Recently we asked readers to submit travel tips, and boy did you respond! Below we’ve summarized (in no particular order) the top 20 packing tips, offered by you, AARP members! Got a tip of your own? Submit it here.

1. Linda Sayles suggests using “seven-day pill holders” to separate earrings and necklaces.

2. Many readers offered the idea of packing additional plastic bags. They can be used for packing souvenirs, dirty clothes or even as a small “washer.”

3. Bring a stain-cleaning pen and a small container of laundry detergent, or just use shampoo for simple laundering.

4.Consider shipping your luggage ahead of time, or ahead of you before you return.

5. Take extra hangers, as hotels and cruise ships rarely have enough. Readers also advise that taking your clothes already on hangers will limit wrinkles.

6. A couple dryer sheets will keep your suitcase smelling fresh.

7. Don’t forget a charger or extra batteries for your digital camera. Also, have the photo cards put on CD right away if you can as a backup (and don’t erase the cards until you’re sure!)

8. For ladies, it’s easy to base your wardrobe around one color, such as blue or black, then coordinate your purse, shoes, blouses, etc. to go with the color.

9. Take older underwear and t-shirts, then throw them away after wearing them. This will give you more room in your suitcase for souvenirs.

10. Says Edgar, "On your next three trips, write down what you wear each day. On your forth trip you will have an accurate list of what you really need, not what you think you need."

11. Carry on your bathing suit, a change or two of clothing and basic toilietries. If your luggage is lost, you’ll still have a way to freshen up, something to change into and can go to the pool. And as airport delays are so common, bring snacks, bottled water, your meds, and reading material with you on the plane.

12. Pre-address stick-on labels for postcards to the folks back home and you won't have to carry along a bulky address book. Don't forget to bring along email addresses.

13. Pack half of your spouse’s clothing in your suitcase and vice versa. That way if one bag is lost, you’ll both have some of your luggage.

14. John Kiernan advises, “Bring along a poncho from the dollar store. They are compact…and great for sudden showers.”

15. Create a “master packing list” on your computer. Each time you travel, print a copy of that list. As you put things into your suitcase, check it off the list. Before you go out the door, look at your list and see if everything you need has been checked-off. It reduces the stress of packing, and you’re less likely to forget something.

16. Carry your cell phone charger with you.

17. Print business cards with your vacation on one side (cruise, etc.) and your names and email addresses on the other. That way, people you meet will remember you and be able to contact you with letters and photos.

18. Reduce the risk of having expensive jewelry by wearing something simple that will go with everything like a gold chain, gold bracelet and small hoop earrings.

19. Linda says, “Once my husband and I took a 10 day driving trip. I was so tired of lugging suitcases around from other trips that I had the most wonderful idea. Worked like a charm. I packed 10 paper sacks with each days change: shirt, pants, underclothes, etc. Each day we would each take a bag with us into the motel. We put our dirty clothes into another sack.It was so easy and fun.”

20. Connie writes, “I always carry lightweight cheap flip-flops to wear around my hotel room or out to the pool. And I never leave home without a travel alarm clock.”

1. Make sure you have a signed, valid passport and visas, if required.  Also, before you go fill in the emergency information page of your passport.

2. Read any travel warnings for the countries you plan to visit. Stay aware of events in the country while you are there.

3. Familiarize yourself with the local laws and customs of the countries to which you are traveling. Remember, while in a country, YOU ARE SUBJECT TO ITS LAWS!!!

4. Make 2 photocopies of your passport identification page. This will facilitate replacement if your passport is lost or stolen. Leave one copy at home. Carry the other with you in a separate place from your passport.

5. Leave a copy of your itinerary with family or friends at home so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.

6. Notify by phone or register in person with the U.S. embassy or consulate upon your arrival.

7. Don't leave luggage unattended in public areas. Don't accept packages from strangers.

8. Don't be a target! Avoid conspicuous clothing and expensive jewelry and don't carry excessive amounts of money or unnecessary credit cards.

9. In order to avoid violating local laws, deal only with authorized agents when you exchange money or purchase art or antiques.

10. IF YOU GET INTO TROUBLE, CONTACT THE U.S. CONSUL.

Further Information
The Department of State issues Consular Information Sheets for all countries of the world. They describe unusual entry or currency regulation, health conditions, the crime and security situation, political disturbances, areas of instability and drug penalties.

In general, Consular Information Sheets do not give advice. Instead they describe conditions so that travelers can make informed decisions about their trips. However, in some dangerous situations, the Department of State recommends that Americans defer all travel to a county. In these cases, a Travel Warning is issued for the country, in addition to its Consular Information Sheet. There are many ways to access Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings:

· You can listen to them 24 hours a day by calling (202) 647-5225 from a touchtone phone.
· Visit this web site: http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html
· You can also find the information at the 13 regional U.S. passport agencies, or you can learn about them from the airline when you or your travel agent make your international air reservations.

Millions of U.S. citizens travel abroad each year using their U.S. passports. Although the chances are in your favor in having a safe and incident-free trip, crime, violence and unexpected difficulties do befall U.S. citizens in all parts of the world. To ensure a safe and enjoyable trip overseas, the U.S. State Department offers the following travel tips.

· Safety begins when you pack. To avoid being a target, dress appropriately. Flashy wardrobe or one that is too casual can mark you as a tourist. Travel light. Carry the minimum amount of valuables necessary for you trip and plan a place or places to conceal them.

· Secure important travel documents, cash and credit cards. They are most secure when locked in a hotel safe, however if you wish to carry them with you, conceal them in several places rather than putting them all in one wallet or pouch. Avoid using fanny packs, handbags and outside pockets. One of the safest places to carry valuables is in a pouch or money belt worn underneath your clothing.

· Keep medicines in their original labeled containers. To avoid problems when passing through customs, bring copies of your prescriptions and generic names for the drugs. If you have any doubt about the legality of carrying a particular drug into a country, consult the embassy or consulate of that country first.

· Make photocopies of your travel documents. Make two photocopies of your passport identification page, airline ticket, driver's license, credit cards, and itinerary. Leave one set behind with a family member or friend; pack the other in a place separate from where you carry your valuables.

· Secure and identify your luggage. Put your name, address and telephone number inside and outside of each piece of luggage, using covered luggage tags. Remember to lock your luggage and keep the keys concealed.

· Learn about the country's regulations before you leave. The State Department offers Consular Information Sheets on every country of the world. They describe exit and entry requirements, health conditions, crime and security situations, currency regulations, political disturbances and areas of instability, special data about driving and road conditions.

· Observe local laws and customs. You are subject to the laws of the country where you are; therefore, learn as much as you can about the local laws and customs of the place you're visiting. Good resources are your local libraries, travel agents, the embassies, consulates or tourist bureaus.

· Adhere to Travel Warnings. In addition to Consular Information Sheets, the U.S. State Department issues Public Announcements and Travel Warnings when there is a perceived threat usually involving Americans as a particular travel group.

· Consider travel insurance. If your personal property insurance does not cover you for loss or theft abroad, or more importantly, if your health insurance doesn't cover you, consider purchasing a short-term health and emergency assistance policy designed for travelers. Also, make sure the plan you purchase includes medical evacuation in the event of an accident or serious illness.

· Arrange your itinerary beforehand. Because take-off and landing are the most dangerous parts of a flight, book a non-stop flight when possible. When there is a choice of airport or airline, ask your travel agent about comparative safety records.

· Consider getting a telephone calling card. If you have one, verify that you can use it from your overseas location. Access numbers to U.S. operators are published in many international newspapers. Find out your access number before you leave.

Here are some additional safe-travel tips from seasoned travelers (these tips were compiled over a period of time and kept in a notebook.  Therefore no source credit is given)

· Money. Always have multiple forms of money: cash, travelers checks, ATM and credit cards. Never carry large amounts of cash. Make three lists of traveler's checks. Leave one at home, carry one with the checks, and keep the last in a different place, along with the receipts. Use a hidden money belt for most of your money.

· Credit & ATM cards. Keep a list or a copy of cards, numbers, and emergency replacement procedures.

· Health Insurance. It may be necessary to contact insurance agents while abroad, so keep all relevant names, phone numbers, and policy numbers in a safe place.

· Luggage/Packing. Travel as light as possible! Don't carry everything in one place! Never pack essential documents, medicine, anything one could not do without, in checked luggage. Put them in the carry-on bag.  Put some of your traveling companion's clothes in your bag, and vice versa. That way, if one bag is lost, you'll still have something to wear. Better to use light weight fabric luggage than heavier, leather bags.  After you pack at home, carry the bags around the house for awhile.  You may feel they are too heavy and decide to repack, leaving out some non-essentials!  Make sure all your luggage is in good condition: airlines can refuse to accept fragile or damaged bags.  Try not to take more luggage than you can reasonably carry by yourself   Porters and luggage carts are not always available and less luggage means easier Customs inspections and a shorter wait at the baggage claim. Also, airlines have regulations on size, weight and number of bags you can check or carry on board. Pay close attention to these restrictions on overseas flights because excess baggage can be very costly. Check with the airlines for information on individual carrier's luggage allowance policies.  Pack firmly. Clothes that move around usually come out wrinkled. Anticipate that you will do some shopping at your destination and include a folding tote bag to accommodate the overflow of your new purchases. Luggage identification is important. Make sure that your bags have the correct information both inside and outside and that the luggage tag is securely fastened. Remove old claim tags that might confuse the baggage handlers.  Attach a brightly colored ribbon or sticker to your luggage to help distinguish your bags from similar ones in the baggage claim area.  Mark all luggage inside and out with name and address.

· Medicines. Take enough medicine to last the whole trip. Tell your doctor of your travel plan and duration. Request a letter detailing pertinent information, including medications and copies of your prescriptions. For medicines that contain narcotics, include written justification for the prescription. Ask that medication lists include the names of generic equivalents.  Transport prescriptions in their original containers. Travelers can have problems getting prescriptions filled overseas. Some foreign pharmacists are reluctant to fill American prescriptions in the first place, especially for potent drugs.  Additional problems may arise in non-English speaking countries where the pharmacists can not readily decipher your doctor's prescriptions. Make sure to carry the medications and their prescriptions with you to prove that they are not illegal drugs. Don't mix up medicines within the same container which can be confusing and their chemicals can interact or become volatile (e.g. nitro tables which are tiny volatile TNT). Take everything needed for the trip, along with copies of all prescriptions and the generic names of drugs. Keep medicines in original labeled drugstore containers. Take extra eyeglasses or contacts and the prescription.

· Passport. Carry separately from your passport two extra passport pictures, a copy of your passport, and a certified copy (not the original) of your birth certificate or an expired passport. If the passport is lost, report the loss to local police; get written confirmation of the police report, and take the above documents to the nearest U.S. consulate and apply for a new passport.

· Ticket. Make a photocopy of your ticket or list its number and all flights along with the name and address of the agency that issued it, and keep this information separate from ticket

· Jet lag. If you are traveling east or west, try to relax and save energy during the long flight. Jet lag is a physical and psychological phenomenon that affects almost all travelers in some way. Through long years of habit, your body has become accustomed to functioning in accordance with a physiological clock based on a particular daily cycle. For at least a few days after arrival, that clock is going to be out of sync with local cycles. Although there is no way to completely avoid jet lag, there are a number of ways to help your body adjust to a new time zone:

       * Try to go to bed a little earlier a few days before you leave and get as much sleep as you can during your flight.

       * Many side-effects of jet lag are the result of dehydration, so avoid alcohol, coffee, tea and other caffeinated                   beverages and drink plenty of water during your flight.

       * Eat lightly on your flight and forego rich or exotic foods on the first few days of your trip so that you can use your energy to adjust to your new surroundings rather than to digest your food.

       * Exercising on a long flight will help alleviate such common discomforts as backaches, swollen legs and feet and general fatigue. Stretch at regular intervals and walk up and down the aisles of the plane from time to time to prevent dangerous blood clots from forming.

       * Finally, take it easy on the day you arrive so that you can take advantage of your trip at a leisurely pace and establish a routine in sync with the local time.

· Investigate your insurance coverage. Consider trip insurance and a personal protection policy. If you cancel your trip or require medical evacuation while abroad, the coverage could prove invaluable. Senior travelers should be aware that Medicare will not provide coverage for medical services outside the United States.

· Research your trip. Consult the US Department of State and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention for travel & health advisories. Study the language, customs and currency of the places you plan to visit. Consider applying for an International Driving Permit.

· Be realistic about your physical limitations. Sudden changes in climate, altitude and diet can seriously affect your health. Plan extra time into your travel itinerary. Select tours that move at a more relaxed pace.

· Alert staff to special needs. If you require supplemental oxygen on the aircraft, specific lodging requirements or a special diet, advise your airline, hotel or cruise line. In a hotel, select a room on the second floor near an elevator or stairway. If you have a physical disability, request a bulkhead seat. Airlines often save bulkhead seats for the physically disabled. To request bulkhead seating, get a letter from your doctor and carry a copy with you to present at check-in. Be aware the airline cannot guarantee the seat assignment prior to check-in.

· Be prepared. Carry extra batteries for hearing aids, an extra pair of glasses, a copy of your eyeglass prescription, and an emergency medical card or medical alert bracelet. Duplicate travel documents. Carry a photocopy of your passport, airline ticket, travelers cheques, credit card, medical information, itinerary, and contact addresses and phone numbers with country codes. Put one copy in a suitcase and leave a duplicate with a family member or friend.

· Prepare for your flight. Eat a light lunch. Drink water and fruit juices. Avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. At least every two hours, walk the aisle of the plane. If circumstances prevent, keep the blood flowing with simple body stretches, leg-lifts and toe-raises.

· Be alert. Avoid expensive cameras, watches and gold or gold-tone jewelry. Use a money-belt or necklace purse. Travel with a companion. When you leave your hotel, alert fellow travelers to your destination and return time.

· Be informed. Register with the US Embassy. Listen to local news for information about criminal activity or unfriendly political developments. Avoid clothing or places that identify you as an American.  Arrange for an international phone card and practice overseas dialing. In the face of trouble, quickly leave the area.

· Money conversion. Overseas banks usually give you the best exchange rates, much better than an exchange bureau, hotel or airport. Even better, if you can use your ATM card overseas, you'll get the bank's wholesale rate and can save up to 7 percent over the retail rate.

· Vaccinations. Certain countries may require an "International Certificate of Vaccinations" against cholera, yellow fever and other infectious diseases before you are allowed to enter. Specific information on entry requirements can be obtained from your travel agent, physician or the embassy of the country you will be visiting.  As an added precaution, make sure that your measles, mumps, rubella, polio, diphtheria and tetanus shots are up to date. You can also check with the Citizens Emergency Center at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. (202.647.5225).

· Clearing Customs.  U.S. residents must declare the total value of all articles acquired abroad which are in their or their family's possession at the time of arrival. The amount of duty will be determined by a Customs officer. U.S. residents are normally entitled to an exemption of $400, though this varies depending on the country you are visiting.  Both residents and non-residents will normally be required to pay a flat 10% rate of duty on the first $1,000 above their exemptions.  When you are preparing for your trip home, try to pack all your new purchases in one bag and keep all your receipts in one place. This information will come in handy when you go through Customs.

"Too often people travel to another country and confine themselves to their hotel or resort and or just tramping around shops and commercialised tourist attactions like theme parks. They get to know little of the country and its people.  Their vacation environment is often not much different to what they left at home. Overseas travel can be made more enjoyable by learning something about the history and culture of the location you are to visit. Visiting another country can be a great learning experience that can promote understanding and tolerence. It can also be very exciting.

Take history, for example. Checking this out before you depart can give you a better understanding of where you are going. Knowing how the country has developed and what the people have been through helps you understand them more. You get an idea of national personality and you learn of their achievements, culture, music, dance, literature and cuisine. You can also discover interesting places to visit, places not mentioned in the travel brochures.

Also, take a look at the geography of the place and how it relates to countries around it, and the world. And look at what is happening there now. Maybe it is something that is history in the making.  Another aspect is wildlife and fauna. In some countries this is unique and it is your only chance to see it in a natural setting.

You might even care to learn a few words of the local language. The biggest compliment to the natives of a country is when a foreigner trys to speak their lingo. It shows you care and it opens doors.

Many tourists develop a love and respect for a country and visit it repeatedly over the years. They make friends there and their understanding of the other culture promotes goodwill in the world. Often they develop a permanent liking for the country's music, food and dance.

Similarly, people from your vacation country visit yours and learn about it. Their interest is often sparked by your visit to them. So do not be restricted to 'travel brochure thinking'.  Expand your vacation horizons.  Explore the real world.  It can be romantic, exciting and rewarding!"