Travelling with Glasses: What to DO

Packing isn’t easy for anyone, but those of us who wear glasses or contact lenses have a few extra special concerns. Clearly, it’s of the utmost importance to be able to see while on holiday, but how do we protect our delicate eyewear from damage while travelling? We completely understand your eyewear woes, so we thought we’d create a quick list to help you keep those eyeglasses and contact lenses in one piece. We want you to be able to see it all on tour!

Protecting Your Glasses with a Travel Case:

• Know your prescription just in case you need to replace your specs while you’re away

• Bring another pair: Keep one in carry on and one in checked luggage

• Keep glasses in a hard case so they are less likely to break if crushed

• Pack a repair kit and lens cloth

• Prescription sunglasses are a great thing to have since you’ll probably spend a good deal of time outside.

Contact lenses:

• Try to avoid wearing your contacts on the airplane. They tend to dry out.

• Bring travel size bottles of contact lens solution and rewetting drops to keep those contacts feeling comfortable.

• Keep contacts, your contact lens travel case and all related supplies in your carry on to make sure they’re safe and with you at all times.

With these few simple tips, you should be well prepared to keep your spectacles or contact lenses safe from harm so you can take in all the sights with comfort and ease.

Packing Tips for Happier Trips

We’ve all been there, standing over an empty suitcase feeling a little bit panicked about what to bring and what not to bring. If you pack too much, you wind up lugging all kinds of stuff you never use, but if you bring too little, you’ll inevitably find yourself very uncomfortable at some point on your trip. So, what’s a traveller to do?

We’ve culled this handy packing list for you so that no matter where you’re going, you’ll be perfectly prepared and expertly packed

Suitcase Packing Tips
• Make and check your packing list
  Make a check list of everything you packed so you don’t lose or forget anything
• Roll, don’t fold
  This helps prevent your clothes from getting wrinkled and it also saves space in your suitcase
• Use fresh, clean shoes as packing cubes
  Save space by putting small items like socks, underwear, cords, costume jewellery, etc. in them
• Ziploc bags and elastics are your friends!
  Use these for anything: packing and separating liquids, dirty clothes, water proofing, separating clothes or souvenirs
  Hold cords and clothing together with elastic
  Elastic hair ties are great to use since they double as hair elastics
• Put a shower cap over your shoes
  It prevents other things in your suitcase from getting dirty
• Put heavier items like shoes near suitcase wheels
  This keeps it level so it will not topple over
• Leave plenty of empty space in your suitcase
  You’ll need it for souvenirs!
• Packing cubes or compression bags
  Help you stay organized
  Save space•Bring an around the world adapter

  It saves money over time and can be used anywhere

• Put dryer sheets in between your clothes
  They keep your things smelling fresh and help prevent wrinkles

Travel Wear
• Do your homework and study the climate you’ll be visiting
• Pack safe colours and items
  Jeans, khakis and other neutral colours like black are always versatile choices
  Comfortable (neutral if possible) shoes. If you have new shoes, break them in before your trip
• Layering
  Is convenient for all types of weather
  Saves room in your suitcase instead of packing unnecessary bulky items

Air Travel Tips
Check your airline’s baggage restrictions so you know:
  Weight restrictions  Bag limits   Bag fees

• Never check important items!
  Your valuables are always safest with you. If your luggage gets lost, you’ll at least have your most important items accounted for.

• 3-1-1 liquids rule

Make sure liquids are in up to 3.4 oz. or less size containers for carry on
Place them in Ziploc bags to prevent accidental spillage

With these packing tips in mind, your suitcase should contain only what you need to be comfortable and prepared for your fantastic journey. Happy packing!

Article written by Allison Faria. As a Marketing Communications Intern at Collette, Allison has travelled throughout the United States, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and still counting. She enjoys trying unique foods, spontaneous adventures, and kayaking her way around little Rhode Island.  Blog copy used with permission from Collette.

Quick Tips to Finding a Good Travel Companion

Some people prefer to travel alone while others feel a little nervous about it. If you’re in the second group, we encourage you to find a travel buddy to share your journey. It can be really exciting to travel with a new friend because you get to learn about each other while exploring a new place together. It’s a great way to develop a lifelong bond with someone in a short time and we encourage you to think about it. We put together a few tips to help you find someone great to share the adventure.

Find a friend online

There are websites out there dedicated to helping people just like you find a travel companion. Try looking at Travellers Meeting to find people to talk to about travel, share your stories with and hopefully you’ll even find someone to join you on your next adventure.

Join a group or travel club

Group tours are a fantastic way for the solo traveller to get out and see the world. Church groups and other clubs like garden clubs or walking groups are a great place to start. Group travel is safer than travelling alone, and it’s much easier and more efficient to follow an itinerary that’s been designed by an expert who has comfort, safety and all the best places to see already planned out. While on tour, you’ll no doubt find at least a few fellow travellers who you click with. They can make excellent travel buddies in the future, so be open to making lots of new friends.

What to look for in a travel buddy

Make a list of the characteristics about yourself that your travel buddy would need to match. This can be anything from your energy level, sense of humour, food preferences, ability to handle challenges and even what time you go to sleep and what time you wake up. For example, a night owl and an early riser are not a great match.

Look for people who have similar interests and go from there. If you’re a foodie, find another foodie. Love to take photos? Hook up with another shutterbug. If you love shopping, seek someone who shares your passion. Doing something you enjoy is sweeter if you have someone who shares that interest.

When talking to potential travel companions, don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions and to share important things about yourself. You want to be completely honest and let the other person know what your expectations are and be clear about what they are looking for as well.

Good luck finding your new partner in adventure!

Kristen Gilbert - As a Digital Content Copywriter at Collette, Kristen has travelled extensively. When she’s not busy writing about fabulous tours, she’s dreaming of being in a place where she can sip an umbrella drink with her toes in the sand and a good book in her hand.  Blog copy used with permission from Collette

Five Best Places to Visit in the Spring

Springtime is a wonderful time to travel. The weather is mild and the crowds haven’t shown up to all the prime locations yet. Prices are a bit lower still and since the summertime tourists haven’t arrived yet, you practically have the whole destination to yourself. Many places are lovely to travel to in April and May, but we thought we’d put together a short list of best bets to get your started.

1) Amsterdam

It is an absolute delight to visit Amsterdam in spring! Starting in early spring you can watch winter layers melt away to make way for stunning and colourful blossoms and blooms that will take your breath away!

2) The Grand Canyon

One of the best reasons to visit the Grand Canyon in springtime is to avoid the huge summer rush. Enjoy clear paths to lookout points over the most majestic and iconic sites without waiting in line or getting a stranger’s head in your photos!

3) Vancouver

Surrounded by mountains and beaches, Vancouver is a natural playground with lots to do when the weather is fine. This is another city that comes back to life in the spring. Springtime festivals bring locals out of the winter doldrums to enjoy their outdoorsy lifestyles. You can literally feel the joy in the air!

4) Cape Town

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Springtime there is actually autumn. It’s a time when crowds thin, foliage pops with colour and the weather is still lovely and the water warm.

5) London

Mild weather in early spring makes for the perfect time enjoy all that is wonderful about this bustling iconic destination just before it becomes even more bustling in the summertime. See the parks blooming with flowers and lush green grass and trees. The smell of spring is definitely in the air!

Don’t wait until the summer to travel. Springtime is every bit as lovely as summer and travelling in April and May has many great benefits.

Kristen Gilbert;  As a Digital Content Copywriter at Collette, Kristen has travelled extensively. When she’s not busy writing about fabulous tours, she’s dreaming of being in a place where she can sip an umbrella drink with her toes in the sand and a good book in her hand.  Blog copy used with permission from Collette.