Tips to Travel Smart and Stress-Free

Picture this: You're all set for your trip, but the last thing you want is to be weighed down by a mountain of baggage. Imagine the horror of the airline staff asking you to remove items from your suitcase because it's heavier than a hippo!

Have you ever done that?

Packing light is especially important if you'll be moving around frequently during your journey. It can be the difference between an enjoyable vacation and a miserable one. Even Rick Steves, the European travel guru, only allows members of his escorted tours to bring one carry-on size piece of luggage per person.

Having less luggage allows you to move around more quickly and easily, and it also makes you less of a target for pickpockets and scammers. You'll save money on checked luggage fees, and you won't have to wait around at luggage carousels in unfamiliar airports. Instead, you can start your adventure while everyone else is waiting for their bags.

You save enough money in checked luggage fees to treat yourselves to some special "extras". You save time by not having to wait around at luggage carousels in strange airports. You could go and start your adventure while everyone else is standing around waiting for the bags to arrive.

Here are our suggestions for cutting back on the amount of “stuff” you think you need on your next trip:

• Spread out everything you think you need on your bed and ask yourself if you'll really use each item enough to justify carrying it around.

• Don't pack for the worst-case scenario, pack for the best-case and buy anything else you need along the way. Rather than taking a whole trip's supply of toiletries, take enough to get started and replace them as you go.

• Invest in a good quality piece of luggage that fits your needs.

Remember, in your travels, you'll meet two kinds of tourists – those who pack light and those who wish they had!