Vacationing can be daunting, especially when weâ??re talking tourist traps, endless lines, pick pockets, picture taking, sniffle snaffles, dining, noise, and worst of all desynchronosis (jet lag) due to warping through several time zones. It goes without saying that these â??necessaryâ? hurdles in travel are totally against what should be a relaxing and cultivating experience. It also begs the question, â??Do these huddles have to be a pain?â? Absolutely Not!

Being that Iâ??m a part of a family of avid travelers, itâ??s safe to say I make it a priority to keep my vacations hurdle free, and with the few simple guidelines I follow and will share now with you, you can toâ?¦

• Booking my vacation early is paramount, which is why itâ??s appropriate I make this the first item on my list! It affords me the better view, better flights, better seats, and better everything else at the better price. Waiting until the last minute to get the better deals is by far the biggest farce in travel, especially if you think youâ??re getting the better deal. Thereâ??s a reason theyâ??re called the cheap seats and leftovers. Youâ??d be surprised whatâ??s out there â?? you just need to know what you want and go after it quick. My suggestion is to choose a kickass travel agent who has his or her finger on the pulse of all things travel and whose agency is a part of a consortium like Signature or Virtuoso which can and will provide you with the best for the best price with amenities unavailable to anyone else to boot. Virgin Atlantic is by far my favorite airline and my travel agent knows thisâ?¦ I have traveled roundtrip between Miami and London for less than $800.00 for Premium Economy seats. Not only do you get the extra leg space and cushy first class seats youâ??d find on other airlines, you get a faster check-in line, priority boarding, first class menu, fizzy bubbly, and you get to check in two bags, not just one.

• Ever heard of desynchronosis or jetlag? Itâ??s no jokeâ?¦ If youâ??re taking a cruise or an escorted tour, make sure to include a pre-night package prior to the actual start date. Trust me; youâ??ll thank yourself for it in the morning! Escorted tour companies like Tauck and Collette are awesome as they charge you for the room as opposed per person. Furthermore, if youâ??ve travelled with Tauck in the past as I have, you would benefit from promotions like the â??Get One Pre or Post Night Stay Freeâ?. If booked on a cruise, your travel agent should know which way to go as many cruise lines rip you off with hotels that are no way worth the price and later try to make sense of it all with saying transfers are included in the price.

• Being prepared for anything means sometimes having to avoid germs belonging to the coughers and sneezers sitting in the seat next, in front or behind yours on the plane, which can ruin your first day on vacation or worse. One way I try to prevent those slimy yucky germs to get into my system is to bring an arsenal of preventatives like Airborne, Hand Sanitizer, Clorox Wipes, Benadryl, Pepto, and even Amoxicillan. Prevention is the best policy.

• I cannot stress the importance of a good neck pillow and noise canceling headphones for your flight. Iâ??m a huge techie and some of the things I NEVER leave home without is my Macbook Pro, iPad, Beats Studio Headphones, and iPod.

• Things happen everywhere whether itâ??s 2-blocks from your home or in the Gare do Nord in Paris. Pickpockets exist throughout Europe, especially in big cities. One thing to always keep in mind is, donâ??t dress like a total tourist; theyâ??re the biggest targets. Case & point, you can always tell the tourists from the locals wherever you goâ?¦ Some wear fanny packs while others where those red Hawaiian shirts and khaki fishing hats. Whoever said that an ankle wallet was the best way to thwart a pickpocketâ??s plan, was the person that invented it in order  to take someone else for a fool. Do you know how long it takes to make a purchase with one of those things on? By the time you bend down to get your money and make your purchase, every pickpocket in Rome would know where you keep your money. The best way to fool a pickpocket is to blend in with the locals. When in Romeâ?¦

• Iâ??ve seen many a travelers make the mistake of literally basing their travel decisions on price without asking the right question or worse, having the wrong travel agent. Having been on escorted tours, I like to stick with those providing as much sightseeing as possible in the price and also including 4 & 5 star hotels that are centrally located.  This goes back to my cheap seats analogyâ?¦ What some people donâ??t realize is that even though there are some operators that provide a much cheaper price, they also provide a much cheaper product with hotels located way outside city centers and not much sightseeing. Tour operators that donâ??t include excursions like that of the Sistine Chapel in Rome or Eiffel Tower in Paris, will try and get you with an optional, which means youâ??ll more than likely end up paying for, but donâ??t expect to do it in USDâ?¦ What you think youâ??re getting on the cheap really isnâ??t. Ask the right questions, and in turn youâ??ll get the right answers, unless of course you have a bad travel agent.

• Dining can be confusing, especially when youâ??re abroad. In Venice, even though the food was excellent and we had a great view of the Rialto Bridge, I almost made the mistake of tipping our waitress twice. You have to really look at your receipt before lifting your pen to sign. Some restaurants automatically include standard gratuity of at least 10%. There are also Service Charges, Table Fees or what I like to call â??You Got Screwedâ? fee. When in doubt, go inside and look at their pricesâ?¦ If you see two (2) prices for the same item it means thereâ??s a â??stand at the barâ? price and a â??sitting at a tableâ? price; the latter being more expensive.  Also, the closer you are to a tourist trap, the more fees theyâ??ll more than likely pile on.

I hope this article has been helpful and if any of you have had similar experiences and have suggestions, please include them in the response box at the bottom.