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10 things to do before you leave home
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Manage your cash flow
If you're traveling domestically, be sure to hit your own bank before leaving for your trip; that way you won't arrive short on cash and have to immediately search for an ATM. Further, you will save on ATM fees at machines run by someone other than your own bank. These fees costs Americans in the billions of dollars annually, and can be exorbitant if you are forced to use airport or convenience store machines. Go to your bank's Web site and map out any available ATM locations near your destination so you are not forced to use other banks' machines.
If you're traveling overseas, the most economical option is to visit an ATM as soon as you arrive in your destination and make a withdrawal in the local currency. Check the Web site of the airport where you'll be arriving to make sure it has an ATM you can use. Most international airports have several, but if you're flying to a smaller airport in a developing country, there's no guarantee that there will be one (or that it will be working properly). In these cases, you may want to purchase some local currency ahead of time. For more details, see ATM's Abroad.
Do a Web search of your hobbies at your destination
You never know where you will find the "best of" in any given endeavor; for example, two of the best guitar stores in the world can be found in Staten Island, N.Y., and Carlsbad, Calif. Who knew? The Seattle REI has a stunning indoor climbing wall while Tempe, Arizona has a fantastic rowing club in the middle of the desert. Do a little research and you might be pleasantly surprised by what you find at your destination.
Check public transit maps on the Web
On a recent trip to Seattle, a quick Web search on public transit produced two very worthwhile pieces of information: 1) the public monorail system was not working, and 2) the downtown bus system was free for the entire length of downtown. Not surprisingly for Seattle, it rained all weekend, and those buses proved very useful in making short trips of a few blocks, for which you would not want to drive, but neither did you want to slog through in the rain. Checking online before you leave will also allow you to check fares, print transit maps and plan your itinerary.
Check the local entertainment listings
Most cities and even medium-sized towns have some kind of weekly entertainment rag, such as Time Out New York in New York City, City Paper in Philadelphia, The Stranger in Seattle, or even The Ticket entertainment insert in Montgomery Township, Pa.
These are the best sources for entertainment listings, reviews, city "best-of" lists and more. It is best to check these from home, as you can then purchase advance tickets where necessary, make restaurant reservations, etc.
Check the weather
The weather is the single factor most likely to affect your trip positively or negatively, and one of the things many people most take for granted. Of course it is going to be warm in Key West during the spring — unless you visited this past weekend when morning temperatures were in the 50's. A quick check of today's weather shows that current temperatures are 16 degrees higher than normal in Montana and 11 degrees below normal in southeast Texas. You get the point — a weather forecast can guide your packing strategy, and failure to check the weather can result in unprepared and unhappy travelers.
Bonus tip: This one applies to airlines and hotels, so I won't count it against the 10 tips: The most important thing you can program into your cell phone is the phone number of your airline; the second-most important is the direct phone number of your hotel. Do it now!
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