Great Travel Tips!
Follow these travel tips and your trip will become way easier and more enjoyable!
Sustenance
Never get on a flight without a bottle of water! Hydration is generally good, especially if you love to sleep during flights and miss food services.
Stay over Sunday
Many hotels receive Friday and Saturday night bookings from leisure travelers and Monday-Friday bookings from their business travelers, so there can be a void on Sunday nights. Plus, always ask for an upgrade at check in – they can only say no.
Fly Off-Peak Days
A Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday are off-peak days which usually means lower fares, less passengers, and a better chance of grabbing frequent flyer seats.
Don’t Pack Clothes That Require Ironing
Well… Not really. Don’t even buy clothes that require ironing. 😉
Packing
Roll-up your clothes instead of folding them, or, wrap them in tissue paper to save space and keep them from getting too wrinkly.
Stay More Than 1 Night
Many hotels and hostels provide their best deals when you stay over more than one night.
Pack Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Before you leave, take or if you don’t have spend any extra cash on a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones, essential for long trips with a bus or a train, specially good if you want to get some sleep.
Call the Hotel Directly
A last minute phone call directly to a hotel or hostel and asking about cheap rooms can prove fruitful. They don’t like having empty rooms so will discount.
Always Pack a Hat
In the winter, a knit hat will keep you warm and take up little room. In the summer, a brimmed hat will keep the sun off your face. In either case, it will save you when your straightening iron doesn’t work in the trapezoidal electrical socket you found in your hotel room.
Don’t Forget Your Phone or Camera Charger
You will go through that battery in a second, esp. when your friends insist on flipping through all of the photos that you just took in order to relive something that happened 5 minutes ago.
Wake up Early
Rise at sunrise to have the best attractions all to yourself while avoiding crowds. It’s also a magical time for photos due to soft diffused light, and usually easier to interact with locals. Sketchy areas are less dangerous in the morning too. Honest hardworking people wake up early.
Eat Local Food
Think you already know what Mexican food tastes like? You’re probably wrong. Taste a bit of everything when you travel, especially if you don’t know what it is. Ask local people for recommendations. Eat street food from vendors with big lines out front.
Get Flashcards Made Up
If you are traveling in a foreign land with a difficult language, get some flashcards made up with basic commands.
Also, get the hotels business card with the local language printed on it so you can show taxi drivers the location of where you are staying.
Sleep While Traveling
When taking a flight, train, or bus, try and plan it so you are traveling at night. That way, you don’t have to pay for a night’s accommodation.
Travel With An Open Mind
We travel abroad to experience different cultures, environments, and ways of thinking. Don’t shut yourself off to experiencing all there is to offer. If you travel with an open mind you can have a much more enriching experience.
There are times and moments when other cultures will shock you. Don’t judge them. When this happens, we just sit back and say to ourselves …“Isn’t that interesting?”
Leave the ATM Card at Home
When going out drinking, just take a certain amount of cash. When the money is gone it’s gone and you won’t be tempted to withdraw more. Your wallet and your head will thank you in the morning!
Travel Like the Locals
Use public transport where possible. You get great knowledge and insight by hanging with the locals, it costs you less, and is a more authentic travelling experience.
Talk to the Locals
It can go a long to a friendship, good advice, and even a discount. A good starter is to ask for directions or advice (“Where’s a good restaurant?”). Get a phrasebook and make the effort to learn at least a few phrases of the local language. It can make life easier for you and the locals will respect you more.
Always Ask Museum Staff for Tips
They’ll tell you what the best exhibits are, and what you can skip.
Smile & Say Hello
Having trouble interacting with locals? Do people seem unfriendly? Maybe it’s your body language. One of my best travel tips is to make eye contact and smile as you walk by. If they smile back, say hello in the local language too. This is a fast way to make new friends.
You can’t expect everyone to just walk around with a big stupid grin on their face. That’s your job. Usually all it takes is for you to initiate contact and they’ll open up.
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