Exploring the world can take a lot of work, but thankfully for us, there are many ways to make things easier and even lower costs. Here are a few dozen of my favorite travel tips, I would love to see your top tips in the comments below!
Planning:
1. Scan Your Documents To A Device Before You Travel In Case Something Happens To Them
2. Get Rewards Cards To Rack Up Points For Free Stays And Flights
3. Learn What Fees Your Airline Will Charge You
4. Follow Travel Bloggers To See What Advice They Give
5. Set A Cap For What You’re Willing To Spend Each Day
6. Find An Awesome Travel Card Through CreditKarma.com Or Creditcards.com
7. Don’t Overthink Your Trip, Pick A Place And Just Go
8. Research The Countries Customs And Basic Phrases
9. Read Motivational Travel Articles To Keep Yourself Focused And Excited
10. Tell Your Card Companies You’re Traveling
Booking:
11. Check Out Momondo.com Before You Book Your Flight
They are one of the best airline search engines and consistently come up with some of the best prices.
12. Use HostelWorld.com Or Hostels.com To Find Hostels With Reviews
13. Get Free Night Stays By Using Couchsurfing.com
14. Look For Last Minute Deals
15. Get Your Plan Ticket At The Right Time
Generally traveling in the morning or evenings of a Tuesday or Wednesday get you the best deals!
16. Don’t Book Too Far In Advance
You’ll want to leave some wiggle room in case your plans change.
17. Use Your Reward Points For Cheaper Or Free Flights And Stays
18. Join Travel Forums To See What Other Deals Travelers Are Getting
19. E-Track Your Fares To See If They Change
20. Follow Travel Reviews
They can be the difference between a nightmare and the best vacation of your life.
Packing:
21. Use A Dryer Sheet At The Bottom Of Your Suitcase To Keep Things Fresh
22. Roll Your Shirts Army Style To Save Tons Of Space
23. Use A Pill Organizer To Easily Store Your Jewelry
24. Separate Your Cords With Little Bags For Easy Access
It also helps to put them in a small pocket on the side of your travel pack.
25. Bring A Water Bottle To Save On Cash Overseas
Make sure to empty it before you go through TSA and then fill it up again before you board.
26. Don’t Over Pack
If you aren’t positive if you’ll need something leave it at the house. You can always buy one overseas if you do need it.
27. Take A Nook Or Kindle
They are small and can store thousands of books for whenever you hit a layover or a long train ride.
28. Bring A Small Bag With You For Day Trips
29. Hotels Will Have Extra Toiletries For Free
So don’t feel like you should bring three different toothbrushes and soaps.
30. Start A List Of What You Need A Week Before You Leave
Traveling:
31. Use VirtualTourist As A Guide For Whever You Are
32. Get An App Like Yelp To Find Out Where The Best Eats Are
33. Shop At The Local Grocery Stores To Save Cash
You’ll also gain a more intimate cultural experience.
34. Keep Small Locks In Your Bag To Stop Pickpockets
35. Don’t Dress Fancy Or You Will Make Yourself Stand Out
In some countries pickpockets are a common thing so the more that you look like an everyday local, the safer your gear will be.
36. Ask Hotel Or Hostel Staff About Local Deals
37. Take The Road Less Taken And Avoid Touristy Areas
38. Take Night Trains
If you’re getting around Europe take a night train to avoid having to pay for accommodation.
39. Go For Runs
Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean that you should stop exercising, it’s important to keep up the good habits so you’re ready for whatever life throws at you.
40. Talk To Locals
What better way to learn about the culture than communicating with the people? They’ll probably be more than happy to answer all of your questions too!
Featured photo credit: Thomas Huang via flickr.com
