When you love your music so much, you do not want any harm to occur to either the instruments you are carrying with you or even the music you are carrying in the form of electronic media like CDs while travelling outside your city. Many musicians have had to bear the brunt of careless handling by the baggage personnel and have had their guitars broken on arrival. This article looks at some tips on how to ensure that your classical acoustic guitar arrives in good shape at the destination.

a) The carry case – You must use a case with a hard shell which can withstand the rigors of travel and is used typically by companies when they ship such items for delivery to another location. Fastening it with a lock or tape will serve in hiding it from curious baggage handlers and reduce the chances of tampering.

b) Taking care of the strings – You must reduce the tautness of the strings of the guitar and loosen it such that it escapes the warping due to humid weather conditions.

Of course, some tension must be left behind and a slight detuning of the guitar will of tremendous benefit. This does not apply to guitars with nylon strings, since they are anyways strung less tautly.

c) Ensuring neck protection – The most delicate part of the guitar is its neck and is also the most susceptible for any damage. You need to bubble wrap and pad on some newspapers to lend it the cushioning effect, if it is thrown about, which is more than likely. The idea is to provide as less a room as possible for the neck to move about and with the aid of compressed packing through such padding, you may be able to reduce the risk of the neck breaking to a large extent.

d) Check your classical acoustic guitar as soon as you land – It is important for you to report any damage immediately on your arrival. This is to convince the concerned personnel that the damage has indeed occurred due to the careless handling of the baggage handlers and not due to your carelessness. As long as you have taken the basic precautions of packing it well, you should not have a problem getting the requisite compensation.

The above are some of the measures you can take to protect your valuable classical acoustic guitar.

While a cruise travel can be expensive there are any ways to bring down the cost and make the trip affordable and enjoyable.

1. The first thing that you will need to keep in mind is the duration of the cruise tour. While some of the cruises are for short durations such as 3-4 days, there are long cruises that extend for more than two weeks. If you are on a budget it is best to select a short duration trip rather than opt for a longer one which would mean more expenses.

2. Look into all that is covered in the “all-inclusive” package of the tours. Items such as soda, alcohol, spas, snacks, and shopping aboard the ship are not included in the package and you would have to spend little on these to save money.

3. There are on board credit deals that are offered by most cruise lines. It is best to check with a travel agent to know about the deals on offer.

This will help you save money.

4. Another point is to select a departure destination that is close by and that can be reached by car. This brings down the costs as you do not have to book airline tickets.

5. Also, check the ports of call of the cruise ships. The lesser the number the more money you will save. There are several expenses that are associated with your landing at a port of call. Hundreds of dollars get quickly spent on shopping, food, drinks, and activities while in port. Therefore it is best to choose trips with one or two port of call.

6. Do some research in the internet to know the various deals that the cruise companies have on offer. Compare shop and select the deal that best suits you. This is the bet way you can ensure that you do not exceed your budget.

7.

There are times when cruise companies have great discounts. Keep a tab on their websites to know when they make such offers and go for it.

8. Another important way to save money is by cutting down on all the non-essential expenses. It is best to stick to your budget while you are shopping and don’t forget to take advantage of sales or discounts in the shops.

9. Shore excursions are offered by most cruise lines. However these maybe expensive and it is best to limit the excursions to only those places that you would really be interested in.

10. Also it is good to limit the drinks that are available at the bar. Keep a tab on your drinks lest it turns out to be your biggest expense on board.

11. Put a limit on the use of internet and calls. Most of the cruise ships offer these facilities and often cost much more than the inland rates.

With these tips in mind you can save a lot of money as you go for that wonderful cruise.

It can happen anywhere, but if faced with unexpected travel charges in a country like Mexico, consumer protection laws are not the same. To prevent unauthorized charges from occurring, it is recommended that travelers purchase a pre-paid debit credit card and load it with an amount needed to cover hotel expenses (lodging plus fees). Since airfare is paid for in advance, using your everyday credit card is acceptable and unless a person is concerned about having to pay an additional baggage-related fee, most consumers already know how much their airfare (plus taxes and fees) will cost.

These Protecting Your Credit on Vacation Mexico travel tips come with a reminder to purchase Mexican Insurance Online before your journey begins. Review and compare Mexican Insurance Online for comprehensive, reliable Auto Insurance for Mexico. Travelers to Mexico sometimes miss major savings and value by not using available cost cutting ideas before their trip begins. Its getting easier to purchase daily, weekly or monthly Mexico Insurance online. Buying Mexico Insurance is very important because auto insurance purchased in the US and Canada excludes the Republic of Mexico for liability purposes. Print your policy instantly after payment.

When purchasing a pre-paid debit credit card for hotel expenses, you may also wish to buy one for each member of your travel party (over the age of 18). Look for cards where your name can be imprinted on the card, as proof of identification will still need to be given when making purchases. While bank-linked debit cards can easily deplete a savings or checking account, if stolen, the pre-paid debit card is only as good as the amount left on the card. Likewise, a standard-issued credit card, if stolen, can be charged up to the credit limit. Yes, a person can report their card stolen and most credit card companies only make a person responsible for the first , but this can be a time-consuming process and there is no guarantee you will be able to contact your credit card company from Mexico; especially if staying in a more remote part of the country.

To even further protect your identity, only travel with one additional credit card; which in most cases will be the credit card used to pay for airfare. If not immediately needed, keep all credit cards and other valuables in the hotel room’s safe. Take advantage of the resort’s business center and for your protection, keep track of spending online. Make sure the computer displays an “https” prefix, so your connection is secure. Otherwise, wait until you get home and compare your vacation receipts against charges made to your credit card. Travel Tips: Protecting Your Credit on Vacation!

When it is your first time to go to a different country, everything is new to you; the culture, food, and language. You want to experience all of these and in a country like Barbados there are so many things to do, food to eat, places to go to and other fun filled activities. I am sure that the moment you leave your apartment hotel, Barbados will surely take your breath away because of the country’s beautiful sceneries. However, visitors beware because tourists and travelers are the perfect prey for crimes. Even though the crime rate is relatively low, it still advisable for tourists, to be cautious while visiting the Caribbean island.

The most prevalent offense against tourists that is reported is robbery, which accounts for 50 percent of all crimes in this group. According to a survey, out of the 1.2 million persons that visited the country last 2008, a total of 242 crime incidents were reported.

The crimes range from robberies, home burglary and car theft. Tourists are warned to keep a watchful eye on suspicious characters when they are traveling. This is to avoid being victimized by the culprits. Here are some things to remember to be safe while traveling in this tropic country.

Upon arriving in the airport keep a watchful eye on your belongings. Allow only authorized airport porters to carry your baggage and belongings from customs terminal to the street outside. Suggested tipping is USD per bag. Do not bulk store your money. Keep in mind to distribute your money among family members you are traveling with. This will help you just in case you lost your wallet or be victimized by pick pockets. If you are traveling alone and have a small budget, ZRs, yellow Mini buses and Blue transport board buses is the cheapest way to travel. A ride from any of these vehicles just cost BBD$ 1.50. Remember ZRs and the yellow minibuses can give change but the government operated Barbados transport board system cannot, so make sure you have smaller bills and coins with you before you take a ride on these transportations. ZRs or route taxis take the most scenic routes on the island; however, tourists beware since these minibuses are often crowded. Drivers do not turn down any passenger, despite the minibus’ full capacity. They will still pick up passengers along the way even if you think there’s no possible way a person can fit anymore. If you still insist on riding ZRs, keep an eye on your wallets and pockets. With crowded places like these, anyone can be easily be victimized by pick pockets.

Property and home burglary is the next highest crime in this Caribbean country, most burglars study tourists and picks the one who stays in a low security inns or lodges. Before checking in a hotel, better check if there are areas which can be an easy access to thieves, a hotel with built in security cameras is an advisable place to stay at. When leaving your hotel, make sure all passages are tightly locked and this includes windows too. Make sure your valuables are safely stored before you leave. Double check if you have locked everything before leaving the hotel. Carefully choose your apartment hotel, Barbados is a very nice place to spend your vacation but always be cautious so that you won’t be a victim of any crime during your stay.

Our trip went very smoothly, thanks to Dave Saunders at LondonGolf who arranged the whole thing. He did a spectacular job and, in general, everything went as planned. We did learn some things along the way that may be of help to anyone else interested in making the journey to golf’s mecca. In no particular order…

If you’re a Scotch drinker and want to enjoy it while you’re there (as we did), definitely buy some at a store or distillery in Scotland. If you plan to take some home, it’s a better deal to buy it at the Duty Free shop at the airport. It’s cheaper and you don’t have to pay the VAT (value added tax that is everywhere in Europe and around 15%) and then fill out paperwork, get it stamped, find the special mailbox at the airport and cross your fingers you get a refund in the next 6 months. If you get to Tomintoul in the Cairngorm Mountains, stop in at the Whiskey Castle, you won’t regret it and you’ll find scotches you’ve never seen before in your life.

Tell Mike Drury I’m enjoying the Blackadder he convinced me to buy.

Driving on the left isn’t so bad as long as you’re conscious of what you’re doing. The problems arise when you’re on automatic pilot. Your instincts will be all wrong. I’ve visited left side driving countries maybe 6 times now without incident, but I have had some close calls when I wasn’t conscious of what I was doing, like when you’re tired. Parking lots are dangerous because there are no markings to guide you and usually no cars to follow. When making turns, remember the first lane to cross your track is to the right. The same applies when crossing streets!

Besides a few main highways, the roads are two lane and narrow. Add twisty, and it’s a bit disconcerting to face a truck coming right at you. It doesn’t seem to bother the Scots though. They never seem to slow down while I often had to come to a crawl. Be mindful of anyone in the passenger seat, they will s__t themselves a few times. Imagine feeling you’re on the wrong side of the road and having no steering wheel!

If you’ve got the time, give yourself some days without golf. My wife and I played every day and on three occasions it was 36 holes. As many of the best courses restrict play on the weekends until Sunday afternoon, these are great times to sight see or just relax. If you have the luxury, book tee times late enough that you can find the course, practice and study the course guide before teeing off. Most of the courses we played had practice areas, but they are often somewhat removed from the clubhouse.

We didn’t take any travelers checks. It’s just as easy to get money from an ATM and at a better exchange rate. When I arrived at the Edinburgh airport I changed 0, the rest of the time I used my credit cards or an ATM. With all the credit card theft these days, make sure to call your card companies in advance and tell them when and where you’ll be traveling, otherwise you’re charges are likely to be denied.

If you have the time, drive into the mountains. They’re completely different from what you’ll see along the coast and definitely worth the visit. If you have time to get to the west coast of the Highlands, do it for sure. It’s beautiful and completely different from the rest of the country.

The breakfasts at the B&B’s are terrific. You can pretty much get anything and everything and it’s all cooked to order. From what we saw, dinner is you’re typical meat and potatoes or fish and chips. One of the best meals we had was at an Indian restaurant called Ganges in Carnoustie. All the golf clubs will welcome you into their clubhouse. The food is usually very good and the beer better.

You can still get real cashmere in Scotland. Johnston’s in Elgin is the one Scottish mill left that spins their own yarns. And you aren’t limited to the single ply stuff that comes out of China. Their cashmere is the real deal and you can even get it in 2 or 3 ply. The prices seemed very reasonable and nothing is warmer as an underlayer on the links than a nice cashmere sweater.

The supermarkets sell wine and beer. There are some terrific Scottish bottled beers there that you won’t find many other places. Be sure and try ‘Innis and Gunn’ which is aged in oak casks and ‘Lia Fail’, you won’t regret it.

Don’t be afraid to take the side roads along the coast. You’ll find lovely small towns that you’d otherwise miss. You’ll feel like it’s the 19th century. If you drive the coast from Dornoch to St. Andrews as we did, you’ll find it is constantly changing. It ranges from dramatic cliffs that fall into the sea to beautiful sand beaches that go on for miles and are completely unspoiled.