Getting ready for that summer getaway has never been easier with the availability of the Internet. Booking your reservations for hotels, motels, camping sites, tours, auto rentals, museums, and anything else you’ll need to set up is only the beginning. There are so many ways to optimize your time once you’ve reached your destination too. Of course, there are also mis-steps and mistakes you’ll want to avoid that can put a real damper on your vacation and jeopardize your safety and security.

Whether you visit the Web site of the park or attraction of your dreams, research ticket prices online, download podcasts of walking tours of ancient cities, or lock in dinner reservations at that hard-to-get-into Manhattan hotspot, the Internet makes travel so much more enjoyable. Even during the planning stage, you might want to get your family to gather around the computer to view a virtual tour or check out photos, videos, and travelogues. Make decisions together about what you’d rather see and do, so that everyone’s happy about the plans once you hit the road.

Part of the travel experience, of course, is spontaneity so try not booking every single minute of your trip. Leave some “free time” for things that come up, or just doing nothing with the family. Spend some extra time in a park, take some long walks, a relaxing picnic, or spend additional time at that museum or zoo. Plus, if you’re driving, you can’t always predict traffic patterns, detours, or off-the-road attractions that you might want to stop for. So, be sure to plan, but don’t go overboard!

OK, so you’re using the Internet for planning, but did you ever think that some of the work that you’re putting into the planning effort may tip off the bad guys? For example, let’s say you post a few questions about specific travel destinations in an online travel forum or blog. Are you leaving enough information for someone to figure out WHERE you’re going and WHEN you’re leaving and returning? Other accidental clues to your personal whereabouts and ‘whenabouts’ might be indicating a specific hotel, when you’re checking-in and checking-out, and exactly what you’ll be doing on particular days or nights.

So, why might this information be valuable to anyone but you? Well, for starters, someone smart enough to puzzle together your itinerary and activities will know when your home is unoccupied, making it a perfect target for burglary. And even your vacation stay can be pieced together so anyone with the aim to impersonate you or family members can come up with ways to steal money, property, or your identity when they know for sure that you’re out taking a tour, riding bikes, or cruising on a sail boat.

The solution is to never get specific about who you are and exactly where you’re going. You also don’t want to divulge your exact dates of travel. Too many times – on blogs, forums, and other online locations – I’ve seen people using their real names (for example, realname@gmail.com) while posting their planned dates of travel and destinations. Do you realize how easy it would be for anyone with the right resources and dastardly motivations to find where that person lives? It’s like a written invitation to come to your unoccupied home!

If you post questions about travel in an online travel forum, don't be specific about your dates of travel or selected hotels. Make sure nothing in your online name makes it possible to find you in the real world. When you post questions, inquiries, and tips to other travelers, make sure your identity is shielded and everything you write is general enough to ensure that nobody can filter out information that can jeopardize your personal security.