The last thing you want to have to do is spend your short break holiday wandering around a city that you have never visited before, so here are my time saving travel tips which will mean you can spend more time enjoying your short break holiday.

Travel light

Most low cost airlines charge you for taking your baggage so to save time and money I carry as few items with me as possible and put it all in a secure rucksack that meets the size and weight requirements for hand held baggage. Remember that you can’t take liquids and other items within your hand held baggage so will have to buy deodorant, toothpaste etc when you arrive at your destination.

You won’t have to queue to check-in your luggage, so it’s straight to security for you. When arriving at the resort airport you don’t have to waste time waiting for the baggage to arrive. You can head straight to the exit and start your holiday.

On arrival

Find out what forms of transport can take you from the airport to your hotel. The airport website is a good place to start. For my trip to Sardinia in April, I found the bus time table online, I know how much it is going to cost to my hotel and how to buy tickets.

City guide buses and tours

Once your settled in y our hotel make sure that you take a city tour. Most cities provide city tours of some type, be it a horse and carriage, coach, or open top bus. It’s a quick way to find your way around the city, and get to know areas you might not find on foot. Most of the open top buses allow you to jump off and on.

Download a mp3 travel guide

Most of us nowadays own an mp3 or iPod and you can download audio guides for your weekend break, I do this all the time and found it invaluable during my trip to Prague. Some sites charge you a small fee, but it’s worth it when you consider the price of a tour guide.

Finding local banks

Whilst this won’t be a problem in large cities, you may find that you cannot find a bank machine that accept your maestro card in lesser known destinations. The MasterCard website has a great little tool to help you find the location of the bank machines which accept your card.

Prior to leaving home check use this tool and Google map to find the nearest to your hotel or the airport, write down the address. This will save you tons of time and stress if you have to travel to the other end of the city to withdraw your money.

Learning the local lingo

To save a little time try and learn the basics of the local language, i.e. hello, thank you, good bye etc. The English language is pretty much spoken no matter where you travel, and I’ve only had language difficulties twice, and both occasions it was whilst in a small town, away from the usual tourist trap.

I was in Spain, in Calpe, before it became a popular place for tourists and I had to draw a clock and a boat to find out what time the next boat took me back to Benidorm. I missed the boat, and had to pay a fortune for a taxi back to the hotel, lesson learnt.

Plan your trip

I’ve been told numerous times that I am too organised, but my reply is you can never been too organised when it involves you visit a foreign country for the first time. Don’t plan every single minute, of every single day, but try and think of the attractions you really want to see and then make a note of their location and how to get there.

Plan your trip and you will save tons of time, believe me.

Using mobile technology

The Nokia N95 has GPS installed which means you can find out where you are located and the directions to your hotel or to y our destination. It’ll also tell you the nearest restaurants, attractions and bars to your location and lets you read reviews online.

Word of warning though, be careful how often you use this service, as roaming fees are still ridiculously expensive despite EU’s clampdown on mobile operators charging high rates abroad. I know I’m a geek, but I just love this technology.

Understanding the public transport system

You can waste absolutely tons of time hanging around for trains and buses, and it’s very easy to get lost in a large underground station. I know that because it’s happened to me so many times. Most transport networks have their timetables and routes online, so plan ahead a little and find out which services you’ll use and how regular the service runs.

Remember that in some countries (and islands) the services will either not be reliable, or in the low season the service may be drastically reduced. The last thing you want is to be stranded for an hour waiting for a bus when you want to be off gallivanting around the city.

Use your hotel

Your hotel should have plenty of literature for the local attractions, and hopefully if you find a hotel with friendly staff, they will be able to help you with directions and reviews of local restaurants and bars. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, that’s what they are there for.

I hope you found this useful, and please let me know your tips.

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