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Traveling is fun, even if it's just for business. Traveling can be expensive, though, when you combine airfare, hotel expenses and other costs. If you would like to save money when you travel, please read the following article to learn tips on how you can keep travel expenses to a minimum.

When taking a flight, you should not assume that your airline will be able to provide everything that you need, regardless of the length of the flight. Because of cutbacks, many airlines do not provide pillows, blankets or headphones, so bring your own if you will use them. You may also want to purchase a snack before boarding the plane.

Try signing up for travel price watcher. This feature is offered by some websites and lets you input your desired destinations for it to watch. If a hotel or airfare drops by your designated amount, you'll get an email alert to notify you of the change. The alerts eliminate the need for you to constantly follow up on the prices.

Gather your travel essentials. Do not waste time scouring you home for all of the items you need. Get a bin and keep all of your travel items in one place. A container that you can keep under your bed can keep thing stored away but ready to be take out for your next trip.

When traveling, keep the bags light by just bringing the essentials. The less items you have, the less risk of having valuable items stolen or lost. Limit how many shoes you take as they can take up a lot of room and are the heaviest things you will be taking.

You want to be very careful when catching a taxi in another country when traveling. You should ensure that you are using a legitimate taxi service. Anyone can just put a taxi label on his car, and you would not know where this person would take you.

If you are leaving for your trip from a port city, stay at a hotel with free parking and get there the night before you are to leave. Be sure to ask about parking deals in case they are not published.

Make sure that you do not travel during rush hour. If it's not possible to avoid rush hour, take a break during that time. It's a great time to grab something to eat and let the kids run off some energy for a bit.

You should know the tipping conventions for the bellboys and housekeepers. People generally recommend a buck per bag for the bellhop and $2-5 per day for the maid. Tipping ensures good service and is sure to make your interactions with hotel staff more pleasurable.

When using traveler's checks, be sure to cash them prior to eating out or shopping. Though most places will accept these checks, they can offer difficulty when used.