Traveling by Air? Ways to avoid baggage fees!

The holiday travel season is coming upon us and many will travel by land this year(gas here is as low as $1.69 per gallon). Others will be rushing to airports, where they will be faced with new airline fees for checked baggage. Many travelers are striving to pack more efficiently and fly with only a carry-on. The goal is simple: you want to visit your destination without running out of clean socks or overstuffing your suitcase. Packing for a trip is often a struggle of distinguishing what we want to bring from what we need to bring. Here are 5 tips from IndependentTraveler.com, a leader in online travel information, to help achieve this goal:
1. Rethink the wardrobe
Stick to wardrobe essentials. Choose clothes in neutral colors that can be mixed and matched and pack a travel-size packet of laundry detergent to wash clothes while traveling. Bring no more than two pairs of shoes one to be packed and one to be worn on the plane.
2. Simplify the beauty regimen
Don't lug an army of beauty products across the globe. Instead, use hotel toiletries or pack products with multiple uses, such as a moisturizer with SPF or a combination shampoo/conditioner. To meet security requirements, make sure that liquid products in containers of 3 ounces or less are in a quart-size zip-top, clear plastic bag.
3. Pick 1 favorite book
Don't weigh a suitcase down with books. Pack one comprehensive guidebook and use Internet cafes as necessary to look up additional information on the road.
4. Leave the crown jewels at home
Leave all valuable at home. Fancy watches and jewelry are targets for thieves and can prevent travelers from fitting into the local culture.
5. Forget the gizmos
Pack only indispensable electronic gadgets. Skip the toothbrush sanitizer, ocean sound machine and other extraneous items.
If you would like help with packing more efficiently, check out www.independenttraveler.com/packing. You can get an interactive packing list featuring more than 100 commonly packed items. This online tool lets travelers create a personalized packing list to save, print or e-mail to oneself or a friend.
Happy traveling!