My Travel Ins and Outs
Traveling like a pro isn’t something that comes naturally. It takes trials and tribulations in the trickiest of situations to learn the best travel hacks. These are my tips I had to learn in the last 9 years of seriously traveling. Let me know what your travel ins and outs are!
planning ins/outs
In: Using google flights to find the best travel deals.
Out: Not being flexible on timing and airline.
Why: Google flights is easy to navigate to see the best days and airlines to book from.
In: Always book directory with the airlines or the hotels.
Out: Booking through third party websites such as booking or expedia.
Why: It’s a great way to earn miles or points by booking directory with the airline or hotels. There is also usually less issues that arise when you book with them instead of a third party
In: Traveling during off peak time.
Out: Avoiding summer and school breaks to travel if possible.
Why: Those big weeks are when most other people take time off. Nobody likes to wait in insane lines and deal with overcrowding.
In: Having a flexaible schedule during your trip.
Out: Overbooking your time.
Why: It can be overwhelming to be on the go for days straight. Carving in downtime can really only serve you well.
In: Acting like a local to have a fulfilling trip.
Out: Only seeing the biggest tourist attractions.
Why: Slowly emerge yourself with the culture.
packing ins/outs
In: Packing empty refillable water and multiple external phone chargers.
Out: Buying plastic water bottles and allowing your phone to be dead.
Why: Buying a plastic water bottle is expensive and bad for our environment. It might be a bit inconvenient to carry around the refillable one but having water at all times while on a trip is essential.
Having your phone die while needing directions and having a tool to use in an emergency is nightmare. Be prepared to have external phone chargers to prevent that.
In: Getting currency at home before traveling abroad.
Out: Using ATMs go get cash out in another country.
Why: Please reference this previous post- How I Got $3,000 Stolen From Me Abroad. I use AAA to get cash!
In: Planning every outfit in advance and packing into cubes.
Out: Overpacking.
Why: It might take a little extra time to plan outfits in advance but it avoids overpacking and bring items you never wear.
AIRPORT INS/OUTS
In: Having TSA Precheck and Global Entry.
Out: Waiting extra long lines in security.
Why: Taking the few hours to make the appointment and do the paperwork saves you so much time over the five years you have it for. Some travel credit cards will even pay for the fee for the appointment.
Enjoy these tips!
xoxo Jenna