topic Re: Travel Tips in Travel

Travel Tips

World Traveler — Sat, 10 Jun 2017 23:25:35 GMT

As I was starting to go thru my travel list of things to pack and to do, I pulled out my suitcase to take outside for a good airing.

It reminded me of one of the things I always do when I return from a trip. After I return home and unpack, I immediately take my suitcase outside, no matter what the weather is, and let it air out. I usually leave it out there for a day or so. Then I put fabric softener sheets inside, close up the luggage, and put it away.

If it is nice and sunny when I have it outside, any bugs I may have brought back home with me hopefully take off for somewhere else. And the fabric softener sheets, depending upon which one you use, keeps the luggage smelling really nice when I open it up for the next trip.

What tips do you have for traveling? Anything you always do before you leave home or upon returning home? Or during your trip?

Re: Travel Tips

Mz iMac — Sat, 10 Jun 2017 23:42:43 GMT

Upon returning from international traveling, instead of washing my clothes, I send everything to the cleaners (except socks, panties & bras).

Never aired out my suitcases though. My mother throws moth balls in her suitcases after all trips. I gather she airs out the smell prior to reusing.

Re: Travel Tips

itsmagic — Sat, 10 Jun 2017 23:54:02 GMT

That is a really good tip!

I recently read a travel tip to pass on if you have to check a suitcase (though I haven't had to check one in a long time). Before checking your suitcase, take a picture of it and another picture of the airline tag that was placed on the suitcase at the airport. Then if your suitcase gets lost it is easier to describe it and the airline tag shows the routing information.

Re: Travel Tips

jpie — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 00:01:45 GMT

@World Traveler wrote:
As I was starting to go thru my travel list of things to pack and to do, I pulled out my suitcase to take outside for a good airing.

It reminded me of one of the things I always do when I return from a trip. After I return home and unpack, I immediately take my suitcase outside, no matter what the weather is, and let it air out. I usually leave it out there for a day or so. Then I put fabric softener sheets inside, close up the luggage, and put it away.

If it is nice and sunny when I have it outside, any bugs I may have brought back home with me hopefully take off for somewhere else. And the fabric softener sheets, depending upon which one you use, keeps the luggage smelling really nice when I open it up for the next trip.

What tips do you have for traveling? Anything you always do before you leave home or upon returning home? Or during your trip?

______

I do the same thing with my luggage! Air out and then use Bounce sheets (2) for storage.

Most of my vacations involve the beach/swimming pool. I usually take five swim suits and three cover-ups. When I get home, I fix a big tubful of cold water, a generous amount of Woolite, and then throw in the suits, and cover-ups. I then let them soak until I get other necessary tasks done. Sometimes for a couple of days or more.

I also replenish all of my toiletries, make-up, and hair care items and place them in my travel chest of drawers. I have this furniture item for just travel items. This includes items that I only need for vacation (hats, bathing suits, cover-ups, beach bag, insulated mug I use on the beach, my luggage weight scale, international electric conversion kits, and so much more). When I get ready to pack for a vacation, I go to this chest of drawers and start the selection process.

Re: Travel Tips

millieshops — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 00:17:46 GMT

I leave a copy of my current passport tucked away in any suitcase I might use out of the USA.

From a trip on which we were cautioned TP might be in short supply, I learned to leave a few flushes worth of paper on a roll, then flatten that roll and make it easily accessible in my carry-on. I actually had to use my emergency stash before we ever got out of JFK one year.

Re: Travel Tips

TenderMercies — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 01:51:21 GMT

I always take Glad Handle garbage bags with me on trips to use for my dirty laundry. When I return home, my suitcases don't even make it inside the main part of my home. My laundry room is located in a storage room at the back of my home. I always go in there immediately when I arrive home and put my laundry and all my clean clothes in the washer and wash everything. I store the suitcases in there and just carry my toiletry bag inside. My shoes go inside the freezer that I have in the storage room for the night. That killls any living bugs that might have crept in. Extreme heat or cold will kill things like bedbugs, scabies, etc.

Re: Travel Tips

Mz iMac — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 02:05:35 GMT

"My shoes go inside the freezer"

The things I learn on this message board.

Re: Travel Tips

VaBelle35 — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 11:39:00 GMT

I know I sound like a broken record, but this travel forum is absolutely the best reason to come to the QVC website.

Great ideas here every single day.

Re: Travel Tips

wonderfulworld — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 12:50:07 GMT

@VaBelle35 wrote:
I know I sound like a broken record, but this travel forum is absolutely the best reason to come to the QVC website.

Great ideas here every single day.

I absolutely agree. You guys are the best. I have gotten some wonderful advice on where to go, what to see and do as well!!!

Any advice on what to do to keep from picking up bed bugs, ticks, illnesses etc while travelling?? I'd love to hear them.

Re: Travel Tips

TenderMercies — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 16:44:23 GMT

@wonderfulworld wrote:
@VaBelle35 wrote:
I know I sound like a broken record, but this travel forum is absolutely the best reason to come to the QVC website.

Great ideas here every single day.

I absolutely agree. You guys are the best. I have gotten some wonderful advice on where to go, what to see and do as well!!!

Any advice on what to do to keep from picking up bed bugs, ticks, illnesses etc while travelling?? I'd love to hear them.

To check for bed bugs: When you enter your hotel room, immediately check out the underside of the mattress by lifting up the bottom corners. You're looking to find what looks like miniature grains of white rice on the underside. These are their eggs. It is unlikely that you'll see an actual bug because they burrow inside the mattresses. If at any time during your trip you find blood splotches on your bottom sheet, that is a sign too. The bugs bite you and drink your blood when you sleep, and sometimes you roll over on them and crush them which causes them to squash and your blood to leave a mark.

To avoid other bites when traveling to tropical areas: Take a small bottle of the ORIGINAL Avon Skin So Soft oil (sold on Amazon), and rub a little on your arms and legs. After a long day at the beach/pool, I always like to take a shower or bath before going out to dinner, so I just add it to the bath water. It smells great and repels bugs, especially mosquitos.

To avoid/maintain illness while traveling: I travel a lot to the Caribbean, so I'm always leery of Montezuma's revenge or getting some sort of sinus/bronchial infection when I'm away from home, because I'm susceptible to them. If you're traveling to the warmer climates, call your general practitioner in the weeks leading up to your trip, and see if they would be willing to call in a prescription for you for Cipro. This is an excellent antibiotic for any kind of stomach issues that may be related to Montezuma's revenge. It will also take care of any kind of sore throat infections or bronchial issues that you may wake up with on any day. The downside of Cipro is that you cannot lay out or be exposed to the sun for long periods of time, as you will burn. Also, I drink coconut water for the three days leading up to my trip if I'm going to Mexico or the Caribbean. This helps prepare and strengthen your digestive system. While I'm on my trip, I always make sure to eat some papaya with lime from the breakfast buffet, as that's good for digestion. Try to avoid tap water as much as possible. If you are not at a resort where they restock your fridge with booze and bottled water each day, find somewhere that sells large bottles of water and keep them in your room. It's hard to avoid the local water if you are drinking soft drinks which contain ice, but the alcohol in any cocktails should kill any bacteria in the ice, and wine and beer is also a safe bet. If you need your soft drink fix, make sure it comes from a cold can or bottle, not from a waiter who will bring it to you in a big glass of ice.

Re: Travel Tips

World Traveler — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 17:24:10 GMT

@TenderMercies WOW! That's some great information you gave us; thanks!

Seems like I heard about Avon's product some years ago, but have not tried it. When I go to places like the Amazon, I use Australian Tea Tree. I think you can get it at Walmart; not sure on that. It comes in an oil and also a mist (not in an aerosol can).

My sister commented that she had to wait a while after I put that stuff on before she would get close to me. LOL!! It's not the best smell at first.

At any rate, it takes care of the mosquitoes or any other bugs, and you are not using an aerosol. We saw a family of four who were constantly using an aerosol can spray for their mosquito repellent, and the local guide just cringed. He said that the Amazon is more fragile than people realize and he hated to see people using the cans. I think they also had cans of hairspray as opposed to the other type of sprays that come in bottles. I usually have my hair whacked off pretty short before going on trips and don't take any hairspray.

Re: Travel Tips

VaBelle35 — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 22:25:10 GMT

I have something from REI that is super stinky but does a decent job.

Re: Travel Tips

CHIP62 — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 04:56:54 GMT

Before going to Vietnam and Cambodia we went to the travel clinic got the vaccines...were prudent with our clothing light colors, long sleeves however we did not see our hear a single mosquito in the whole trip!!! It is better to prevent and I am glad that we did. There was bottled water everywhere and this is what we drank. Also Coca Cola shoothes my stomach, the food was very good but sometimes it takes a while to adapt🌻Never ask for ice where there is no running water.

Re: Travel Tips

World Traveler — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 11:03:35 GMT

@CHIP62 You mentioning Cambodia reminded me of something. One of the gals that was in our small group of eight people in that country has a great idea,

She only travels with clothes she wants to give away in her suitcase. They may be in good condition, but she is tired of them, or she has switched out her choices and gone in another direction of clothing style.

At any rate, at the end of our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, she left all her clothes (except her underwear and what she wore home) in the room with a note that the housekeeper could have it or give it to someone else. This also included shoes.

She goes home with basically an empty suitcase (she only travels with a hard-shell carry-on wherever she goes and a backpack), which she put a few souvenirs in, and she helped people out who really needed it.

I often thought of doing that, but haven't gotten to the place that I would want to travel completely with clothes I don't want to keep. But it is such a great idea!

Re: Travel Tips

missy1 — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 12:17:45 GMT

Don't overpack.

Re: Travel Tips

FrostyBabe1 — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 12:25:59 GMT

TSA PreCheck and Global Entry for travel within the US or returning from outside the country.

Best money I've ever spent.

PreCheck used to be "free" to elite members of partner airline frequent flyer programs, but that's been discontinued and random selection at the airport/check-in is supposed to be reduced.

Re: Travel Tips

World Traveler — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 12:27:50 GMT

@missy1 wrote:
Don't overpack.

@missy1 Right on! ha! There are many packing pros who say to put out everything on your bed that you want to take, and then cut it half, and you will probably still take too much.

I would like to hear from anyone who travels with just a carry-on and how they choose which items to take for clothes in a small bag like that.

Re: Travel Tips

World Traveler — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 12:29:32 GMT

@FrostyBabe1 wrote:
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry for travel within the US or returning from outside the country.

Best money I've ever spent.

PreCheck used to be "free" to elite members of partner airline frequent flyer programs, but that's been discontinued and random selection at the airport/check-in is supposed to be reduced.

@FrostyBabe1 Love pre-check. Have an appointment in September to get the Global Entry. Why I haven't done that before now is a mystery to me, but you are correct....best money spent for a traveler.

Re: Travel Tips

CHIP62 — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 14:39:20 GMT

Dear World Traveler,

What a great idea! We were about to abandon a suitcase in the Intercontinental Hotel at Saigon and a member of the staff asked me if he could have it. It was old and not very appealing however sometimes we do not realize how poor these people are.

We bought a " Samsonite" for nothing to replace the former one.

I had to sign a paper explaining that it was a gift or else he could get into trouble🌻Thank you so much for another great piece of advice.

Re: Travel Tips

BExplorer — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 19:08:50 GMT

@World Traveler wrote:
@missy1 wrote:
Don't overpack.
@missy1 Right on! ha! There are many packing pros who say to put out everything on your bed that you want to take, and then cut it half, and you will probably still take too much.

I would like to hear from anyone who travels with just a carry-on and how they choose which items to take for clothes in a small bag like that.

@World Traveler

I have only done that once on (I think) 4 day trip to Florida and I feel like I went without necessities. That's probably not impressive to most. 😆

However, for at least the past decade my sister and BIL who travel quite a bit have not checked luggage. Their trips range from 7-14 nights and are typically to the tropics or to Europe. I think they just take on a minimalist viewpoint when packing. They do wash some clothes out in the sink to re-wear and use the hotel toiletries (shampoo/conditioner/soap). I still don't know how they do it! I can't due to the liquids restrictions alone!