There is nothing less romantic than a travel disaster. You know the kind; you arrive at a destination figuring you'll easily find a room, but there are no vacancies anywhere. Or you find a hotel room but there are no screens and the mosquitos are hungy. Or the zipper on your suitcase breaks and all of your clothes spill out on the floor of the airport. So... although you can't completely prevent an occasional snafu, you can prepare for every trip in order to minimize the hassle factor. A little planning goes a long way in terms of a smooth travel experience.
Top 10 Items to Pack:
1. Small roll of duct tape (they make these specifically for travel, you can buy them at www.magellans.com ). This is invaluable if your luggage zipper breaks, if you want to pack up stuff to mail home, if you need to fix anything.
2. A dozen zip-loc bags in various sizes, plus 3 or 4 extras of the TSA-approved size (1 quart). You can pack a bottle of wine or other liquid in a zip-loc bag, along with some bubble wrap, and stick it amongst your dirty laundry and it should be fine. You can use them for picnics, to store leftovers, and for about a million other uses.
3. A package of cheesecloth. This sounds crazy but, combined with the duct tape, you can make a temporary screen for a window. You can also use it as a bandage.
4. A small white-noise machine. This is well worth the investment; in all my travels I've rarely found a completely quiet hotel room. Sleep is essential to a good vacation.
5. A zip-loc bag filled with small sizes of various medications. I prefer holistic remedies, so I pack Rescue Remedy, Oscillococcinum, No Jet Lag homeopathic pills, garlic capsules, probiotic pearls, etc. Also aspirin, antibiotic cream, band-aids, and charcoal. No, not the kind you use to start a fire. You can pick up charcoal capsules at any health food store. It is fantastic for curing stomach ailments; it goes through your digestive tract and absorbs anything that's not supposed to be there. This alone has saved many a vacation, both for us and for people that we've met. I put all of this in a small zip-loc bag and toss it into our suitcase whenever we travel. It's much easier than trying to find a pharmacy, and, if you are in a foreign country, trying to communicate your medical issues. That being said, if you do have a medical problem you should try the pharmacy first, since pharmacists are usually very informed and capable of diagnosing and treating minor ailments.
6. A current, detailed map (or set of maps) for your destination. I also use Google Maps or the Via Michelin website to give me detailed driving instructions for the major legs of my trip, i.e., from airport to Hotel #1, from Hotel #1 to Hotel #2, etc.
7. Several copies of your passport (one to give to each hotel, so that you can keep yours in your possession), and a copy of your credit cards, driver's license, plane tickets, itinerary (with hotel addresses and phone numbers) and any other important documents. Fax one copy of these documents to a relative, in case of emergency. Put one copy in the most hidden compartment of your suitcase, or anywhere secure and separate from your actual wallet. Then, if possible, scan a copy of these documents into your computer and e-mail it to yourself on a free server like Yahoo. (If you don't have an account on Yahoo or Hotmail, open one before the trip, it's free.) This way, even if your stuff gets stolen you can retrieve a copy of the information that will be critical to the continuation of your trip. You should at least forward hotel, car and air confirmations to the Yahoo account, for easy retrieval if necessary.
8. Bubble wrap. It's not as readily available in other countries as it is here. It takes up very little space and weighs nothing, but it really comes in handy when you find a bottle of limoncello or a delicate piece of china that you want to take home.
9. A DHL or Fed-Ex airbill, filled out with your account info (if you have an account). This makes it easy to ship stuff home if you get carried away with shopping. I often ship home my dirty laundry and then carry home any valuables, rather than shipping them.
10. An inexpensive, thin, waterproof poncho.
All of this stuff will take up very little room, but will be invaluable if you need it.
Reservations:
There is nothing romantic about driving around for hours looking for a place to stay, then having to settle for a crummy room in a no-tell motel because it's all that's available. Planning can be a fun and romantic activity when you do it together. Browse through guidebooks and websites, see what both of you might enjoy doing, and research the various hotels and resorts in your destinations. Then, e-mail the hotel (in English, most reservationists speak several languages), and make your reservation. Print out your confirmation and bring it with you. Many trips have been ruined because the traveler did not bring proof of a reservation, and if a hotel is overbooked and you don't have written confirmation, the hotel has no obligation to find you comparable lodging.
