Article created by: Mantas Kačerauskas
Traveling to a new place can be scary, even after perusing the entire location on Google Maps and downloading the local language into your translation apps. But when you exit the airport, train station, or whatever other conveyance you’ve picked, you are hit with the reality that now it is up to you to handle everything.
So a forward-thinking internet user decided to do us all a favor and ask around for the best travel tips that might not be that well known. We also got in touch with Travel Blogger/Photographer Jon Miksis, to learn more. From unexpected, to downright genius, frequent fliers and other veterans shared all the insights they had picked up over the years, so be sure to upvote your favorites and comment your own tips below.
It’s ok to be sitting in your hotel room, across the street from the Eiffel Tower/palace/mountain and decide…today is a sit in my room and order an amazing pepperoni pizza and binge a tv show day.
You travel to relax, not to run a marathon of “how much can I fit in”.
When visiting a city get up before sunrise and walk as the city wakes up. I did this in Venice and it was magic!
Two things:
1) Make a color photocopy of your passport to carry with you and leave the original in your hotel safe
2) Learn a few simple words in the local language. Hello, goodbye, thank you, at a minimum. It will go a long way to making people friendly to you
If you are in a country where you don’t speak the language and might be taking taxis, have the staff at your hotel record a voice memo on your phone explaining how to get back to the hotel. Then just play it for your taxi driver. Or use this strategy for allergy messages to play in restaurants , or basically any message you can anticipate needing.
I always take some sandwich bags. There's always a half eaten pastry, or leftovers etc when you're out. That way I can pop it in my bag for later
Always schedule a quiet day after you arrive, especially if you’re coming off a long flight, jet-lag is a real thing
And always have spare days in your itinerary for either weather events, or just things you discover while you’re there
Carry more than one credit/debit card
Try searching for flights in the airline’s original language. I once saved $700 when booking tickets for a trip to Peru by using Spanish rather than English.
If I’m going to a sketchy country, I carry a fake wallet. I have expired drivers license and credit cards in it and at the beginning of the day I put the amount of cash I expect to spend that day in it and that’s it. If I get mugged they won’t be spending the time to check expiry dates and they won’t get ALL my cash. I keep the rest of the cash and my functional credit cards somewhere else on me.
what’s available offline from google is insane. downloading an offline map on google maps for a region helps you navigate whether you have cell service or traveling on airplane mode. if in a country w a language barrier, you can download languages in google translate for offline use, and while you may not have a deep intellectual convo, you can get by with basics like food, bathroom, etc. particularly helpful in countries with different alphabets, as you can scan a photo you take or play out loud a phrase for someone helping you
Never pass up a bathroom.
Google local scams in the area before visiting somewhere new. It's helped me not fall for a few.
Having light rain gear on a rainy day can make normally packed activities wait free.
Set your watch and phone to the timezone of arrival once you’re on the plane. Frame the flight around this timezone whether that means taking sleeping pills or drinking caffeine, you will avoid jet lag like a champ.
Brushing your teeth is the quickest way to feel human again after long flights. Have toothpaste and brush ready so you can do this before you leave the airport.
An oldie but a goodie: you must always bring a towel
It is not a requirement to pack your bag as full as possible
If you need to poo in the center of a city, search for a public library and enter confidently. Library toilets tend to be much cleaner than those in other public buildings and are free.
in the EU and UK, carry about a dollar's / euro's / pound's worth in change, because some public restrooms charge.
If someone smiles a lot and appears overtly friendly when talking to you, leave.
Get travel insurance… simple but seen many people forgetting and regretting
When getting local currency from an ATM, use a weird dollar amount to get smaller bills. So if I need 2000 and the machine dispenses in 20s, I will withdraw 1980 so I’ll get an assortment of smaller bills rather than big bills that no one will break for me.
Also, I will always bring an after-bite stick for anywhere that has mosquitos. You will get bit at least once even if you’re good with the repellents and it will itch like hell. The after bite stick helps it itch less.
When traveling off the beaten track where personal safety is less certain ( basically anywhere that you're not supposed to be out at night ) carry at least $50 to $100 in cash in a separate pocket from your money/cards/etc. That's enough to give a potential assailant that warm feeling of achievement, so they will let you go.
For some reason it’s often difficult to find sunblock and mosquito repellent in countries with lots of sun and mosquitoes. Take them with you!
I have one that won’t be helpful to everyone, but hopefully convenient for some.
I’m one of those people with a mild coffee addiction, where if I don’t have at least a cup by 11am my time, I develop a splitting headache or migraine. On busy travel days where I don’t have time to stop for a coffee, it can be miserable.
So, I always travel with either a box of the espresso Clif bars to stick in my bag or, if I’m really tight on space, Excedrin. One dose of Excedrin has 65mg of caffeine, almost as much as coffee. So it’s like having a bottle of 50 cups of coffee for when I’m short on time
Maybe not recommended for everyone but it’s helped me out a LOT
Edit: just not a fan of the instant coffees I’ve tried, and the Excedrin doubles as part of my medicine kit for traveling (although I prefer the espresso bars). I’ll have to try the travel french presses though!!
Also, while I’m sure people mean well… I only drink a cup a day, ever. I’m just sensitive to caffeine. Needing one cup a day isn’t really a concern for me
