Tips for short trips

Many of my trips are just of a couple of days, 2, 3 or 4 as these are my days off from work. Doing this so often (sometimes up to 4 times per month), now I know very well hot to get ready for short trips as it’s always the same things I need to pack with me.

So here are some advices and tips for short trips:

• Before the trip, check out online what special is there to see, interesting things to do, events, etc. Take a picture of what you are interested in and the map of the place/town with your camera or phone. Then you will always ave it there with you. So once you get there, you will have an idea already and cannot get lost ;)

• Check out the weather forecast, take some clothes for all the extreme weather, hot, cold, rain, bikini … Shoes/jeans/skirt/shorts that suit everything. Not your best and most expensive clothes to make you feel like a Hollywood star, but something comfortable. Plan what you are going to wear every day more or less, so then you don’t have to spend an hour every day choosing clothes. You can’t waste your time on holidays, especially if it’s just a short trip.

• Always go to a tourist office as soon as possible to ask for some tips about what to visit and when. Take a map. In case they don’t have any, at least you have the map on your phone/camera now you took at home before. (I do this all the time now since the only 2 information offices in Marsala, Sicily, were closed and I had just limited time to see all the town and find the bus to the airport.)

• Write down what you definitely have to do during your trip and the less important things you can choose from, regarding the time left, your tiredness, money etc. Keep in mind, that you will not get to see everything as everything usually takes you longer that you expected and you need some time to rest and eat, too. And there are always some new unexpected things or places that come up once you get there.

• Girls, take only the necessary cosmetics (to remove the make-up as well, I stress this because it’s the only thing I usually forget :) ), a toothbrush and small toothpaste, sunglasses, a hat/cap, sun protection, a towel (2 if beach time is included), perfume, deodorant, lip balm, tissues, chewing gum and water.

• Take some cash and only 1 credit card that works everywhere (usually Visa or Master card), and do not put all the money just in one place, in case you get robbed.

• Recharge your phone and camera batteries before you leave. You should know how long it lasts for, so according to this take or don’t take the recharger with you. I have 2 batteries for my camera which lasts for like 4 days together as I’m crazy about taking pictures, so I take the recharger only if the holiday is longer than 4 days. But I always take the phone recharger with me, even though the battery lasts for like 5 days usually, as you never know.

• Take a pen, piece of paper, something to read and music to listen.

• Keep only the necessary things in your wallet, e.i. no cards you will not use for sure, like library card, local shop discount etc. If you lose the wallet or get it stolen, you will not have to spend a lot of time trying to get all the new cards again.

• Never forget your health insurance card, resp. the E111 and E106 forms if you are from an EU country and you travel to an EU country, too.

• Unless you can’t live without your laptop, you don’t need it with you. If you have to use internet, go to an internet café.

• The best of the tips for short trips is to WALK. On the way to something you want to see, you will discover more beautiful places you did not expect or know about. If you don’t have enough time and you are interested in history, get on a hop on hop off sightseeing bus which takes you to the most important sites telling you the history of the buildings, too. First, I was laughing each time I saw this bus and thought it was only for Chinese tourists with cameras, but sitting on the top floor and breathing the atmosphere from 3m altitude, is worth it :)

Actually, to sum up all the tips for short trips, I can just say to predict the unpredictable and at the same time take less things as possible with you.

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Posted in tips, travel Tags: map, packing, short trips, tips, tourist office, walk