20 Tips

13. Map your trip. Every summer, we drive out West from Pennsylvania with our two kids. In order to avoid that infamous road trip question ("Are we there yet?"), I give each child a map with our route highlighted on it. They can match up the town names with road signs and always know exactly where we are and how much further we have to go to get there. --Machell McCoy, Carlisle, Pa.

14. Keep track of your transportation. Have you ever lost your tour bus, van, or rental car in a crowded parking lot? Before setting off, take a photo of the vehicle and license plate with your digital camera. This strategy proved exceptionally practical for us in bustling Ho Chi Minh City.--J.L. Pasztor, Midland, Mich.

15. Bag your accessories. When I go on a trip that requires me to accessorize a number of outfits, I buy those little zip-top baggies and place the appropriate jewelry/scarf/panty hose in the bag. Then I punch a hole just big enough to slide the bag over the outfit's hanger. This way, my panty hose stay snag-free and my jewelry never gets lost.--Gina Beyer, New York, N.Y.

16. Save some water. When I was in China, the water shut off while I was taking a shower. It was only then I realized that the empty bucket in the bathtub was there for a reason. I should have filled it with water to prepare for just such an emergency.--Ned Clem, Carefree, Ariz.

17. Pack an extra Ziploc bag.  When carrying around my small umbrella, I put it in a Ziploc bag. After using it, I can put the umbrella back in the Ziploc and into my shoulder bag without getting everything else wet.--Sandy Sussman, Princeton, N.J.

18. Join South American Explorers. Planning a trip to South America? Join the nonprofit group South American Explorers (saexplorers.org) before you leave home. For $50, or $80 per couple, you'll get access to information on everything from volunteer opportunities to tour operators' deals, as well as a place to store luggage at offices in Quito, Lima, and Cuzco. Best of all, the discounts will easily cover the cost of membership. We were home free after the savings we received on our first reservation with an eco-lodge. The 10 percent we got off at our other hotels and some restaurants was gravy!--Molly Ogorzaly, Austin, Tex.

19. Ask a young person. While in Paris, I always asked for information from a young person because I found that most of the older Parisians were usually not interested in conversing in English. A few years ago, the French education requirements were changed to include a second language, and fortunately for us, the majority of students in the Paris area chose English. Even though my hotel was in a remote arrondissement where English speakers were quite rare, my strategy never failed.--Hal Turner, Sun City Center, Fla.

20. Make your own beach blanket. We pack a sheet to use as a beach blanket. I sewed loops made from a shoelace to each corner and use plastic tent stakes to anchor the sheet in the sand. It's easy to pack and takes up less space than those bulky beach towels.--Beverly Russo, N. Massapequa, N.Y.