Travel professionals are usually a great source of tips on planning your vacation, what to do when you get there and even packing for your vacation.

Here are some of our faves:

Planning tips

  • If you can plan to go during the “shoulder season”  you can save $$ and have less crowds.  Peak season is usually school breaks, holidays and summer months but it will vary for each destination.  My Vacation Lady’s team of travel professionals can help with that.
  • Choose your hotel wisely.  Hotels are no longer just places to sleep.  Resorts can be the place you relax for a few days, have some of your meals and enjoy some of the resorts amenities, like spas, fitness centers, pools and more.
  • Read the fine print under for the hotels.  Is breakfast included?  Are there resort fees?  Is there parking at the property and are there fees?  Are there city taxes that will be required to be paid upon arrival?
  • Book your flights as early as you can.  Some flights may get you in so late that you are actually paying for the first night at a hotel where your whole first day is wasted
  • Plan on time differences and jet lag.  If you are going on a cruise or a tour, arrive the day before so you don’t start your vacation stressed.

Experience tips

  • Book “skip the line” admission to some of the most popular attractions
  • Check on days of the week that the attractions you want to see are closed.  If there are sites you really want to see, make sure you don’t only have 1 day in the destination, only to find out that the attraction is closed.
  • Don’t over schedule yourselves.  Leave room to be spontaneous.
  • Pre plan or book what is most important to you.  You don’t want to get there to find out that your activity is sold out while you are there
  • Pre book arrival transfers.  After a long flight, you don’t want to have to find a taxi or uber.

Packing tips

  • Pack a complete change of clothes in your carry on.  You’ll thank us for this one if your luggage gets lost or side tracked.
  • Put a copy of your travel itinerary in your luggage.  If your luggage doesn’t make it with you to your first destination, the airline will know where you are headed and they can forward your luggage to your new location.
  • Pack and then take out about 1/3 of what you put in.  We always come home with a suitcase of clean clothes.
  • Use an old eye glass case or a zipper plastic bag for all of your cords.

When it comes to your vacation or honeymoon, we suggest using a travel professional, like the team at My Vacation Lady, to make sure that all of the details are taken care of for you.