Traveling can be an amazing, wonderful time.

You may learn new things, see things you’ve

always wanted to see and maybe only thought about in dreams. Perhaps you will even make some new international friends. In this article, you will learn some great tips and get

some advice on the ins and outs of traveling.

Pack lightly when traveling. People always tend to pack much more than is necessary, and end up using only about half of what they take. Choose a few items that you can wear multiple times, and try to coordinate everything. If you forget to pack a particular item, you will probably be able to find something appropriate at your destination.

Many out of the way destinations are often overlooked for vacations. For example, while St. Thomas in the Caribbean is incredibly popular, with very little extra effort one can make a trip to Vieques off of Puerto Rico instead. It has many of the same amenities, is much less crowded, and will make your vacation seem much more special!

If you are squished for space while traveling by air, take advantage of every inch. Take the magazines out of the pocket in front of you and move them instead to the overhead bin. Depending on the size of the magazines, you could have bought yourself a couple of extra inches.

When booking your hotel stay, pay attention to cancellation policies and fees for date changes. Prepaying for a cheaper rate only benefits you if you can definitely travel on those dates. If you might have to change dates, you can save more money by paying a higher rate at a hotel with a more lenient cancellation policy.

Scout out coupons and deals. Before you set off for your destination, do a thorough Internet search for attraction and restaurant discounts. A month or two before you leave, sign up for a local deals flash site for your destination to score some great discounts. You can also look into purchasing a coupon book for your destination. Browse the coupons it contains and determine if the cost of the book will be more than made back in the money you’ll save.

Don’t spend your money in local cheap gift shops. Find out what your travel location is famous for, and invest in a quality item or two. While, gift shops may be more affordable, they build on the idea that tourists don’t know what they’re buying and take advantage of it. You are usually sold items that are poorly manufactured and are sure to fall apart once you get home. To avoid being swindled by locals, invest in something of quality.

Now that you’ve got some of the basics on traveling, tell your boss you are taking a vacation, get your plane ticket, boat ticket or whatever means you plan on taking and go!

Remember to always be safe whether traveling alone or not. Ask for directions and help if you need it. Most people will not bite. Above all,

have an amazing time and always stop to smell the roses.