by: Jill Newry

We love taking trips, whether it\'s a short road trip, or a longer trip by air to some distant exotic place. But all too often we fail to plan for our trip and the result is frustration and annoyance.

1. For road trips, get the right maps and plan your route thoroughly. Everything won\'t go exactly to plan, but at least you\'ll have much fewer nasty surprises.

2. Never, ever make a joke about bombs or terrorists near security at an airport. Many people have jokingly mentioned they have a small bomb in their case as their luggage is being inspected. Later at the police station they deeply regretted their stupidity.

4. While cruises make planning easy with their all in charges, there is likely to be many extra item that you should budget for. These include, taxes, surcharges and fees, tipping, drinks, some shore excursions, shopping purchases, etc.

5. The most obvious thing to check on before setting off on a foreign trip is the state of the local weather where you are going. You don\'t want to arrive in a tee shirt if it\'s snowing, or in a fur coat if it\'s in the 90s.

6. When travelling with children bring along recent photos of each one. If a child gets lost, the photo will prove invaluable in helping to locate the child again.

7. A trip to a theme park will suffer from a lack of careful planning. Some parks are so big that planning is essential. Get a list of all the rides and a map of the park, as well as opening and closing times, before setting off.

About The Author - Jill Newry is a freelance travel writer who lives in San Francisco with her husband. She loves travelling to distant lands, and when she can’t, she manages her travel website at: http://www.tipsforatrip.com/