The traveling spectrum runs the gamut from a great adventure to a total nightmare. A little planning before the trip can have a huge impact on your experience falling more towards the “great adventure”. Take these precautions to avoid your dream vacation turns into a disaster.
Home
There are two primary ways to assure you won’t worry about your home or pets while you are away. Here are a few pros and cons of each.
Hire a House Sitter
Pros – There are several advantages to having someone live in your home while you are away.
1. A deterrent to thieves being the one that comes to mind first.
2. Someone is there to handle emergencies in case of an unforeseeable problem, i.e. water heater leaks, storm damage, etc.
3. The sitter can water plants, care for pets, and bring in the mail.
Cons – Of course, there are a few things that might make you hesitate to do this.
4. This may feel like an invasion of privacy.
5. You have little control over unauthorized guests while you are away.
6. You may incur unexpected expenses if your sitter cranks up the A/C while you are away.
The best way to assure yourself you are leaving your home and pets in good hands is to hire someone you know and trust. An older teenager from the neighborhood, a trusted friend or a close relative can be great house sitters. Just make sure you are clear about your expectations in advance or you can easily damage a relationship.
There are also sites you can use to hire someone, such as TrustedHousesitters or MindMyHouse. You will need to do your due diligence in requesting references and possibly a security deposit (to be returned to the sitter if no damages occur in your absence.) However, you will have a business arrangement where expectations are clearly spelled out and agreed upon prior to your vacation.
Travel Plans
While spontaneity is where you may find your best adventures, it is also tempered by unforeseen problems. You can have made plans and still leave yourself plenty of opportunities for spur of the moment surprises to enjoy.
Things to Book
- A place to Stay – Book a room at a hotel, B&B, etc., so you’ll have a place to leave your luggage while you explore.
- Way to Get Around – To assure you can explore a region, it is best to book a vehicle in advance at a site such as rentalcars24h.com.
- Flights – At a bare minimum, book your arrival and departure flights to your main destination prior to your trip. This article has some great tips.
Finances
Depending upon where you are traveling to, be sure to let your bank know where you are going before your journey begins. If the fraud department suddenly sees purchases from an area they know you don’t live, your cards can be frozen and cause you grief on your trip.
If traveling to a foreign country, you may want to have some local currency before you go. For the best rates, compare online at MoneySavingExpert’s TravelMoneyMax. Alternatively, you could get a prepaid card and use a pay-as-you-go method.
A little planning ahead of your trip can avoid your dream vacation turns into a disaster. It doesn’t take a lot of time and will free you from worries. Enjoy your trip!
