Looking to travel? Need some help getting started? It can be overwhelming planning a trip abroad, but you’ve come to the right place! Here are 10 travel tips everyone should know (and pass along to others, sharing is caring!) This article is a bit lengthy, feel free to save now and read later! I hope these tips help!
Get Travel Insurance
Having travel insurance allows extra security and peace of mind when experiencing new activities at far away places! It can serve as a last line of defense against unexpected events. Flight delays or cancellations, luggage loss, and emergency medical expenses can cost hundreds out of pocket. Travel insurance costs can vary from company to company and rates are based off the total amount of your trip. Don’t be afraid to shop and compare, and always carefully review your company of interest and your travel insurance policy!
For most travel companies you must purchase travel insurance within 21 days of the initial deposit paid towards your trip. Otherwise you may not be eligible for coverage, or other time sensitive benefits (Flight cancellation, accident or sickness, etc).
For more information, check out this article Travel Insurance Coverage Tips by Rick Steves.
Get A Travel Agent Or Vacation Package
I especially recommend utilizing a travel agent or all inclusive vacation package if you are wanting to widen your horizons by traveling more but are inexperienced, traveling solo, or don’t know anyone in the area(s) you’ll be visiting. A reputable and experienced travel agent can help you curate the perfect trip for you and your friends or family. They are often better connected and more knowledgeable about flight deals, ever changing government restrictions and policies, what type of travel insurance to purchase, any travel requirements such as visas and vaccines, and even matching YOUR travel style with the best suited destination and activities for you! All of this really takes the hassle out of planning a trip. The same is true for booking a travel tour package or a cruise that provides various excursions!
Don’t Post About Your Trip While You’re Away
This can be be an invitation to unsavory characters snooping around your social media to break in to your home while away! Besides when you’re on vacation (or even if you are away for family matters) you should be enjoying your trip and or spending time with your loved ones! It takes time getting the “right shot” and to create the “perfect post”. Stay balanced and live in the moments! If you don’t care to heed this travel advice, at least be sure to ask permission from friends and family members who may be traveling with you if they want to be posted and tagged before you upload anything to social media while away.
Global Entry, TSA Pre-check, & Mobil Passport Control Are Your Friends!
“TSA PreCheck® and Global Entry are both Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Trusted Traveler Programs. Pr-check also provides expedited security screening benefits for flights departing from U.S. Airports. Global Entry provides expedited U.S. customs screening for international air travelers when entering the United States. Global Entry members also receive TSA PreCheck® benefits as part of their membership” —tsa.gov
TSA PreCheck is available at more than 200 airports and provided by 81 airlines.
These memberships can cut your customs wait times down from 1-2 hours to as little as 5 minutes! I highly recommend becoming a member if you are or plan to be a frequent flyer.
Also to keep in mind (and this tip doesn’t require a paid membership) is Mobil passport. It’s much more limited, but Mobil passport is available for US citizens and Canadian citizen visitors at some 31 U.S. international airports.
You Can Purchase Flight Points
This is such a great thing to know! Credit card holders and rewards member of certain airlines (South West, Capital One, etc) can actually purchase points on their website. Sometimes they even go on sale! This means that while a flight may cost x-amount of money (say $795) it may be equivalent to 35,000 points. If you have 20,000 points you have already earned through credit card use, you could potentially buy the additional 15,000 points for $200. Now you can take your trip at a fraction of the cost! (The same can be true for hotel stays.)
**This example is for illustrative purposes only**
Bonus Tip:
You can check the current exchange rate online and exchange currency at your bank. Do this in advance of your trip to have the correct monies when you first arrive at your destination! Some areas still deal mostly in cash and not credit cards. Even exchanging $100-$300 worth (per person) in advance until you arrive at your lodging quarters, will allow you to buy a meal from a cash only vendor, or tip the driver, and so on.
Save the hassle of having to exchange money at the airport and potentially pay exuberant fees that don’t reflect the true exchange rate of the market.
For more information check out this article:
Should You Exchange Money Before Traveling Internationally? — The Present Perspective
Pack Smart
Save time, space, and money by bringing one carryon suitcase whenever possible. Create interchangeable outfits that can be layered. Roll your clothes, and utilizing suitcase packing bags. I recommend packing mostly neutral colors with just a few items that offer a memorable pop of color. A colorful scarf, necklace, blouse or sweater will dress up the outfits you’re rewearing. This way your pictures don’t seem like you wore the same 2 outfits the entire time you were in Europe!
Wear Your Bulkier Items When Traveling
This tip is great in helping to save space. By wearing your Jacket and boots or bulky sneakers instead of packing them away while traveling you save space on what can go inside your luggage. You also can use your jacket to lay over the seats you be sitting in while flying or taking the train which will create a barrier between your head and the seats. Those head rests probably aren’t sanitized and disinfected as throughly as you’d appreciate. If traveling with an oblong shaped sun hat you don’t want to get crushed and misshapen, these little gadgets are great!
Wash & Re-wear
It’s possible to bring much less than you think you need! Pack clothes that make up interchangeable outfits. Choose enough for 10 days, and then wash and repeat your outfits if you’ll be away for an extended period of time. I always wash the close I packed before returning home (if I get the opportunity). That way if I’m delayed for an extra few days, for whatever reason, I have fresh clothes to wear. If I don’t end up using anything that’s been rewashed by the time get home, then everything is already clean and can be unpacked and put away.
Use Cream to Powder & Cotton Balls
Has this happened to you? After arriving at your destination the lotion or bottle of shampoo you packed has exploded all over your travel bag? Simple fix, place plastic wrap over the opening of your bottle and then twist the lid on over it. If you’ll be traveling with makeup prone to crumbling like bronzer, blush, and eyeshadow try placing a cotton ball over the product and closing its lid. This will prevent it from falling apart and getting all over your makeup bag! Alternatively, consider using cream based products such as:
Replace Liquids With Bars and Wipes
All of your liquids stored in carryon and personal items have to fit into a quart sized clear bag. (This does not include liquids stored in your checked luggage). This TSA requirement can be a real pain when traveling! Each bottle containing liquid cannot be more than a 3.4 oz per bottle. For this reason I try to eliminate “liquids” wherever possible. This saves space for things I know I’ll need more of such as mouthwash, conditioner, and lotion. I do this by packing:
- Hand wipes instead of sanitizer
- Makeup wipes instead of oil free eye make up remover
- Pouring my astringent over cotton rounds (then placing them in a baggie)
- Bringing a body bar instead of body wash
- Minimize or avoid bringing most of my liquid makeup products
Ok! We covered everything from travel prep and packing to insurance! Hope you are able to implement these tips for your next trip! For more travel articles by Daj check out our travel category and leave your name and email below to never miss a post!