Traveling is always an enjoyable experience—exciting, entertaining, and fulfilling. However, there are a few tips and tricks that can make your journey even more enjoyable. Try these travel hacks to eliminate even the smallest of hassles!
Booking Your Itinerary
- Booking your flight tickets on a Tuesday or Wednesday can help you save money.
- Speaking of days, Tuesday and Wednesday are also the least expensive days to travel!
- When booking flights online, remember to clear your cache or use your browser’s Incognito Mode to avoid price hikes.
- Check both budget comparison websites and airline sites. Comparison sites give a broader range of prices, while airlines may offer exclusive deals or rewards for future travel.
- Don’t skip travel insurance—especially if you’re booking expensive or international flights.
- If you’re purchasing train tickets, try booking during off-peak hours. While the travel times may be odd, you’ll save a lot of money.
- If you’re flexible about your seat choice, wait until check-in to pick your seat or let the airline assign one. This can help you save on seat selection fees.
- Traveling with a companion? Book a window and aisle seat. Unlikely middle seats will be assigned, so you might get the entire row to yourselves.
- If you have a long layover during international travel, check with your airline about available perks—some may offer lounge access, hotel stays, or even city tours.
- Light sleeper? Avoid seats at the front of the cabin, as these are often assigned to families with infants. Some airlines even have child-free seating sections.
- When booking flights, call the airline directly. Mention that you’re traveling with children—you may receive better seats or a more favorable itinerary.
Booking Tours and Holidays Online
- Online travel specialists and booking portals often have access to exclusive perks due to their volumes and turnovers.
- Online websites CAN give a personalized experience. Contrary to popular belief, online travel websites have begun specializing in certain sectors, meaning that they can offer the best possible experiences to travelers visiting those regions. For example, Bookmundi and its suppliers are especially known for its expertise on Nepal treks. You can actually book your tour with them and forget about the rest.
- Make sure you take a second look at booking portals alike Bookmundi. Their prices are often cheaper than the cheapest tours and packages you find on the tour operator’s websites.
- Take benefit of the price match feature. Many online travel specialists promise to offer the best possible price, which means that even if you’re getting a cheaper deal elsewhere, they make sure they offer something better.
- You’re never on your own once your trip is purchased. Websites like Bookmundi offer complete support to customers booking their tours and packages through them. Take a second look at your service provider if you’re being treated as just another client who booked at the lowest rate.
- Last minute deals are no longer very attractive, particularly during peak season. Make sure you book well in advance for the best prices.
Preparing for the Trip
- If you are traveling to multiple places (especially abroad), or for a long time, call the credit card company and inform them about your destination. This way, your card won’t tagged as potentially stolen.
- Take a scan of all your important documents (passport, visas, tickets, hotel reservations), and keep a copy on your phone. To be on the safer side, keep it on your email/cloud as well.
- If you know the areas you are going to be visiting, save them as “Offline Maps” on Google.
- Some bigger cities have apps of offline maps, with the tourist areas already marked. These apps could definitely save your life!
- Get a transit map app, if you are planning on to use public transport. This will save you valuable time, as you won’t have to locate a physical map and plot your own way every single time!
- If you are planning to use public transport, see if you can get a tourist pass. These passes will last for a few days, and will allow you to travel at a highly discounted price.
- Get a local sim for your phone and save on roaming charges. Many companies offer such services around the world, and you’re likely to find them at most international airports as well.
- To save your battery, screenshot the directions to a specific destination, and turn off your navigation.
- If possible, wake your children up a little early, and let them play a little more on the day of travel. This way, they will be tired by the time they have to get on the flight, and you will be able to rest as well!
- Carry your child’s favorite game along, and plan how to keep them distracted on the plane.
- You can print out some coloring pages, or puzzles, which can be used to keep them occupied. Some airlines also have kiddie kits to keep the little ones entertained.
- Read up on the local customs of the places you’re visiting to avoid a culture shock. For instance, in Thailand, it is considered to be polite to slurp your food while eating it, and in Indonesia, it is considered rude to give a thumbs up. Knowing these customs will help you fit in better, and make sure you don’t accidentally insult anybody!
- Try using the free WiFi wherever possible.
- If traveling abroad, consider getting a Forex card. You will get a better exchange rate for your currency, and you can control how much money you are spending.
Travel Packing Tips
- If you want to make things simpler for yourself, download a packing list. It will help you ensure you packed everything!
- Instead of folding, roll your clothes and put them in your bag. This will save a lot of space and prevent creases.
- Wear your heaviest clothes, instead of packing them, so you have more weight allowance in your luggage.
- Put your belts inside the shirt collars to maximize baggage space.
- If you have any breakables, wrap it in a sock, and put it inside your shoe.
- Put some dryer sheets between your clothes. This will prevent any bad odor.
- Opt for a backpack for your carry-on option. You will be able to easily stash this bag into the overhead cabin.
- To reduce the weight of your baggage, purchase travel-sized containers, and take small amounts of the products you can use on a daily basis.
- Pack the liquids and makeup in your carry-on luggage in a clear bag, so you don’t have to do it at the security check line.
- Buy pill boxes, and pack your earrings and small knick-knacks in those. It will save you time, and help you be organized!
- If you are traveling abroad, you will have to pack a compatible adapter. Buy it at a local store- or you will have to pay a lot more at the airport!
- For those who have multiple gadgets, packing an extension cord would be a good idea. This way, even if you find only one charging spot wherever you are traveling, you will be able to charge all your gadgets in one go!
- If you have more than one bag, make sure the staples are distributed across the bags. If you ensure that each bag has one set of clothes, and underwear, even if you lose a bag, you will be in the clear.
- Keep earplugs and an eye mask in your carry-on and make sure it’s easily accessible. You will definitely need it.
- Pack some versatile clothes- like scarves or sweatshirts. These can be used for wearing or as pillows and blanket when needed.
At the Airport
- Some credit cards might give you access to the airport lounges. So take a look at your credit card perks before you jet-set.
- You won’t be able to clear security with a full bottle of water, but you can with an empty one! Carry an empty bottle through security and fill it at a water fountain after. This will help you save quite a bit of money!
- Instead of using a currency exchange at the airport, withdraw money from the ATM. You will get local currency, and you will get a much better exchange rate!
On the Flight
- Your cell phone carrier might be able to get you Wi-Fi access on board a flight. Check with your operator, or ask the flight attendants!
- If you do not have an eye mask, ask the flight attendants, especially if you’re in an international or a long haul flight.
- Wearing comfortable, non-restrictive clothes will help you sleep better on the flight. Sweatpants or leggings might not be the most attractive, but they are definitely the best if you are planning on arriving at your destination feeling refreshed!
- Instead of using your neck pillow at the back of your neck, prop it in the front. This way, even if your head lolls forward, your pillow will be there to catch you!
- If you want to avoid a terrible jet lag, avoid food and drinks that have caffeine or sugar while flying. They disrupt your sleeping routine, and will make you quite groggy later on.
- If you’re a light sleeper (or there is a particularly loud baby on the flight with you), download and listen to white noise on your phone. This will block out all disturbances and help you sleep like a baby.
- Ask for a vegan/ kosher/ vegetarian meal to make sure your food arrives earlier.
- If you are on a low cost airline, pack your own food. If that is not possible, buy it from the airport itself. You will save a ton of money by not buying food on board the flight.
At the Hotel
- Clear your cache, or use Incognito mode to book the hotel rooms. This will help you save money.
- Some credit cards offer great discounts on hotels. Check with your company to see what kinds of offers are available.
- Compare the hotel rates on price comparison sites as well at the hotel’s own website.
- Call the hotel directly. If possible, talk to the manager. Sometimes, you might be able to get a great room, or even a discount. You just need to put your most charming foot forward.
- Coupon sites often have great deals on hotels. If you are traveling last minute, this is a great option for cheaper prices.
- Check with your hotel to see if they have an airport shuttle, or a pick-up option. Some bigger hotels offer free airport pick-up and drop, so there is no harm in checking!
- In case you don’t want to pay exorbitant laundry charges in the hotel, you can wash your clothes, and dry them on the towel heat racks in the bathroom, or even on the radiators in the room.
- You can use the USB port on the TV to charge your phone, if you’ve have forgotten or lost your charger.
- Ask the receptionist for a spare charger. Sometimes they have a large collection of chargers left behind by previous guests.
- Ask the hotel’s reception to get restaurant reservations for you. The local hotels would know the more popular restaurants and would be more likely to get you a table even at the more crowded places.