It’s travel season! It starts right after the end of school and trickles down in mid-August.  There’s a lot to prepare.   If you are like most families, nothing slows down before or after your trip.  So how to get ready at a moment’s notice?  Here are 3 tips for getting organized for summer travel super easy!

Travel choices

The way people travel has shifted to include Airbnb, VRBO, and local vacation rentals. With some research, you can choose a home to stay in rather than a  hotel. Start early because availability will be important if you have limited travel dates.

 

Travel checklists

No reason to reinvent the wheel!  Keep a travel checklist for you and your family.  It’s the best secret to ensure that all that you need it with you.  A list makes sure you include everything you want for your trip without having to remember it all.  Here are some of my favorite

• Travel Smith
• Real Simple
• Rick Steves’ packing list
• Create your own on Evernote or OneNote
• Container Store Pack This checklist

 

Travel apps

Most destinations have their own apps now too!  It’s easy to log on and learn what’s offered at that location.  There are offer schedules, coupons, maps, and other information too. It’s like an insider’s guide to your destination.  It’s best to log on to the specific location you are headed to but there are general ones as well that make it easy to make the most of your time away.

• Top 10 Vacation Spot apps
• PCMag Best Travel Apps.
• Kayak, Hopper, Expedia, Travelocity, or Orbitz

 

When You  Return

It’s hard after a vacation to get back into the groove. There are lots of priorities competing for your time and energy. Plus you are travel weary.

• Start with clothes. Grab all laundry and get a load started.
• Pile up all the papers and go through them ruthlessly keeping just bills and most important papers.
• Try to bring home a few extra papers or odds and ends from your trip as possible.  For articles you pulled during your trip or paper keepsakes,  take a picture with your smartphone or save the article to Evernote.   Leave the free stuff like toiletries, extra sundries, or other goodies for another traveler to enjoy.
• For email do a quick triage and delete as much as you can.  Categorize what remains by the date or day of the week you can work on it.