Make Traveling Easier, Vacation Easy, and be Prepared for Vacation! Vacations and Travel are meant to be fun, but you have to plan to Make Travel Easy!
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I love to travel with my family. I feel like some of the best memories we have made together are on family trips! I hope you’ll find these Ways to Make Traveling Easier helpful as you’re planning your next vacation! One of the best tips I have is to plan ahead, all of these require some time and thought!
15 Ways to Make Traveling Easier
1.) Pickup Groceries from Walmart Grocery Pickup
If you are going somewhere that you’re going to be grocery shopping once you arrive, schedule a Walmart Grocery pickup at your destination. It will save you precious vacation time! This past summer my family met (three different families) and we all put in a grocery order for the same Walmart and one person went to pick it all up. This totally beats spending 3 hours in the store once you’re ready to start your vacation and the planning was already done!
2.) Make a Packing List from Organized Island
Packing lists are helpful for adults and kids alike. It is also a good idea to have a list based on the type of trip you’re taking like a beach trip or camping trip. Packing lists help you prepare more ahead of time and help with not forgetting some items you might otherwise forget.
3.) Organize Your Travel Documents from Org Junkie
Keep all your Important Travel documents in these clear sleeves like airline tickets, hotel reservations, maps, event tickets, important phone numbers, and and other research you’ve already done for your trip.
4.) Make an Emergency Car Kit from Endlessly Inspired
Having a car kit with emergency first aid items is a necessity. You don’t want to be stuck on traveling on the road and need these things! Your kids will be grateful that you are so prepared!
5.) Make the Backseat Drivers Happy from Eighteen 25
In this case the backseat drivers are the kids and all parents know having some kind of snacks for the car is a must when on a roadtrip! Make a box for each child with their name on it that includes snacks, a zip lock for their trash and a small activity or toy. Having these all put together ahead of time will make snack time much more simple!
6.) Pack complete Outfits into Ziploc Bags from the Gunny Sack
Pack daily outfits into ziploc bags for each family member and you won’t misplace items in your suitcase or wonder what to wear each day. The decisions have been made at home and this is espeically helpful for children. Just hand them their bag and ask them to get dressed! If they aren’t old enough you can still ask someone to help you and give them the bag. So easy!
7.) Use a Shower Caddy to Eat in the Car by Lookie What I did
This is just genius. A shower caddy is perfect for those on-the-go meals your kids can’t hold in their lap! You can then use it for other things when the kids aren’t eating!
8.) Travel Light from Classy Yet Trendy
Take some time before you start packing (like a week before) and set out some outfits that can be made out of the same basics so you can re-wear many of the basic staples and pack less! This is one of my favorite traveling hacks!
9.) Start Saving for Vacation Well in Advance
Saving way in advance takes the financial stress out of a vacation. We all know that vacations add up, but by being prepared with saving in a vacation fund, you can enjoy your vacation more so you aren’t financially stressed during the trip. That worry takes a lot of fun out of your trip.
10.) Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time from Modern Mom Life
This tip goes along with #1 which is picking up groceries with Walmart Pickup. But, you need to make a meal plan if you’re cooking at a condo whether that’s just for your own family or other families. To me, this is one of the most stressful things about vacationing with other people…how to plan meals. Use this guide to meal plan and then schedule your grocery pickup at Walmart.
11.) Always take a Portable Cell Phone Charger
When you’re traveling and out and about most of the day, you’ll want a way to charge your phone. I love these small chargers you can throw into a backpack, purse or pocket to get a little extra charge while you’re away from a regular plug-in. You don’t want to run out of battery if you’re trying to use your phone for taking pictures or needing to use it for navigation.
12.) Take your Own Water Bottles
Pack a reusable water bottle for each family member. Most gas stations will let you fill up your own water bottle with ice and water free of charge, just ask the attendant when you walk in. On our last trip I forgot to pack our water bottles, and we paid $12 for 5 bottles of water… that just really busts the budget and irritates me! If you are flying you can pack an empty water bottle and then fill it once you clear security from the water fountain if you don’t want to overpay for water in the airport.
13.) Keep Your Toiletry Kit Stocked
I bought this Toiletry Kit from LL Bean a few years ago and I really like it (it’s the medium size). If you keep all your travel sized toiletries stocked then you don’t have to pack every item you use each time you’re traveling and you can just grab your kit and go. This saves a lot of time when trying to pack!
14.) Keep a List of Items to do Before You Leave Town
Make a list of items you need to do and put it in a sheet protector so you can re-use it before each trip you go on. You can also check off your list with dry erase marker when it’s in the sheet protector.
15.) Use a Travel Agent
Using a travel agent can save a lot of time and provide you with tips and tricks you wouldn’t otherwise know about. Sometimes they can even save you money on things you wouldn’t know how to do either. Most travel agents don’t receive payment from you for helping them book travel.
Don’t forget to Pin your favorite Hacks to Make Traveling Easier!
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