My husband and I just returned home from a 2 week trip to Italy… it was amazing, and thanks to some pre-travel organization, our trip went very smoothly.  I thought I would share some tips on organization when traveling — this is specific to more lengthy international trips.

1.  Type out a detailed itinerary including all plane/hotel/car rental/train/etc. names, addresses, phone numbers, websites, and confirmation numbers.  Also include definite and tentative plans for each day.  When the itinerary is completed, e-mail it to family and friends so everyone will know where they can reach you if necessary (but be sure to let them know to contact you only if it is urgent, this is your vacation after-all!)

2.  If you are gone for more than 1 week, consider packing less clothing and doing laundry on your trip.  This will save you from dragging around a lot of luggage containing a few weeks-worth of clothing.  If you plan on doing laundry, be sure to allot a few hours on your itinerary so you are sure to have time to go to the laundromat.  Also, remember that it is VERY expensive to pay your hotel to do your laundry, so the easiest and most economical way is to go to a laundromat.

3.  Consider packing a lightweight duffel bag that can be stuffed into one of the front pockets of a suitcase when you travel to your vacation destination.  This way you can do some shopping on vacation and plan on packing your newly-purchased items in your suitcase for your plane flight back home, and your dirty laundry in the duffel bag.

4.  Some general trips for traveling abroad:

- Not all hotels have alarm clocks, bring your own battery-operated alarm clock.

- Be sure to get 2 (or more) electrical outlet adaptors.  And if you are bringing a hair blow-dryer, you may need an electrical converter for the wattage difference.

- Remember to renew your passport (or get a new one) far in advance of your trip!  It can take many weeks to get it in the mail.

- Do some research on the best way to get cash when you get to the foreign country.  Currency exchange counters can charge large percentages (i.e. 10% in Italy) which is much more than the ATM fees may be (average ATM fee in Italy was 1%).  However, you will want to confirm that there are plenty of compatible ATMs in the country you are visiting before you depend on that as a way to get cash.  Travelers checks are not used as commonly as they used to be.  Also, many places accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards so that is an excellent method of payment.

- Be sure to bring some type of translation guide if the country has a foreign language.  Ideally the guide is small enough that it can easily fit in a pocket or purse.

- Do some research on customs and etiquette of the country, you do not want to offend anyone or embarrass yourself!  Also, you may find out something you are very grateful to know… for example, we learned that tipping for service is not customary in Italy… that saved us a lot of money!

BON VOYAGE and I wish you safe and smart traveling!

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