Summer Travel: Essential Tips for a Worry Free Vacation

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. - April 24, 2013 - PRLog -- Fix a Suitcase Zipper
If you haven't experienced the annoyance of walking through an airport with a broken a suitcase zipper, then consider yourself lucky. It usually happens on your return home, when your valise is jam-packed with dirty clothes and souvenirs and you're on your last nerve. Don't lose your cool or buy new luggage, instead grab some Vaseline or lip balm. If your zipper does that terrible thing where it won't close, it's usually because one tooth is bent out of shape. All you need to do is find it and bend it back with pliers, and voilà.

Find “Complimentary” Wi-Fi
Finding a Wi-Fi connection can be as annoying as it is expensive, but it doesn't have to be. Lifehacker's (http://lifehacker.com/5340435/the-definitive-guide-to-finding-free-wi+fi) Gina Trapani offers some excellent tips for finding free Wi-Fi connections, in her article “The Definitive Guide to Free Wi-Fi.” Trapani advises travelers to try Barnes & Nobles, McDonalds, the library, any school campus, or independent coffee shops for free connections. Also, try perusing neighborhoods with your mobile device or tablet and look for open networks. Apps like iStumble or WiFiFoFum can turn your phone into a free Wi-Fi detector.

Protect Yourself, Your Family
Travel insurance is easy to forget, and most traditional insurance companies won't cover the loss of items during travel. Luckily, companies like TravelGuard (http://www.travelguard.com/) offer comprehensive travel insurance. Travel insurance can cover everything from lost luggage to medical expenses and cancelations. You never know when your spelunking tour will get rained out, or whether BlueCross has got you covered in Sri Lanka.

Use Giftcards to Avoid Conversion Fees
If you're traveling in a developing country, using gift cards can save you time and money. Banks can be hard to come by and many have inconvenient hours, but gas stations and convenience stores are (almost) always open. Gift cards are growing in popularity and accessibility, so why not take advantage? Forget about the conversion rate change; load up your Starbucks card and grab a latte and a scone.

Crime Hacks
Robberies are scary and common occurrences at many of the popular tourist destinations. Yahoo Travel writer Dara Continenza says vacationers should carry a dummy wallet with small bills and expired or fake credit cards (the kind you get in the mail every day but never activate). Your dummy wallet can be a very valuable decoy to a mugger or a pick pocket. You worked hard for this vacation, take note of these precautions and enjoy yourself.