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.

When we’re booking our holidays or planning a period of extensive travelling, we all look to cut costs where possible. We can do this in many ways, such as reducing the amount of baggage we take on flights, seeking out the best deals on hotels, and booking everything as early as possible. We might also cut back on anything we see as an unnecessary purchase before travelling, but it really is vital that we don’t allow travel insurance to fall into this category.

The potential cost of not purchasing worldwide travel insurance to protect us on our travels is many, many times greater than the cost of the insurance itself. Most journeys can be fully insured for the price of a meal out at a restaurant and the cover will protect you against costs that could seriously dent your finances if you had to pay them yourself.

Here are just a few reasons to make sure travel insurance does not fall victim to the cuts made to your austerity travel budget.

Medical
The cost of medical care in other countries can be frighteningly high. If you have the misfortune of becoming ill or fall victim of an injury while abroad, you’re very unlikely to receive free medical care. Some countries, such as Australia and the UK, have reciprocal healthcare agreements that ensure citizens are provided with free emergency procedures, but even under these agreements many aspects of medical care will be carried out at the cost of the individual. To save yourself the worry, conduct a travel insurance compare with moneysupermarket. Its team of insurance experts will get you a wide range of quotes from widely differing insurers at the click of a mouse.

Luggage
We’ve all heard the horror stories of lost or damaged luggage on flights. That luggage doesn’t always reach its destination in one piece or at all is an unavoidable fact of the airline industry, and no airline is perfect. Next time you consider skipping the travel insurance on your flight, picture yourself being the last person waiting at the luggage carousel in vain for hours after everyone else has left, or imagine being the person opening their case to find their beloved possessions damaged. Don’t run the risk – insure your luggage with worldwide travel insurance.

Missed connections
Delayed and cancelled flights, buses or trains can be a real headache when you are travelling. But they needn’t be a financial headache when you can insure yourself against the cost of missed connections and cancelled journeys for a relatively tiny fee. Make sure that any unwanted extra nights in a hotel are covered by your insurer.

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.

Source: Pimsleur Approach

New Zealand is a dream location and definitely one of the places where most people in the world would like to go very much. New Zealand is considered an amazing place because of the sharp contrasts that especially its landscape offers. In the southern half the temperature is colder and more alpine, whereas the northern half is almost tropical with volcanoes.

The key to backpacking New Zealand is to take the time to see everything. It really doesn’t matter if you’re not going to have time to see all the things on your list, what matters more is that you take the time to appreciate all the beauty in the things you will be seeing.

New Zealand has a lot to offer for any backpacker, but one of the best places to go is Queenstown. The reason is simple – the landscape is the most iconic of New Zealand. The town is nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, high up in a mountain valley which is considered New Zealand’s premier four season lake and alpine resort.

The four seasons…

All four seasons are busy tourist times for Queenstown. The best time to go skiing is in the spring, which is from September to November in the southern hemisphere. The temperatures range from 48F to 75F and the weather is very sunny and beautiful most of the time. These days are perfect for skiing. Sometimes the season can last well into October as well.

More Queenstown travel tips include the possibility of going in the summer months, from October to February, or even March. The summer opportunities are endless, with mountain biking, golf, hiking and boating and waterskiing on the lake. The rugged terrain all around Queenstown is one you will never forget

There is of course skiing throughout the winter and if the snow comes early then in late fall as well. Fall is the time for barbecues, hiking to see the foliage and other relaxing activities.

Where to eat

Queenstown has over 150 restaurants, bars and cafes. Furthermore, the local vineyards keep these establishments well stocked with the best quality wines. You can even go to many of these wineries as they are mostly fitted out as small private restaurants serving the best local food and drinks conveniently in one place. A great travel tip for tourists is to take home one of these special bottles of wine for a special occasion later, such as a wedding or a baby shower.

Finally, Queenstown also offers luxury spa resorts with natural springs, saunas and other useful natural formations in this volcanic area. Queenstown is also one of the shopping capitals of New Zealand so you should have no trouble finding any souvenir or memento.

It felt like I had been organising my tour of Asia for years. I had booked the flights and I had an idea of where I would be going and staying….and of course my final destination. With only a week to go before I would be jetting off to Bangkok to start my tour, the only problem I had was packing. I didn’t know how long I would be away so you can imagine how hard it was packing.

I decided to travel with a small rucksack so that I could keep it by my side at all stages of the tour. I flew with British Airways and this air carrier allows 23kg for check in luggage, but my bag was barely 10kg. Even though it was small, I tried to leave some space for souvenirs, which I would buy along the way. I think the size of your bag is one of the most important elements. The advantages of a small bag are that you can fit it in lockers easier, you will be more comfortable and if you pack the right type of clothing, you don’t need to take very much with you.

If you are travelling for a month or less in a hot climate you should pack three quick drying t-shirts, two pairs of trousers, a pair of trainers and sandals for walking/beach etc. You can always wash your t-shirts, trousers, underwear and they will be dry the next day. You should also take a long sleeve top or fleece just in case of cold temperatures. Other essentials may include a sleeping bag, mini umbrella, mosquito net, first aid kit, duffle bag, padlock, toiletries and power adaptors.

Packing a big bag with lots of clothes isn’t a good idea and you probably won’t use half of the things you bring anyway.

If you’re making the effort to learn a language, traveling to Europe will be a welcome treat and reward. Working to learn a language, even something as difficult as trying to learn German, can be fun when you use an audio CD program, but you still deserve a treat at the end. If you’re a seasoned traveler, or if you’ve never gone abroad before, it’s still important to keep some things in mind before you plan your trip and before you go.

• Double check to make sure that you’ve got your passport and any other documents you need. For most European countries, all you need to travel is a passport if you’re an American citizen. Other travelers from countries outside Europe or the United States, however, may need a visa or additional documentation. Make sure that you have this before you leave for the airport—you don’t want to miss your flight or not be allowed to board because you’re missing an important document. Also make sure that you keep your passport with you when you’re traveling and you don’t lose it. Getting a passport replaced while you’re traveling can be expensive and time consuming.
• Ask a trusted neighbor or friend to check in on your home while you’re gone. Even though this happens at home, and not with you while you’re traveling, having someone check your place is an important step. You don’t want to come home from a lovely vacation to discover that your home has been burglarized. If you don’t have someone to check in for you, consider getting timers for your lights and having your mail put on hold to make it seem as if someone is at home.
• Remember to check museum hours and open days before you go. Many travelers have made the mistake of planning to see a special museum in a city that they will visit just once, and then they discover that on that certain day, the museum is closed. This common problem can be eliminated by checking the museum’s website before you leave, and planning your vacation either around the museum, or deciding not to visit it.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for directions if you’re lost or concerned about where you are. Even though you may be proficient in German, or the language that you learned before traveling, it’s still possible that you’ll get lost, or be worried about the train you’re trying to catch. Rather than get into a sticky situation, ask questions and directions of people in your hotel, police officers, and others who work in service positions.

Last summer I decided to do a tour of Italy as there were a number of cities I wanted to visit and I had never stepped foot on Italian soil before. I organised the trip well and booked a one-way flight to Milan where I would start the tour. I planned on finishing in Rome. After landing in Milan I took a bus to the city center and checked into my hostel. I was very impressed by the city, its monuments and its shops. However, I was quite surprised at how unorganized and dirty Italy is in general.

From Milan I traveled to Venice – a city which I fell in love with at first sight. Here I was yet again struck by the dirty buildings and unfriendly Italians. However, the city and its classic tourist attractions make up for this. From Venice I took a bus to Sottomarina, a beach town about one hour from the city. It was really nice to spend a few days on the beach and I found eating out and accommodation much cheaper there than in Venice.

I returned to Venice train station where I queued for ages to buy train tickets to Florence – my next destination. I traveled around the country in trains and having had the chance to do this in other European countries, I have come to the conclusion that it is also rather expensive to use public transport in Italy.

I arrived in Florence early in the morning and decided to leave my rucksack in a locker at the train station. It cost me around €8 which was double what I had paid in other cities in Europe. This is something else to watch out for. They say that Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and this is very true and if you love history, art and culture – this is the city for you. From Florence I made my way to Rome, my last destination. Rome is everything I was hoping for and more. In Rome I booked low cost flights to London were I would stay for a few days before returning to the USA. I probably should have booked them before travelling, but I was unsure of how long the trip would take me. I would probably have got cheaper flights if I had estimated my departure date. You live and learn.

My tour of Italy was a wonderful experience and the country really is home to some of the most beautiful cities in the world. Yes, Italians are sometimes unfriendly and everything may seem unorganized……but some people say that this is part of its charm.

If you are looking for a unique vacation, a cruise provides the perfect balance of travel and relaxation. Cruise ships are luxurious and provide their guests with food, entertainment and a place to sleep. Planning a cruise may sound expensive, but many discount cruises are available that fit your budget. You can find these cruise deals through cruise specialists such as Discountcruises.com. Another option is to book your cruise directly through the cruise line. These provide you with a variety of options for finding an affordable cruise package.

When planning a cruise, you should first decide when you are you able to leave since the departure dates are already scheduled. After finding the days that you are available, you should decide which location its best for you. The most popular cruise destinations are the Caribbean, Europe, and Alaska. These all provide a scenic view with many amazing locations to visit at each port. The location and length of the trip also affect the price.

There are also cruises available for those wishing to travel alone. These singles cruises provide the perfect opportunity to meet new people. If you decide to book a singles cruise, be sure to take part in the onboard activities.

Whichever type of cruise you wish to plan, there are many options available to choose from and the price varies between these options. When planning a cruise, be sure to research the locations you wish to see and then pick a travel package that fits your budget.

The world has opened up to cheap international travel. Gone are the days of being limited to monolithic packages with a handful of travel agents, with all-inclusive hotel accommodation and a holiday camp regime of fixed mealtimes and round-the-clock, often crass entertainment.

Now, thanks to bargain flights and hundreds of travel websites, you can design your own vacation down to the last detail. Many people are moving away from the hotel-centered break and going for rented villa accommodation instead, which allows for complete flexibility and a more relaxed and homely atmosphere. This is definitely the best option if you have kids with you, as you don’t need to worry about troubling other guests, and you can also come and go as you please, staying up all night and lying in all morning if you so choose.

Imagine renting a villa in, say, Amsterdam. Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and is more than just red lights and coffeeshops. While it is a popular place for young people to be stupid, it is also a place of museums, cafes, and art. Explore the famous canals and many museums and art galleries, the old Dam Square at the heart of the city where Napoleon had his headquarters in 1808, and have lunch is a picturesque tapas bar, or some of the amazing Indonesian food in the city.

Book it a few months in advance via one of the many websites, either through an agency or direct through the owner. Then build your own itinerary and explore this historic city at your own pace, without having to worry about getting back for fixed mealtimes. Preparing your own picnic in the villa using local produce from the market can be a fun part of the holiday. Rent a villa and enjoy the freedom of a great European city. Amsterdam is a city that really reveals itself after a long stay.