Travelling can be stressful no matter how long you have flown the great blue skies of the world.  Whether you’ve travelled 100 times or it’s your first time flying, I want to give you some tips that you can use in order to make your airport experience a fun time and not a stressful situation.

Know where you’re going to park

• Make sure that you leave the house so that you can get to the airport at least 2 hours early.  It’s always best to get there early rather than late.
• Before you head down to the airport, make sure you know where you want to park.  If you’re travelling for more than 2 days, don’t park at the airport!  This is going to cost your a fortune.  Instead, find an off-site that’s affiliated with the airport.  Here, you’ll be able to park and they will take you via a shuttle.  These places are generally pretty cheap and will only cost you about $10/day.  Make sure you look for coupons before you head down because around my area, there’s always a coupon in the paper for a free night.
• If you do park offsite, make sure you save your ticket in a safe place because you will need this when you come back home.

Get ready for check-in

• When you’re finally ready to check, know what you can bring and what you can’t bring on a plane.  Refer to a post earlier that I made on what you can’t bring on an airplane.
• Make sure that all of your baggage is tagged with an ID and also make sure that it’s locked.  This will not only prevent theft but if it does get lost, they will know who it belongs too.
• Make sure that you have all of your IDs for each and every person flying.  You will need your ID in order to board the airplane.
• Know what kind of fees you’re going to pay when your check in your bags.  You’re going to find that most airliners today charge you for a checked in bag.  You may find it easier to carry on your luggage.

Be prepared for the security checkpoint

• Remember, shoes have to be taken off, no exceptions!  TIP: It’s always best to wear sandals.
• If you’re bringing any type of electronic device like a laptop or DVD player, it has to be placed outside the bag for scanning purposes.
• Make sure that you have no containers over 3 ounces.  Anything over this will be thrown out, no exceptions once again.  You have to remember that they are very strict with this.
• If you’re wearing a coat, hat or any type of jewelry, make sure you take it off and place it in the bin.  They will ask you to remove it.
• When you get your bin at the end, don’t sit there and take it out! Instead, take your bin aside and take everything out so you don’t plug up the line.  Some people are faster than you and travellers hate it when people sit there and take out their items.

Boarding the airplane process

• When you finally get into the airport, the first thing you should do is find your terminal.  Once you know where your terminal is, you can roam around if you have time to spare BUT make sure you’re at your gate at least 20 minutes before boarding.
• When it’s time to board, board when your section is called!  Don’t stand around the gate because you’re only going to annoy others.  Instead, sit and wait until your section is called.  Once it’s called, walk up to the gate and hand the attendant the ticket.
• When you get on the airplane, you’ll have assigned seating.  What does this mean?  You sit where you’re told.  Don’t be rude and take someone else’s seat.
• Make sure that you place your bags that you won’t need in the overhead bin.  Do this as fast as possible and get out of the aisle so that others can get by, the aisles are small!

This a routine that you’re going to see at every airport you go to.  The more you can familarize yourself with it, the better.  Be kind, courteous and don’t let things bother you.  The more you know, the easier it’s going to be on your travelling experience.

If you’re flying a lot today and you’re not benefiting from it, you should be!  Did you know that just about every airline out there offers some sort of frequent flyer program?  I say that as long as you’re flying with a particular airline, why not be rewarded for it?

Instead of signing up for the first program you see, it’s important that you do your research so that you get the program that works best for you and your travelling needs.

Start by looking at your local airport

Is your local airport a hub for a particular airline?  If so, you may want to consider joining them because you’re going to find that 80% of the flights leaving there are going to be affiliated with that airline.  Not only that, you’re going to be able to get better deals on tickets from a hub airport compared to an airport where the airline company doesn’t frequent that often.

Look at the program partners

Most airline companies don’t work with just themselves but they work with other partners as well.  See who they work with because you will most likely get deals with other hotels, car rentals, restaurants and more.  If you find that they have partnered up with someone you frequent, you may want to consider going with that program.  Also, make sure that you check out to see what kind of discount you’ll get because just because they partner up with someone, it doesn’t mean you’re going to get the best deal.

Look at how the miles work

The point of the frequent flyer program is to make the most out of your flying.  Since you’ll be rewarded for how much you’ll fly, you want to get into a program that offers the best rewards for the miles you fly.  For example, one program may offer you a free plane ticket after 25,000 miles while the other one may only offer you one after 35,000 miles.

Always look out for the expiration date

One of the main things that I look out for when choosing a frequent flyer program are the expiration dates.  If the miles expire, this isn’t good because you won’t want to redeem them in the future and find out that you can’t because they are gone.  A good program won’t expire your hard earned points.

When considering a program from the main airlines, make sure you consider all of these tips when applying for one.  The nice thing about these programs are that they are generally free and if you don’t like them, you can always walk away and use a different one.

Are you planning to visit Charlottesville, Virginia in the near future?  If so, you may be looking for a nice hotel to stay at while you vacation.  Charlottesville has many great hotels to choose from and many different options.  To make sure you enjoy your stay as much as possible it is important you get one of the best hotels.  Listed below we have the top three hotels for Charlottesville.  They have received the best overall ratings and make your stay that much more enjoyable!

Fairfield Inn by Marriott - This is a great hotel that is popular for the city of Charlottesville.  With each stay you will receive access to their complimentary high-speed Internet access, complimentary continental breakfasts each morning, complimentary use of nearby fitness center and access to the seasonal outdoor pool and spa tub!  There are many great perks that come along with your stay at Fairfield.  It is also in a great location that is near many fun tourists attractions.

Sleep Inn & Suites Monticello -  If you have plans to go to Lake Monticello, the Virginia Discovery Museum or just want to be in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia this is the place to stay!  It is in a great location and there are also many perks that come with each stay.  When considering the Monticello hotel you will have access to their complimentary continental breakfasts each morning, complimentary wireless Internet access in the lobby area, their fitness room and a heated indoor pool and spa tub and also their business center!

Omni Charlottesville Hotel -  This is a great hotel that is nicely furnished.  It is close by some of Charlottesville’s attractions and also comes with many great advantages when staying there.  Charlottesville includes a fitness center, a heated indoor pool, an outdoor pool and spa tub, a business center, and ATM machine and an excellent restaurant on-site to eat at!

There are several different hotels to choose from but if you’re looking for the best hotels with the best ratings, you’re looking right at them.  Consider one of these hotels and make your vacation start on a good start!

If you’re planning a trip to the Charlottesville area you’re in luck for some great restaurants!  It is always fun to go out with your close friends or family and get a nice bite to eat to catch up on things.  Charlottesville is known for having over 200 restaurants to choose from.  When you have that many restaurants is hard to narrow down your options to just one.  Also, if we go out to eat we want to make sure the trip is worth it, the food is great and the service is good.  How can you figure that out ahead of time?  Continue reading below to find out which restaurants have made the top three for Charlottesville.

Fleurie Restaurant- Are you a fan of French food?  If so, Fleurie is know to have the best around.  This is a great restaurant if you’re looking for an intimate atmosphere and you really want to surprise your significant other.  It is known for its great wine and menu selections.  Fleurie is the perfect place to celebrate special occasions or to just get a magnificent bite to eat!

Orzo Kitchen and Wine Bar – This is a great place to check out if you’re looking for a great lunch, dinner or a nice glass of wine.  The Culinary skills range from Italy, Greece, Spain and South France.  There is much experience at this restaurant which calls for some excellent food.  The service is known to be great and overall it’s a good time so come check it out! 

C & O Restaurant-  If you didn’t know already Charlottesville is a place where wine is very popular.  If you’re a wine lover you will love this restaurant as well.  Elaine’s stewardship has ensured the restaurant has received the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for 16 consecutive years!  Although, not only do they have excellent wine but the food is also known to be something you’ll remember!  This restaurant has won many rewards which makes it something to definitely check out and consider!

These restaurants above have made the list for being some of the best restaurants in the area.  They have been rated by customers like yourself and have been known to have everything that makes a restaurant great.  They have also received the best overall ratings out of the other restaurants in the area.

Are you planning a trip to the Charlottesville area of Virginia?  If so, you’ll be in an area that has some beautiful scenery, a lot of nice restaurants to check out and also a lot of fun things lie in the area of Charlottesville.  The city of Charlottesville is older and there are many fun historic sites to check out if that interests you.  Although Charlottesville has plenty of fun things to do, to make sure you make your stay even more enjoyable be sure to check out the top three attractions for the city.  Continue reading below to find out what made the list!

Monticello – Are you a history fan and love learning about the past?  If so, this is the perfect place for you!  Monticello has many historical rooms, gadgets, artifacts, buildings and furniture that tell us a lot about Thomas Jefferson.  What is cool is the president built it and lived there!

First Colony Winery-  Do you love to taste test wine?  If so, this is something you must check out!  First Colony Winery is open seven days a week and is very popular for Charlottesville.  Wine making has occurred since the early 1600s and is still making a huge hit!  There are several different wines to check out which makes it easier for you to find the wine you love.

Carter Mountain Orchard -  Are you looking for a way to spend a nice day outside?  If so, this is the way to do it.  This is a beautiful area and is definitely guaranteed a fun time! Here you can enjoy the nice atmosphere, bring your friends and family along and pick your own apples.  It is a great time and a great way to spend your afternoon outside.

As you can see, there are several fun things to do for the city of Charlottesville.  Make your stay even more fun by checking out the most popular things to do.  These attractions have been rated by people like yourself and have earned the places for the top three!