Travel Hacks and Tips to Be Ready for Any Adventure
We may all want to be that person who can just uproot their life and embark on an adventure without second thought, but, let’s face it, that isn’t always feasible. We at Jubel understand — embarking on an incredible, off-the-beaten path adventure takes time, energy, and money. But we are here to help by providing you with our best tips — for before, after, and during the trip — so you make the most out of your adventure. Keep reading to see our expert tips and tricks so that you can minimize stress and energy exertion and maximize exploration!
Trip Planning Hacks
Visit in the “shoulder season”
You know high season and low seasons for travel, but why not travel in the shoulder season, the time of year connecting both peak season and low season. That way, you get the price drops and fewer tourists like in low season, but the good weather and activity options of peak season. It’s the best of both worlds — a little bit of this, a little bit of that, all without breaking the bank.
CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR LOW-SEASON TRAVEL RECS
Use an app to help plan your dates and destinations
There are many amazing apps that can get you the lowest prices for your destination. Our favorite? Check out Hopper, which gives you info on the dates that have the lowest prices. We love it because it can predict if a price is going to go up, and lets you know when you should definitely jump on a good deal.
Another great option is Kayak, a web-based service that will let you know where you can fly to for cheap. This can get you out of your comfort zone and take you to an amazing place that maybe hasn’t even been on your radar. Skyscanner offers a similar service.
Another great way is to follow airlines on Twitter, which often promote their sales through the app. For instance, if you follow @Jetbluecheeps on Twitter, you’ll know all about their Flash Sales which can help you get the cheapest prices to select destinations.
HERE ARE OUR BEST WAYS TO PREP FOR A TRIP ABROAD
Get a credit card with travel rewards and no foreign transaction fees
There are lots of great options in terms of credit cards that can give you both points and miles redeemable for travel. If your credit score is good enough to open another line of credit (and if you can reliably pay off the card), we recommend investing in a credit card that has amazing travel perks.
Ramit Sethi and Nerd Wallet both have some great recommendations for cards that can help your dollar go further, both while booking tickets and exploring abroad.
Another great thing to remember is that if you travel a lot in the US, you can get a debit card attached to certain checking accounts with no ATM fees. Charles Schwab offers this service (and also reimburses ATM fees abroad with their debit card), among other providers.
LEARN OUR TOP TIPS TO SAVE MONEY ABROAD
Download before you go
If you aren’t getting a phone plan abroad with data, we really recommend you download your given destination on the Google Maps app. This allows you to access maps offline, so you know where you are and where you are going at all times.
You can even save the destinations you want to visit using the “star” function on Google Maps, so you can see that bookstore you want to hit or bar you want to check out even when you are offline.
Also remember, if you are going to a country where different languages are spoken, downloading a language on Google Translate is a great idea so that you never get lost in translation.
HERE ARE OUR OTHER FAVORITE TRAVEL APPS
Leave the planning to the experts
There’s a reason why people outsource things — specialists have expertise you don’t have. While traditional travel agencies may be stuffy or just trying to get your money, Jubel offers not only trips cheaper than you can plan, but also gets you off-the-beaten path.
Plus, if you want to be totally surprised and just experience the magic of adventure, why not book a surprise trip? It’s a great way to skip the planning stage all together while obtaining all the benefits of careful research.
INTERESTED IN LETTING US DO THE LEGWORK? LEARN MORE ABOUT WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE JUBEL
Packing Hacks
Plan out your list
It might seem obvious, but so many people forget this simple step: write down what you want to take before you start packing. So many people just start throwing things into their suitcases without prior thought, and, before you know it, you get an overstuffed, overweight suitcase that is going to cost you money and be a pain to drag around.
Making a pre-departure packing list can help you pack light, while making sure you have all your necessities!
A great app that can help you organize your packing list is WorkFlowy, which allows you to create customizable bulleted lists and check them off organized by tags. We also recommend Notion for creating trip-planning databases, including for packing! This is a great video for how to create a travel plan in Notion.
THINKING ABOUT A BOOK TO PACK? HERE ARE OUR FAVORITE READS FOR ADVENTURING
Think about whether you can buy country-appropriate clothing once you arrive
Every country has its own cultural norms about modesty, and it is best for travelers to fit in for both their own safety and to be respectful. However, if your destination has different cultural norms than your home country, it can oftentimes be costly and time-consuming to search for destination-appropriate country while you’re at home.
There is a better way, though. If you are going for a few weeks to a country with different modesty norms, consider buying your clothes there. There will be a greater selection of appropriate clothes once you’re on the ground, and oftentimes it is cheaper to buy the clothes there.
For instance, if you are visiting Jaipur, instead of buying long skirts at home, consider going to a local bazaar and picking up a kurti top, a long upper garment worn by women.
Always pack a laundry bag and dryer sheets
When you are traveling, it’s easy to end up with a bunch of smelly, dirty clothes littering your suitcase. Two easy steps to prevent this? First, always take a laundry bag, so you can easily separate dirty clothes from your clean clothes in your bag, and second, place a dryer sheet in your bag, which will make sure everything stays fresh and odor-free during the long journey.
Some other must-pack items we recommend include a good portable phone charger (check out Anker for the best ones), a reusable water bottle, and a copy of your passport/visa. For water bottles, check out Grayl, an awesome purifying water bottle that is great for when you are traveling abroad.
Flight Travel Tips
Stay on the right time schedule
As soon as you get on the flight, set your watch to your destination’s time zone, and abide by it! That means staying up if it’s not time to sleep in your destination, or perhaps taking an over-the-counter sleeping pill if it is time to sleep in your host country. Doing so will completely minimize jet lag, allowing you to acclimate with little effort.
Pack a face mask
It’s easy for your skin to get dehydrated on flights. A fun way to practice self-care while making sure you don’t arrive looking like a giant callous is to pack a face mask that you can apply on the flight.
The easiest ones to use on planes are sheet face masks, which can just be peeled off and thrown away. Some of our favorite sheet face masks for flights are the Dr. Jart’s Vital Hydra Sheet Face Mask and the Farmacy Hydrating Coconut Gel Sheet Face Mask.
SEE MORE OF OUR TOP FLIGHT TIPS
Book an aisle and a window seat
If you are traveling with a partner, consider booking an aisle and a window seat. Oftentimes, no one will select the seat next to you to avoid being in a middle seat. Plus, if the flight is full, you can just offer up your aisle or window seat to the person in the middle, so you can sit next to your travel partner. No harm no foul!
Wear compression socks
Flights can often swell your ankles, due to the fact that flying impacts your circulation. But never fear — there is an easy way to avoid this! Invest in a pair of compression socks, which will keep your blood circulating and your feet comfortable, even as you go on a long-haul flight.
Travel Hacks for During Your Trip
Visit the local tourism office
It may seem kitschy or touristy, but the local tourism office in your destination city is actually a great way to learn from locals and find out about the best spots. You can ask the employees there all your questions, from safety tips to bar recommendations.
Plus, they often offer free maps, which can be a great option if you don’t have a phone which can run offline Google Maps.
LEARN WHY EXPERIENTIAL TRAVEL IS THE FUTURE
Avoid eating in tourist areas like the plague
We get it — you want to see the Eiffel Tower when you are in Paris, or the Alhambra when you are in Spain. But whatever you do, do not eat or shop near these places!
The areas surrounding tourist attractions almost always mark up prices on food and souvenirs, so much so that they can oftentimes break the bank. Plus, the food is usually not as good. We recommend you go visit these must-see places (lunchtime is usually your best bet to avoid the crowds, or at the very end of the day), and then get the heck out of there as fast as possible!
SKIP THE TOURIST SPOTS AND HEAD HERE TO EAT INSTEAD
Skip TripAdvisor and use local review websites
Oftentimes, countries will have their own review websites or restaurant aggregators that highlight the best local spots. Whereas American-leaning sites like TripAdvisor or Yelp tend to only be used by tourists. Instead of looking for your next meal on TripAdvisor, download the local version and search (this can be a great thing to ask the tourist office if you can’t find it online).
This way, you can find all the best food while skipping tourist spots (and tourist prices).
Another great tool is to read up on local blogs about the place — for instance, if you are traveling to Goa in India, Hippie in Heels is a must-read source for all the best travel info.
Find a language exchange partner
If you are trying to learn the language of the destination, find a language exchange partner! For a small fee, you can oftentimes find a young local person willing to show you around the area and help improve your language skills. It is a great way to find a fun tour guide, make a friend, and practice the local language all at once.
For instance, in Oaxaca, check out the Oaxaca Learning Center, which offers “intercambios” where students can meet with tutors around the city. The best way to find similar programs in your city is a targeted google search.
Another great option is finding a homestay in your destination of choice, which often provides cheaper accommodation than hotels as well as the chance to interact with some awesome people. Some great resources for finding homestays include Lingoo and the Homestay app.
Find the best free activities to do
In many destinations cities offer off-the-beaten path free walking tours, like inBerlin, which has an amazing Free Alternative Walking Tour that showcases the best graffiti and local markets Berlin has to offer.
This can be a great way to meet a local guide, see some sights that aren’t in your Lonely Planet, and walk off that jet lag.
Another great tip? Find local blogs that cover fun events which are free. For instance, if you are traveling to DC, BrightestYoungThings.com offers a list of free things to do every week. Googling (city name)+(free things to do) oftentimes gets you really fruitful websites and blogs to look at.
LEARN WHY OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH TRAVEL IS SO REWARDING
After the Trip
Unpack immediately
It may sound draconian, but unpacking immediately is the best way to get back into your routine without stress. Once you walk in the door to your house, even if you are exhausted, just throw everything in the laundry. You can go to bed and wake up easy knowing you can get back to your normal routine.
Process the pictures within the week
If you are someone that takes a lot of pictures, schedule time the week after you return to process the pictures and organize them, including editing them, uploading them, etc.
Or, if you like to make photo albums of your vacation, start soon after you arrive home! The trip will be fresh in your mind, so you can write out all the amazing captions and organize the pictures just how you want them.
Journal your experience
What made your trip special, and what would you change for next time? Reflecting on your experience is a great way for you to have an even better trip next time! We love using the Day One app to journal on our apple devices. Or, get a paper journal for that pen-on-paper experience.
With these tips, you’ll be ready to set off on your next great adventure! And for everything else — our Travel Experts have you covered, finding the best flights, accommodations, activities, and things to do. Easily get started here.
