Monday, January 6, 2020

10 Travel Hacks (Including Ones You Haven’t Thought Of!)

Travel hacks is everyone looking for when its come to comfort traveling. Traveling is one of the most experiences any person can have. Not only does it break you out of your everyday funk, but it also gives you a chance to experience the rich culture, traditions, and lifestyle of areas and people outside your norm. Even if you’re traveling to a different city in the same state you live in, you’re still going to experience a new way of life. but if you learned travel hacks it will help you some extent when you traveling to new cities. No one city or community is the same; there is always something new and exciting. Sometimes it’s even right around the corner! Just ask people who have embarked on the latest travel trend: staycations. Even if you’re staying in your own city, this type of getaway will allow you to explore areas that you haven’t previously as well as open you up to places that you have probably never even heard of. In short, traveling is a great way to learn about a place intimately.  You’re also exposed to endless opportunities, life-changing experiences, and more all wrapped in a fun little package. Travel hacks will prepare you for your next adventure trip to the beautiful world.

Plus, you get a break from your everyday schedule and you’re free to do things at your own pace. It’s your vacation and you can divvy your time up how you see fit. Want to spend your entire trip seeing sight after sight and only sleeping when you have to? Cool! There are definitely some cities and attractions that can cater to that. Want to kick back, relax, and be on island time? There’s definitely a beach out there with sugar white sands and crystal clear blue water where you can plant a beach chair and relax to your heart’s content.

However, traveling isn’t always all sunshine and rainbows. It can be a headache sometimes, especially in the pre-planning period when you’re trying to get everything in order. Booking the hotel, your flight, planning your itinerary, etc. can all be nothing short of a drag. This is especially true if you’re trying to make accommodations for a large group of people (hello trying to find something that everyone is interested in) and/or staying extended periods of time (yes, hello Airbnb? Can you accommodate 7 adults and 3 children for 2 weeks?). And even after you have everything in order, there can be some hiccups along the journey such as a delayed flight or an extended layover. Hardly anyone plans for these kinds of things and it can be a bummer when it happens to you. However even if everything goes off without a hitch, there are still a number of travel hacks that can make your trip even better. Below we’ve compiled a list of some of the best travel hacks that will make sure your vacation is the best one to date! So whether you’re doing a staycation or traveling half way around the world, these hacks are sure to help!

Top Travel Hacks

cloud picture was taking from the airplane with airplane hacks to save money

1. Check out FourSquare for Wi-Fi Passwords  

apple phone finding a wifi password in the restaurant

FourSquare is a great resource for finding food, drinks, and attractions as well as reviews. However, it’s also a great place to find Wi-Fi passwords. While most people are going to tell you to “stay off your phone and enjoy your trip”, we all know how important access to our phones can be as well. Even if you’re not uploading vacay photos to social media to make your friends jealous, there might be the off chance that you need Wi-Fi in order to find your next destination or even your hotel. If you’re traveling outside of the United States, relying on your phone’s network can be extremely expensive. Finding a Wi-Fi pocket will save you a lot of money! So make sure you check the comments on FourSquare regarding the place you’ve ducked into. Chances are, the password is there.

2. Got Jet Lag? Go for a Run!

person is ruining in the mountain

Jet lag can severely hinder your trip experience and leave you feeling run down and drained for the first day. Your sleep schedule might also be off and the last thing you want is to waste any part of your vacation feeling less than your best. While there are many ways out there to combat jet lag, the best is running. We get that it’s totally tempting to lie down and take a nap, but this isn’t really going to give you relief from jet lag. In fact, it’s probably going to make you even more tired and mess up your sleep schedule even more. And it’s going to eat into your vacay time as well. Running will wake you up, engage your muscles that have sat stiff and idle on the plane ride, and help you adjust to the new time zone. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to see and explore the area! Also, you’ll be able to fit some extra vacation calories in without feeling guilty.

3. Airport Water Hack

Traveler carrying suitcase with water bottle

Nothing sucks more than having to dump out your favorite drink or bottle of water before you go sit in the waiting area for the next three years. Luckily, there’s a solution for that. Take an empty water bottle or reusable bottle with you. It’ll pass through security just fine and once you’re clear, you can head over to the restroom water fountains for a refill. While you won’t be able to refill your bottle with a delicious sugary drink, you at least won’t have to wait on your plane with cottonmouth. Plus having that water handy is also great for people who get plane anxiety and need to take some medication last minute to help ease the process. You also won’t have to pay through the nose for airport water either, which is usually about 2-3 times the cost of the same water you picked up at the gas station. So in our book, this hack checks all the boxes!

4. Skip the Currency Exchange Centers

currency exchange store in the US airport

If you’ve ever traveled outside of the US before, then you know that you need to convert your US dollars over to the currency of your destination. This usually means a trip to the local currency exchange center. And if you’ve never had the displeasure of visiting one, then lucky you. Currency exchange centers can be a real drain on both your time and money. They charge outrageous prices because they can. After all, you need this country’s currency and the center knows that. So how do you combat this? Visit an ATM instead! While you’re going to get hit with bank fees, you won’t spend nearly as much time (or money) as you would by going through an exchange center.

5. Don’t Fold Your Clothes, Roll Them

person is putting all the clothes in their suitcase for their traveling trips

Personally speaking, packing is one of the biggest pains when it comes to travel. This travel hacks will teach you how to over come with packing. In all honesty, we don’t know how to pack! We’re always over packing and thinking, “well maybe I’ll want to wear this shirt but what if I want this tank instead? Or maybe I should bring my dress? Let’s bring them all just in case!” And suddenly our suitcase can’t even hold our makeup or toiletries. This is why instead of folding your clothes into your suitcase you should roll them up. You’ll be able to pack way more by doing this or if you’re not like us, you’ll be able to save a ton of space and even opt for a smaller suitcase. And rolling your clothes doesn’t wrinkle them as much as you’d think either. Simply let your clothes air out for 15-20 minutes before wearing them and the wrinkles will fade.

6. Use a Pill Container to Store Jewelry

Purple pill container with women gold rings

Trying to pack jewelry is one of those delayed nightmares. It’s pretty easy to shove into a makeup bag or a zipper compartment on your suitcase, but once you go to select a piece it becomes hell. Your necklaces are tangled up, there’s knots in the chains, your rings have somehow vanished into tiny little corners never to be found again, and you have to spend quite a bit of time digging for matching earrings. Prevent this by picking up a pill container box from your local drugstore. They come in a variety of sizes so regardless of how much jewelry you need to pack, chances are you’ll find the right amount of spaces. For larger pieces, you might need a bigger pillbox that’s separate from the others. Also because the lids securely close, there’s less chance of your pieces tumbling around your belongings and getting separated.

7. Stop Wrinkles by Packing a Dryer Sheet

person is packing suitcase with dryer sheet to ready for the travel

One of the last things you want to do on your trip is spend a bunch of time ironing your clothes. And while you can certainly let them steam in the bathroom with the hot water running or let them air out by hanging them up, packing a dryer sheet will mean that you can skip the process altogether. Just like the sheets unwrinkled your clothes in the dryer, the sheet will also prevent your clothes from wrinkling inside your suitcase. Plus, your clothes will smell super fresh! And it’ll also keep your dirty clothes smell to a minimum and prevent that odor from seeping onto your clean stuff. Even if you have a separate garment bag for your dirty stuff, the scent can still travel. Remember to pack extras too to keep yourself going during your trip! this is very easy travel hacks!

8. Check Flight Prices while in Incognito Mode

iphone checking for the flight deals

This is probably one of the oldest tricks in the book, but unfortunately not very many people take advantage of it. Perhaps they aren’t aware of it, or maybe they don’t think it’s real. Either way, you should definitely check flight prices only when using a private browser. Popular sites tend to not only check how often you visit their site, but they also raise their prices when they pick up on your patterns. This means the more frequently you check those same dates the more they’re going to raise the prices. It’s not fair, but that’s how they do business. And if you don’t believe us, do a comparison yourself. Frequently check the same dates on a public browser for a short duration and watch the prices change then check those same times on a private one. You’ll be shocked at the difference! So use a private browser to look up flights for the best deal possible.

9. Empty Tic-Tac Boxes make Great Bobby Pin Storages

tic tac box filled with bobby pin

Bobby pins are almost a requirement for people traveling on vacation. They’re great for messy buns, keeping fly aways out of your face, and styling your hair for a nice dinner date. While there are a number of ways to store your bobby pins, the best way is to keep them in an empty Tic-Tac container. They tend to stay together and stay away from everything else when they’re kept here. Plus, they’re much easier to find and get to! How many times have you put them in your makeup bag only to have to rinse your foundation off of them? Or if you’ve mixed them with your toiletries only to find that they’re tangled in your toothbrush or hairbrush bristles? Gross! And how many have ended up in the bottom of your suitcase for no discernable reason? Tic-Tac containers fix this issue.

10. Put a Fragile Label on Your Luggage

orange fragile label tie into the suitcase

Even if nothing in your suitcase is even remotely fragile, you’ll still want to stick one of these labels on it. If you’ve ever watched how luggage gets handled, it can be a shocking and disturbing experience. And this applies to traveling via bus, plane, and cruise ship. Regardless of how you’re reaching your destination, your luggage is probably being handled roughly. Having a warning label on it doesn’t necessarily insure that it’ll get the best treatment, but it will be treated better than the rest. And as an added bonus, you’ll be one of the first to get your bags at the suitcase collection since none of the other bags get stacked on top of it. Score!

Bonus travel tip:

women carrying blue luggage bag

Opt for a plastic or shell suitcase instead of a cloth. These offer more room than traditional suitcases and they also do a better job of protecting your belongings. Even if you don’t have anything fragile inside, your luggage can still get damaged. During a cruise, something happened with the machinery and a lot of people’s belongings were severely damaged. Some people were dragging literal shreds of their suitcase behind them to their room. A hard case will help negate this. If you absolutely must opt for cloth, make sure it’s a thick, hearty material. You’ll be glad you did!

What are your thoughts about road trip hacks ?

Do any of the travel hacks on our list surprise you? Are there some that you never thought of? Or are you an avid practitioner of some of them? We’d also like to know if you have any travel hacks that you’d like to see added to the list! If so, let us know in the comments below and make sure to share this with your friends and family that are traveling. We’re sure that they’ll be incredibly grateful for the information!

The post 10 Travel Hacks (Including Ones You Haven’t Thought Of!) appeared first on Ishli.com.



source https://ishli.com/travel-hacks-for-better-traveling/

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