The following are some basic travel tips that anyone one could benefit from following. They are based on lessons learned, horror stories and observations of others. Take heed and be aware that the “work” up front is much better than the “whoa is I” that comes after.
1. Have a plan
This goes without saying, obviously, but there is simply no excuse for not knowing all the details ahead of time. Know where you are going, what you will be doing, what the weather may be like, how long you will be there and what possible unexpected circumstances you may face.
For example, you may be responsible for departure taxes when leaving a foreign nation. This is often cash only. Find out what it is ahead of time and stash that cash away.

2. Pack wisely
I once did a three-day business trip where an associate checked two bags, one for clothes, and one for shoes. At today’s baggage check rates, that could be an extra $45 US each way! By contrast, I managed an eight day trip with a backpack (for my computer) and a carry-on suitcase. That probably isn’t practical for most trips and most travelers, but it illustrates the critical point of this item – pack wisely. You can fit an awful lot into a single suitcase. Careful planning for what you plan to wear, what you need, what you would like to bring and what you simply cannot leave behind will help immensely when it comes to cramming everything into a 8” x 16” x 24” container.
Fold things carefully, and seek out nooks and crannies to stuff fillers like socks and underwear. These items tend to take up much more space than they should when tossed in haphazardly.
Finally, pack at least two days worth of clothes in a carry on bag. I have fond memories of bumming around in the clothes I traveled in for two days because my luggage was lost – during the monsoon season.

3. Be aware of airport security measures
In the US, the TSA has deliciously obnoxious requirements. The 3-1-1 rule is currently in effect. It stipulates that you must limit the size of liquid, gel and paste containers (such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) to no more than 3.1 oz and they all must fit into a single one quart transparent plastic bag. Not much. So stop by your local department store and pick up a few travel sized containers.
Also, in the US, passengers must remove laptops and DVD players from their bags and pass them separately through the metal detectors. Shoes must also be removed and run through. All of these minor requirements can lead to a number of problems when trying to catch your flight. Problems include: increased blood pressure, fear, panic, rage, thoughts of assault, battery and murder of other passengers and a strong desire to write your federal government representative and give him/her a piece of your mind. Know the requirements and procedures. Check them out ahead of time and be prepared to follow them to the letter. There is no skipping out on this one.
For US domestic and international travel, here is a link to the latest requirements: http://www.tsa.gov/

4. Funds and back up funds Have cash, have traveler’s cheques, have debit cards and have credit cards. Always, always, always ensure you have some cash in your debit account. In 2006, while traveling in Trinidad, I ran out of cash. Credit cards are still something of a luxury there. Seven days into a 10 day visit, I was out of cash and looking at no options (other than emergency cash advances from credit cards). Make sure this doesn’t happen to you. Obviously, you aren’t as foolish as I, if you’re planning an exciting trip and hope to make it home alive. But there are always opportunities to mess up a good plan. Contingencies and alternatives are as critical to the sanity of an international traveler as they are to the survival of a campaigning army.

5. Documentation Photocopy credit cards and passports. Make 2-3 copies of each. Give one copy to a trusted friend. Give one copy to a friend you trust even more than that one. Keep a copy of your passport with you, because no one is more trustworthy than yourself, right? If you lose a passport, a photocopy taken to your local embassy will expedite the processing of a new one. If others have copies, you’re that much more likely to get one in the hands of the consulate. Photocopies of your credit cards will help your friends have fun while you’re away. If they have copies, they can not only buy themselves that really great stereo, but also help you get access to credit (or protect what’s left of your limit) in the event of an emergency.

6. Immunizations, tropical diseases and other infections
Certain tropical environments come with certain tropical diseases. Many of these can be avoided with certain precautions. The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) offers good guidance for international travel http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/. Otherwise, use some common sense: bug spray is a necessity, get a tetanus shot, and get the mumps, measles and chicken pox while you’re still young. No longer a child, eh? Get your shots then.

7. Traveler’s Insurance
I never knew about traveler’s insurance until I had a family member that couldn’t attend a trip he had planned due to an illness. This illness left him unable to work out the details of trying to get the trip reimbursed and I was put on duty to figure that out.
This person was smart- he had invested in some traveler’s insurance with his trip. Because he had, all the funds for the flight and hotels were reimbursed by the travel insurance company.
There are many obstacles one could come across while traveling that could ruin the experience of a vacation or trip. Obstacles such as:

You have a connecting flight where the second flight was cancelled. How do you and your travel companions get home? Simple, call up your travel insurance company and they will arrange new flights and pay for it.

You’re involved in some sort of accident where there is not adequete medical assistance available (jungles, blue hole, etc) The travel insurance company will arrange for air assistance and pay for it to transport you to a hospital.

Your passport and wallet are stolen. Your insurance company will help with emergency cash and help you get your passport replaced.

Your bag with your insulin is stolen. Your travel insurance company will help locate your bag ASAP and help fill your emergency prescription.

A family member becomes seriously sick, or even you do- and you just cannot make the trip. The insurance company will cover the costs of the trip that you paid.

You are forced to evacuate due to a hurricane (it will be hurricane season in September when we go!). The insurance company will reimburse the lost vacation investment.

Your luggage is lost, stolen or delayed. Your insurance company will help pay for the necessities to hold you over and/or cover the stolen/lost items value.

You’re hiking through the jungle and you twist your ankle. The insurance company will help you find an English speaking physician.

A week before you go to Belize, a hurricane wipes out all of Belize (let’s REALLY hope that never happens!) the insurance company will cover the cancelled trip expenses.

That being said, I am following in his footsteps and looking into traveler’s insurance. There are plenty of scenarios that can happen in Belize and it’s smart to be prepared ahead of time. If nothing happens to us, great! But we wouldn’t want to have an incident happen and have the trip cost us more than we expected.

After digging in deep, Courtney and I decided to purchase traveler’s insurance through Travel Guard.
They offer the best rates that we could find and seem to be the easiest to work with. I am happy knowing they will be backing our trip and I believe they will do anything they can to protect us in emergencies.

On a recent winter trip to Austria, one of my traveling companions blew out a knee on day one of a six day ski trip. He didn’t purchase insurance. That trip cost him and his girlfriend a lot of money. A small investment in insurance would have helped him recover those losses. I don’t even remember how much I paid, but it was worth it to have peace of mind after witnessing that.