{Travel}

Stress-free travel

When The Budget Socialite Travelsstress-free travel TheBudgetSocialite.com

You’ve booked your flights and got the best deal on the hotel. Now, to pack and fight your way to the airport for stress-free travel. Actually, getting to the airport doesn’t have to be so stressful if you follow these simple rules of navigating your way through packing, security and finally waiting for your flight.

Plan ahead:
Maybe a week or so before your trip, start thinking about what you’re going to need. Do you have sunscreen if you’re going to be by the beach? A hat if it’s a ski resort? Also, are you checking in or carrying on? If you’re carrying on, do your liquids follow the FAA guidelines? Once you’ve thought about these things, make a list of what you have and will need to buy, then get to the stores.

Make copies of your credit cards, flight information, travel documents and ID/Passport (especially if you’re traveling overseas). Give a copy to someone back home, keep a copy in the hotel safe and one to keep with you.

If you’re going overseas, call your bank and credit cards to notify them in advance of your travels and the dates. You can also find out if there are any fees associated with using your cards in different countries.

The night before:
Packing your bags using the ‘Rolling Method’ ensures less wrinkles and more room in your suitcase for souvenirs!

How to do the rolling method:
Pants: fold in half and roll from the top-to-bottom
Skirts: fold in half or three depending on how full then roll from top-to-bottom
Shirts: fold in three with arms back, then roll from top to bottom

Bring a blanket and travel pillow. Some airlines now charge for these.

The day of:
Give yourself plenty of time to arrive at the airport. Some airports suggest you arrive at the airport two hours before the scheduled boarding time for domestic flights and three hours for International flights. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that easily slip on and off, also wear socks if the idea of walking barefoot through security skeeves you out.

Be prepared. Nothing is more frustrating than waiting behind someone who isn’t ready…don’t be that person. Take off your belt, shoes, jacket/sweater, remove keys and phone from pockets. I try to stay away from wearing belts to the airport just to save on taking off and putting back on. If you’re bringing your laptop, remove it from its bag and lay it out into a tray to go through the X-ray machine. If you have liquids, make sure they are in 3 oz bottles and stored in a quart size clear zip-top bag.

While you’re allowed only a limited amount of liquids through security, you can pack a meal. If you’re not fortunate enough to nab a first-class seat, you’ll want to bring your own food with you. Pack a sandwich, some fruit and bring an empty water bottle. You can fill the bottle at a water fountain once you’ve gone through security.

At the airport:
Since you’ve given yourself time, you’re ready to start your ‘vacation’. Most airports now have more upscale restaurants where you can sit and some offer free wifi. My sister and I once had an eight-hour layover in between flights at the Detroit airport. We ate a delicious meal, split a bottle of wine at Vino and got massages next door at a day spa. We felt fabulous and ready for the seven hour flight that was awaiting us.

Extra Resources
http://www.tsa.gov/311/

3-1-1 for carry-ons = 3.4 ounce (100ml) bottle or less (by volume) ; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. 3.4 ounce (100ml) container size is a security measure.

Listing of baggage fees
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/3801089/airline-baggage-fees-chart-updated/
More details on how to pack a suitcase
http://www.howtodothings.com/travel/a2318-how-to-pack-a-suitcase.html

What are your tips for stress-free travel?

tp_contributer_pic

Co-founder | Scarlett Rocourt
Scarlett creator of Wonder Curl is a Marketing Maven, DIY Diva & Glamour Girl! Her affinity for style, organization & discount designer shopping makes her a true Budget Socialite. Her flare for creativity allowed her to translate that into a career in marketing.

{Travel}

Socialites Abroad: Bali

Life in Bali

One upon a time I went to Bali, Indonesia. It was without a doubt, one of the best trips of my life. There’s something amazing about traveling when everyone else is grinding at their 9 to 5 and getting to experience other cultures.

While in Bali, I drank poolside, ate fresh lobster, saw amazing temples, got my yoga on, and played with monkeys (those suckers will steal your sun glasses, if you aren’t careful). I even witnessed a beach wedding! It was a perfect combination of culture/sightseeing coupled with lounging and sun worshiping.

Yeah, it’s far

Although Bali is about a 30 hour plane ride from New York City, it’s totally worth it. Getting there ain’t cheap, but once you arrive, you can live like a queen with hour long massages for under $20 and delicious food for about $10-20 per meal. Another thing I quickly learned was that renting a cab for the day (about $30) was a better way to go than group guided tours. This way you can make your own itinerary and travel at your own pace.

Some things that you don’t want to miss in Bali are:

  • Shopping and partying in Kuta
  • Beach-side seafood in Jimbaran
  • A trip to the monkey sanctuary
  • Swimming in the waterfall at Git Git

More pics from my bali trip

Finding Accommodations

2 major things to look for when finding accommodations in Bali are: free wi-fi in common areas (a lot of hotels in Bali don’t have wi-fi and if you’re addicted to the net like I am, this is important) and free shuttles going to Kuta or other places that you may frequent. Tripadvisor.com is indispensable when planning a vacation. You can easily learn about other travelers’ experiences via the comments and what the beach lounge chair situation is at a resort. Believe me; sometimes the beach chair situation is serious, just read the comments. I used www.sayangholidays.com as my travel agency and stayed at the Sanur Beach Hotel. I was really happy with both.

5 More Ways to Save

  1. Use Skype (you got free-wifi, right?) to keep in touch with friends and family
  2. Eat seafood by the ocean. The closer to source you are the fresher and cheaper it is.
  3. Exchange your money at hotels. Some offer lower exchange fees since that’s not how primarily they make their profit.
  4. Use a credit card that doesn’t have a foreign transaction fee.

Rent a condo or villa on sites such as VRBO or AirBnb

 

Happy Traveling!
– Trinidad