Whether you’re away for a day, a week or a month, from the time you decide to travel until you’ve settled in your destination, there will be stresses and obstacles to overcome while you plan, prepare, pack and proceed to your chosen transportation. At KiwiTravelnz.com, we want to ensure your travels go without a hitch. We’ve created this handy guide of tips and tricks to help you achieve your dream of efficient, stress-free travel.
Before you go
This may seem simplistic, but a week or so before you pack and depart, create a list of what you need to pack. Think about how long you are staying for, what the weather will be like and what else you may need – for example you’ll need the fail-safe things that will keep children entertained on a long trip like books, activities, an iPad or DVD player, snacks and their favourite toys.
Don’t leave packing until the last minute – another simple tip that saves a lot of unnecessary stress. Being prepared ensures you’ve got everything you need, and nothing you don’t, plus you’ll avoid the worst thing of all – forgetting something!
Tips on packing
Invest in a quality bag that is sturdy, durable and able to be padlocked or secured. If flying, make sure you know the maximum bag weight allowed by the airline you're flying with, and weigh your bag before travelling – you’ll avoid embarrassing situations at the check-in desk. The general allowance varies between 20 and 30 kilograms, with carry-on bags judged by size. Air New Zealand allows 23kg as the maximum checked-in bag weight.
En route
Check in early and ensure you know where your gate is and what time you depart. You’re able to take your own empty water bottle through security and then fill it on the other side to save buying expensive replacements. Remember to carry a pen with you if you’re on an international flight to fill out customs forms; often not many are available or there is a long wait for to use one.
You’ll find many airports now offer USB charging points/ports that accommodate most phone and tablet devices. If an airport has free Wi-Fi, take advantage of it! Download games or music to play on your flight or do some research on your destination.
Enjoy your travels! When you arrive at the Auckland Airport Holiday Inn, we will do our utmost to accommodate you and help with any questions. Have these tips helped you or do you have any others to add? Tell us about it in a comment below.
Photo credits:
How it fits by Connie ma, CC-BY-SA-2.0
