Did the stress of the holiday season get you itching for a vacation after your “vacation”? If so, it is time to begin getting ready for your next trip. From booking your trip to traveling to your destination, read on for the top ten travel tips for your upcoming vacation.

Browse Privately

When booking travel, whether a flight, hotel, or rental car, be sure to browse using a private or incognito window. This ensures that websites do not store your history. When booking websites see that you have been looking at travel to a particular destination, they often hike prices.

Book Cars and Flights Together

When making your travel booking, you can often save money when you book a flight and rental car together.

Utilize Travel Points

No matter how much of a hassle it might seem to locate your frequent flyer miles number, it is always worth it to add it to your booking. Trips small and large add up. Even if you don’t travel enough to get a free flight, you can often use smaller amounts of miles to redeem free magazines and other products.

Pack Smart

Once you have planned your travel and you are ready to go, you will want to pack smart. Whether you are going on a short weekend getaway, or a long trip overseas, packing efficiently is important. One way to save space in your bags is to roll your clothes rather than folding them. This also helps to ensure that clothes are not wrinkled when you arrive at your destination. You can also use space saving bags that use a vacuum to suck out all of the excess air, leaving you extra room to bring home souvenirs.

Use Dryer Sheets

To ensure that your clothes arrive static free and smelling great, add a few dryer sheets to your suitcase.

Download Travel Apps

There are a ton of great smart phone apps that can make travel much easier and more enjoyable. SeatGuru helps you choose a seat after you have booked your flight. Simply enter your flight number and you can see the layout of the plane and comments from travelers who have flown on the same model. GateGuru is a great tool to use on the day of travel. It provides you with everything from your flight itinerary to the weather at your destination, rental car bookings, and travel statistics.

Stay at a Local Hotel

Rather than staying at a big chain hotel, try staying somewhere that is locally owned and operated. This gives you the chance to get to know the local culture better and speak to people who truly know the city that you are traveling to. You can easily search for these online. An example of great family owned and operated hotel is Cartier Place & Towers Suite Hotels in Ottawa.

Keep Your Devices Charged

The last thing that you want is to be without a charged cellphone or tablet while traveling. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, consider investing in a portable charging device. These external batteries allow you to charge your devices on the go.

Wear Compression Socks

Travel can be hard on your circulation. When you are sitting for hours on end, try wearing compression socks to help stay healthy.

Get a One Day Lounge Pass

If you have a long layover, consider purchasing a one-day pass at your airline’s lounge. These are often fairly priced and provide you with complimentary drinks, food, and Wi-Fi, as well as a comfortable place to rest.