To help you as you plan your next trip (or trips), we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the best travel tips around. Follow our list of travel tips and you’ll become a travel pro on the road (or plane) in no time.
Travel Tips
Personal Prep-
If you want to reduce the dreaded jet lag, drink lots of water before, during, and after your flight. This simple act works wonders.
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Let’s face it – traveling for a long period of time requires a good amount of planning. To make travels easier, follow a preparation schedule that lists all you need to do before your trip commences.
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Your feet tend to swell due to lots of walking and high altitudes. To make your travels more comfortable, consider wearing loose shoes or flip flops.
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Sleeping in an airplane can be difficult sometimes. To help make it much easier to sleep, bring earplugs/headphones, a sleeping mask, and a neck pillow along with you.
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Learning a few common phrases from the place you’re traveling to can be extremely helpful. Write down a few phrases related to asking for directions, ordering food, etc.
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To help you enjoy your destination with ease, do some research on the area’s ways of living. Do they drive on the right or left side of the road? How do you say hello? What currency do they use? All these pieces of info will be extremely helpful.
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Make sure that all your liquids (shampoo, lotion, hand sanitizer, etc.) are in small TSA approved bottles. If not, there’s a good chance that TSA will throw them out.
Luggage Etiquette
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Secure your checked luggage with a TSA approved lock. These special locks keep out potential thieves while still allowing TSA screeners to access the bags safely and without damage to your lock.
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Bring a few extra keys to your locks along with you.
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Just to be safe, place an ID tag on all of your luggage as well as a piece of paper with your information on the inside of each checked bag.
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Make several copies of your itinerary, important phone numbers, and other handy information, and place them inside your carry-on and checked bags.
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Whenever possible, make your bag distinguishable from the rest by using different color straps, tying yarn to the handle, or writing your name on the side. This will help you quickly find your luggage on the carousel and prevent others from accidentally mistaking your luggage for theirs.
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Remove all loose straps from your luggage before checking them in. These straps increase the chance your luggage will get caught in the baggage belt system, which can cause either damage to your luggage or loss altogether.
Packing Hacks
- Make a packing list in advance to make sure you don’t forget anything important.
- To save space in your luggage, invest in a few packing cubes. These handy cubes allow you to efficiently pack all your clothing and gear into your luggage in an organized and clean way.
- Save even more space by tightly rolling each item of clothing. Then, place them snugly in a bag and use a vacuum sealer to compress.
- Place dryer sheets in between clothing before you fold them so that your luggage smells fresh for the duration of your trip.
- To reduce wrinkling, try separating your clothes in plastic dry cleaning bags.
- Pack heavier items (such as shoes, hairdryers, bottles, etc.) at the bottom of your bag/luggage.
- If at all possible, download books and movies on your phone or portable device instead of packing physical books. This will save you even more space.
- Stuff smaller items such as socks and hosiery into your shoes to save even more space. Just make sure they don’t wrinkle easily.
- For those traveling with children, try packing each complete outfit in a vacuum compressed back. As you begin each day, simply pull out the desired bag and you’ll have a complete outfit ready-to-go.
- Keep all important medications on your person in your carry-on at all times. If there’s ever an emergency, you need to have the medication hander versus stowed away in your checked baggage.
- Keep your car keys, wallet, passport, health insurance card, and other important items in your carry-on.
- Take the time to weigh your luggage before checking them in. This will prevent you from having to remove or shift items from luggage to luggage at the check-in counter.