20 Useful Tips That Will Come In Handy When You Are Traveling
From rolling everything up to fit into your luggage to asking the right people for opinions when abroad, to canceling reservations to get your money back, this is some solid know-how you are likely to be using on your next trip.
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Traveling becomes easier when you do some preparation beforehand. Most of us are aware that traveling is not as easy as it seems – we need to be aware of certain things before heading out into the wild world.
Image source: dannyr, cottonbro studio
"If you're asking for an opinion, don't ask the opinion of someone who's being paid to provide it.
Want to know where the best meal near your hotel is? The cleaner isn't getting a kickback from the nearest steakhouse, but the concierge probably is.
Want to know the easiest way to get to the airport? The front desk clerk is going to tell you to hire the hotel preferred transfer, but the barman will probably tell you what train to catch for 1/20th of the price."
Image source: substantial-freud, esrageziyor
"* Never eat where you see other tourists eating. Look for a place jammed with locals.
* Never let anyone “take” you anywhere. This applies especially to taxi drivers and random strangers.
* Don’t bring anything you “might” need and can acquire locally if you do.
* Pack n+1 pairs of underwear, where n is the smaller of the number of days you will be away and 6."
Image source: Ok-Basket-4803, Helena Lopes
"Travel with good company that wants the same as you do. Having the wrong people around you on a trip can make you scared for life with them and never make you wanna go again no matter if it was only 1 person who did the whole group wrong."
Image source: SensitiveDolphin55, Austeja Akavickaite
"For photo equipment or all kind of expensive stuff: put some duct tape on it. If it looks broken, nobody wants to steal it."
Image source: AliJoof, Farsai Chaikulngamdee
"Who you go with is way more important than where you go."
Image source: ActualWhiterabbit, Mono_420
"Nobody wakes up early. Like you can wake up before dawn and get fantastic golden hour pics when the city is empty then go back for breakfast and a nap before heading out for lunch.
Like the best city for this is Rome. No one is around and you can get wide shots that would never happen during the day and the lighting is better."
Image source: p-rking, Priscilla Du Preez
"Plan ahead:
1) Allow time for things to go wrong.
2) If travelling long distance don’t leave ‘just in time’, better to arrive early. The further you’re travelling leave even earlier. eg. If your friend is getting married on Saturday and it’s a four hour drive, leave Friday lunchtime not Friday evening. If it’s a transatlantic flight away leave Wednesday or Thursday morning, not Friday.
3) It’s going to cost more than you think."
Image source: Idiotforrent, Politikaner
"While you’re standing in the security line, take the stuff in your pockets and put it in your bag. You won’t be holding up the line to gather your stuff from the container."
Image source: Huge-Recognition-366, Alan Levine
"Try searching for flights in the airline’s original language. I once saved $700 booking tickets in Peru by using Spanish rather than English."
Image source: camboprincess99, Andrea Piacquadio
"1. Learn basic words/phrases of the country's language you are traveling to. This will help you more than you think.
2. Make sure you have a universal adaptor. And a portable charger
3. (speaking for the US) You most likely have an e-passport, it's that little Pokemon ball looking emblem at the bottom of the cover. Utilize those e-gates at the airport.
4. Don't convert your cash. Just use your debit/credit or withdraw money from an ATM when you get there.
5. Call your bank in advanced if you're traveling internationally unless your bank app has a feature where you can automatically turn on international purchases.
6. If you land early in the morning and check-in isn't for another couple hours, ask your hotel/hostel if you can drop your bags off until check in.
7. Get shower shoes if you're staying in a hostel.
8. Free up phone storage before you leave for your trip."
Image source: daveescaped, Augustas Didžgalvis
"Three things; 1.) bring an orange. If someone you are sitting next to smells bad you can open the orange up as a natural deodorizer. 2.) Bring a spare pair of socks and change socks after you are settled on your flight, train, etc. Put the sweaty socks away in a plastic bag. Dry socks after a long day of travel feel luxurious. 3.) Stupid and Cheerful. A cop stops you in a foreign country? Stupid and cheerful. Never be belligerent. A border guard says your papers aren’t in order? Stupid and cheerful. The airline says you are too late to board? Stupid and cheerful. Cheerful always works better than aggressive. And it transcends culture. I knew an elderly couple who literally drove across the whole of Africa and “stupid and cheerful” was their advice. It’s far harder to punish someone if they simply claim ignorance and are smiling."
Image source: NellieJaycee, Mikhail Nilov
"I don't travel much but I book travel for a living.
If your plans change and you need to cancel your hotel reservation against the hotel's cancellation policy, don't call and cancel. I've tried to barter with hotels many times, but truthfully unless you have a good relationship with the hotel, they have no reason to refund you.
Instead, call the hotel and move your reservation to next week. Even if it is against the cancellation policy, most hotels will allow you to alter a reservation without issue. Then (usually a few hour later to guarantee you talk to a different hotel rep) call and cancel your "new" reservation."
Image source: Uajhxz, Vlada Karpovich
"No one cares about you wearing the same thing more than once. Pack light and wash your stuff every few days.
Do not entertain people asking questions in other countries.
Know the rules/laws/currency exchange rates for the country you are going to. Ignorance is not a get out of jail free card."
Image source: Macandwillsmom, Ketut Subiyanto
"I bring old underwear, socks, clothes the kids are about to outgrow, etc, and then throw them out before we leave to make room for souvenirs.
Also, if you are bringing water bottles or travel coffee mugs cut a kitchen sponge into pieces, soak with dish soap, then toss in a Ziploc bag. You can use the sponges to wash water bottles/tumblers in the hotel sink."
Image source: Primary_Run_2734, cottonbro studio
"Download the entire city map on google maps for offline use."
Image source: Successful-Income-22, Brett Jordan
"I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here, but whenever I travel i go to the subreddit for the city I'm traveling to and search for a "best food in the city" thread. Never let me down before. I've found some amazing hidden gems that way."
Image source: SimonPennon, Marc Kleen
"Have a distinct hat.
* Meeting up with strangers / couchsurfers / tour group? You're the person in the hat.
* When talking with officials, the act of taking off a hat shows obedience to authority and will make the interaction just that much smoother.
* When you're tucking in for the night, putting keys, coins, that new bus pass, &c. in the (upside-down) hat so they don't get misplaced in a new place.
* Similarly, the (upside-down) hat can be used to store pocket junk before you go through an x-ray checkpoint.
* Does all the normal hat things. (Keep warm / cool, less sun, covers eyes, &c.)
* A hat soaked in water can feel amazing on a hot day.
* You can tuck a handkerchief (or even a napkin) up into a hat to give your neck and ears cover from the sun.
* A rolled travel towel (don't panic and [...]) can be folded into a hat to make an impromptu pillow.
* A hat on a chair or similar can help hold a spot when customs (or languages) are unfamiliar.
Finally, this is not a *travel* tip, but post-travel: if you buy a hat for a trip and limit souvenirs to pins & patches, you have created a little display that's a bit more interesting than "here are photos on my phone"."
Image source: ThegatiX, Kindel Media
"Roll everything, fold nothing."
Image source: Laxly, Abbas_Muntaqim
"Take a plastic bag with you. Put dirty clothes in it, it keeps clean and dirty separated throughout your stay, plus when you get home it's easier to take all the clothes in the bag and put them in the washing machine."
Image source: distantapplause, Pixabay
"The best room in a cheaper hotel is often better than a standard room in a more expensive hotel. When looking for luxury on a budget, don't overlook the cheaper hotels - they often have fantastic suites for what you'd pay for a standard room somewhere pricier."
So, today we have gathered some interesting and informative tips from this online thread to make your planning easier. Take a look at these hacks below before packing your bags, and hopefully, your journey will be smoother next time.
More info: Reddit
#1
Image source: dannyr, cottonbro studio
"If you're asking for an opinion, don't ask the opinion of someone who's being paid to provide it.
Want to know where the best meal near your hotel is? The cleaner isn't getting a kickback from the nearest steakhouse, but the concierge probably is.
Want to know the easiest way to get to the airport? The front desk clerk is going to tell you to hire the hotel preferred transfer, but the barman will probably tell you what train to catch for 1/20th of the price."
#2
Image source: substantial-freud, esrageziyor
"* Never eat where you see other tourists eating. Look for a place jammed with locals.
* Never let anyone “take” you anywhere. This applies especially to taxi drivers and random strangers.
* Don’t bring anything you “might” need and can acquire locally if you do.
* Pack n+1 pairs of underwear, where n is the smaller of the number of days you will be away and 6."
#3
Image source: Ok-Basket-4803, Helena Lopes
"Travel with good company that wants the same as you do. Having the wrong people around you on a trip can make you scared for life with them and never make you wanna go again no matter if it was only 1 person who did the whole group wrong."
#4
Image source: SensitiveDolphin55, Austeja Akavickaite
"For photo equipment or all kind of expensive stuff: put some duct tape on it. If it looks broken, nobody wants to steal it."
#5
Image source: AliJoof, Farsai Chaikulngamdee
"Who you go with is way more important than where you go."
#6
Image source: ActualWhiterabbit, Mono_420
"Nobody wakes up early. Like you can wake up before dawn and get fantastic golden hour pics when the city is empty then go back for breakfast and a nap before heading out for lunch.
Like the best city for this is Rome. No one is around and you can get wide shots that would never happen during the day and the lighting is better."
#7
Image source: p-rking, Priscilla Du Preez
"Plan ahead:
1) Allow time for things to go wrong.
2) If travelling long distance don’t leave ‘just in time’, better to arrive early. The further you’re travelling leave even earlier. eg. If your friend is getting married on Saturday and it’s a four hour drive, leave Friday lunchtime not Friday evening. If it’s a transatlantic flight away leave Wednesday or Thursday morning, not Friday.
3) It’s going to cost more than you think."
#8
Image source: Idiotforrent, Politikaner
"While you’re standing in the security line, take the stuff in your pockets and put it in your bag. You won’t be holding up the line to gather your stuff from the container."
#9
Image source: Huge-Recognition-366, Alan Levine
"Try searching for flights in the airline’s original language. I once saved $700 booking tickets in Peru by using Spanish rather than English."
#10
Image source: camboprincess99, Andrea Piacquadio
"1. Learn basic words/phrases of the country's language you are traveling to. This will help you more than you think.
2. Make sure you have a universal adaptor. And a portable charger
3. (speaking for the US) You most likely have an e-passport, it's that little Pokemon ball looking emblem at the bottom of the cover. Utilize those e-gates at the airport.
4. Don't convert your cash. Just use your debit/credit or withdraw money from an ATM when you get there.
5. Call your bank in advanced if you're traveling internationally unless your bank app has a feature where you can automatically turn on international purchases.
6. If you land early in the morning and check-in isn't for another couple hours, ask your hotel/hostel if you can drop your bags off until check in.
7. Get shower shoes if you're staying in a hostel.
8. Free up phone storage before you leave for your trip."
#11
Image source: daveescaped, Augustas Didžgalvis
"Three things; 1.) bring an orange. If someone you are sitting next to smells bad you can open the orange up as a natural deodorizer. 2.) Bring a spare pair of socks and change socks after you are settled on your flight, train, etc. Put the sweaty socks away in a plastic bag. Dry socks after a long day of travel feel luxurious. 3.) Stupid and Cheerful. A cop stops you in a foreign country? Stupid and cheerful. Never be belligerent. A border guard says your papers aren’t in order? Stupid and cheerful. The airline says you are too late to board? Stupid and cheerful. Cheerful always works better than aggressive. And it transcends culture. I knew an elderly couple who literally drove across the whole of Africa and “stupid and cheerful” was their advice. It’s far harder to punish someone if they simply claim ignorance and are smiling."
#12
Image source: NellieJaycee, Mikhail Nilov
"I don't travel much but I book travel for a living.
If your plans change and you need to cancel your hotel reservation against the hotel's cancellation policy, don't call and cancel. I've tried to barter with hotels many times, but truthfully unless you have a good relationship with the hotel, they have no reason to refund you.
Instead, call the hotel and move your reservation to next week. Even if it is against the cancellation policy, most hotels will allow you to alter a reservation without issue. Then (usually a few hour later to guarantee you talk to a different hotel rep) call and cancel your "new" reservation."
#13
Image source: Uajhxz, Vlada Karpovich
"No one cares about you wearing the same thing more than once. Pack light and wash your stuff every few days.
Do not entertain people asking questions in other countries.
Know the rules/laws/currency exchange rates for the country you are going to. Ignorance is not a get out of jail free card."
#14
Image source: Macandwillsmom, Ketut Subiyanto
"I bring old underwear, socks, clothes the kids are about to outgrow, etc, and then throw them out before we leave to make room for souvenirs.
Also, if you are bringing water bottles or travel coffee mugs cut a kitchen sponge into pieces, soak with dish soap, then toss in a Ziploc bag. You can use the sponges to wash water bottles/tumblers in the hotel sink."
#15
Image source: Primary_Run_2734, cottonbro studio
"Download the entire city map on google maps for offline use."
#16
Image source: Successful-Income-22, Brett Jordan
"I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here, but whenever I travel i go to the subreddit for the city I'm traveling to and search for a "best food in the city" thread. Never let me down before. I've found some amazing hidden gems that way."
#17
Image source: SimonPennon, Marc Kleen
"Have a distinct hat.
* Meeting up with strangers / couchsurfers / tour group? You're the person in the hat.
* When talking with officials, the act of taking off a hat shows obedience to authority and will make the interaction just that much smoother.
* When you're tucking in for the night, putting keys, coins, that new bus pass, &c. in the (upside-down) hat so they don't get misplaced in a new place.
* Similarly, the (upside-down) hat can be used to store pocket junk before you go through an x-ray checkpoint.
* Does all the normal hat things. (Keep warm / cool, less sun, covers eyes, &c.)
* A hat soaked in water can feel amazing on a hot day.
* You can tuck a handkerchief (or even a napkin) up into a hat to give your neck and ears cover from the sun.
* A rolled travel towel (don't panic and [...]) can be folded into a hat to make an impromptu pillow.
* A hat on a chair or similar can help hold a spot when customs (or languages) are unfamiliar.
Finally, this is not a *travel* tip, but post-travel: if you buy a hat for a trip and limit souvenirs to pins & patches, you have created a little display that's a bit more interesting than "here are photos on my phone"."
#18
Image source: ThegatiX, Kindel Media
"Roll everything, fold nothing."
#19
Image source: Laxly, Abbas_Muntaqim
"Take a plastic bag with you. Put dirty clothes in it, it keeps clean and dirty separated throughout your stay, plus when you get home it's easier to take all the clothes in the bag and put them in the washing machine."
#20
Image source: distantapplause, Pixabay
"The best room in a cheaper hotel is often better than a standard room in a more expensive hotel. When looking for luxury on a budget, don't overlook the cheaper hotels - they often have fantastic suites for what you'd pay for a standard room somewhere pricier."DE
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Demilked Editorial
SaaS Review Specialist · Demilked
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