Eleven Travel Hacks You Need to Know About

Going on vacation is exciting, but there’s a lot of planning that goes into a successful trip. If you’re looking to make your travels as peaceful, and budget friendly as possible, check out the eleven travel hacks below.

Make Some Space

No one likes to be stuck next to a stranger during their flight. You never know if they’ll be too chatty, rude, or simply not follow proper hygiene practices. You might think it’s an impossible inconvenience to avoid, but there is a trick that works a good amount of the time. If you’re traveling with a friend or significant other, book the aisle seat and the window seat, leaving the seat between the two of you open. Most travelers will avoid a seat right between two strangers. This hack gives you a little more breathing room on your flight and helps you avoid sliding past a stranger every time you need to use the restroom.

Inform Your Bank of Your Travels

If you plan to use your debit card on your vacation, it’s always a good idea to inform your bank where you’re going and when. Most debit cards have a fraud monitoring system that will likely flag your activity as fraudulent when you start spending large amounts of cash in an area outside your normal spending radius. A travel notice on your card will allow you to spend without fear that your card might be shut off in the middle of your vacation.

Save on Your Accommodation

Hotels might be glamorous, but they’re also expensive. Instead of spending hundreds a night on a nice hotel, why not stay in a hostel? After all, you’re not on vacation to spend time inside the hotel room; you’re there to see the sights. Most hostels are very safe (do some research before you go), and the beds are comfy. Not only will you save big on your trip by staying in one, but they’re also a great place to make some new friends along the way.

Bring Your Own Entertainment

Long bus rides or flights don’t always provide you with top-quality entertainment (or they charge you an arm and a leg to view it), so it’s always a good idea to bring your own. While you can’t connect to the internet during your flight, you can watch pre-downloaded videos. While you’re preparing for your travels, don’t forget to download a few movies from Amazon Prime or Netflix to save you from boredom. Bookworms, make sure to download your audiobooks from Audible or take a couple paper books in your carry on bag.

Travel Solo

If you’ve been dreaming about traveling around the globe or simply visiting different states in the U.S, but you’re waiting for someone to join you, stop waiting. Solo travel can be a beautiful experience that helps you grow as a person, get to know yourself better, and make new friends along the way. Step out of your comfort zone, look fear in the eye, and take a chance on something beautiful. You should never put your life on hold simply because someone else won’t tag along.

Choose Your Flight Wisely

There are certain days of the week you should always avoid when choosing your flights. Friday and Sunday airfare is always going to be more expensive. If you’re looking for the cheapest days to fly, you should purchase tickets for Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday takeoffs.

Save Money at Restaurants

When you’re traveling, it’s only normal to want to try out the local cuisine. Once you’ve chosen your desired destination, check out their website to see what happy hour specials they offer. Visiting the location during happy hour will save you a few bucks on drinks and allow you to try popular dishes at a discounted price.

Enjoy the Journey

While you should always have a plan when traveling (you should come up with a loose itinerary ahead of time), you should never plan out every moment of your trip. Your travel adventure is just that, an adventure. So, make sure you allow time for random roaming and exploring. Simply see where the wind takes you. A great habit to form when traveling is to ask the locals where they like to go. Doing this will help you find hidden gems that aren’t on the ‘top things to do in [your destination]’ lists.

Rise and Shine

If you don’t like large crowds and want a more tranquil experience when visiting popular tourist attractions, you should avoid sleeping in and get up early. Going during peak visiting hours to any popular tourist spot will guarantee a crowd looking for the same experience as you are.

Keep Your Clothes Smelling Fresh

You’ll likely come home with a few items of clothing that need to be washed. To avoid their smell contaminating the rest of your luggage, put those clothes in a bag/sack along with a fresh dryer sheet. The dryer sheet will keep everything smelling fresh and won’t take up extra space in your luggage.

Don’t Pay for Every Experience

While there are probably a few tourist attractions you’re absolutely set on seeing, you should also take advantage of the dozens of free experiences your travel destination offers. Check Google before you go to see if there are any outdoor concerts, fairs, or museums that are free to visit during your stay.

Traveling doesn’t have to cost a fortune, nor does it have to be a stressful experience. Follow the tips you found here today to help your travels flow smoothly as you enjoy the amazing experiences along the way.