For instance, when I got back from my first cruise I wrote a blog post about cruising for the first time- packed with information I wish I had known before I left. To make it easier for those who are looking for information, I created this roundup of all my favorite travel tips and advice. Look through it- there may be something that interests you.

How to do Disneyland in a day

Three reasons you shouldn’t travel

Staying in a hostel 101

Tips for first time cruisers

When to use a travel agent

How to enjoy Las Vegas when you lose all your money gambling

Why buy a timeshare?

How to make tight airline connections

Avoiding road trip disasters

Rental car tips

How to get Broadway tickets for cheap

Who offers the best hotel rewards program?

How to visit Paris and keep money in your pocket

How to sleep on an airplane

In an industry where so much is out of so many people’s control, and where one series of events can cause a domino effect that can ripple across the country and disturb thousands of travel plans, it can be very stressful. I feel for people who work in the airline industry’s frontlines and get the brunt of the frustration and anger. And you know what? Nine times out of ten it’s not even their fault. But it’s not even limited to the airlines. I worked in the hospitality industry for a year as a front desk clerk at a hotel and let me tell you, people really think acting bafoonish helps them get their way, but as this article points out, I was a hundred times more likely to help the patient and understanding people then the ones who belittled me.

But I digress… I can’t be too judgmental because I too have let myself get angry and out of control in certain instances… never really at airlines or hotels but more so at rental car agencies. Oh they just make me so mad! I just think this is a sector of the travel industry that has caused the most strife in my travel escapades. If the franchises would just have some consistency and if making a reservation meant actually having a car for you when you arrived, it would be way less traumatic! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard: “Yes, I see that you reserved a compact car, but we are going to upgrade you to a minivan!” Yes… an “upgrade” because a minivan is an ideal vehicle to be driving around San Francisco and parallel parking into tight spaces. MMhmmm…

Maybe a little human decency is all the travel world needs. After all if your day is going bad imagine the employee’s day that is having to deal with you and a hundred other upset and disgruntled customers. Can’t be too much fun. So give an airline,hotel, or other travel employee a break this Holiday season by saying something kind and nice!

Flying can be one of the most stressful parts of traveling- we are all aware of this fact. It can be so uncomfortable- depending on how full your plane is, most of the time you are starving because lets face it those peanuts just aren’t cutting it anymore, stressed about being forced to check your luggage because there is no room in the overhead compartments, being stuck in the back of the plane when you are making a tight connection, long lines for the lavatory and the list just goes on and on!

 There is one ailment for this illness and that would be the glorious first class seat. More legroom, peace and quiet, easier access to a lavatory, first on the plane and first off so you aren’t worrying about your carry on luggage, all the snacks you can eat and depending on the length of the flight you even get a meal, and many many more perks! Totally worth it right? Well for most of us our only option is the coach seat based on our budgets… or is it? If you are like me and love to travel first class but can’t afford the pricey seat read this article from USA Today which talks about five ways to get a first class seat without paying for it.

It talks about looking for promotions, knowing when to pay for the upgrade, and offers other great informative tips. The article also mentions knowing what doesn’t work, for example feeding the gate agent some story and asking for an upgrade. You see it happen in airports all the time and let me tell you, gate agents are not authorized to upgrade coach passengers unless they have miles status or pay for an upgrade, rarely will they ever upgrade otherwise unless of extenuating circumstances- and even then it’s pretty rare. So leave them alone and do your research!

Rosas View San Ignacio

Last year I traveled through the small country of Belize. The country is so small, that it is in fact a smaller than my home state of Utah!  Honestly, not until I returned from my trip to Belize did I fully understand where I had been and the beautiful sceneries I was able to see, the dangerous situations I had put myself in, and the adventures I would be able to tell my kids about (hypothetical children).

It all started last March when a couple that my boyfriend and I knew invited us to go on vacation with them to the country of Belize and stay for FREE in their boss’s hut right next to the beach in Placencia (the southern tip of the Belizean peninsula).

Carelessly we agreed, started a bit of light planning, and booked the flight (as a way to cut costs we decided to fly into Cancun, Mexico and take public buses into Belize – you can opt to fly into Belize City, but make sure to fly in during the day, the city can be rough at night). We were all excited about the trip and were especially grateful to be backpacking in a country that’s official language was and is English (Belize was established by British colonies).

As two traveling couples, we agreed to be as spontaneous as possible and not to book any places to stay, which for the

Rooftop View Los Palmos

most part was one of the best parts of our vacation (the only exception was when we got to the boss’s hut and there were no beds, no bathroom and we decided to spend the night in hammocks…not a very comfortable nights sleep).

I have listed below some of the places we stayed as well as some travel tips; I would recommend them to anyone and actually when we back-tracked on the way home, we stayed at these places again because we loved them so much. They were all clean, had private baths, and all offered A/C (which is an important amenity when you are facing 90% humidity), oh and did I forget to mention that they were a great price for a small budget!

Location: Playa del Carmen, Mexico (about 60 minutes from Cancun airport)
Hotel Mayeli – $35 US a night
Family owned – about 20 rooms
Amenities: pool, about 2 minute walk to ocean/beach, A/C, attached bath,
clean towel service, restaurant located in hotel

Location: Corozol, Belize (about 9 miles from the Mexican border)
Los Palmos Hotel – $75 US a night
Ask for Charlie – he is the owner and a very nice man
Amenities: beautiful hotel top views (one night we watched a storm blown in…it was amazing!),
mini fridge, A/C, private bath, clean towel service, TV, large common area
Website: http://www.laspalmashotelbelize.com

Location: San Ignacio (On the West side of the country, about a 15 minute drive to the Guatemalan border)
Rosa’s – $60 US a night
Very secure and right downtown next to some fun night life
Amenities: private bath, A/C, clean towel service, overlooks the local central park

Now to the point of the post; the travel tips. Although I will not try and state that I know everything about the country of Belize, I can honestly say that we traveled through 90% of the country and I have some helpful tips. Enjoy!

Hotel Tips:

• Whether you are booking your hotels ahead of time, or trying to be spontaneous, make sure you do some research before you go, believe me, it will make your life a lot easier.
• Always choose a hotel that has A/C, it is important and you will want it when the 90% humidity hits you.
• I am not convinced that Belize knows what the term hot water means. All the places I stayed said they had hot water, but believe me it was COLD…be prepared!
• Although the crime rate is high in Belize, if you stay at a hotel that has a guarded front gate, you will be able to leave your belongings in the room and feel comfortable enough to do so.
• Do not drink the water! There are enough food stands around to purchase bottled water and in fact many hotels sell cold water at the front desk. I recommend that you drink the bottled water, despite what the locals say.

Public Transportation Tips:

• If opting to travel the Belizean country side on public buses…be prepared!
• The buses in Belize are run-down (this is an understatement) and do not have A/C, but fortunately the windows slide down and get a good breeze going through the bus.
• DO NOT ride the buses at night! (We did and had the scariest night of our lives).
• Watch your luggage. The bus drivers are required to place any large bags under the bus. Watch the other passengers and make sure they do not take your bags and run off.
o I recommend tying everyone’s bags together to stop thieves.

Activities You Must Do:

• Travel to southern Belize, it is so green and beautiful and much prettier than northern Belize
• Ride on the public buses – It’s an experience, try it…you will be thankful for UTA
• Mayan Ruins – such as Tikal (use a tour guide – about $65 US per person)
o You will travel through the rain forest, see monkeys (Spider), and Toucans
• Cave kayaking – Belize has many rivers and about every town offers this unique experience (about $65 per person)
• Go to the beach (they are close)– Belize is in the Caribbean and offers some of the best beaches in the world
• Snorkeling/Diving -  Belize offer some of the clearest waters, great for snorkeling and seeing sealife.

Hannah Dalton is a public relations professional that comes from Utah. In her free time she likes to take care of her two dogs and two cats, try new recipes, watch anything reality TV, spend time playing Scrabble with her live-in boyfriend, oh and of course travel. Her new love is Twitter, so follow her now at hannahsherox.

2) Gone tanning: I was whiter than snow on my cruise so instead of tanning, I was focused on not burning and getting my foundation tan. It would have been nice to have the base tan out of the way and been able to come back to show off a sweet dark complexion in January in Utah

3) Bought a cute sundress to wear on the ports: I forgot to do that and so I was stuck wearing capri pants and shirts while other women looked so comfortable in their flowing dresses

4) Bought sunscreen: I bought it on the cruise ship and it cost three times as much had I bought it at a grocery store

5) Remembered my sunglasses: It hurt to squint the whole time and I never found any cute enough to buy

There are plenty of websites out there that can help you locate a hostel to stay at- one including hostels.com which also helps you book online as well.

Here are some things to consider when determining whether or not staying at a hostel is right for you:

1) Are you ok without having a private bathroom and sharing with complete strangers?

2) Are you ok to live without luxury for a few days in sacrifice to visit somewhere amazing?

3) Do weird people creep you out?

Putting that aside my first stay at a hostel I was scared. I had no idea what to expect except for what I had seen on TV. But it was fun, clean and more importantly cheap. For more adventurous travelers I would definitely recommend it, however I do offer this advice:

Bring your own towel and in some cases you might have to provide your own bedding so find that out ahead of time

Don’t expect HBO in your bedroom (although I have stayed in hostels with cable tv before)

And finally just in case bring flip flops to wear in the shower- because you just never know!