Safe Family Travel Tips

When you are out traveling with the family there are many ways that you can save energy and recycle. These range from reusing towels at a hotel to being aware of turning off lights, air-conditioning and heating when not in use.

When a family goes on vacation together they can take from home their habits of saving energy and recycling along with them. When staying at a hotel for a couple days you can help save electricity and water by reusing your bath towels and not having the bed linens changed every day. Most people do not change their bed linens at home every day. Even with several in the family towels can easily be kept so that each individual knows which is theirs. The location of hanging the towels, color coordinating hangers, and similar systems can be used. By reusing the towels and not having bed linens changed throughout your stay you are greatly assisting the location in saving time and money.

As should be a habit in your own home when leaving rooms or the house; when leaving the hotel room you should be sure that the TV, the radio, and all lights are turned off. With all the excitement of going out to see new sites and have fun, it is easy to forget to do such simple things that can conserve a lot of energy. Some hotels have a sticker or magnet placed at eye level on the outside of the hotel room doors reminding you to check that lights and appliances are all turned off. If you stay at a hotel that does not have this reminder you could place your own hand-written note on the outside of the door for a reminder to all family members.

In addition to turning out the lights and turning off the appliances, it is a good idea to at least turn down the AC or heat if you need it to keep running in your room. If temperatures allow, you could even turn it off. Surely you should turn it completely off when leaving the room when your stay is over. Use of the drapes in the hotel is also a good idea for assisting in regulating room temperatures when you ensure that they are closed when leaving the room.

In a strange hotel room, you may be tempted to keep the bathroom light on, for example, so that if someone needs to go in the middle of the night they can see where they are going. A nightlight uses much less energy and is small enough not to take up a lot of space in your luggage. This allows you to place a light where you most need it at night while saving power in comparison to the light in the bathroom.

Most of us like the smell and feel of our own toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, and soap. With this in mind, it is a good idea to leave the hotel bottles of these products and bring your own from home. If you are afraid of leaking in your luggage, you can easily use plastic zip-lock storage bags of any size you need to keep a protective barrier between your toiletries and clothing.

Hotels also tend to provide patrons with plastic cups. Sometime during your stay at the hotel, someone will need a drink or use a cup for when brushing their teeth. In order to have everyone reuse their cups, you can have a permanent marker and place each person’s name on their cup that they will use throughout your stay. Even if there are classes, the permanent marker on the bottom of the glass will be no big deal. Avoiding the use of room service, along with reusing your cups and glasses will save on extra dishes to be washed.