The Number 1 Tip for Stress-free travel:
Hire an in-home pet sitter to care for your animals while you’re away. This will alleviate the worry that your furry loved one is not receiving proper care and attention. It also removes the burden we sometimes put on our neighbors, family and friends.
Plan ahead and schedule your visits far in advance. This gives you time to ensure the sitter has all the necessary supplies to properly care for your pet. It also gives the sitter time to ask questions and get better acclimated.
Of course, BCPS is equipped to handle last minute trips and long vacations. So, no worries if you’re running behind on your planning. We’re here to help!
8 [More] Tips For Less Stressful Travel
If you’ve read some of the articles we’ve written about retiring overseas, you know that we wholeheartedly recommend that you spend as much time as possible in a particular destination to be sure it suits you. You may find your ideal spot… or you may not. And that’s OK, too. Perhaps you’ll learn of other communities that may suit you better.
In any case, we’re talking about some travel here. And as we all know, travel can be exhilarating. But like any kind of “ex,” it can also be expensive, exhausting, and extremely frustrating.
So here are some tips to help reduce the stress and increase your enjoyment of travel:
Pack light. There is absolutely no reason to drag a big suitcase along with a wardrobe for every day that you’ll be gone. Also, you might be surprised that the hotel or apartment building where you’ll be staying may not have an elevator… or staff to help you carry your things up three flights of stairs. Things like shampoo and shaving cream can be purchased when you get there, and besides, this will help you learn about the local products available to you. And outside the U.S. you’ll typically find laundry facilities extremely affordable.
Tip: Don’t ask the hotel to do your laundry. Instead, ask them to point you to a nearby laundry. (In a Spanish-speaking country it’s called a lavanderia.) Chances are you’ll find someone who will cheerfully wash, dry and fold your clothes for $3 to $4 a load. But word to the wise: don’t take anything that needs dry cleaning or isn’t durable.
Pack the right stuff. If we were going on a trip for two weeks or longer, here’s what we’d pack. Her: one pair of nice slacks, one skirt, pair of leggings, 4 blouses or T-shirts, a scarf that doubles as a wrap, one pair of comfortable shoes, and if we’re going somewhere warm (and we rarely go where it is not): a pair of shorts or sundress, bathing suit and flip flops. Him: two pairs of slacks, two long sleeve shirts, two polo shirts, two T-shirts, ball cap, swim trunks, and flip-flops. We both pack about five pairs of undies and we wear our bulkiest clothes on the plane… typically jeans, long-sleeve shirt and jacket, our favorite comfortable walking shoes, and our favorite Panama hats. We both have very small, easy-to-pack cosmetic kits that include very little to no liquids.
READ MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suzan-haskins-and-dan-prescher/tips-for-traveling-abroad-_b_5260196.html