Include people in the foreground to add interest or show scale, or exclude people in a normally crowded place. Placing local people in your travel photos can give an ordinary photo a real feel for the location. People can give life to an otherwise static photo. Find people doing things. Any kind of action will make your photographs more interesting and informative.

Get up early, before sunrise, to capture the dramatic lighting of the very early morning. Okay, this one can be tough. It's your vacation and you want to sleep in. But try it just one morning. You'll be thrilled with the results. The morning light can transform the mundane into the magnificent.

Before you travel, learn as much as you can about your destination. Plan some of your photographs ahead of time. Look at other photographs from the same location.
How can you do as well? How could you improve on the photos? Read about the areas customs, points of interest. In short, find out what makes the area unique and zero in on those things. Your photos will identify the place.

Use only film that you are accustomed to using. This is not the time to be trying a new film. If you plan on using the latest and greatest film that just came out, try a few rolls at home first. It may not give you the results you are used to. It may need different exposure to get the results you want.

Be sure your equipment is operating properly. There is nothing worse than getting to your destination and finding that your camera is not working, your lens is not focusing properly, or your battery is dead. Bring extra batteries. Like film, they are probably more expensive where you are going. Make a check list of the equipment you will need. You don't want to get there and discover that you forgot your polarizer filter or something.