Time saving tips for travellers
I’ve been away pretty much the whole summer. I went to Los Angeles for a week in July, came home for 2 weeks, and then travelled to Asia for 4 weeks. I like to travel. Time management can be a very important factor when it comes to travelling and travellers in general. In this article, I’m going to share some valuable time saving tips with you and hopefully you will find them useful when you’re on the road next time.
Booking your flights
Although you can get to your destination a lot quicker by air, if you don’t plan your trip very well, you could potentially waste a lot of time. Try to avoid flying during peak hours of business. This is an old time management rule, but it works quite well because it’s true. The airlines counters are always extremely busy during these periods and you could end up waiting in long lines. I find that airports in North America are usually busier than usual on Monday mornings because there are more people travelling for business on Monday mornings. If you’re flexible with your travel time, try to book a flight that flies out in mid to late morning.
Learn about your desintation
If you’re unfamiliar with your destination, make sure that you do some research. With today’s technology, there is no reason a person should ever get lost. The problem that people face today is the fact that they fail to plan ahead and end up getting lost between their primary location and their destination. Use mapping tools such as Google Map and print all your routes ahead of time. Make sure that your plans include hotel to airport, airport to hotel, hotel to activities, activities to hotel, and so on. If you’re renting a car, consider paying extra for a GPS. This will save you a lot of headache and time.
Time to go
If you’re travelling by air, I highly recommend that you check in online the day before your trip. You may even be able to check in 48 hours before your trip if it is a long-haul flight. Often times airlines have special lines for people who have checked in online and these lines are usually shorter and move faster. This will save you a lot of time.
If you’re going on a road trip, make sure that the gas tank of your car is full. You don’t want to run out of gas and then have to waste time on finding a gas station.
All On Board
When you fly, you don’t have to waste your travel time on watching boring movies or reruns of TV shows. For me, the time I have to spend on an airplane is the best time for me to get things done. I always travel with my trusty MacBook Pro so when I’m stuck on an airplane for hours, I can use it to write or make plans. There is less distraction on an airplane. If you don’t have a laptop, you can always bring a couple of books that you’ve been wanting to read, or better yet bring a Kindle, and read them during your flight.
If you’re taking a long road trip and you’re the driver, put a couple of audiobooks on CDs or on your iPhone/iPod/mp3 and listen to them while you drive. If you’re a passenger, you can do some work on your computer or read.
Conclusion
When you plan your trips with good time management skills, you’ll have more time for things that are important as you travel such as spending time with family and friends, or enjoying some down time for yourself. If you do not plan your time accordingly, you will end up rushing all the time and feeling as though you aren’t really getting anything done.
