By Ed Hewitt

updated 12:53 p.m. ET April 21, 2008

Airfare, hotel accommodations and rental cars — these may be the holy trinity of travel, but nailing down these aspects of your vacation is only the beginning of the trip planning process. What about researching activities at your destination, getting your cash in order and taking care of your home while you're away? There are plenty of things you will want to take care of that have nothing to do with airlines, hotels or rental cars — read on for our top 10 tips.

Contact the kennel and/or house sitter
Once you have a travel date, your first move should be to contact your pet kennel or house sitter (or any other service with limited supply, or for which you will use or trust only certain providers) to guarantee availability. You may even want to take care of this before booking; as reader E.B. Hughes writes, "I have had to pay change fees twice since we got our dog just because the local kennel was full for one night of my trip."

Take care of "stop" orders and advance payments
Once your travel is booked, you should look into placing "stop" orders on any regularly occurring deliveries or services. These may include postal mail, newspapers, housecleaners and the like. In those cases where you want services to continue (such as landscaping), consider paying in advance if this is not your usual arrangement.

Many service providers allow you to place stop orders online; this is particularly the case for mail delivery and most newspapers. As most stop orders require one or two business days' advance notice, make sure you take care of this at least three days before you travel.

Plan your first day
The first day of your trip is often lost to logistics and unfamiliar surroundings. First you have to haul yourself and your stuff to a resting place; then you have to figure out exactly where you are, what attractions are nearby and how best to use your limited time. Planning ahead will help you make the most of that first confusing day.

You may want to sketch out a walk near your digs, which can help you get oriented as well as shake off travel fatigue and jet lag. Also, check out any nearby amenities — like a rooftop lounge nearby, a balcony with a choice view or a heated pool for maximum chill-out at the end of a harried travel day.

Map out your first drive
Similarly, if you're going to be driving during your trip, it may be worth mapping out that first route ahead of time. Figuring out how to get where you are going in an unfamiliar location from a one-page map choked with advertising is risking more than just your afternoon; you could end up driving around with the doors locked and windows sealed in a neighborhood that is anything but tourist- or outsider-friendly. Mapping out your first drive as though you were mapping out an escape route will save you time and anxiety in those first stressful hours of your trip.

Pack your cell phone earpiece
While we're talking about driving, there is one modern item that has become an essential packing item: the cell phone earpiece. Local laws governing cell phone use while driving vary considerably, sometimes from one municipality to the next. Pack your cell phone earpiece in your carry-on bag and you will not find yourself on the side of the road with a red siren whirling in your rearview mirror. For more ideas, see Use Your Cell Phone to Travel Better.

MORE FROM TIPS

Tips Section Front

Top 10 reasons to travel by train Tips for coping with turbulent times Double-booked at the Days Inn 4 secrets to cope with airline downsizing How to find a clean hotel room In-flight movies — the latest casualty Surprise storms don't need to sink your plans Helping parents, kids fly right Airline-sold travel insurance: what's it worth? 5-star amenities at a 2-star price Tips Section Front   Add Tips headlines to your news reader: