Since I’ve come out of the Real Simple closet and admitted to my love affair with the magazine, I saw it only fitting to expose some of my favorite travel tips I’ve picked up along the way.
 
Here are three travel tips I love … straight from the writers and editors at Real Simple Magazine.
 

photo credit: nickjohnson

 
- According to Rachel Hardage in her article “New (Travel) Uses for Old Things”, hotel match books (or stationary, pens, etc) can be used as a homing device to help you find your way back home. She recommends you toss a match book with the hotel number and address in your bag and refer to it when you are lost.
 

photo credit: Georgia Peach n Twigg

 
- In the same article, Hardage recommends travelers use kids’ floaties as a buffer for wine bottles and delicate trinkets. Just inflate the floatie around your prized possession … be it wine, limoncello or other breakable item and voila! It is protected. I mean, isn’t this genius? I am more than a little jealous I didn’t think of it myself!
 

photo credit: NickStarr

 
- In another online article by Teri Cettina titled “The First Thing to Do in 10 Travel Scenarios“, Cettina suggests for travelers to redo their luggage tag information. I, for one, am guilty. Cettina advises travelers to beware of revealing too much personal information on their luggage tags-like full name, home address and home phone-and suggests we include only our first initial and last name, email address and cell phone number.
 
Taking a clue from these two article, what other things can be a new use for an old thing or what advice do you offer other travelers as a “first thing to do?”
 
Let’s see what Robin thinks today at My Melange.
 
Until next time … Buon Viaggio!