When on holiday do you dread going over the weight limit? Or maybe you are backpacking and you don’t want to carry a heavy load around with you. Well here is a list that suggests things not to pack and hopefully will help you on how you can lighten the load.

1. Soap – now a day’s most hotels have soaps in their rooms, if not it isn’t that expensive to buy from the local shops. This also includes shampoo, I would buy a tiny travel bottle when I land and leave it behind once my holiday has finished. If you need or want to take some soap and shampoo, they can be bought in travel sizes.
2. Jeans – if you are going on holiday where it is hot, you will not want to wear heavy, bulky clothing also it would be impossible to wash them in a sink if the hotel hasn’t got a laundry room.
3. Towels – now this is a item that will be provided by the hotel and something you don’t need to pack. If your hotel doesn’t provide towels why not re use some of your clothes they are something you need to pack and easy to wash and dry or a microfiber towel.
4. Jackets – if you are going to a place where it is hot you won’t need a thick winter coat maybe take a thin jacket in case the weather becomes a bit nippy. If you are going somewhere cold then you will need a thicker coat not a thin jacket, take what is suitable for the trip / holiday.
5. Expensive Jewellery – Do not take expensive jewellery with you on your trip as you wouldn’t want to be a target of a crime or a victim.

If you don’t agree with this list then please don’t follow it, don’t let this list be do’s and don’ts, if you feel like you really need to take soap and it’s really important to you then buy a travel one. Also leave room in your suitcase for the fun items and souvenirs you purchased on your holidays.
Don’t forget to pack your passport and travel insurance and holiday documents also store them digitally on a USB as a backup.

After checking in and going through security, there are always a few hours to kill at the airport before boarding the plane and jetting off on cheap package holidays in the sun. Trying on expensive sunglasses or browsing duty free are not the only things to keep you occupied though, as airports can be fun and fascinating places. Here are a few ideas that are sure to keep travellers entertained – just don’t forget to board the plane on time!

1. Check out the Planes
It’s not every day that the general public can get so close to a real life airplane. As several planes will be sat right there on the runway, it’d be rude not to check them out. Watch as they land and take off, observing the range of different colours, models and sizes or count the number of windows on each plane – a great way to pass the time.

2. Check out the People
Airports really are full of fascinating people from every walk of life. All sorts of characters can be found, from businessmen speaking loudly on their mobile phones to tired-looking mothers trying to control their four kids. People-watching never gets boring as there’s always something amusing to see.

3. Hit the Shops
Whether they’ve been planning their trip for months or they’ve booked late holidays at a bargain price, many passengers forget to take something important with them. Every type of shop imaginable can be found in the biggest airports though, selling everything from sunhats and books to flip flops and medication, so there’s no need to panic.

4. Play a Game
A great way to while away an hour or so is to play a game or two. Whether it’s a Sudoku or crossword for one, or a fun game of cards with the whole family, it’ll be time to board the plane in no time.

5. Start Writing a Holiday Diary
It’s always fun to look back on any funny moments and anecdotes from a holiday and the best place to start putting pen to paper is at the airport. All sorts of strange and unusual people are sure to pass by, so make a note of what they’re doing and the things they’re saying and enjoy reminiscing once the holiday is over.

6. Read a Book
It’s always useful to pack a book in hand luggage rather than in your suitcase so it can be whipped out at any moment. Time is sure to whiz by whilst reading a few chapters of a good book, rather than just staring intensely at the departures board.

7. Grab Something to Eat
Most airports offer a wide selection of food and drink outlets – it’s as if they know passengers will be hanging around for hours! Take advantage of this though and sit and have a tasty bite to eat because later on in the day all that will be available is the dreaded airplane food!

8. Chat to Someone New
There’s no better place to chat to a new person than at an airport. After all, everyone is bound to have something in common – going on holiday! Use that as an easy conversation starter and chat away to the person sat next to you. With a week or two stuck with the same people, it’ll be refreshing to talk to someone new and it’s surprising how interesting this can be.

9. Make a Phone Call
Airports can often be full of businessmen frantically making last minute phone calls before getting on the plane, but they can also be a great place to enjoy a phone call with a friend or family member. Find a quiet place to sit and enjoy a good natter – just try not to show off too much about going on holiday.

10. Go Online
Many airports now have free Wi-Fi so passengers flying with laptops are able to browse the web at their hearts content. Forget about the usual popular sites such as YouTube and Facebook and try researching a particular subject to learn something new. Films and TV channels are also readily available online so travellers can relax with their favorite program before boarding the plane.

Our desire to travel and explore remains strong, but we’ve all felt the economic crunch to some degree. Now, almost all of us have to get by with a little less, but that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice our adventures. In fact, this article will explore ten smart ways to travel that will maximize your budget, and even let you do more with less.

1. Target the best dollar value.
The dollar is strong, but currency markets remain in flux. Travelers can maximize their budgets by monitoring global exchange rates, and then traveling to the areas where they get the best return on the dollar.

2. Take a cruise.
Cruises are generally fantastic value, but the current savings available are at all-time highs. Not only are the major liners offering significant discounts, they’re adding a wide range of luxury enticements.

3. Not all airmiles credit cards are equal.
For frequent flyers, airmiles credit cardsare vital to long-term savings. When choosing one, take your time, and do the research. Don’t get caught up in the marketing and branding. Stick to the numbers.

4. Don’t hoard miles.
Hoarding miles is a common mistake, and it often causes the saver to miss out on some great deals. If your heart is set on a particular destination, get more out of your miles by traveling off-season and on non-peak days.

5. Be loyal.
Extend your consumer loyalty beyond the airliners. For instance, all hotels track customers. They know how often you stay there, and they have built-in unadvertised reductions and other perks for their best clients.

6. Sleep like a local.
Of course, even with benefits, extended hotel stays can be too expensive. The alternative is to rent an apartment or house, and there are many such fully furnished residences in major cities throughout North America and Europe.

7. Opt for all-inclusive packages.
Travel packages have significant built-in discounts and other benefits. Some travelers consider travel packages to be a series of compromises, but with all the options available today, that simply isn’t true.

8. Cook for yourself.
Eating out three meals or more per day for an extended period is quite costly. Instead, choose accommodations with a kitchenette, and then you can immerse yourself in the local lifestyle by shopping locally and preparing the meals.

9. Use public transportation.
Rather than rent a car or take taxis, use mass transit, and research the area before you go. In most major cities, you can purchase temp passes (three days to a week at a time) that let you use the entire system at low cost.

10. Talk to locals… online.
The best way to experience an area and save money is to know what the locals know. In the information age, doing so is simpler than ever. A wide range of travel and geo-wiki websites exists for just that purpose. Use them.

One of the greatest myths about travel is that is expensive. The ads always show fancy vacations, expensive activities, over priced resorts, and expensive dinners. I think this is one of the reason people get so turned off by travel. They simply think they can’t afford it.

But years of travel have taught me that is wrong. Travel can be inexpensive. Do you spend a lot of money during your day to day life? Probably not. Neither do the locals where you go. Travel isn’t all about being fancy and expensive. If you travel and live like a local when you go overseas, you’ll find your trip to be very inexpensive.  Shop at the local stores, avoid the tourist areas, stay in guesthouses and locally owned B&Bs (and not huge chain hotels), buy tourist passes for all the attractions and you will find yourself saving a lot of money when you travel.

Moreover, since most people can’t afford all those fancy holidays, you can often find great cheap holidays on sale. By looking online, you can find some great last minute deals on holiday packages. Companies unload their unsold inventories at great prices. Another way to get a cheap holiday is to book as a package. For popular, resort like destination (Hawaii, Canary Islands, Mexico), booking the airline and hotel together off an aggregator site will save you hundreds and hundreds of dollars. I never book separately because it will just end up costing more.  Normally, I do everything apart but for those package destinations, a package is the cheapest way to go.

Another great money saving tip is to book in advance and off season. When the travel is off season, you can find great deals as companies try to entice buyers to come visit. Most people never go off season so companies have a lot of space they need to sell.

Travel doesn’t need to be expensive. It can be very cheap. You just need to be smart about it and not believe all the hype. There are many ways to get a cheap holiday and I never pay a lot of money for my travels.

Traveling to an exotic tropical locale is extremely attractive and exciting to most of us. But, travel in tropical environments can involve more than just sun and fun.  Water and food-borne illnesses can certainly cause extremely undesirable problems that can linger long after the trip is over. Also, the combination of humidity and high temperatures can cause dehydration or heat exhaustion for those not accustomed to extreme weather conditions and sunburn is an ever-present concern. Last but certainly not least, biting bugs and other unsavory characters such as lizards, snakes, and scorpions can find their way into your room at even the most luxurious resort. Luckily, the correct travel gear coupled with a healthy dose of common sense can prevent many of these problems from spoiling your tropical vacation.

Food and Water
The best way to know for sure if the water is safe to drink is to ask local guides who are used to dealing with foreign tourists or the staff of your hotel (assuming that it caters to tourists). Generally, it is safe to eat and drink almost anything (except maybe the tap water) at tourist hotels in major travel destinations such as Veneto Panama in Panama City; however, tourists who will be going off the beaten track and venturing into local restaurants or eating street food will definitely face more risk.
The safety of food and water can vary widely from country to country, and sometimes even within a country. In most major cities the water is drinkable (although extremely sensitive travelers could still become sick). In other places, drinking just one glass of water is a sure way to ruin your trip.

As a rule, thoroughly cooked food is always safer than meats eaten rare or medium rare and travelers should always avoid foods that are room temperature or appear to have been sitting around.  Also, any vegetables and fruits without a skin or peel should be avoided (like lettuce) whereas items such as bananas, oranges, and avocados are safe to eat as long as they are not washed after the peel is removed. Bottled water is widely available and you should always opt for that as opposed to water in a glass (or even another beverage with ice).  If you do want a soda or juice, choose one that is in a sealed can or bottle.

Weather
It may sound strange to pile on clothing in a hot climate, but long-sleeved shirts and long pants will protect your skin from both sunburn and bugs. Clothing should be light weight for comfort but also lightly colored to reflect the sun. Some specialty companies such as Columbia and ExOfficio offer ventilated clothing and some clothing designed for travel even comes treated with bug repellent (which can last up to 20 washings). Most importantly when in the tropics, wear a hat; hats protect you from overheating as well as from sunburn.

Major health conditions related to weather are dehydration, heat exhaustion (or the more severe heat stroke) and hyponatremia, which occurs when the body sweats so much that its electrolyte balance is compromised and it can no longer process water properly. Periodic snacking of foods containing some salt and sugar can replace some of the electrolytes lost to sweating and electrolyte replacement drinks or athletic drinks can also help prevent or treat dehydration.

Bugs
Insect repellents are must for travel to the tropics. The Anopheles mosquito which transmits malaria is most often active at night, but mosquitoes that transmit dengue fever are active during the day so it’s extremely important to protect yourself at all times. Repellents containing DEET are most effective against biting insects but be careful when applying DEET, as it can eat through some types of synthetic clothing, and even could damage plastic items like watch bands, camera parts, straps and buckles. Unfortunately, even with insect repellent, you are bound to get a bite or two so make sure you bring something for the itch as well.

Some travelers who follow all the rules can still get sick.  However, by using common sense and following these basic guidelines, visitors to tropical countries can be pretty sure that they will stay happy and healthy on their tropical holiday.

Okay….so January has been and gone…and February was just a blink. Now it’s March and there are at least eight full months of the year left. So let’s take a look at some of the top festivals and events which are still to take place this year. If you see something that interests you, you can organise your airline tickets now to get them cheap.

1. La Tomatina, Buñol, Spain

La Tomatina is an annual festival which takes place in the Valencian city of Buñol. It dates back to 1945 and is held on the last Wednesday in August. All you need are old shorts and an old shirt and you can take part in the world’s biggest tomato fight too.

1. International Pillow Fight Day, cities around the world

This year the International Pillow Fight Day will be held on the 2 April. Imagine taking part in a huge pillow flight in the middle of a big city. Find out which cities host this festival by clicking on this link.

1. San Fermin, Pamplona, Spain

Okay…so the Spanish are famous for their crazy festivals and the running of the bulls through the streets of Pamplona is just another to add to the list. This event usually takes place on the 7 July every year and lasts a week. All you need is a white top and trousers and a red scarf to take part.

1. El Colacho – Baby Jumping, Castrillo de Murcia, Spain

Again….a dangerous tradition which takes place in Spain. What happens at this festival is that men jump over newborn babies to cleanse them of evil. Believe it or not, this is an event and it takes place in June every year.

1. Up Helly-Aa, Shetland, Scotland

Otherwise known as Europe’s largest fire festival and it is held in January to mark the end of the winter. This is something to look forward to in 2012.

1. Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

Oktoberfest is the most famous beer festival in the world which is held in October every year.

1. Aloha Festival, Hawaii, USA

Perhaps not as crazy as the other festivals…..Aloha Festival celebrates all things Hawaiian and it is a good excuse to visit this exotic island. By booking flights to Hawaii in September you can enjoy this event.

1. Flour Throwing Festival, Galaxidi, Greece

A coloured flour throwing battle which is ironically held on Clean Monday every year.

1. Just for Laughs, Montreal, Canada

An event which you see on television but which is more fun if you take part – Just for Laughs – held in July every year.

1. Queen’s Day, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Celebrate the Dutch queen’s birthday on the 30 April every year. Huge parties are held in the streets and the theme is orange…so make sure you wear something that colour.

You’d be surprised how many people stare at you in gormless shock when you break to them the news that not all mountains cast in winter whiteness retain their frost in the summer.  It’s like you’ve just announced that the Incredible Hulk really does exist.  Yet, apparently, I’m the odd one for thinking of it as a platitude.

If you heard the word Whistler I imagine British Columbia skiing would be the first thing to spring to your mind, despite what I’ve just said, but the resort has a burgeoning variety of sports to enjoy in the summer months as well.  Admittedly, not all of these things can be called a sport (bungee jumping, for example), but no one can contest the concept of sending yourself face first down a steep, jagged decline on two flimsy wheels being a challenge.

I stood at the bottom of the lift system on my first day staring with giddy amusement at Whistler’s resort map.  Who on earth came up with lifts called the Excalibur Gondola, Merlin’s Magic Carpet and – wait for it – the Jersey Cream Express?  It’s like the whole resort is offering itself as the butt of a joke.

Thankfully my lift was just called the Fitzsimmons Quad Chairlift, and I was saved the terrifying prospect of trying to get myself and my mountain bike onto it by a tremendously gangly lift attendant who introduced me to the bike racks that are attached to every other set of chairs on the cable.  All I had to do was sit down at the right moment.

Having planned my trip at http://britishcolumbia.mydestinationinfo.com/, I expected British Columbia’s weather to be faultless.  Sadly, I found it to be more adolescent that day, by which I mean it would spend ten minutes violently lashing out before storming off in a huff for a couple of hours, and then repeat the process entirely unprovoked.  Even if the weather had been magnificent, however, I’d still have been a danger to the rest of the mountain.

If you think you can go downhill mountain biking just because you no longer need stabilisers, you’re wrong.  I’m not even going to pass the experience off as enlightening or surprisingly good fun once I got the hang of it.  I didn’t get the hang of it, and it wasn’t good fun.

If you had the misfortune of being in Whistler during that same week last summer, you’ll remember me as the rigid chap who made it down the mountain with locked wheels and a plume of black brake dust trailing behind.  I’m pretty sure no one else has managed that before.  I sported the same look of startled terror I imagine a fly has just before it makes contact with a 70mph windscreen, except my torture was prolonged.

I was ready to sack it in after that first run, but, out of sheer force of will, I sat it out another three days.  By the time I had reopened the wound on my right elbow for the billionth time, I decided my wellbeing was just too important, and that I would learn to use a bike properly before my next assault on a mountain.

The upshot of my adrenalin fuelled holiday was the opportunity to see a landscape as impressive as any I’ve ever before seen, and discover a corner of the world that I will return to again and again.  Find more information here.

Travelling with a partner can be a wonderful experience, but no road is completely smooth and there’s sure to be some bumps along the way. However, with plenty of planning, a lot of compromise and careful thinking can help make your trip one you’ll both remember.

Budget
Setting a budget early on can help you get the most out of your trip. Identify where you both want to go, work out the costs involved and have a rough idea about how much you want to spend on things like meals, drinks and travel costs during your trip.

By planning as far ahead as you can you can avoid any monetary issues along the way, but don’t let that put you off the odd indulgence, perhaps make one of these a romantic gesture to make it special for your partner and help add to the experience of the journey.

Communicate
Having a discussion about what each of you wants to do during your trip is essential to ensure that you reduce the chances of falling out with one another when you discover one of you is not keen on a suggested idea.

Ensure that you also sort out any issues that occur during your trip quickly in order to avoid putting a dampener on your trip, for little problems can become larger as your trip goes on and you don’t want that ruining the experience, so it’s best to solve those problems as soon as possible in order to avoid any tension and ill feeling for the rest of your trip.

Compromise
Plan as far ahead as you can. Identify sights you want to see and events you want to attend around the time of your visit.

Compromise by splitting the trip between what each of you wants to see and individual plans, even if it means parting ways for a bit and seeing sights individually before meeting back again to discuss what you’ve seen during a quiet drink or a nice meal together.

Don’t go alone
If you and your partner share anxieties about your first time travelling as a couple why not take a friend or travel as a small group? This can help ease any worries you may have and make you both feel a little bit safer about travelling.

Trust is the most important factor in this scenario, so ensure that whoever you ask to come along will adhere to the ground rules you’ve set out and will respect when you want to break off from the group and spend time as a couple.

Be daring!
Exploring and enjoying new things during your travels is the most important aspect, and can prove to be an exciting one depending on where you end up. You may even find yourself liking something that your partner has suggested you try, or vice-versa, but don’t bully or constantly insist as this can lead to tension and anxiety for the remainder of the journey.

Travelling with an open mind and a desire to try new things can help you make the most out of your time away together, and can lead to some memorable experiences you’ll look back fondly on.

Bio:
This content was written by the team at travelsupermarket.com who specialise in finding low cost holidays, flights, hotels, airport
parking and everything else relating to travel.

There are some things that experienced cruisers will have learnt over their years sailing the seas, but if you are new to cruising then you may be unsure about various aspects of these types of holidays. There is an abundance of advice on the internet for Cruise Holidays but we have tried to condense it down to a Top 5 list of tips for cruising.

5. Cruises don’t tend to be the things that you plan at the last minute, so you will probably need to be thinking about your cruise holiday well in advance. Like most types of travel, booking early will get you the best rates. This might make your budget stretch further allowing you to have a cabin that would usually be out of your price range. Upgrading your cabin can make your holiday, especially for cruises of around 100 days and over.

4. You will no doubt be seeing a lot of the staff on your cruise ship on a daily basis, so looking after them with tips and being polite will mean that they in turn will look after you.

3. There are no hard and set rules, but generally the longer the duration of the cruise, the older the age of the passengers. If you are a young couple or a young family, you might be better suited to one of the shorter voyages. But to be fair, how many families can find the time to go cruising for 150 days of the year?

2. Don’t worry about being bored; there will be plenty of daily excursions at the locations you will be stopping at and also onboard activities. If you plan on being adventurous and going off to explore a destination, make sure you do some research and only visit safe areas and make sure you are back at the ship at the required time. There is a slim chance you will be left behind but you will probably return to a frosty reception from both staff and passengers waiting to set sail.

1. World Cruises will take you to multiple destinations around the globe so make sure you take a good camera. No doubt you will take hundreds of photos along the way so it is worth making sure you have multiple memory cards, spare batteries and maybe even a laptop if you have one to backup your photos as you go. The last thing you would want is to lose you camera in the last couple of days and lose all of those precious memories.

Backpacking is a popular way of travelling for hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year. It is the best way to carry your belongings when travelling to a number of places where you only intend to stay for a short period of time. Although the concept of backpacking may seem reasonably simple, there are some goods tips which you can follow to make the process a lot easier for yourself. Below are some of these tips:

Don’t budget on the bag itself
Your backpack is going to be with you for your entire journey, so be sure that you purchase a bag that is of good quality. The bag needs to be strong enough to withstand different weather conditions, being thrown around by luggage handlers, being slept on and generally going anywhere that you go. It may seem alluring to save money in the short term by buying a cheap bag, but the chances are that if you do you will end up paying the price in the long run.

The order in which you pack your belongings
When packing your backpack do not just throw your belongings into it in a random unorganised manner. The way in which you pack your bag will determine the amount of things you can fit into your bag, how easy the bag is to carry, the longevity of the items in the bag and the life span of the bag itself. The best way to pack is to put the lighter, softer items at the bottom of the pack and the heavier items towards the top. This will reduce strain on your back and also maximise comfort.

What to take
Think through what you actually need to take and leave out items which you are unlikely to need. This will reduce weight. There are certain items which everybody should include. This list will change depending on the nature of the trip, but there are certain generic items which everybody should include. Below is a basic list of these generic items:

Torch, copies of important documentation, plastic bags for dirty/wet clothes, sleeping sheet, medical kit, Swiss army knife, pen, pad, mirror, water and cans of dehydrated food.

Guest post by James who works in the Travel industry and offers Rome apartments Italy and Accommodation in Rome for European travellers.