My 25 BEST Travel Tips To Help You Travel

When it comes to traveling and planning the perfect trip, there are many factors that can make your trip very stressful, and in fact go the wrong way from which you intended. I’m here to share with you my secrets and what I believe to be some of the best travel tips. The ultimate goal is for travel to be stress-free and worth it. I hope these tips will be inspirational and educational for your first travel adventure or even your next.

Here are the 25 travel tips that have helped me and should help you…

1. Save up

The most important thing when traveling is making sure you have enough money to fund the entirety of your trip. Depending on your destination, the cost of travel will differ. You may spend more in one country versus the other. It is always a good idea to bring more money than you actually need or will spend, just in case of any hiccups that may occur. If you find yourself as a money hoarder, than this tip will already be in your arsenal, but for anyone who has a hard time saving up money, it can be easy as the few steps below:

• Don’t only rely on a checking account, open up a savings to divide up the use of your money.
• Anytime you receive smaller change from your expenses, save it! It will add up.
• Cook at home and eat out less.
• Sell items/belongings that you no longer need.

2. Pack light

Before you arrive in your destination, you’ll need some knowledge on what the weather and terrain will be like. There’s no need to pack clothes that you will not wear and that don’t suit the weather conditions. In most countries, it’s fairly easy to wash clothes, therefore you can re-wear the same clothes every few days if needed. This will make lugging around your luggage that much easier. And you can always wear your bigger items on the plane to save you room in your luggage. Also, if possible, avoid checking a bag as this can cause extra fees and time when arriving/departing the airport. If you do have to pack heavier, make sure you’re aware of the baggage limits and hidden costs.

3. Do some research before you go

There is nothing worst than arriving in a new destination and having no clue where to go, what to do, or how to navigate your way around. It’s best to have a little bit of knowledge of the destination before you go. That could be, being familiar with the maps, restaurants, use of your native language, or even the do’s and don’ts of the destination. Unless you are feeling brave and up for a challenge, i’d highly suggest doing as much research before hand rather than when you arrive. Also, don’t over plan as you may want to make alterations to your adventure mid-trip.

4. Google Maps offline

Downloading Google Maps for offline use, has been one of the best travel hacks I have ever learned. When I traveled in the Philippines back in 2018, I decided do not buy the local sim card and just run off WiFi when needed. Having the downloaded maps of the areas I was traveling to made commuting around less stressful. There are many different GPS apps you can use when traveling, but Google Maps seems to be a very popular choice of many travelers.

5. Travel insurance is a must

Don’t forget your travel insurance as it may come in handy. There are many travel insurance agencies out there, so make sure you do your research and pick the right one. I’d recommend World Nomads as it is the agency I am the most familiar with. Travel insurance can cover everything such as flight refunds, hospital visits, and traveling fees. It really came in handy for me when I broke my foot while traveling in the Philippines. I’m thankful that the insurance covered my hospital bills and 60% of my flight refunds.

6. Contact your bank/credit card company

No matter where you travel, whether it is within your own country or another continent, you should always give a notice to your bank and credit cards letting them know that you will be traveling. This will avoid any locks placed on your financial access when far from home. A lot of this can be done over the phone or simply through your accounts on the mobile apps or website.

7. Practice the local language

It is always good to know some basic greetings and gestures of the language for the country you will be staying in. You can journal these down in your notes to pull up when needed or you can practice them before hand. Also, download Google Translate and use it to translate the foreign language when you have access to data. I highly recommend this app because it allows you to scan and upload photos to translate the language. And it is useful when communication is too difficult.

8. Extra copies of your passport

For extra caution, make photocopies of your passport as well as other important documents when traveling. If you ever lose something while traveling, these extra copies will be your life saver.

9. Bring a reusable water bottle

Whether you’re traveling in country with hot or cold weather, a reusable water bottle can become one of your most prized possessions. This can cut down your expenses on buying water as there are many places where you can access free water.

10. Avoid exchanging money in the airport

Try not to exchange money at the airport unless it is the absolute last resort as you will usually get offered unfair exchange rates. Look for the main banks or reputable exchange offices that are operating locally. For instance, in Prague, Czech Republic, there are many exchange offices that are ran by the same person and purposely give you bad exchange rates. Google or YouTube the best exchange locations before hand.

11. Prepare yourself for any time zone changes

When traveling to areas with time zones that are far off from what you’re use to, try to get accustomed a few days before you arrive in the destination. This will prevent as much jet lag as possible.

12. Book your airline seats closer to the front of the plane

When I fly, I try my best to choose a seat that is close to the front of the plane. When sitting close to the front of the plane, you can get off your flight relatively fast and start exploring your destination before others. Sometimes you can find seats closer to the front that are still very affordable and of the cheaper ones available.

13. Bring noise canceling headphones and an eye mask when flying

When traveling long distances, an eye mask can come in handy. As the lights on the plane aren’t in your control, you can and will be woken up several times. Eye masks have helped me sleep through majority of long haul flights. Also, if you have a pair of noise canceling headphones, these will allow you to block out most of the noises that will irritate you over time, whether its a baby crying, the pilot speaking, or even that loud guy snoring next to you. I use Bose headphones every time I fly.

14. Always search for flights and accommodation stays while in incognito mode

Whenever I am searching for flights, I always search when in incognito mode. This makes the search platforms think you are search for a flight for the first time. So there are no recent searches to base your results off of. I recommend using Google Flights, Momondo, and Kiwi for searching for world wide flights. Skyscanner for Europe. And AirAsia for Southeast Asia.

15. Travel with an unlocked phone

If you are a person who loves having access to your phone and the ability to use it in other countries, you may want to look into having your phone unlocked. This will allow you to use sim cards while abroad and you’ll avoid any international fees from your carrier.

16. Have a good camera

If you’re like me who likes having the choice of taking photos and videos on multiple electronics, consider buying a camera for photos and videos. Having a camera helps me prolong the battery on my phone when traveling. Also, it’s great to be able to take good quality photos to look back on of where you’ve been.

17. Fly when no one else is flying

A great way to find and buy cheaper airline tickets is to fly at times when others might not be flying. I tend to fly on red-eye flights, early mornings, or even in the late evenings. Also, it is possible to find flights for cheaper during the middle of the week rather than the weekend, depending on a series of variables.

18. Try the local food

Try not to be a picky eater because trying foreign food can be one of the best highlights when traveling to a new country. Be cautious on the food you do try and make good judgement to whether it looks safe or not. This is one of my favorite things to do when exploring a new area.

19. Take advantage of layovers

Layovers can provide you with a great opportunity to explore a city for a few hours or even a day or two. Layovers will also make your airfare less expensive usually.

20. Don’t forget your converters

It is very important to travel with the right converter. Not every country has the same outlet style. My advice would be to buy a couple universal ones that you can use at the same time if needed as well as using one for a backup.

21. Don’t always rely on reviews

As you may already know, reviews can be good and bad when research a place to visit. Not every traveler has the same intentions when traveling to an area. If you want to rely on reviews, make sure you take into account all of the reviews and not just the ones that stick out. Sometimes it’s best not to even look at the reviews, in my opinion.

22. Journal everything

Because traveling can happen so fast and it’s hard to take everything in at once, it can be good to journal your thoughts. I recommend recording how much you’re spending if concerned about your budget. Also, photos make for a great journal. when it comes time to reflect on your travels, a journal can help you recall some of your greatest experiences.

23. Have an open mind

This is a big one! Every city, country, and continent is different, so it’s the best to travel with an open mind. Sometimes it is best to explore an area as a foreigner but with the mind of a local. Try new food, see different places, and talk to the locals. It’ll only make your experience that much better.

24. Double check customs of the country you are visiting

Every country has their own set of rules and regulations, known as customs. Make sure what you are bringing into the country, doesn’t fail to meet their standards. For instance, if you tend to travel with a drone, check whether or not the country will allow you to bring in the drone. Being knowledgeable about these rules can keep you from getting into uncomfortable situations.

25. Get lost and explore

Okay, that’s enough tips for now. It’s time for you to book your next travel adventure and get lost and explore. Sometimes the highlights of your trip will be the things you didn’t plan and in fact, the things you happened to stumble upon from exploring the area.

I hope this list doesn’t take you too long to read and can be of a benefit to you in some way. What did you think? Do you have any tips that would be helpful to others? Let me know in the comments!

Check out the latest articles I wrote at: Whereintravel.com/blog/