Travel Planning and Travel Tips by Experienced Tourist and Businessman

The first stage of almost any trip is planning stage. You should plan everything about where you are going to get and you should plan all resources that you might need in your journey.

As for resources, typically you will need the same "resources" in any kind of travel, e.g. some clothes, good footwear, some medicine, money, documents and so on. It sounds like a time-consuming task to get all these things into one place and don't forget anything, but there is a secret, which unveil how to get all things ready in just 30 minutes. The ideas is to create a check list of things that you usually should take with you, for the first time this list will not be complete, but once you have traveled two or more times, you will have your own personal travel check-list.

The best advice would be - it is possible to buy anything that you might forget, so make sure you have not forgotten money, your travel passport and health insurance. Make sure you are prepared to various weather conditions, and for sure, it is a good idea to check weather report before you start you journey.

The second stage of planning trip is planning your future route, e.g. places that you want to visit. The idea is to spend not much time on this task, but get good results when you will be in place. If you already have a good printed map of the city that you are going to visit, then it would be possible to create a route, plan everything at home. If you don't have such a map - it is not a problem, when you will arrive you should find the tourist office, where you will have a map of the city. Usually these maps already contain necessary information about top places to visit, but only about places located in the city.

Good idea about planning trip is to find and print out information about places that you wish to visit and that you find interesting. When searching for this information, make sure you have not just the name and description, but preferably the address of the point of interest and some information about transportation. If you are using a public transport, then it is important to know what stops you will need and what line numbers you need to take and in what direction.

Make sure you know about opening hours. For instance, some places (like gardens) are not opened in winter. Most museum don't work on Monday, and most shops are closed on Sunday. If you are interested in churches, then have in mind that you will be able to access most religious places on Sunday only after 13-00.

General recommendations about planning trip are: get all things you need and create a checklist for future trips, get information about places of interest and make sure you know their opening hours. Plan your trip accordingly and don't forget to get some time for rest and food.

Some Travel Tips to Italy

Italy is one of the best countries in Europe to visit and explore. This country is known for its churches and other places of interest that are visited by millions of tourists every year. There are a number of museums that are situated all along the country and are known for their collection of the art and other works that belonged to the pre Renaissance era. So, if you are planning a vacation to Italy then here we give you some of the tips that you can so that your trip is memorable and hassle free.

1. The best time to visit Italy is during the months of June to September. You should book your tickets at least two to three months before your travel. Besides this, there are a number of hotels in the country that provide you budget accommodation options that you can book.

2. Also have travel insurance as the possibility of luggage getting lost on the foreign trips is much more. If you are travelling to Italy with your family then it won't hurt having a travel insurance policy. Don't forget to take an international calling card so that you can remain in contact with your loved ones in your country. If that is not possible then do maintain contact through the emails or via Facebook.

3. Travel light on your trip to Italy because most of the railway stations in Italy do not have any trolleys or porters who can carry your luggage. You have to carry your own luggage yourself.

4. If you don't know Italian then it won't be a problem for you as most of the population of Italy is well versed with English. Almost all the hotel staffs know English and thus you won't face any problem communicating with them. The deeper you go in Italy; you would find a number of dialects and other regional languages that are being spoken. Also don't hesitate to use the sign language as many tourists use this to communicate with the other people.

5. Trains are the best way to move from one place to other in the Italy. This is one of the effective way through which you can manage your transportation costs effectively. Opt for the private taxis and other private transport only if it is necessary.

6. The currency of Italy is Euro and is accepted by the 13 countries of Europe. So you won't face any problem of currency conversion and other issues even if you are travelling to one of those countries from Italy.

Trainline is one of the leading travel agents in UK. Know more about about how to book the Cheap Train Tickets from here.

33 Travel Safety Tips

Traveling to unfamiliar destinations can bring to you the sort of troubles you do not want to experience while on the road namely: robbery, rape, or murder. Tourists often fall prey to perpetrators because they do not prepare properly before embarking on a trip. Let's examine some things you should do to prevent your travels from becoming a tragedy:

1. Never list your home address on the luggage tag. If on business, put the company's address on the tag; if visiting friends you can list their address. Use covered luggage tags as well.

2. Stay with your luggage until the luggage is checked. If you must put your bag down, keep one foot on the handle.

3. Carry important papers with you; NEVER check anything that you simply cannot afford to lose. Photocopy your passport, driver's license and credit cards.

4. Bring a small flashlight. You never know when you'll suddenly be "in the dark" and find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings. At night, keep your flashlight by your bed.

5. Make sure that your prescription medicines are filled properly and labeled accurately. In some countries certain prescription medicines are forbidden.

6. Never wear anything that projects affluence. No gold chains, expensive watches and rings, luggage, or other paraphernalia should be in easy view. Better yet: leave your jewelry at home.

7. If possible travel with only one or two credit cards.

8. Women particularly should never accept a drink from a stranger. Keep an eye on your drink at all times.

9. Vary your schedule; try not to come and go at the same time everyday.

10. Only stay in a hotel that uses cards to open room doors and make sure your room has a peephole and a deadbolt lock. Secure the chain and secure the door by pushing a rubber stop under it.

11. Stay in a room near a stairwell. Never take the elevator if a fire or smoke is detected. Always stay in a hotel where the doors enter the hallway and not directly from the outside.

12. Do not wear name tags in public.

13. Do not use unmarked taxi cabs.

14. Sit behind the driver so you can see him, but he cannot see you.

15. Pay the driver upon arriving at your destination and while you are still sitting in the vehicle.

16. If you must rent a car, rent only from a reputable company. Any operating problems that occur could signal sabotage.

17. Be aware of 'staged' car accidents meant to catch you off card.

18. Back into your parking spaces to facilitate a quick exit.

19. Park only in well lit and well traveled areas.

20. If your cell phone does not work outside of the country, consider renting one that does for the duration of your trip.

21. If detained for whatever reason by an official, ask for identification. If in doubt, tell them that you want to see his superior. Keep your emotions in check.

22. If traveling with children, bring along an updated photograph of each child in the event that you become separated from them.

23. Write your child's name and your hotel number on each card; include a close friend's or relative's contact information on the card. Give a card to each child which they will carry with them as long as you are away. Destroy once home.

24. Discuss with your family what they would do in event of an emergency while away from home, e.g. whom to call, how to contact emergency personnel, etc.

25. Do not discuss travel plans, your room number or any other personal information in public within earshot of strangers.

26. Bring along a basic first aid kit with bandages, iodine, mosquito repellant, sunscreen, alcohol packets, dramamine, pepto bismol, diarrhea medicine, etc.

27. Familiarize yourself with train and bus schedules before traveling. Have an alternate plan in place in the event your transportation plans change.

28. Do not flash your passport in public. Discreetly show important documents to officials only.

29. Consider purchasing portable alarms that emit a loud sound.

30. Watch for scams on the street. Children working with adults are notorious as pickpockets.

31. Never flash your money in public. Exchange funds with reputable and recognized exchangers only.

32. Have tips ready in advance for service personnel.

33. Consider renting an escort [security] service if traveling in areas where crime is high.

The key to safe traveling in any area is situational awareness. Distractions because of luggage, children, hotel personnel, strangers, etc. can put you at risk. Know your surroundings and stay in control of every situation.

Ten Travel Tips to India

India can be a difficult place even for the frequent traveller. Here are some of the best tips one must keep in mind when travelling to India.

There is no doubt that India is an exciting place to visit. It is one of the most visited countries of the world. India has a lot to offer to tourists. Activities include, tiger trekking, mountain climbing, water sports, trying various Indian foods and historical site seeing. However there are certain dangers for the first time traveller.

The first time visitor to India can be overwhelmed as soon as they step out of the airport. The first thing they encounter is the heat and the overcrowding which may seem frightening. Although, India may seem crowded and hot but there are certain tips one can follow to have a great stay in India.

Here are some tips when travelling in India;

Stay safe. India has a lot of people of over 1.21 billion. It is easy to be pick-pocketed, scammed and run over by speeding vehicles. Traffic rules are not obeyed by drivers therefore crossing the roads carefully is very important.

Keep money hidden away: The tourist must protect themselves by not flashing their money or gold in public. It is advised to keep their money hidden away in wallets and travel bags.

Keep cool: India is a hot country where temperatures can frequently rise up 40 degree Celsius. The tourist needs to keep hydrated by plenty of drinking bottled water. Tap water may not be safe hence bottled water is the best option that can be bought at every street corner.

Keep away from the crowd: This may not seem obvious but there are chances that one can get scammed or perhaps cheated at overcrowded places. At crowded places there is a remote possibility of being pick-pocketed and followed by large number of beggars. Best option is to avoid large crowds.

Learn to use the Indian toilets: The Indian toilets are different to westerns ones. To use Indian toilets one needs to familiarise themselves where they need to sit in squat position. This may be difficult for those who have not used Indian toilets before. In addition, the tourist must remember that toilet papers are not used in public toilets so they must carry their own.

Always bargain: Once can always bargain prices for everything in India. So remember when buying something make sure that prices can be brought down to at least 25% of the quoted price.

Learn the local language: India has more than 100 languages of which 22 are officially recognised. Hindi is the most widely spoken hence it is worth learning a few words in Hindi. However it must be noted that English is also widely spoken by large section of the Indian population.

Be alert on trains: Many crimes are carried out on the trains hence tourists and residents need to take particular attention on trains.

Fake notes: It must be noted that there are large number of fake notes in India. The best thing is to avoid 1000 Rupee notes.

Don't eat too much: If one is not comfortable with spicy foods then one must avoid them. Spices in India are more powerful than elsewhere around the world.

India is a safe country in general but there are some things one needs to take care off then travelling in India. The golden rule in India is to keep hydrated and be safe.

Shalini Singh is a resident Indian and an avid traveller and a contributor on " travel tips to India " blog. For more travel tips to India read the 101 travel tips to India.