Here at Flaherty & Collins Properties, we’ve caught the travel bug! Between visiting our properties (like The Heights in Gladstone, MO and Ninety7Fifty in Orland Park, IL) and enjoying personal trips to faraway destinations, we’ve had quite a bit of experience with planning, packing, and all things travel-related.
Part of the Flaherty & Collins team skiing in Vail!
Bring along a little first aid kit; you never know when you may need it!
While it seems like most destinations would have first aid items available for purchase, you never know when you may find yourself desperately wishing for some headache medicine or a bandaid. Geraldine, also known as The Everywhereist, made a great list of what to pack in your first aid kit, along with some helpful tips on what to do if you find yourself ill while traveling.
When booking your trip, make sure that you use incognito mode on your browser.
Everyone likes to get the best deal when booking travel details, and often that means comparing a variety of flights, hotels, and different entertainment for when you arrive at your destination. The best way to ensure that you get the lowest price is to use an incognito mode on your browser to ensure that your history isn’t being tracked. When sites see that you’ve visited before, they’re likely to raise the prices. Using incognito browsing is an easy way to save money on booking!
If you’ve ever found yourself forgetting the wall adapter for your phone – but you have the cord! – you can still charge your phone overnight.
There’s no need to panic and find the nearest convenience store. Instead, check the TV in your room. Most TVs have a USB port on the back that will charge your device. It may not be the most convenient for shutting your alarm off the next morning, but it will save you the hassle of finding a new wall adapter right before bed. Another quick tip: ask the hotel front desk. Other guests may have forgotten one, leaving them with a spare or two.
Roll your clothes instead of folding them to save space in your luggage.
This tip is especially handy if you’re trying to stick to a carry on, or fit in workout clothes along with all of your other travel gear. Instead of folding your clothing, try rolling them instead. In a piece for the New York Times, flight attendant Heather Poole demonstrates how she packs 10 days (yes, 10 FULL DAYS!) worth of luggage in a standard carry on. And if you’re stuck on how exactly to roll your clothes, check out this video.
Another luggage tip: put your shoes in shower caps to avoid dirtying the other items in your bag.
Putting your shoes in a shower cap not only helps ensure that you don’t get your clothes dirty, but it also serves as a reminder to make sure you don’t leave just one of your favorite shoes at home!
Call your credit card company and let them know that you’re traveling.
Whether it’s work-related charges like office supplies and lunches or vacation adventures like ski rentals and a few drinks, you may find yourself without a working card if you don’t alert your credit card companies that you’re going to be traveling. Charges in a new location that are outside of what you normally purchase can easily send up a red flag, causing the company to hold (or even shut down!) your card. To help avoid that situation, call in advance and make sure you take down the information to call if you find yourself in a predicament later.
These are some of our favorite tips for traveling – the ones that have come in handy the most often for us! What would you add to our list?
