Weblogic

Admit it - are you one of those travelers who just hours before departure stuffs items grabbed indiscriminately from closets and drawers into your suitcase? Only to ask yourself why you neglected to bring a bathing suit to your beach vacation?

An extreme example? Maybe. But according to organizing guru Rosemary Chieppo (Clutter, Chaos & the Cure), planning ahead is an important element in making that hard earned vacation restful and relaxing – and that includes getting your house in order, as it were.

Bound for Paris? Off to Rio? There’s nothing better to get you in the mood for a destination than its music. Before your next great trip, start your journey online at NationalGeographic.com. From a scorching blast of Mali rock-n-roll from the edge of the Sahara to the sizzling salsa of Brazil and the Mardi Gras melodies of New Orleans, busy travelers can jazz up their pre-trip preparation by listening to National Geo’s free world music podcasts and videos.

Car sharing clubs, which have been around for years in European cities, are becoming popular in North America with Zipcar, one of the fastest-growing newcomers to the market.

Today, in many urban neighborhoods, Zipcars are as ubiquitous as ATMs. Business travelers and personal drivers alike are discovering the freedom, and cost savings, a Zipcar can bring to their travels and daily life.