Travel Tips

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

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?

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

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.

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

itsmagic · ‎08-08-2011

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.

jpie · ‎06-21-2010

@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.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

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.

TenderMercies · ‎06-03-2017

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.

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

"My shoes go inside the freezer"

The things I learn on this message board.

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

VaBelle35 · ‎03-10-2010

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.

===================================
QVC Shopper - 1993

# IAMTEAMWEN

wonderfulworld · ‎12-05-2012

@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.

TenderMercies · ‎06-03-2017

@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.