Ultimate Travel Tips for a Hassle Free Trip

Life coach, Craig Lounsbrough said ”A successful tomorrow will always demand the preparation of today,” this holds true for anyone about to embark on a journey.

A successful trip will always demand pre-departure preparations. The more you plan and prepare, the more equipped you will be to handle any situation you encounter.

This article will help you start off with your pre-departure preparations. Below are is a list of valuable tips that will help you have a more positive experience while traveling.

 

Do Your Homework

Before going to any destination read about the place, the people, and the culture. Browse through blogs and reviews to get feedback from people who have been there. Read about top attractions, how to get around, and the best places to stay from local websites.

Reviews and articles from credible websites may help you make informed decisions on where to stay, what to do, and how to make the most of your travel fund. You may also learn about which attractions to see and which ones you may scrap off your itinerary.

Emergency Fund

It’s important to set your budget for the trip and it is equally important to have an emergency fund. As it is with life, there will likely be unplanned costs, so you may want to prepare extra cash or make sure you check with your banks that you’d be able to access your money while you’re  abroad.

Check the Weather

It’s imperative to check the weather particularly when traveling overseas. You don’t want to pack the wrong clothes and end up spending time and money shopping for the right ones at your destination.

We all hope for beautiful blue skies during our holiday, however it’s impossible to foresee an unwelcome outpour. Therefore, a lightweight umbrella  may come handy.

On the other hand, if it’s going to be hot and sunny for the duration of your trip, you may want to pack a bottle of sunblock and a water flask. Reviewing the weather will also help you immensely in planning your itinerary.

Forex Check

The value of your money may increase or decrease depending on forex rates so check this before you leave your home country. You might be better off having your money converted at home than abroad.

Your medication

Personal medication is of utmost importance especially if you’re taking prescription drugs. Medicines at home may not be available at your destination so you may stack up on supplies for the duration of your trip and maybe some extra if there’s a chance you’ll extend. It’s also noteworthy to have your doctor prescription handy.

Have a Packing List

Grab a pen and list down everything you’ll need and strike off items ONLY when they’re securely in your luggage. DO NOT RELY ON MEMORY.

Pack Light

Whether you’re packing for a long or short trip, PACK LIGHT! – It will make your life so much easier. Lesser baggage means you get to move around faster, have lesser stuff to worry about, and you’ll have more space for yourself.

Overpacking only adds to your stress as you’d have more weight to pull around and more stuff to worry about. Do yourself a favor and just pack the essentials.

Eat Before You Go

If you’re going on a 6-hour bus ride or an 8-hour flight on a budget airline that offers no complimentary meals, make sure you have a heavy meal before you set off.

Packing a few snacks is also a good idea as airline food are usually pricey. When taking a flight on a low cost airline it makes sense to add a meal to your reservation.

Extra Batteries or a Power Bank

It’s worthwhile to invest on extra batteries particularly for your camera or a portable power bank for your smartphone. You won’t regret it and it helps to avoid frustrating situations like when your battery runs out just as you were posing with Shrek at Universal Studios.

Pack Personal Toiletries

Many backpackers and B&B’s don’t provide toiletries or if they do, it’s usually not quality ones, so you may want to pack your own. Same goes with towels.

Travel Deals

Subscribe to airline newsletters and follow them on SNS. Airlines often announce their promos in advance to subscribers via email or social media.

Get a mapping app

It’s easy to get lost in an unfamiliar place, fortunately these days, we’ve got numerous mapping apps like google maps and waze to help us navigate  a new city or town. Best of all many of these apps are free!

So do get that set up on your phone prior to your trip. Also, data connection is something you may want to research in order to get connected as soon as you arrive at your destination.

Money Matters

You will always need to carry paper bills when traveling but do avoid carrying large amounts of money. Plan your budget well and have some bills exchanged at a money changer, the rest you can withdraw later as most bank cards or atms can be used overseas.

For longer trips, I personally prefer to keep my travel fund in the bank, I just think it’s safer that way. However, make sure you inform your local bank about your travel plans so that they’ll release any hold on any overseas transactions.

I once tried to withdraw from an atm abroad but could not, luckily I had some extra money. Back home, I inquired at the bank and they said I should’ve informed them in advance as my account was not enabled for overseas transactions. Hence, it’s crucial to have extra cash or an alternative bank card, atm or credit card with you to avoid the extremely difficult situation of having no access to your money while in a foreign land.

Outlet Extensions and Adapters

I’ve stayed at a few backpacker and B&B’s that only offer one outlet per room preventing guests from charging and using multiple devices at the same time. It’s really inconvenient. That said, you may want to consider packing a lightweight outlet extension.

In addition, if you’re traveling overseas bring a universal adapter because you’ll never know what outlets look like abroad.

Prepare to Haggle

Traveling offers the opportunity to enhance your negotiation skills, especially if shopping is a big part of your itinerary. At street markets and bazaars, vendors are almost always willing to give discounts especially if you’re buying a lot. Hence, take your time, cruise through shops, compare prices, and haggle as best as you can to avoid getting the ”tourist price.”

Invest on a Durable Selfie Stick

A selfie stick can take a little getting used to. Previously, I felt awkward using one especially in public spaces as some people tend to stare. However, it’s proven to be a very useful accessory especially for solo travelers.

A selfie stick allows you to capture a wider range and add more elements to your photo enhancing its quality. Also, you may avoid those often unflattering selfie photos taken too close to your face.

Selfie sticks are evolving too! Some can now be transformed into mini tripods allowing you take photos from a greater distance using the more powerful rear camera of your phone.

Learn a few phrases

Make an effort to learn a few phrases and words of your host country. It will help you massively in your interactions with locals, they will appreciate your interest in their language. Moreover, knowing a few words and phrases will also come handy when shopping and asking for directions.

~ ~ ~

Traveling will teach you many things and maybe the most fundamental of all is the value of planning and preparation. It’s great to be excited about your trip and you should be, but be mindful that things may not always go as planned and, your pre-departure preparations will be elemental to how you tackle any situation good or bad.

Moreover, travel planning offers the opportunity to put your organizing and strategizing skills to the test. Hopefully, the tips above will help you as you get ready for your next adventure.

Check out our Travel 101 page for more articles on Travel Planning and Preparation.

If you have a tip or idea which you’d like to share, please leave a comment below.