Bags weighing you down?

Here are a few travel tips to make your next holiday a light one...

Number One: Leave your excess baggage behind!

If you are travelling to a foreign country remember the people you encounter know nothing about your life or how hard you've been working and how tired you are. If you want the best service with the biggest smile, then remember to share yours. They will be doing their best to make your holiday wonderful and will mirror your mood whatever that may be.

But back to the 'real' luggage, that extra heavy bag with everything but the kitchen sink, and those super fine sexy heels you thought you just had to have to go with that cocktail dress, really ladies?  Remember, you are going to have to carry that suitcase in those heels over hard paving and cobbled streets. We have a checklist for 'essential packing', which we send to our guests that have proven to be an invaluable tool for travelling. 

Number Two: Plan ahead.

Now, this might sound like something you always do but there are things that most people make the mistake of overlooking when travelling to a foreign country. The first and most common mistake is underestimating travel time between places you wish to visit. Especially when travelling by car. If you want to really enjoy your holiday don't try to see everything in a short space of time. It's far better to pick off smaller chunks, giving you a much more in-depth experience of each place you visit. You can check out the travel times by using google maps and there are some fantastic interactive maps that will give you an idea of how long each attraction might take to see.

Number Three: Don't be an expert on things you don't know.

What do I mean by that? Well, for instance, if you are travelling in a foreign country with a foreign language that you don't understand and things are done a little differently than what you are used to, it's most likely to be a cultural difference. For example in Spain, while it may appear to some that Spaniards have long lunches, which they do, it's not because they are 'lazy' or don't work hard. In fact, when you understand the daily life of most Spanish people you will see that although they start at about 8-9 am they seldom finish before 7 pm. While most other non-EU countries are at home watching the news they are still hard at work. I recall one of our favourite tapas bars in Arcos where the staff are so rushed off their feet and yet nothing is too much trouble. They remember everything and their level of service is outstanding. By the way, we go to many wonderful tapas bars during our tours in Spain and you can learn more here