Spring into Spring Break With Good Planning *guest post*

Emma Banks is a busy wife and mother, who knows the importance of taking vacation time to relax and enjoy life. She’s also a blogger at Smile As it Happens, who has done a lot of traveling, for both work and leisure, and understands the importance of a good travel plan. With spring break right around the corner, she’s here to share some travel tips with you a to help ensure you’ll have the time of your life. Sometimes it’s the little things, outside of booking your flight and hotel, that end up causing the most stress. Check out her tips for a trip that goes as smoothly as possible.

Feeling stressed out over work or school? There’s no need to let it get to you. Spring break is a time of year that many people look forward to. Besides heralding the end of winter, it’s also a prime time to take a vacation. This trip could prove to be just the relief you need; however if improperly planned, it could cause more stress than it’s worth. When you feel as though you’re about to be crushed under the strain of your obligations, have no fear. Here are a few steps you can take to stay ahead of the game.

Check and Re-Check

You’ve already handled all of the most obvious aspects of your trip, such as your plane tickets, hotel reservations and pre-trip shopping sprees. However, there are likely to be some things that got overlooked in your excitement. It’s important to make a list of every conceivable responsibility that needs to be addressed and review it repeatedly. I use an app like TripIt to help me keep track of each detail. This simple tool can help save you a lot of stress when the big day finally arrives.

Try to focus on the less obvious details. How will you get to your hotel from the airport or how will you get around once you arrive at your destination? What kinds of things do you want to see and do while you’re there? Whether you’re doing it all on your own or relying on the help of a travel agency, you’ll surely be glad that you double checked your itinerary for any flaws in your plans.

Speaking with a friend or family member who has already been to your destination is a great way to gather some extra tips when planning your trip.  In addition to knowing all of the great don’t miss spots, they might be able to offer some suggestions on what to bring and reservation plans you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

Staying Secure

When you go on vacation, you’re probably going to be toting around a lot of cash and maybe some credit or debit cards. It would be a good idea to look up some tips for traveling with cash, especially if you’re going overseas. If you lose these or have them stolen, it can ruin your entire vacation and leave you stranded with no money. It’s critical to keep this in mind at all times. Always make sure that your money, credit cards or checkbook are constantly in a safe and secure location, both in your hotel room and on your person. I always carry a purse, but my husband is notorious for leaving his cash and credit cards scattered among his other possessions. I ended up buying him a money clip from Personal Creations to keep him organized. He loved the fact that it was personalized with his initials, and I love that now his cash and credit cards won’t be lost in the shuffle.

You may even be bringing a few valuables with you, such as a digital camera, laptop or a pricey phone. If you can’t bear to leave these things at home, at least make sure to keep them in a backpack on your person when you’re out in public. If you’re leaving them in your hotel room, make sure you lock them in the safe first.

Vacations are supposed to be about stress-free relaxation. Why waste your time and money worrying about mishaps and minor details you could have taken care of ahead of time? Instead, put in the effort to plan now, so you can spend your vacation time celebrating.

I hope these tips help you as you plan your Spring Break 2014!!!!
xo