The DC Traveler

With the busy holiday travel season just starting, here’s a few tips for making your trip a bit easier.

The hectic holiday season, with rushed shopping, stressful trips out of town to visit relatives and vacation get-aways, all that require a lot of planning, can end up scrambling your brain.

Little details such as “Where’s my travel itinerary?” or “Was my car parked in the blue lot or the green lot?” can get lost in the commotion.

So here’s a tip - use your cell phone or digital camera to record important details about your trip so if you forget one, you can simply check the photo. And don’t pack your camera in your luggage, keep it in your pocket or purse. that way, if your luggage gets delayed or lost, you also won’t be without your important information.

Some ideas of trip-related things to take a photo of.

• Travel Documents - including airline itinerary, hotel confirmations, passport and driver’s license. Just make sure no credit card or other personal information is included if you lose your camera.
• Your Car at the Airport Lot - include the sign showing your lot number, level, section and row. You’ll never have to ask yourself, “Was that the green or blue lot?”
• Your Hotel - Yes, take one of your hotel or the nearest intersection. When I used to travel extensively on business, by the time I was returning from dinner to my 5th hotel that week, I usually couldn’t even remember what hotel chain I was staying at. If you forget, get lost, or there’s a language barrier with your cab or bus driver, just show the photo of your hotel or intersection.
• The Rental Car - snap a photo when you pick up your car so there’s no question about who put that $1,200 ding in the fender. Also take one as your return the car in case you later get a bill for damage.
• Maps - Take a pic of the area of the Metro, subway or city map that you’ll be traveling within so you always have one. Many cameras let you zoom on an image, so you can more actually read it. Or take close up photos of the sections of the map at your start and end of your ride. Plus, you won’t be signaling everyone “TOURIST” with that giant map.
• A Great Restaurant - Find a great restaurant? Grab a matchbook or menu and snap a photo. Or take one of the outside of the place including the sign. You’ll always remember not just the great meal, but how to get back.
• Places of Interest - “Was that painting at the National Gallery of Art or the American Art Museum?” Take a photo as you enter and you’ll never need to ask where your next photos in that series were taken.
• Your Kids, Pets or Travel Partners - If you are traveling with kids or pets, take a close up photo of them, just in case they get lost and you need a recent photo to the help the authorities. Better safe than sorry. Plus a clear, recent photo is more effective than providing a photo from three years ago.
• Problems - Experience a problem on your trip - a filthy, bug-infested room, a rental car with no spare, whatever. A photo will assist you in making a claim or asking for a discount or refund when you return home.
• Valuables - If you must take expensive jewelry or other valuables on your trip, take a photo of the piece on the person at the airport, so if it gets lost or stolen during your trip, you can prove to the insurance company that you had it with you on your trip.
• Family Members that Aren’t Traveling With You - Finally, nothing makes you feel like you’re home more than a photo of loved ones while on the road. So just before you leave, snap a photo of your family or loved ones and take a little piece of them with you.

Happy Travels!

___________________________________________________

Comments Off