Jet lag is something that every traveler has to deal with.  It's one thing to change your wrist watch by six or nine or twelve hours… It's whole different thing to get your body to change the same number of time zones.  

All those feelings you have… tired and grumpy, puffy, headachy… they're all part of a real physical reaction.  Your biological clock is upset when you travel rapidly across many time zones.  You're body produces certain hormones to tell it when you normally sleep, when you wake up and when you're hungry… now your watch and your brain are trying to tell it something different…. your body is lagging behind.

Crossing one or two time zones usually doesn't cause jet lag.  There really isn't enough of a time change there to really disrupt your biological clock.  And it's not linked just with the length of the flight.

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Know your visa requirements before you go tearing off to a local Consulate or send your passport to an Embassy.  Be sure that you have collected all of the information and documents you'll need to apply for your visa.

Your travel agent may give you good advice on visa requirements, but it is ultimately your responsibility to obtain your visa, and to do that you need to gather the proper information.  To find out what the procedure and requirements are for each country you want to visit, check with the Embassy of that country.  

You can look up basic information on the internet.  The U.S. State Department site, for instance, has information on what U.S. citizens need for visas, but when we went to China, it didn't mention a requirement about the passport needing to have 3 months validity after a visit ends.  The Chinese Embassy site was where we found that information.  

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Flip a switch, and you have electricity worldwide… the lights come on.  Plug in an appliance, and it will go on too… right?  Not necessarily.  There are different voltages and currents all around the world… not to mention the shape of plugs.  Electricity worldwide is always there…. it's just delivered differently, and you need to know about it.

If you're planning to take something electronic with you (and who isn't these days?) you should check the voltage requirements on the gadgetry you plan to take abroad… and compare it to what is available in the country you're visiting.  

There are two basic standard wall currents in electricity worldwide…. 100-120 versus 220-240 volts.  You'll need to read the guidebook or look up what is used in the country you're visiting.  When you're traveling, it's important to know if you need to "step up" or "step down"  your voltage with a transformer or converter so you don't damage your appliance.  

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Why do you feel fatigue after flights?  Ever wonder why you feel done in after traveling?  Here are some facts about why you feel that fatigue after flights.  

We're not talking jet lag here, though that fat-headed fatigue is definitely part of jet lag.  You may feel fatigue after a long north-south flight where there is little or no change in time zones or even after a daytime cross country flight with only a couple of hours of time change.

One of the main culprits is the cabin air in airplanes.  Commercial aircraft are pressurized… that means when you're flying at 35,000 ft  (10,670 meters), the cabin will be pressurized to about 8,000 feet (2440 Meters)… so it will feel like you are in the mountains… high in the mountains.  If you've been hiking or skiing at those altitudes, you know that the air is thinner, and you easily get out of breath.  There is less oxygen in each breath you take because of the lower air pressure, and that lower oxygen level tends to make your brain fuzzy.

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With all the booking services online these days, travel agents seem likely to be left out of the booking loop.  So when should you think about using one?

It's easy to find airline deals on the web, and there are tours enough to make your mind spin….  But that could be just the reason you might want to contact a professional to help plan your travels.

If you are trying to plan a complicated trip…. say an African safari or a swing through several Southeast Asian countries, an agent who specializes in those areas can help guide you to the best hotels and sights.  Sure you can research the hotels, but those pictures and descriptions can be deceiving.  A good agent has been there and stayed in those hotels and knows the area.

A cruise package might seem easy to arrange, but an agent who specializes in cruises knows the ships and the different cruise lines.  They can help you choose the cruise line that best suits your budget and travel style, and they will know which cabins to book and which ones to avoid.

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I don't know about you, but I remember when we didn't worry about keeping in touch when we traveled.  It was just too difficult and costly.  When we first started traveling, you had to find a post office, when one was open, and you could place long distance calls from there.  Then came phone cards… you had to buy a phone card and find a pay phone…. then figure out how to use it.

Then of course there were the post cards.  Everybody wanted one, and we always sent them…. but they weren't really keeping in touch… they always arrived days or weeks after we got home.

Keeping in touch when you travel is easier than it ever used to be…. gone are the days of being mostly incommunicado… unless you want to travel that way!   With all the modern electronics, there is no problem keeping in touch today.

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Civil unrest has always been a consideration for travelers.  Hotel security tips are important to help you choose a safe hotel if you think this might be a problem.
With today's global economic problems, riots are occurring in places where we haven't seen them before.  There is the threat of terrorism that can't be denied.  

You should think about your safety when you're traveling, but don't avoid your trip because you think something might happen.  If you really are worried about unrest in the area you're visiting, there are some things you can think about to make your stay safer.

1.    Stay in small, local type hotels rather than big famous landmark hotels.  Terrorists want to make headlines, and big international hotels where there may be famous guests are more tempting.  That small hotel is less apt to be a terrorist target.

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It has been said that vacations are what we work for.  We put in the time at work, then eagerly anticipate the time we take off so we can travel to visit friends, family, and sometimes even to an exotic location.  And what with the planning of the trip and trying to get all aspects of the impending vacation planned out, we don't take much time to think about the little details involved in leaving our house unattended for that week.

This article includes 6 tips on leaving your house while on vacation - so you will be totally prepared on the home front before you leave.

1.    Designate someone to be in charge of your home while you're gone.  Ideally, this should be a neighbor, preferably one who lives across the street from you and can see your house from their front window.  Their job may be to simply keep an eye on things, but it could be more involved.  Check with them enough in advance to make sure they will be home during that time.  Be sure to offer to return the favor when they go on vacation.  Give them details as to where you will be, your cell phone numbers, and talk about what they should do in case of emergency.

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