Traveling is exciting and can be a great time for you or one of the biggest headaches you will ever encounter if not done right. Read on for some great ideas on how to travel smart and take care of all the little things that if you don't, will leave you wishing you stayed home.

If someone else is traveling with you, or when traveling in a group, it is good practice to divide each of your belongings across all luggage bags. This provides insurance against lost luggage. If someone's luggage is lost, they will at least have some of their belongings. To further protect against lost luggage, it is recommended that each person bring a change of clothes with them in their carry-on bag.

If you will be traveling abroad then you should ask your medical insurance carrier if you will be covered in the case of an emergency abroad. If not you may want to consider buying additional insurance. This is a good idea because it would be better to be covered, than be sorry.

When you are going on a camping trip make sure you know of all dangers in the area you are going. Check for animals that may come to camp and may be dangerous or plants that you may want to avoid when hiking through the woods. This will help you avoid a tragedy or disaster.

After getting settled in your hotel room, look for fire exits. This may seem trivial, but it can save your life. By knowing where the fire exits are - if the fire alarm goes off - you know which direction to leave. Also, try not to forget your hotel key or card in the event of a fire evacuation.

Get an e-book reader. When you are traveling for a long period of time, books can be a great form of entertainment. Unfortunately, most physical books are very heavy and can take up a lot of space in your bags. A e-book reader, however, is very light and can store 100s of virtual books.

As long as you can be flexible with your travel dates, search for flights using the broadest range of dates that you can. This search feature is part of most travel websites and doing a broad search allows you to see if there are certain days that are cheaper to fly on than others. Using this technique could save you a significant amount of money.

Make sure that you take enough prescription medication to last for the entire trip anytime you travel. You should always take some extra meds with you, just in case you are delayed or get stranded somewhere, for a long period of time. Bring your medication information along with you, as well, in case you need to get more from a pharmacy.

Pack a shoe organizer that goes over the door. Once you check in to your hotel, hang the organizer over the door, and you will have everything at your fingertips. A clear plastic one is your best bet. This is the most helpful item to have when traveling because everything is organized and in one place.

The enjoyment of travel begins with anticipation, as you plan that special trip. Shrewd advice, based on other's experiences, may keep you from foundering on one of the many obstacles that may face you. We hope these tips will help you put together a perfect plan so you can realize your travel dream.