10 Essential Travel Tips That Every Person Should Know
Very often, when planning a trip, we forget about important things that can be useful on a trip. These tips will help you prepare well and make your holiday unforgettable!
Save money on the trip, see the most interesting places, taste delicious local cuisine and spend an unforgettable vacation … All this can be done without buying excursions and an all-inclusive tour. Read our tips for solo travelers!
1. Buy tickets in advance
If you book them 2-3 months or six months before the trip, then the cost will be much lower than a couple of weeks before the desired departure date. Subscribe to mailing lists of airlines and online ticket search services. They often have promotions for which you can buy tickets at a big discount. See not direct flights, but with connections in other countries: this way you can not only save money, but also see other places on the way to your destination.
2. Choose comfortable and affordable housing
It is not at all necessary to live in the center: hotels located in non-tourist areas, as a rule, are much cheaper and it will not take much time to get from them to the main attractions. An excellent option for budget travel is hostels and guesthouses. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to take a bed in a common room for 8-10 people: many of them have separate rooms for couples or small groups with amenities on the floor, and sometimes in the room itself. The most popular sites for searching and booking accommodation are booking.com, trivago.com and others. Compare prices on different sites and be sure to check the cost at the very place of residence: on the official sites of hotels and hostels, prices are lower than those of intermediary sites.
If you want to feel at home, try renting an apartment or a room from the owners on special sites for finding housing: Couchsurfing, Airbnb, Housetrip, and others. These options are usually much cheaper than hotels, but they have their own bathroom and equipped kitchen.
3. Passport and visa copy
Make a copy of your passport and visa in advance or take a photo of the documents on your smartphone: they can be useful to you on your trip. But the originals are best left in the hotel or hostel safe for the entire trip.
4. Bring comfortable and practical clothes and shoes that can be combined with each other.
After preparing your clothes for the trip, review them again and put aside what you are unlikely to wear. As a rule, the part of the wardrobe that we take on trips is never worn until the end of the vacation. Instead of extra shirts and dresses, it is better to take a replacement pair of comfortable shoes, a sweatshirt with long sleeves and jeans, because the weather is often unpredictable even in warm countries.
5. Vacuum bags and travel organizers will become a real lifesaver in travel
If you put your clothes in such bags, release the air and close them, then you will save a lot of space in your bag or suitcase. Plus, they’re tough, sealed and waterproof so you don’t have to worry about things getting damaged in the event of rain or if liquid spills in your suitcase. All little things, including cosmetics, hygiene products, chargers and other accessories will always be safe and sound if packed in special travel cases with compartments.
Important! Use secret places to store valuables – It can be unsafe to carry money and bank cards in your bags or pockets. In this case, a small secret pocket will be salvation. You can easily hide it under clothes and not worry about the safety of valuables.
6. Don’t forget your first aid kit!
Even if you have insurance, be sure to take the necessary minimum of medicines with you: for headaches and fever, allergies, insect bites, intestinal upset in case of poisoning, as well as various dressings: antiseptics, plasters, bandages and brilliant green. Talk to your doctor about buying antibiotics, as in many countries they cannot be obtained without a prescription.
7. Mobile internet OFF
If you are going abroad, turn off the mobile Internet in your phone and use WiFi in public places so that you do not receive astronomical phone bills upon arrival. With the included cellular data transfer, there is a risk of paying extra money, because some applications go online and update themselves. As a rule, wireless Internet is available in many hotels, cafes, parks and other places. As a last resort, you can save money by buying a local SIM card with internet traffic.
8. Look for places in advance
Find good cafes, restaurants, parks and attractions will help not only travel guides, but also useful travel sites and applications for smartphones: TripAdvisor, Foursquare, Revizorro, Eagle and Tails and others. With their help, you can easily find many options for places that are worth visiting on your trip. Look at ratings and photos, read reviews from other travelers, and choose what you like.
Don’t forget to download travel-essential apps that work without internet access.
9. Buy single passes for all types of transport to save on travel costs
In many countries and cities, you can also purchase a special plastic travel card, which allows you to use public transport without restrictions, to visit major attractions and museums for free, and also provides discounts in many cafes and restaurants. They are usually sold at airport or print kiosks.
10. When going shopping abroad, do not forget to check with the stores if they issue TaxFree
This system of value added tax refund for foreigners allows you to get some of the money back from the purchase upon departure. Refunds range from 7 to 20 percent on a purchase (minimum cost varies by country) made in one store or mall in one day. You can return the money at the airport or by transfer to the card.
