Tag: Packing

Packing for Holiday Travel

We have all seen those people with tons of luggage arriving at the airport or traveling on the highway with their car crammed so full of items that they passengers have very little room to breath. There are ways to pack light for the holidays but to also ensure you have everything you need. This will definitely make your holiday travel plans much more enjoyable.

To help ensure you dont forget anything important, make yourself a list of items you cant leave behind. Keep the list handy so you can add to it as you think of something else. Make sure you check the weather forecast in the days right before you pack. This way you can be sure to have outfits and shoes that are going to work well for both the occasions and the weather. You dont want to be stuck in the snow with nothing but high heels to wear for the evening.

Avoid packing clothing for holiday travel that can get ruined or stained if something gets spilled. You dont want to be self conscious about the drink you spilled on it. If you are attending parties then it is very possible someone else can bump into you. Be prepared for such accidents to take place and try not to let them ruin your fun when you travel for the holidays.

If you will be staying in a hotel, chances are they will have plenty of items you need that you can eliminate from your luggage. Contact the hotel directly or check out their website to be sure. Common items found that you can leave behind include soap, shampoo, conditioner, location, a blow dryer, and an iron.

If you do have to pack liquid items, try to use trail sizes or to buy small containers to fill from larger bottles. Make sure these items are placed in a make up bag or a freezer bag. This way if they happen to leak they wont get on your clothing.

Take a close look at the makeup and perfume you use. It is very possible that you can get by with packing only one kind of perfume and make up colors that offer you plenty of selection. This is more effective than packing your entire make up collection and then deciding what you will use once you arrive. You also want to leave expensive jewelry behind because you dont want it to get lost or stolen. If you arent able to wear it when you travel then it is best not to take it at all.

You will be amazed at how much room is lost in a suitcase due to not taking the time to fold up items properly. You have to get creative if you want to maximize the amount of space you have. It is easy to place socks and underwear into your shoes so they wont take up any space at all.

Take the time to fold pants and shirts neatly into the suitcase so you can fit more of them in. You dont want to have your bags so full you have to sit on them to close them. This damages the zippers and it will result in you having to replace your luggage sooner than you should. If your luggage is chosen for inspection during your holiday travel it wont be such a chore for the inspectors if you have taken your time to pack wisely.

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Controlling Business Travel Costs

Sometimes when we are traveling on business, it is easy to let costs get out of control. But if you are working from a per diem or have other constraints on your travel budget, you should learn some cost cutting methods that you can put into effect that wont make your life miserable on the road.

These cost-cutting ideas are not just to stay out of trouble with the budget people back at the home office. Often businesses have a set budget for business travel and once it is gone, no further trips can be made during that budget year. So if you anticipate the need for more business trips in months ahead, it is prudent to keep an eye on costs as you go so you can conserve that limited budget to facilitate important trips yet to come.

Economizing on the road can be difficult because you are put right in the middle of the hospitality industry which, while good at making you feel comfortable and providing for your needs, hotels and restaurants are also good at running up your tab. But there are some easy ways to sidestep a lot of unnecessary spending so you can stretch your business travel budget.

*Eat before you go. Airport restaurants or snack bars are notoriously overpriced. So even if you are leaving early in the morning, have breakfast and get well satisfied before leaving home so you dont have to buy food en route.

*Wise packing. Think through your life in the hotel and on the road. You can buy travel sizes of almost everything you will need. Moreover, you can pack some light and easy to carry snacks such as trail mix, candy bars or nuts that can be used to tide you over during the trip until you can get a good meal. By being self-dependent during the trip, you save a lot by not using airport services.

*A hotel is just a bed, a shower and a TV. When booking your accommodations, think about where you should stay. If you dont need a luxury hotel, dont book one. If you are just staying the night in one place and then moving on, a clean, well run motel can take care of you just as well as the executive suite at the Hilton.

*Share that ride. If you are traveling as a party or you are meeting business partners at the destination, you can share cabs or rental vehicles and save business costs as well as conserve on burring fossil fuels unnecessarily.

*Markets and delis. You can even eat economically in a big town like New York or Orlando by using the same sense you have at home. By taking an early trip to a nearby grocery, you can stock your room with fruits and travel foods and cut down on the amount of meals you have to eat out.

*Public transportation. If the town you re traveling to has safe and workable subways or other public transpiration, that can be much more efficient for you than renting a car. Washington DC for example has outstanding rail transport that you can use rather than rent a car.

By using some of the same good common sense you use at home to keep expenses under control for your home budget, you can not only live inexpensively on the road, you can actually live better. And by not allowing yourself to be overcharged for some very basic goods and services, you will feel better about your business outing and become known in your company as a smart traveler.

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What You Need to Know About the Des Moines International

What You Need to Know About the Des Moines International Airport

Are you an American who is looking to fly out of the country? If so, you will need to find an international airport to fly in and out of. If you live in or around Iowa, you may want to look into the Des Moines International Airport. After you have fully researched and examined the airport, you will likely find that it has everything that you want, as well as everything that you need.

The Des Moines International Airport, like many other airports, is only serviced by a limited number of airlines. Those airlines include Allegiant Air, American Eagle, Comair-Delta, Continental Express, Midwest Airlines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and, US Airways. If you are utilizing the Des Moines International Airport for the purpose of flying out of the country, you will find that not all airlines offer international flights. That is why it is advised that you keep this in mind when choosing an airline to fly with.

After you have made the proper airline reservations, you can begin to prepare for the rest of your tip. Namely, your packing. When doing so, it is advised that you keep all air travel rules in mind. In addition to the air travel rules that you must follow domestically, you are advised to famialrize yourself with the rules that can be found in other countries. It is the best way to ensure that you will be able to have a pleasant experience, let alone even make it to your intended destination. You can easily do this by contacting the Des Moines International Airport directly or by visiting the online website of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). That online website can be found at www.tsa.gov.

Once you arrive at the Des Moines International Airport, you will have to show the proper forms of identification at the first check-in point. This should be where you will receive all of your boarding passes. If you are flying out of the country, you will need to have additional identification documents. These documents may include your passport, a certificate of citizen ship, or a copy of your birth certificate. The type of documents required will likely depend on where you are traveling to and which airline you are flying with. In the event that you do not have the proper forms of identification, you will likely be prohibited from proceeding any further.

As long as you have the proper forms of identification, you should be able to proceed to the next security checkpoint. At the Des Moines International Airport, like most other international airports, you will find that at the airport security checkpoints are more intense than those for domestic flights. That is why it is extremely important that you arrive at the airport early. The Des Moines International Airport recommends that you arrive at least two hours in advance. For international flights, they recommend that you arrive even earlier.

Depending on how you plan on arriving at the Des Moines International Airport, you may need to make additional accommodations. In the event that you are able to receive a ride to the airport from someone that you know, your travel will be as easy as it could possibly be. If you are planning on driving yourself to the airport, you will have to familiarize yourself with airport parking and fees. In the event that you need assistance getting to the airport, you will find that a number of buses and taxi cabs service the area.

If you have already made your flight reservations, out of the Des Moines International Airport, you will want to familiarize yourself with the airport layout, if you havent already done so. If you are unfamiliar with the airport, you can easily examine its layout online. In fact, you can also print off a small, but detailed map of the whole airport. You can find this map, as well as other valuable information by visiting the Des Moines International Airport website. That website can be found at www.dsmairport.com.

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