Packing is an important part of your pre-trip planning. Leaving something behind may not be important if you’re heading off to a major destination where you can probably buy what you need. But travel well off the beaten-track (where the best adventures are usually found) and you could be in trouble.

Make sure you can easily identify you luggage. You can get something that has a unique colour or tie a coloured ribbon around the handle – anything that will make your stuff stand out from the crown. It will make it far easier to find in insode a mound of like coloured black backpacks or cases.

Now that you know where you want to go it’s time to work out all the little, but important, details of your trip. When to travel, what documents will you need, what tickets to book before you leave, should you reserve accommodation now or leave it until you get there, should or shouldn’t you take out travel insurance, hire a car and if so what model, size, auto or manual, which guide book/s should you take with you. How are you going to select which hotels (cost, location, amenities, etc.) to stay in, which items should you take with you and how are you going to get the stuff you buy home?

Travel Tips for the First Time Flier
By Mario G. Churchill

Since the horror of 9/11, airport security has become tighter than ever before. Every year they develop more rules about what you can and cannot take on a flight. Many of the items that could cause you to be held up by security are items that you would not think to leave out of your carry on or luggage. Some items can be packed into your luggage but not carried on the plane. Before you fly for the first time, make sure you check over these travel tips for the first time flier.

Flying is a necessary evil if you want to get from one place to another. The level of evil you must submit to, however, is directly proportional to the class of seating you have. First class seating on a long flight is simply heaven on earth.

First class. Ah…. People feeding you grapes and fanning you with big palm leaves. Okay, maybe not. Still first class is where you find seats made for the human body and stewardesses that don’t act like French waiters. On a long flight, first class is where you want to be.

Make no mistake, flying these days is nearly as calming as a trip to the dentist. You don’t want to go, but you know there is no avoiding it. From long security checks to late takeoffs to outright flight cancellations, it is enough to make anyone crabby.