Many Long Islanders will be traveling on the island or leaving the island. Summer time is the busiest time of year for some of your favorite attractions. School is closed. It is beautiful outside. Everyone needs a break and this time of year has intrinsically been known by most people as vacation time.
Whether by car, airplane, or train there are various safety measure to keep in mind. Trips with children can be somewhat complicated too. Planning is key of a successful vacation and you cannot just "wing it."
So, keep in mind these summer traveling to not only insure you have a great time, but a safe time!
- Plan in Advance: If you take your time to planning, you will insure you do not make any mistakes in planning as well as using your time wisely throughout your trip. If you rush and plan last minute, you might forget something or you might not be able to book.
- Don't Blab to Social Media: It is understanding that you are excited about your upcoming trip, but leave those details off social media. First of all, you do not need to document your vacation for your followers or your feed, you are on vacation! Second, thieves have been going to social media to target families away on vacation. Don't be a victim. Keep your plans to only a small trusted group.
- Consider an Alarm System: Protect your home and your belongings. Consider installing an alarm and be sure to have a sign or sticker on doors noting your have an alarm system.
- Pack Only What You Need: Leave expensive clothes and jewelry behind as to avoid losing it. While traveling and stopping at multiple hotels, something important might be lost.
- Know What You Can and Cannot Bring on a Plane: No matter how silly you may think the TSA rules are, they are there to protect you. If you do not follow their guidelines, you may have to throw out or lose expensive make-up or other products you enjoy that you carried in your carry-on. Consider checking your bag to avoid this.
- Keep Kids Entertained: Car rides and flight can be long. Check fun games if you are driving or bring portable electronic devices. Be sure to stop frequently to allow everyone to stretch and run around for a bit.
- Maintain Car Before and After Your Trip: Road tripping is fun, but it can also do a lot to your car. Be sure to get it checked out before traveling. Oil levels and tire pressure are important to maintain when you are driving. Cars need extra fluids in excessive heat, so be sure to have extra coolant.
- Have an Emergency Road-Side Kit: Jumper cables, coolant, flashlight, and road flairs are important items to have in your car in case of breakdown.
- Have a Back-Up Map: GPSs are amazing pieces of technology, but they can fail. Smartphones now have GPSs, but, if used for too long, they can overheat and damage your phone. Old-fashioned maps or directions printed out are a nice back-up.
- Call Credit Company: Your credit card might get declined. Not because your credit is bad, but because your credit card company is protecting you. Give them a heads-up!
- Don't Forget Your Chargers: You have phones, computers, and tablets. Be sure to remember all those chargers with you. Chargers can be expensive to repurchase on your trip, so don't for
- Budget Your Trip: It is no secret that gas and prices in general are rising due to inflation. Make sure to allocate sufficent funds to your trip.
- Have Fun:The most important thing to remember is to have fun and enjoy yourself. You are on vacation!
What travel tips do you live by? Tell us in the comments below!