Travel Tips

Thinking of going on a cruise anytime soon? Because of the all-inclusive nature and beautiful waterside destinations, hitting the high seas is a practical and effortless guaranteed good time. Still, there are things you can do — and bring — to ensure smooth sailing. Check out our list of cruise-packing essentials and let us know if you have any of your own.

• Bathing suits: Packing a swimsuit is a no brainer, but you'll want to bring more than one for all the different activities that take place on board.
• Medicines: You never know what will come up, so be prepared for headaches, coughs, and, of course, seasickness.
• Workout clothes: True, vacations are for relaxing, but all the fun activities and classes will be calling your name and will require t-shirts and running shoes.
• Camera: Whether it's a fancy DSLR or waterproof camera you picked up at a kiosk, capture all the fun memories with a snap.
• Sunscreen: You can never bring too much sunscreen, since you'll be reapplying all day long . . . right?
• Sweater or light jacket: If you stay out late one evening on shore or the air conditioning is blasting in the dining room, you'll be happy you packed something light to keep you warm.
• Formal attire: Most cruises have at least one night dedicated to formal wear, which means cocktail dresses for the ladies and blazers for the gentlemen.

Keep reading.

Planning a vacation? Don't miss these 10 travel saving tips from Kiplinger.

Memorial Day marks the beginning of the summer travel season. So if you're planning to hit the road this weekend or to take a vacation over the coming months, then here are tips to help keep costs under control.

Save money on the road

Download free travel apps. You can save time and money by downloading mobile applications. For example, you can use your smartphone to comparison shop for the lowest gas prices in your zip code with a free app such as GasBuddy. Here are more free travel apps you should consider downloading.

Avoid unnecessary rental car fees. If you rent a car to avoid putting miles on your own, then make sure that you don't pay more than you have to by saying no to the add-ons rental companies offer. See How to Avoid Unnecessary Rental Car Fees for the extras you should avoid.

Save money when flying

Check fares often. To find the best price on a ticket, you need to check fares often because they fluctuate throughout the day, says George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchdog.com. Seat availability also varies during the day. For example, Hobica says an airline might have just one seat available at the lowest fare at 10 a.m., but it will open up more cheap seats later in the day.

Sign up for fare alerts. Don't have time to check airfares every day? Sign up for alerts from airlines and travel sites — such as AirfareWatchdog.com and FareCompare.com — so you'll know if prices drop.

Read on for more tips for air travel and hotel savings.

Travel season is here, and it's not just humans that will be flying, pets will be roaming the skies, too! To find out which airline will best suit your pet travel budget, read on for a short list below that states the airline, and the fee for cabin and checked pets. Read on to see how the prices compare.

Of all the essentials to bring when traveling, packing a color copy of your passport just might be one of the savviest; especially when you're traveling internationally.

It's a good idea to have a backup copy of your passport, just in case you lose it on your travels. That's because if you misplace your passport, some places will accept the copy in lieu of the original and you'll also be able to speed up the replacement process. Further, Lifehacker.com recommends that keeping a copy of the first page of your passport in your luggage will make it easier to find your luggage if a problem pops up.

What other travel essentials do you bring on your trips?

It's hard enough playing the mileage game, but picking the right credit card that will give you the best travel rewards can be tough. Lucky for us, The New York Times does a neat breakdown of which credit card you should pick depending on the type of traveler you are:

• Occasional Traveler: Capital One Venture Rewards will give you two miles for every buck you spend on a purchase, and the miles have no expiry date. You can redeem them for cash credit for travel-related buys, such as flights, hotel stays, and car rentals. There aren't any foreign transaction fees when you're using this card overseas. The APR rate is 11.90 percent to 19.90 percent, and the annual fee is $59, but you can have it waived for your first year.
• Mileage Lover: American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card will give you 10,000 points on your first buy, and an additional 15,000 points if you spend $15,000 in the first six months. You get a point for every dollar, and you can redeem them for any stay at a Starwood hotel and a couple of major airlines.  The APR rate is 2.9 percent for the first six months, then 11.99 percent, and the annual fee is $65.
• Safety Obsessed: Escape by Discover offers $50,000 in primary collision damage waiver coverage and up to $500,000 in flight accident insurance. Some of the other perks include roadside assistance, luggage and trip cancellation insurance. You'll get double miles for every dollar you spend on a purchase. The APR rate is 10.99 to 15.99 percent and the annual fee is $60.
• Frugal Spender: The Chase Freedom Visa would be a good card if you're wary of the annual fees and if you don't spend that much. You're entitled to one percent cash back on your purchases, and you have the chance of earning five percent back on the $1,500 you spend in certain categories. You'll also get a $100 bonus if you spend $500 in your first three months. The APR rate is free for the first six months, then 11.99 to 22.99 percent, and there are no annual fees.

If travel prices have got you down in the dumps, I have some good news for you: there are some great deals to be had in a handful of countries. SmartMoney recently listed four countries that are eagerly looking to attract tourists because of rocky financial situations. Here they are:

• Iceland: "North American travelers have more or less doubled their money," according to Sif Gústavsson, a spokeswoman for Visit Iceland. Although currency exchange will play in your favor, the capital Reykjavik is still quite an expensive city so you might want to keep that in mind. Last year's hotel rates have decreased by 26 percent from 2008, says Smith Travel Research.
• Greece: Tourism is a big mainstay for Greece — it makes up a fifth of its income. There's been a drop in tourists so the country is trying to entice visitors with travel deals. "We're seeing Greece deals almost every week," Angela Lyda, the senior editor for Travel-Ticker.com, tells SmartMoney. Airports have waived some fees for landing and takeoff, which will reduce airfare prices. Further, the hotel value-added tax in Greece has decreased, which means lower hotel costs. However, you might want to watch out for some of the strikes going on across the country, which can result in delays and cancellations of flights and ferries.
• Ireland: Just like the US, Ireland has been hit hard by a subprime mortgage crisis. Tourism is a valuable part of their economy so there are a lot of travel deals springing up. Last year's hotel prices have dropped five percent from 2009, says Hotels.com.
• Portugal: "Capital city Lisbon boasts some of the best five-star room rates worldwide with average prices of $169 per night, 4% cheaper than in 2009, according to Hotels.com," writes SmartMoney. The country is trying to dig itself out of the red — it's discussing a $115.8 billion bailout package from the EU — through tourism, which means more deals for travelers.

Source: Flickr User archer10