Doing my due diligence means lots of pre-planning to avoid unnecessary surprises. Ultimately, you want to spend your entire time away smiling, happy, and stress-free. However, all the preparation in the world isn’t going to catch everything — when surprises pop up, try not to freeze. Just approach the problem with an open mind and find another path. In other words, handrails may not always be on the side you need them on so adapt, turn around, and put them where you need them.

Here are 7 travel tips to consider for your next trip: