suitcase (and the tag), put some information inside it so that you can easily identify the bag, or that a baggage handler can find if for you promptly.

Visiting the desert is surprisingly enjoyable due to gorgeous views and interesting flora and fauna. Everyone should visit a desert to view its majesty at least once in their life.

While you should talk to your doctor beforehand to ensure it is advisable, taking a sleeping pill might be the answer to an otherwise taxing flight. For many, sleeping on a noisy and uncomfortable airplane can be difficult. Try taking sleeping pills to make your flight go by more quickly. The key is to hold off taking any pills until after departure so that you are not drowsy in the event you are forced to head back to the terminal.

Travel Sites

Using the Internet to book your traveling requires only one stop. Online travel sites are one of the easiest ways to put together your entire travel itinerary. Many of these sites enable you to simultaneously book your flight, lodgings and a rental car. Reviews of hotels with pictures are instantly available. Travel sites also offer great deals for planning your trip, including discounts for last minute travel.

Whenever you have a long flight ahead, it pays to pack some snacks. Something fresh, such as sweet fruits or crunchy veggies, can really break the monotony of the flight. You will save some cash doing this, and you will be the envy of your fellow passengers.

Bring a spare passport photo with you on your trip abroad. If you manage to lose your passport, you will lose time trying to replace it. You can speed things up with a spare photo. Photocopies of all your documents could really come in handy in case yours are lost or stolen.

Email Alerts

Sign up for the email alerts that some travel sites offer. This is the easiest way to keep an eye on fares and hotel prices. You will receive email alerts if the flight that you have booked or shown interest in has dropped the price and is available at a cheaper rate.

Tip generously. When you are boarding a cruise, be sure to tip your steward about twenty dollars. You will most likely have these same crew members during the entire cruise, so if you are generous up front, then they will be more likely to take great care of you.

Give your itinerary to a friend, neighbor, or relative when traveling. Include names of places you plan to seeing, people you will be visiting or staying with, and any relevant phone numbers and addresses. Also leave a copy of your passport identification page and your flight and ticket information.

Always exchange into the local currency when you reach your destination; this saves money. If you know that currency exchange will not be available to you soon after you land, exchange some of your money before you leave, then exchange the rest when you find an exchange center in your destination.

Make your luggage uniquely identifiable. This can be done via colorful decorations, decals or markings. This will help you spot your luggage and keep others from accidentally walking away with yours.

From a trip of a few miles to a voyage around the world, travel offers many different possibilities. The ideas found in the above paragraphs should certainly help you create the trip of your dreams.