Tag: tips

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Did Your Luggage Make It?

Traveling with checked bags?

Preventing, or at least lessening the chance, of losing your luggage may involve a few preventive steps. This won’t guarantee your luggage arrives with you. But, it might increase the chances.

When you book your flight, think about the time of your layover. Chances are if it’s a short one, your bag might not make it onto the next leg of your journey. This is especially true if you are flying internationally. It would be a good idea to ask about time in between flights, before you book that amazing flight deal.

Think about putting some type of marker on your bag…especially if it is a medium sized, black bag. I mean…how many of those do you see on the baggage carousel? It’s easy to wrap a piece of red tape around the handle.

What’s your luggage tag look like? If you don’t have one and opt to use the paper ones provided by the check-in counter, the chances of it getting ripped off somewhere along the line are good. Instead, use one with a code or microchip so you can track your bag. At the very least, get one that doesn’t come off easily.

When packing, place a copy of your itinerary inside. Put it on top so if the airline has to open your bag to re-route it, it’s right there in front of them.

While you’re at it, take some photos of your bag. Use your phone and take a couple of the outside, the inside, and anything of value.

Check in early enough. Give the check-in desk and the baggage handlers enough time to get your bag on your flight.

Of course, you could always ship your bags and not worry about them. This might be best, and cheaper, if you need to have oversized or overweight bags.

 

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Do You Want to See the Mona Lisa?

Okay…you read all the brochures about the pristine, white sand beaches, looked at pictures of how romantic it is at the top of the Eiffel Tower, and have always wanted to see the Mona Lisa up close.

If this is what you’re striving for on your vacation…be prepared to do a little work before you go. Why? Advance planning goes a long way if you are joining a bunch of other vacationers who want the same thing as you.

I’m not advocating planning, planning, planning. But, there are certain times and events where planning gives you a better vacation.

Buy those Eiffel Tower tickets at home, print them if you can, and avoid the long wait lines at the base. And, I do mean long wait lines. Same goes for museums in Florence, Venice, and other popular places. Check the Internet for the specific site to see if advanced tickets are available. Many cities have ‘museum passes’ which are good for a series of days. Investigate to see if these will save you time and money. We buy our Paris ones at the kiosk at the airport when we arrive.

If you’re going to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre…go early. Go when they open. Once inside, go directly to see her. I know there are other great pieces of art on your way there. But, see her first and then see the rest. You’ll be glad you did.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to make pasta, or wondered why chocolate from Bayonne tastes so good, or wanted to visit with a winemaker in Saint Emilion. Here’s where advance planning is a must. Set up your classes or appointments ahead of time.

Having given you some ideas where planning is a good idea, I have another suggestion.

Be spontaneous. Don’t plan every moment. Sometimes these unplanned days are the best days of the vacation.

 

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To Reserve or Not To Reserve

Do you plan every little thing when on vacation? Do you make any reservations ahead of time? Or, do you just ‘wing it’ and hope for the best?

Certainly, there are upsides to reservations. They slash wait times, allowing you to see and do more. They curb disappointment because there’s no driving for an hour only to find out you can’t get in.

At the same time, there are trade-offs. For instance, spontaneity and serendipity, a large part of what makes travel surprising and rewarding, tend to go away. And as getting reservations for attractions becomes more competitive, travelers may soon no longer be able to choose whether to book in advance or play things by ear.

Increasingly, if you don’t make a reservation, you won’t be able to find a decent seat at a movie theater, camp at a popular national park, see the blockbuster exhibition, get to the top of the Eiffel Tower, or ride the latest roller coaster. Additionally, reservations are typically made online, which can put those without easy access to the Internet at a disadvantage.

In the case of some national parks, reservations can also be essential tools in helping preserve fragile environments. Utah, Zion National Park is considering adopting an online reservation system amid record crowds that are wearing down trails and campgrounds faster than the park can afford to repair them. Zion may become the first park to require a reservation for entrance.

Some of the biggest changes are happening at national parks because of the soaring attendance.

The California State Parks system recently rolled out an upgraded campsite and lodging reservation system, which aims to deliver a digital experience similar to booking a hotel room or airline tickets.

The system also allows users to see detailed campsite maps. You can book up to six months to the day in advance of the arrival date. Reservations at campsites in other parts of the United States can be made at sites such as Recreation.gov.

Being able to browse and book certain experiences has plenty of benefits, especially for travelers who take only one big vacation a year and want to make sure they can camp or hike where they want to.

Yet parks are not the only places making reservations more prevalent. Places like movie theaters and theme parks that already offer reservations for entry.

AMC Theatres announced that Manhattan would be the first major market where all its theaters would have reserved seating. At theme parks, there are reservations for practically every experience inside the gates: rides, shows, parades, restaurants, meet and greets. Walt Disney World’s FastPass+ allows visitors to reserve an arrival window for certain attractions as early as 30 days before you get there, or up to 60 days before check-in if you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel.

No more getting up before the birds, rushing to the park, and waiting in line to get to the rides you want. Nothing better than being first in line…as a kid. No more having to be patient, waiting for the line to move. No more watching the street entertainment while the line inches forward.

So, which way is better?

I don’t know…it’s your vacation. For me, I’m glad we made reservations to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower.