How do you organize yourself on vacation?
Aug 23rd, 2014, 04:47 AM
#82
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Like Ian, I don't want everything to go down the tubes (literally, in the case of a friends' daughter - same scenario: phone in back pocket, call of nature, you fill in the rest.)
Electronics are still the backup for the paper for most important stuff, i.e. everything that is a contract.
Electronics for: entertainment (books, from ereader to ipod touch for talking books, music, Notepad for movies). Wifi-on-the-go (weather, reminders, local maps). A separate GPS. Spouse is starting to use his ipod touch for video. Camera (although if ipod touch battery were longer lasting, I'd be content with ipod for camera.)
Paper: Master sheet. Confirmation numbers of everything:
Date dd-mm-yy. Where. Transport conf number (air, rail whatever.) Hotel name, address, contact phone number, conf number. Conf number for any entertainment tickets (museum if reserved in advance, whatever.)
Most times I can get by with the master sheet. If I get challenged, I have a folder with copies of full contracts. Like Ian and bilboburglar, I still like paper contracts. So apparently do desk clerks, train conductors, and security staff at airports.
Electronics are still the backup for the paper for most important stuff, i.e. everything that is a contract.
Electronics for: entertainment (books, from ereader to ipod touch for talking books, music, Notepad for movies). Wifi-on-the-go (weather, reminders, local maps). A separate GPS. Spouse is starting to use his ipod touch for video. Camera (although if ipod touch battery were longer lasting, I'd be content with ipod for camera.)
Paper: Master sheet. Confirmation numbers of everything:
Date dd-mm-yy. Where. Transport conf number (air, rail whatever.) Hotel name, address, contact phone number, conf number. Conf number for any entertainment tickets (museum if reserved in advance, whatever.)
Most times I can get by with the master sheet. If I get challenged, I have a folder with copies of full contracts. Like Ian and bilboburglar, I still like paper contracts. So apparently do desk clerks, train conductors, and security staff at airports.
Aug 23rd, 2014, 05:49 PM
#86
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Thank you all so much for your responses!! This was more help than I dreamed of when I posed the question! I was copying, picture taking, app installing and scanning the last couple of days (more to do this week!) plus I am going to a journal again..just wish I could find the kind I brought on our last trip but oh well!!
Rich...we are traveling with 3 children (7,9 and 13) planning and organizing somewhat is a necessity (though I do not "plan" each day..each day is what it is and we decide that morning what we want to do...though we need to know what there is to do hence where the planning comes into play)
I'm feeling much less stress because of the great responses..thank you
(and about to post one last question!)
Rich...we are traveling with 3 children (7,9 and 13) planning and organizing somewhat is a necessity (though I do not "plan" each day..each day is what it is and we decide that morning what we want to do...though we need to know what there is to do hence where the planning comes into play)
I'm feeling much less stress because of the great responses..thank you
(and about to post one last question!)
Aug 24th, 2014, 12:35 AM
#87
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I started planning this trip several years ago without specific dates. Whenever I would come across something interesting, I would add the information to an excel file. One page for each city. When I got dates, I began checking through the links I'd saved and making my selections. I did start planning using an excel tab, but quickly realized something which easily accommodate dates, times, and additional information with easy access from multiple locations plus offline access.
I finally used google calendar to list first all of our reservations, including whatever confirmation numbers were provided. I used the matching gmail account for all the confirmation emails. Had I known of the tripit app I would have set up and used it from the start for confirmations but didn't learn of it until recently. Both our phones and our android pad can access everything in gmail and google calendar, though, so I am not going to bother now.
I also planned out our daily itinerary in google calendar. First I set up each item with a reasonable time frame on the day I would most like to visit. I made sure to use the local time zone for each. I then went back to add parameters to the details field including how to get there from the previous stop, opening and closing time that day, and any info about what days the location is closed. That way if say weather causes us to need to rework the schedule we can immediately know if we can't move an item to another chosen day because that day it is not open.
I also set up a google docs packing list for each of us. It started out a very general list and now includes specifics for each item, including what item of clothing may be worn with any other. I just numbered the items like Granimal's clothing for children. This has allowed me to select the least number of items to get the most different outfits. I've also given each item a letter as to which bag it will be packed into. C for carry on, P for plus one, and it turns out we won't need a checked bag on our way out. On the way back, we'll be checking one of our carry ons and using duffel we'll be carrying folded into our luggage on the way out.
At this moment, we are 61 days away from leaving and 53 days from packing everything. I have moved all the times we think we will be packing to a section of my closet. That way, we can if needed use an item easily and just put it back when done.
I will give you one hint I have found EXTREMELY helpful, though not necessarily cheap suggestion for travel with children. Well, not cheap the first time though re-useable. Buy enough zippy bags to pack each outfit your children will wear on the trip in a zippy bag. Label each baggie using a sharpie. The zippy bags with the plastic zip to secure them generally work best, especially for younger kids. Seriously cuts down on accidental loss of outfit due to getting it wet in the bathroom or spilling something on it. Also provides a ready place to store wet bathing suits and other worn items which might easily ruin other items if just thrown in the suitcase that way.
If you buy the heavier freezer thickness bags, you can usually treat them as light weight compression baggies for anything bulky with reasonable success. Also great for packing just count days and count baggies in most cases. If you have the kids put each day's dirty laundry into the bag the clean outfit came from, you can also just count baggies to make sure nothing is missed for the most part when leaving. I usually just turn all the bags inside out after use and wipe down with a cloth dipped in bleach water well rung out. They dry quickly clipped to a line in the bathroom and are reused the next trip.
I finally used google calendar to list first all of our reservations, including whatever confirmation numbers were provided. I used the matching gmail account for all the confirmation emails. Had I known of the tripit app I would have set up and used it from the start for confirmations but didn't learn of it until recently. Both our phones and our android pad can access everything in gmail and google calendar, though, so I am not going to bother now.
I also planned out our daily itinerary in google calendar. First I set up each item with a reasonable time frame on the day I would most like to visit. I made sure to use the local time zone for each. I then went back to add parameters to the details field including how to get there from the previous stop, opening and closing time that day, and any info about what days the location is closed. That way if say weather causes us to need to rework the schedule we can immediately know if we can't move an item to another chosen day because that day it is not open.
I also set up a google docs packing list for each of us. It started out a very general list and now includes specifics for each item, including what item of clothing may be worn with any other. I just numbered the items like Granimal's clothing for children. This has allowed me to select the least number of items to get the most different outfits. I've also given each item a letter as to which bag it will be packed into. C for carry on, P for plus one, and it turns out we won't need a checked bag on our way out. On the way back, we'll be checking one of our carry ons and using duffel we'll be carrying folded into our luggage on the way out.
At this moment, we are 61 days away from leaving and 53 days from packing everything. I have moved all the times we think we will be packing to a section of my closet. That way, we can if needed use an item easily and just put it back when done.
I will give you one hint I have found EXTREMELY helpful, though not necessarily cheap suggestion for travel with children. Well, not cheap the first time though re-useable. Buy enough zippy bags to pack each outfit your children will wear on the trip in a zippy bag. Label each baggie using a sharpie. The zippy bags with the plastic zip to secure them generally work best, especially for younger kids. Seriously cuts down on accidental loss of outfit due to getting it wet in the bathroom or spilling something on it. Also provides a ready place to store wet bathing suits and other worn items which might easily ruin other items if just thrown in the suitcase that way.
If you buy the heavier freezer thickness bags, you can usually treat them as light weight compression baggies for anything bulky with reasonable success. Also great for packing just count days and count baggies in most cases. If you have the kids put each day's dirty laundry into the bag the clean outfit came from, you can also just count baggies to make sure nothing is missed for the most part when leaving. I usually just turn all the bags inside out after use and wipe down with a cloth dipped in bleach water well rung out. They dry quickly clipped to a line in the bathroom and are reused the next trip.
Aug 24th, 2014, 12:37 AM
#88
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Oh forgot to add I found a map app temporarily on sale for free on Amazon which allows free download of the first five cities to use for our travel within each of the European cities we'll be visiting. The downloaded maps are usable offline. I don't think this offer is still available, but there are a number of apps that allow offline use of maps. I think Google maps may even have that option.
Aug 24th, 2014, 03:41 AM
#89
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Several years ago I picked up a three ring binder type address book, about 6 1/2 inches by 9 inches. It fits perfectly in my carry on bag. Rather than an address book I got sleeves for it that hold a regular sized paper folded in half. It has proved to be priceless for us, in organizing the plan, laying out what we need to take and almost more importantly, documenting our travels. Copies of our itinerary, all reservations, car rental, travel insurance, together in one easy spot. Rather than flail around looking for important docs, they are all, always right there in the brown book-easy to find. I throw receipts in there, post cards, my little hand written notes, etc. on a daily basis during our travels and that makes a wonderful paper trail for us to document photos and get trip reports done. I cannot tell you how all that information helps us, months, even years after a trip! It is so much nicer than the helter skelter way I used to save receipts, etc.
Aug 24th, 2014, 04:12 AM
#90
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I make an itinerary cheatsheet and print one for every single bag I am carrying with a few extra.
It has my name and phone number at the very top.
Hotels with all contact info, by date range, next.
Detailed flight info last.
Just the above - the skeleton of my trip. I put one in every single bag including each of my carryon and personal bag that goes on the plane.
I figure if a bag gets really lost including the airline tags ripped off, my contact info is inside. And having a few on my person means I don't have to dig around for it. It's also useful to show to cab drivers when you first land - name and address of hotel is right there. I was glad to have hotel phone numbers in Croatia, for instance, because my hotel in Dubrovnik was inside the walls and the cab driver called the hotel en route to ask which gate to drop me, etc.
I also have a very high level outline of things I want to remember to seek out when I am on the trip - that is usually two pages, printed (plus I will email it to myself too). I don't plan things for specific dates - I will just list the things that caught my eye while I was reading guidebooks or researching on the internet. Sometimes you have no choice but to reserve - popular sites or very popular restaurants - but most times I just show up with a few guidebooks and my printout of things to remember.
This is of course in addition to the various emails I've made during the trip planning. I have everything trip related sent to one email account and if it's especially important I will star the email so that I can find it quickly on my iPhone later.
I like LuvtoRoam's idea, above.
It has my name and phone number at the very top.
Hotels with all contact info, by date range, next.
Detailed flight info last.
Just the above - the skeleton of my trip. I put one in every single bag including each of my carryon and personal bag that goes on the plane.
I figure if a bag gets really lost including the airline tags ripped off, my contact info is inside. And having a few on my person means I don't have to dig around for it. It's also useful to show to cab drivers when you first land - name and address of hotel is right there. I was glad to have hotel phone numbers in Croatia, for instance, because my hotel in Dubrovnik was inside the walls and the cab driver called the hotel en route to ask which gate to drop me, etc.
I also have a very high level outline of things I want to remember to seek out when I am on the trip - that is usually two pages, printed (plus I will email it to myself too). I don't plan things for specific dates - I will just list the things that caught my eye while I was reading guidebooks or researching on the internet. Sometimes you have no choice but to reserve - popular sites or very popular restaurants - but most times I just show up with a few guidebooks and my printout of things to remember.
This is of course in addition to the various emails I've made during the trip planning. I have everything trip related sent to one email account and if it's especially important I will star the email so that I can find it quickly on my iPhone later.
I like LuvtoRoam's idea, above.
Aug 24th, 2014, 09:46 AM
#91
Crikey, I organised a whole wedding and 4 days of partying (22 guests) on two sides of paper and 8 pages with critical contracts, in a foreign country in a language I barely speak, including car hire, four flights. How complicated do things need to get to be to use an app?
Aug 24th, 2014, 10:33 AM
#92
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I am an obsessive planner. I leave nothing to chance. My planning starts months in advance and continues until the day I depart.
For each trip I buy a flip file of an appropriate size and all documentation goes into the plastic sleeves. By the time I leave home the flip file contains a detailed itinerary, maps, tickets, hotel bookings, etc, etc, etc. The flip file goes everywhere with me in a carry bag or back pack. I make a copy of every document and the copies go into my suitcase. This is in case I lose my flip file. I can then fall back on the copies. I could never entrust it all to an electronic device. Well, not unless I had two of them
For each trip I buy a flip file of an appropriate size and all documentation goes into the plastic sleeves. By the time I leave home the flip file contains a detailed itinerary, maps, tickets, hotel bookings, etc, etc, etc. The flip file goes everywhere with me in a carry bag or back pack. I make a copy of every document and the copies go into my suitcase. This is in case I lose my flip file. I can then fall back on the copies. I could never entrust it all to an electronic device. Well, not unless I had two of them
Aug 24th, 2014, 12:09 PM
#94
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Yes, lots of good ideas here!
<Other than that, when we leave the US, we LEAVE. We dedicate our WiFi to reading, not contacting. I don't even want to do any kind of live blog to my relatives or to strangers. I want to be present as much as possible. I want my eyes to look up, down, around, not at some screen.>
We are the same. Well said!
<Other than that, when we leave the US, we LEAVE. We dedicate our WiFi to reading, not contacting. I don't even want to do any kind of live blog to my relatives or to strangers. I want to be present as much as possible. I want my eyes to look up, down, around, not at some screen.>
We are the same. Well said!
Aug 24th, 2014, 01:08 PM
#95
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I have gotten great suggestions from this thread!!
I use hotmail for my email account and anything trip related (Booking.com, train tickets, tours we've prebooked, etc) gets flagged. Then I print some of the important ones, like flight itineraries, train reservations, etc.
Before I leave, I give a copy to someone at home in case we lose anything or if they need to contact us (I'll say first 5 nights we are in this city, you can contact us at this number in case the 2 cell phones didn't work, etc) and then information as we move along...
We take a guidebook for each city, we both like the Top 10 format, and find they are small enough to lug around.
I planned this whole trip (4 cities, 3 flights, 2 train trips) alone, my travel partner will be surprised to find out where we go each "leg", so I better start a notebook to make sure I don't lose any pertinent information or mess up in any way since I don't have a back up.
I travel with an iPhone and an iPad, but realize one or both could get lost or stolen...
I use hotmail for my email account and anything trip related (Booking.com, train tickets, tours we've prebooked, etc) gets flagged. Then I print some of the important ones, like flight itineraries, train reservations, etc.
Before I leave, I give a copy to someone at home in case we lose anything or if they need to contact us (I'll say first 5 nights we are in this city, you can contact us at this number in case the 2 cell phones didn't work, etc) and then information as we move along...
We take a guidebook for each city, we both like the Top 10 format, and find they are small enough to lug around.
I planned this whole trip (4 cities, 3 flights, 2 train trips) alone, my travel partner will be surprised to find out where we go each "leg", so I better start a notebook to make sure I don't lose any pertinent information or mess up in any way since I don't have a back up.
I travel with an iPhone and an iPad, but realize one or both could get lost or stolen...
Aug 25th, 2014, 02:06 AM
#96
Some good ideas here. I would never rely solely on electronic devices, we've had too many problems with them when travelling. Took 3 phones on the last trip and none would work - ggrrr! I tend to take paper copies of anything important, you can always use the back to scribble notes, or print double sided instead and carry less paper. Also it can be impossible to see screens in bright sunlight but you can always read a piece of paper.
Kay
Kay
Aug 25th, 2014, 04:25 AM
#97
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It was fun to see all the replies. I've noted that these few things seem to have become the newer constants of our 2014 posting crowd:
--Yes, there is still a market for a good, hard copy guidebook. But now, no matter how many we buy ahead in forms of ebooks, we posters tend to pack just ONE hard copy now.
--We all are placing more of our record keeping online BUT...
--We still are attached to our dear plastic sleeves so we can whip out a hard copy of a hotel reservation or train ticket
--Preferences for such apps as Evernote, TripIt etc vary widely among all of us, but there seems to be one constant: a Kindle or Kindle app.
It will be interesting to see this type of thread in five years. I keep my notebooks, hard copy files, and electronic files of past trips for years, so I decided to see what I was doing a decade ago.
In 2004, my packing list included among other things ...
--two cameras
--two hard copy guidebooks plus...
--"sliced-up" portions of five others
--photocopies of online restaurant lists
--Streetwise maps for each member of the traveling party
--photocopies of passports and cards with emergency lists
--4-5 books purchased at Half Price Books that I could leave behind as I read (plus a list of English bookstores wherever we were to replace them)
Today...
Cameras: I don't even take one.
Guidebook: One hard copy
Collected restaurant lists or articles on special exhibits: On my Kindle
Maps: MapsWithMe and whatever map the hotel gives me
Photocopies of docs: Only a coded list of the vital info; the rest have been scanned to some Cloud or email and are not with me.
Books: All on my Kindle
In short, I do not know how I personally did carry-on all those years. Heck, my "personal item" backpack must have weighed 30 pounds!
On a slightly different topic: I looked into Evernote because so many people recommended it. I can see why one would like it, just as I understood why some people were very attached to the Microsoft software program OneNote.
But my "old school" method of just creating a desktop folder for each trip isn't that much more inconvenient, and everything in that folder can be sent to iPads and Kindles the week before the trip without any trouble.
So I guess what I'm saying, Evernote fans, is that I'm not a convert...
yet
--Yes, there is still a market for a good, hard copy guidebook. But now, no matter how many we buy ahead in forms of ebooks, we posters tend to pack just ONE hard copy now.
--We all are placing more of our record keeping online BUT...
--We still are attached to our dear plastic sleeves so we can whip out a hard copy of a hotel reservation or train ticket
--Preferences for such apps as Evernote, TripIt etc vary widely among all of us, but there seems to be one constant: a Kindle or Kindle app.
It will be interesting to see this type of thread in five years. I keep my notebooks, hard copy files, and electronic files of past trips for years, so I decided to see what I was doing a decade ago.
In 2004, my packing list included among other things ...
--two cameras
--two hard copy guidebooks plus...
--"sliced-up" portions of five others
--photocopies of online restaurant lists
--Streetwise maps for each member of the traveling party
--photocopies of passports and cards with emergency lists
--4-5 books purchased at Half Price Books that I could leave behind as I read (plus a list of English bookstores wherever we were to replace them)
Today...
Cameras: I don't even take one.
Guidebook: One hard copy
Collected restaurant lists or articles on special exhibits: On my Kindle
Maps: MapsWithMe and whatever map the hotel gives me
Photocopies of docs: Only a coded list of the vital info; the rest have been scanned to some Cloud or email and are not with me.
Books: All on my Kindle
In short, I do not know how I personally did carry-on all those years. Heck, my "personal item" backpack must have weighed 30 pounds!
On a slightly different topic: I looked into Evernote because so many people recommended it. I can see why one would like it, just as I understood why some people were very attached to the Microsoft software program OneNote.
But my "old school" method of just creating a desktop folder for each trip isn't that much more inconvenient, and everything in that folder can be sent to iPads and Kindles the week before the trip without any trouble.
So I guess what I'm saying, Evernote fans, is that I'm not a convert...
yet
Aug 25th, 2014, 07:26 AM
#99
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AZ, with regard to Evernote, I basically agree with your point. I think your folders work well for you because, as an organized person, you devised them well. For less organized people, perhaps Evernote provides a structure.
Aug 25th, 2014, 11:30 AM
#100
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Mimar and NewBe--
OMG. You are so right! We ARE so OCD here, are we not?
I will attest that I have traveled spontaneously, sans spreadsheet, with my youngest. She's willing to split research efforts on a plane flight, and she also will talk to the concierge or ask questions on the street.
We two can make decisions within ten minutes, and we are both more than willing to live with our bad decisions.
But add one more person to the mix, and I envision myself standing in pouring rain or blazing sun, trying to decide whether we should go left or go right.
OMG. You are so right! We ARE so OCD here, are we not?
I will attest that I have traveled spontaneously, sans spreadsheet, with my youngest. She's willing to split research efforts on a plane flight, and she also will talk to the concierge or ask questions on the street.
We two can make decisions within ten minutes, and we are both more than willing to live with our bad decisions.
But add one more person to the mix, and I envision myself standing in pouring rain or blazing sun, trying to decide whether we should go left or go right.
