Did you know that discount airlines may charge you for the amount and weight of your luggage? Did you know that your medical insurance may not cover you as you travel? Did you know that without travel insurance, you may be financially responsible for lost luggage, interrupted trips, unexpected flights or hotel bookings, and more... even if the interruption was the airline's fault? Yes, all of the above are true.

I have done a lot of traveling, and I have to say I have experienced a few travel nightmares and learned a lot. If you follow these five (5) travel tips, you can pack light, save money, and avoid financial headaches.

Travel Packing Tip #1 - Pack no more than two outfits per day. A lot of times when you travel, you think you have to take your entire wardrobe with you. You want to be prepared for any event. Especially women. Truth is, whether you are a man or a woman, you will probably not need to wear more than two outfits each day. So pack accordingly. Plan on taking one 'daytime' outfit and one 'evening' outfit per day. If you are traveling to the beach, pack no more than one swimsuit per day. **This travel tip allows you to pack enough clothing options without weighing you down.

Travel Packing Tip #2 - Pack outfits that coordinate with each other... including shoes. By packing tops, bottoms, and jackets that can be worn interchangeably, you can save a lot of room in your luggage. Casual items such as jeans, jean shorts, khakis, khaki shorts, etc., or business items such as blazers, solid color dress pants, solid color simple skirts, etc., can be worn more than once with different tops, ties, and accessories to create different looks. Coordinate your shoes the same way. Pack just a few pairs of shoes, sandals, and/or boots that can be worn with several outfits so you save space. **This travel tip allows for plenty of clothing options, while saving space and weight.

Travel Packing Tip #3 - Pack travel size toiletries, and pack essential toiletry and cosmetic items only. Unnecessary items can take up a lot of room. Of course you need a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and a comb/brush, but take travel-sized items instead of full-sized items. If you wear a fragrance, stick to packing just one bottle of cologne or one bottle of perfume. It is not necessary to pack every fragrance you own. Ladies, pack a 'makeup essentials' bag with just a few items like foundation, mascara, eyeliner, 4-5 eye shadow shades, blush, and 2 each: lipliners, lipsticks, and lip gloss. Also ladies, do not pack ALL of your hair styling tools. Just one flat iron or curling iron will do the trick. Finally, find out if the hotel room you are staying in already has a hair dryer. You may be able to eliminate packing this bulky item altogether. (If, however, you do have to pack a hair dryer, get a travel sized one. These high power hair dryers pack a big punch in a small package.) **This travel tip allows you to reduce bulk, and reduce the weight of toiletries and cosmetic items.

Travel Packing Tip #4 - Pack certain things in your carry-on bag, and put the rest your suitcase. Losing your luggage or having something happen to it while it is not in your possession can be a travel nightmare. We all hope that our baggage will be safe and arrive at our destination at the same time we do, but the reality is that bad things can happen to luggage as you travel. This is why it is a good idea to pack your toiletries, all undergarments, and at least two generic outfits (like two tee shirts and a pair of shorts or pants) in your carry-on bag. In the unfortunate event that your luggage gets lost, you will have the essentials you need until your luggage problem is resolved. **This travel tip allows you to function with clean undergarments for a few days if you have to wait for lost luggage.

Travel Packing Tip #5 - Get affordable travel insurance. I can't stress this enough. Most people make plans without travel insurance and want to kick themselves when they find themselves in the middle of a travel nightmare. If you get sick, your health insurance may not cover you but travel insurance will. If your lost luggage is never found, you may not be fully refunded for your items by the airline. Travel insurance will cover the cost of your luggage and its contents. If your trip is cancelled due to the weather, without travel insurance, you may lose your whole vacation investment. With travel insurance, you won't. By having worldwide 24-hour assistance, you can avoid a complete travel nightmare with travel insurance. Plans start at just $30 or less. You can't afford to NOT have travel insurance. Trust me.**This travel tip could prevent you from losing the money you have spent on your travel plans, and will protect you from having to pay for many unforseen incidents along the way.

I hope these travel tips help. For more from LowRateSearch.com, visit our homepage.

travel insurance