We still remember the time when we got caught up in a credit card fraudulent activity at a hostel in Germany and the time when we got lured by a kid on the streets of Greece. And, can’t forget those times when we used to spend almost double for everything on travel and regretted our decisions later.
Solo travel for 5+ years, couple travel for 2+ years, visiting 23 countries, living in three different continents and making hundreds of mistakes has helped us learn our fair share of lessons about travel. Some of the travel mishaps are definitely unavoidable – it’s all part of the travel. But, some travel tips and tricks can definitely ensure a smoother and hassle free travel. And to make sure you don’t commit the same mistakes as us, we would like to offer a few ultimate travel tips that should definitely be useful for your next trip.
1. Patience is the key to everything
Did you miss your flight? That’s fine, you will get another one. Did you accidentally spend too much? That’s fine, you can be careful while spending the next time. If you think you are in a bad situation, tell yourself that the situation could have been worse. Life is too short to be angry or regretful. Enjoy the moment you are currently living in. That is what travel is all about.
2. Get a travel credit card
The concept of travel credit cards and earning points on travel is just amazing. Every single point that you make can be spent on your next trip. And most credit cards have outstanding sign up bonuses with which can get you a round trip flight to a far-away destination. On the brighter side, you are building your credit history too by using credit cards. So, just make sure you get the right credit card and start swiping.
3. Compare prices before booking and find deals
This is one of the biggest mistakes that costed us a lot during our initial months of travel. When you are looking for something – a flight, a hotel, a tour etc., don’t book right away even if you know what you want. Spend some time comparing the prices on different websites and look for deals. Even a dollar that you save can be spent for your next trip.
4. Early to bed, Early to Rise
You might be a night owl who loves to party but when you travel, make sure you sleep early and wake up early. This keeps your mind fresh and gives you more energy to travel. Plus, you get to spend more time during the day. And, the best benefit of waking up early is avoiding the crowds. The best places in the world are also the most popular attractions. So, if you want to get some good photos for your social media without a hundred people in the background, get up early.
5. Slow down and don’t rush when you travel
When we first started traveling, our primary goal was to visit the most number of attractions in a place even if it meant spending a few minutes at each attraction and running from one attraction to the other. But when we looked back after a few days, we rarely remembered the places that we visited and thought to ourselves – “Did we really gain something by rushing?”. Some of the best travel experiences can happen only if you spend some time enjoying the beauty of every place you visit. Even if it comes to skipping a few places, trust us – you will have a much better time.
6. Pack light
If you don’t need something, don’t carry it. The lighter your bag is, the more comfortable your travel gets. And always leave some room for souvenirs. For travel packing tips and tricks, you can read our Packing Essentials blog post if you already haven’t.
7. Always get a travel insurance
You never know when you could fall sick or get mugged. And the last thing we would want is a huge hospital bill, right? So, always get a travel insurance that insures yourself and your belongings well.
8. Pack one extra pair of clothes
Travel twists are unexpected and can happen any time. And sometimes, these can lead to a trip extension. The most common thing that usually happens is a flight delay/cancellation. So, always carry an extra pair of clothes when you travel. You wouldn’t want to wear a used pair of clothes or buy new ones.
9. Always carry a portable charger
We got lost many times when our phones ran out of charge and we couldn’t navigate. These are modern times where you need a phone for everything – to navigate, to find a good restaurant, to check the prices of nearby attractions, to click some good photos etc. So make sure your phone is always charged and carry a portable charger with you at all times.
10. Install VPN on your phone
As insane as it might sound, packet sniffing is a big thing now. We lost almost $800 at Frankfurt in Germany when we connected to Public Wifi at a hostel and logged into one of our bank accounts. To avoid people snooping into your confidential network traffic and stealing your bank passwords or something, install VPN on your phone. VPN lets you exchange data with a server through a private or secure channel thus saving yourself from hackers. There are many apps out there that offer VPN services. We use TunnelBlick and SurfEasy. Please make sure you do this to avoid being the next victim of such attacks.
11. Stay away from Social media while traveling
People these day might go bonkers without social media. The true purpose of travel is to cherish your current moments. So, instead of staring at your phone when you are tired during a trip, sit back and relax, think about life, talk to a stranger, read a book or play a card game. Some of the best travel moments are the ones that you get when you don’t have a wifi connection.
12. Use offline maps
Offline maps are super helpful when you travel. They help you when you don’t have mobile data, especially in remote places and and also help reduce your mobile data usage. So, you will never get lost when you rely on maps for navigation. So, always make sure you have downloaded an offline map of your destination.
13. Be an open minded traveler
An open-minded traveler is someone who isn’t afraid to explore and connect with others during their travels. This kind of traveler is brave and throws themselves into each travel experience without hesitation or fear. Being an open-minded traveler doesn’t mean that you are willing to put yourself into danger. It’s more about you being open and allowing yourself to experience new things in every capacity. On the brighter side, you get to make more travel friends.
14. Drink plenty of water
Traveling drains more energy that you might think. So, you need to stay hydrated all the time. This also reduces the probability of falling sick. Carry a water bottle wherever you go and keep refilling it. You can also buy a water filter bottle that helps in reducing chlorine content and organic impurities in water or a handheld water purifier that would kill all the harmful bacteria and microorganisms.
15. Always read reviews
Before picking a restaurant or visiting an attraction, always read some reviews. Google and trip advisor reviews are usually very helpful. Read the bad ones and the good ones. These might help you with some basic dos and don’ts. We once picked a random restaurant for lunch in Barcelona and ended up paying 25 Euros for a single drink as they only had a food menu with reasonable food prices. It was a total rip off and a smart business tactic. Had we read the reviews on Google, we would have known that getting a drink here was a very bad idea.
16. Read about local customs and traditions
You don’t want to offend anyone while you travel, so make sure you’re aware of any offensive gestures or behaviour before you arrive. As an example, in Morocco, you should always eat with your right hand as the left hand is considered unclean and typically used by Moroccans to clean after going to the toilet. Also, if you disrespect Islam or the monarchy, you might end up in prison. Always do your research before you travel.
17. Find photogenic spots on Instagram
You can find some of the best spots in an attraction on instagram. Just search for the place on Insta and a bunch of photos will popup. The spot that has been picked by the most people is usually the photogenic spot. Make sure you get a good photo there. At the end of the day, photos are what help you cherish your travel memories.
18. Track your finances
Although it might seem annoying and time consuming at first, it helps a lot. At the end of every day on your itinerary, track how much you have spent and how much you can spend for the rest of the trip. You can make adjustments accordingly and spend less if you think you might cross your budget or give yourself a little treat if you think you have spent less.
19. Don’t be afraid to talk to the locals
You will always get the best travel tips from locals – something that you might not find over the internet. When on a hike or on a tour, get to know your fellow travelers and engage in a conversation with your guide. You will not only make new friends but will also probably learn a lot.
20. Be nice and keep smiling
It never hurts to smile. Be genuinely nice to everyone and it will open all kinds of doors.
So, what do you think? Do you agree with all of our tips? Do you have any others to share? Let us know in the comments! And, hit the heart button if you really liked the post 🙂
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