Whether you’re being coerced into visiting in-laws for the holidays or even if you just want to get away to some luxurious, warm island to beat the winter blues, there are millions of people traveling all across the globe this year. And they’ll all be taking off in a few days. Christmas is right around the corner, and no matter which of the similar holidays you personally celebrate, the point is that holiday travel is not only insanely crowded, but it’s also expensive. The economy is still tough out there, and we all know that there’s no sense in taking a trip if you can’t afford to have fun…

These days there are so many tools at your disposal for preparing for a trip abroad, be it your first time ever or your forty-first as an old pro. While in the old days people would prepare solely by asking friends and talking to travel agents – maybe reading an encyclopedia or popular magazine – there is a wealth of information available to you virtually everywhere you look. From fancy talking books to websites written by average ordinary citizens, you’ll never be at a loss when it comes to planning a trip. The important thing though is that you do plan as it makes the whole experience so much more…

  I remember my first travel experience like it was yesterday – I was a wide-eyed, optimistic yet terrified girl of 19 heading out to conquer it all. I knew what I was going to see and do and that’s what excited me, until the unexpected popped up (as it always does) and threw my carefully laid plans for a loop. If only I had known to just relax a bit and not plan everything out, maybe things would’ve went better.   Except they did go great – I’m not turned off travel and I had a lot of fun on that trip, but I still wish I had known…