TIP #1 - RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES: Taking time off from work for a vacation is one of the best ways to recharge your batteries and improve your productivity. Warning: Make sure you don't spend too much time on any work you take with you or checking in with the office while you're away or you'll defeat the whole purpose of taking a vacation!

TIP #2 - ADVANCE PLANNING: Some advance planning will go a long way to making your trip a pleasant one. Buy airline tickets well in advance so you don't have to pay top dollar for them. Make hotel and car rental reservations well in advance to ensure that you get what you want. If you're traveling abroad, make sure your passport is current. If it's not, apply early for a new one. Don't wait until the last minute or you'll pay extra fees for express delivery.

TIP #3 - YOUR ITINERARY: Take multiple copies of your itinerary with you. Keep one in your suitcase, and another one in your pocketbook, backpack, carry on bag, or briefcase, etc. Leave copies of your itinerary as well as your ID, passport, credit cards and traveler's checks with family members or friends at home. That way, they'll be able to contact you in case of an emergency and you'll be able to contact them in case you lose your wallet or, heaven forbid, it gets stolen.

TIP #4 - SCHEDULE ACTIVITIES: If you're not on an organized tour, plan what you're going to do or see at your destination before you arrive there. Make a schedule for each day so you have something to reference and aren't wasting time trying to figure it out on the fly. Be flexible about switching things around if the situation calls for it.

TIP #5 - ESSENTIALS: If you're flying, keep your prescription medicines, a change of underwear, a toothbrush and tooth paste, your cell phone, a good book and anything else you deem vital in your carry on bag. That way if your luggage doesn't arrive when you do, you'll have some essentials to tide you over.

TIP #6 - ROAD TRIPS: If you're taking a road trip with kids and you want it to be a peaceful one, be sure to buy or bring things to keep them amused, to fend off hunger and to keep them clean. Baby wipes, snacks, boxed juices, a deck of cards, magnetic checkers, coloring books, tapes, or CDs of their favorite songs or books, a favorite toy they love to play with, etc. Save a couple of brand-new toys to be dramatically unveiled just when your child is about to have a meltdown! And don't forget all those car games that can be played by young and older children, no props required. Here are a couple of suggestions. Alphabet game: This can be played as a team or individual. Each player finds one thing outside or in the car that starts with every letter of the alphabet - in order - from A-Z. Number hunt: everyone picks a number between one and one hundred and tries to find it on license plates, street signs or shop windows. Pick a subject: the first person names a country (i.e. France), and the second person names a country that starts with the last letter of the previous word (i.e. Egypt). Subject can be changed to animals, cities, celebrities, etc.

TIP #7 - PACKING LISTS: Create a packing list of everything you want to take with you on your trip: clothes, shoes, toiletries, reading material, etc. Keep your daily itinerary in mind when deciding what to take. Check items off on your list as you put them in your suitcase. Packing lists take the anxiety out of getting ready for a trip and ensure that you don't forget anything you meant to take. A trip to the beach will require very different packing than a ski trip or a business trip so create different lists for the different kinds of trips your take. Keep your lists on your computer in a "Travel Checklist" folder so you can easily update them if your needs and wants change in the future. Print your lists out and keep them
in your empty suitcase so you can reference them for each trip you take.

TIP #8 - START EARLY: Start gathering and laying out all the clothes you think you'll need two or three days ahead of your trip. This will minimize the stress of last minute packing and help you avoid making rushed or poor decisions. Now, put away 50% of what you've laid out! Most people pack way too much and end up carrying bags that are heavier than they need to be. Not fully packing your suitcase also means you'll have room for any souvenirs and gifts you might purchase during your trip!

TIP #9 - TRAVEL SMART: Pack with a simple color scheme in mind so you can easily mix and match different tops with different bottoms. Pack more tops than bottoms. Tops take up less space and are a good way to increase your options without adding a lot of extra weight. Choose wrinkle resistant fabrics or clothing made from fabrics designed to travel well from catalogs/companies like, Orvis, Patagonia, Royal Robbins, Magellan's, Travel Smith, L.L. Bean, etc.

TIP #10 - SHOES: Limit the number of pairs of shoes you take. You need enough to switch off and give your feet a break, but packing too many adds a lot of weight and bulk to your suitcase. Wear the bulkiest pair and pack the lighter weight pairs. Opt for versatility and comfort over high fashion.

TIP #11 - TOILETRIES: Keep toiletries and cosmetics in travel size containers and store in a spill proof toiletry kit. Label the containers, if necessary, so you know what's what. Just to be on the safe side in the event of a spill, put your toiletry kit inside a large, Ziploc freezer bag. Always replenish or replace what you've used on your trip as soon as you return home. That way, your toiletry kit will be good to go when you take your next trip and one less thing you have to think about.

TIP #12 - LAUNDRY: If you don't plan on washing your clothes while you're on the road, include a large plastic bag to collect and separate the dirty clothes from the clean ones.

TIP #13 - OUT WITH THE OLD: Bring along your oldest socks, underwear and sleepwear and just throw them out after you wear them. This is a great way to kill two birds with one stone - cleaning out your old stuff and lightening your travel load.

TIP #14 - BREATHING ROOM: Keep your calendar as free as possible the week before you leave on your vacation so that you have time to tie up any loose ends or deal with any unexpected situations.

TIP #15 - TIDY UP: Clean your home, do the laundry and make your bed before you leave on your trip. It will make returning home much nicer!

TIP #16 - BILLS: Make sure important bills are paid before you leave or pay them online on time so you don't incur any unnecessary late fees.

TIP #17 - EMAIL: Clean out your email box before you leave so there's plenty of memory to cover new, incoming email.

TIP #18 - CATCH-UP DAY: Tell people you'll be back from your vacation a day later than you actually will so you can catch up on the mail and email messages that have accumulated while you were away. This will help to reduce the stress of returning ho

TIP #19 - IT'S NEVER TOO SOON: When you return home, review your calendar and start planning your next vacation!

Author's Bio: 

A.J. Miller is a residential and business organizing expert based in New York City and a past board member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) New York Chapter. She writes a column on getting organized, clutter control, time management, living more simply, increasing productivity, how being organized reduces stress and other related topics for a local NYC newspaper and the blog, Don't Agonize. Organize!, which can be read at http://millerorganizing.blogspot.com. You can follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/millerorganizin. A.J. can be contacted by email at info@MillerOrganizing.com or by phone at (212) 228-8375. You can also visit her on the web at http://MillerOrganizing.com.