Traveling and seeing new places is one of the exciting moments that many people look forward to but without the best travel tips to help you stay safe and make the most of your trip, this experience can become regrettable.
Some people aren’t travel-savvy, when they travel, they tend to make some mistakes that might make them unhappy and unwilling to travel again. At the same time, some travelers have mastered the best travel tips that help them travel much better.
Whether you’re a pro traveler or someone going on vacation, traveling is a great adventure that everyone looks forward to experiencing and every great adventure requires adequate preparation so you can get the most out of it. This is why learning new travel tips is essential to make your next vacation a memorable one.
In this guide, we will reveal some of the best travel tips that you need to have in mind before you prepare for another trip. With these tips in mind, you can travel safely, and enjoy every bit of your trip. There are important travel essentials that you need to make your trips successful.
50 Best Travel Tips to Make You a Pro Traveler
From security, safety, food, to packaging your travel needs, there are several travel tips to help you make the most of every travel experience.
Want to have the best on-the-road experience? Here are the best travel tips to set your foot on the right path:
1. Don’t Go Big on Backpacks
This is one mistake most travelers make. The fact that you are traveling doesn’t mean you should pack your entire stuff.
Instead, buy a small suitcase or backpack that can fit most of your essentials. Believe me, you don’t want to carry a heavy backpack that would weigh you down during the trip.
2. Keep Important Items in a Daypack
Traveling is thrilling and you look forward to getting to your tourist location. However, things can go awry, especially when some mischief-maker hides in the luggage hold while on transit. You might end up losing most of your important items.
This is why getting a daypack is important. With the daypack, you can conveniently hide your important items and keep them with you while on transit.
3. Book a Return Trip
While a one-way ticket is cool, it can be expensive. Besides, booking a one-way ticket might mean you will backtrack and spend more time on vacation than you wanted to.
Therefore, consider booking a return trip. This way, you will try to cover more grounds during the trip and still catch your flight back to where you came from. It also saves money!
4. Travel Solo
Traveling solo can help you become comfortable when no one is there to go with you. By traveling solo, you will also have ample time to interact with the locals.
5. Always Carry a Towel
Although most hostels or hotels offer towels, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to carry yours. A small towel can come in handy when at a picnic or at the beach when you need to dry off after a swim.
6. Keep a Journal
What’s the fun in traveling when you don’t have something to document all you did? Get a journal strictly to write down the things you did while on the trip, the places you visited – and even the meals you ate.
7. Research about the Meals and Get Your Stomach Ready
Now, this is a critical point to consider even before you travel. Researching and getting acquainted with the meals or dishes peculiar to your destination is an important travel tip that must not be overlooked.
This research will help you find out if the meals peculiar to the location are familiar to you. If they are not, consider finding substitute meals over there that would cause you to have intolerances.
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8. Use a Map
Hey, you are traveling to a new location. You don’t even know how the landscape is or how to get to important sites there.
This is why you shouldn’t forget to pack a map in your backpack. Also, familiarize yourself with map reading so you can make accurate directions on the way.
9. Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Directions
Even with the map with you, there are some directions you may not understand at a glance. Thus, consider asking a local for directions to a place.
10. Getting Lost is Cool
I know you are scared out of your wits already, but it is fine. Don’t be afraid to get purposefully lost while on your trip.
This travel tip involves sojourning to a place without using the map. Who knows, by wandering and getting lost over and over again, you will get to know the terrain better.
11. Hope for the Best and Expect the Worst
You are in for traveling for fun, yeah? I am in for it too! I love traveling to see new places and build more connections along the way.
Yet, there is a bad side to every good thing. So, hope for the best and expect the worst. Your trip can be a combination of sweet and sour. Sometimes, the bad side is more prominent and the sour taste never leaves your mouth.
You may only be setting yourself for the worst adventure if you expect things to go perfectly. You may get hurt or injured. Your belongings may also be burgled. In worst-case scenarios, you may miss your flight, get scammed, or even get sick while on the trip.
These combinations make it a trip and you should expect them. It is one of the important travel tips you should never ignore.
12. Make Copies of Your Important Documents
Do this before setting out for the trip – make extra copies of your important documents, including your passport.
This does not only help you have a copy to fall back on if you lose the originals. It can also help you do some important documents during the trip, especially when you don’t have the original with you.
As a rule of thumb, email the extra copies to your email so you can access them anytime, provided there is an Internet connection where you are.
13. Hit up the Famous Stops
Don’t be a travel snub. You are traveling because you are looking for adventure and a change of scene.
This is why you must visit some of the famous stops or tourist attractions in your destination. It is not a bad idea either to random places that are not well-known.
14. Get a History Book about Your Destination
What could be a better way to know about the destination you are traveling to if not by reading its history?
See if you can find a book that tells you about the past of the location. With the information, you can understand the present attributes of the location.
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15. Be Liberal
More often than not, you will come across people and even events that will get on your nerves and stretch you to the limits.
It hurts, quite alright. But that’s what makes all the difference in a trip. Try to keep an open mind. Being liberal does not only help you listen to what others have to say or the other perspectives on things. It can also help you to embrace different possibilities and prompt you to ask important questions that will help you learn more.
16. Juggle Your Travel Options
Most of the time, tourists or people going on a vacation juggle their travel options. This is an important travel tip to have in mind when preparing to book a trip.
Flying direct to the destination is cool, but it has some downsides. You will spend more money on flight, as well as miss out on some important details that you could have picked up.
Thus, consider booking a flight and stop at the closest airport to your destination. You can then take a bus or go by train to the destination. Doing this helps you to start experiencing the thrills of the new location even before you get there.
17. Take Something to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
Don’t forget to pack snacks for your trip. You don’t want to go hungry when touring your destination. At the same time, you need something to satisfy your sweet tooth.
That’s the importance of packing snacks!
18. Buy Plenty of Souvenirs
Some tourist locations are so cool that you want to come back again, while some make you cringe at the thought of them.
Nevertheless, always buy plenty of souvenirs, if you can afford them. You need these to go back in time to relish the beautiful reminders of the experiences you had while on the trip.
19. Always Get Travel Insurance
This is an important travel tip that saves hundreds of travelers every year. Getting travel insurance does not only help you get a faster pass at the border control. It can also help you save big when you need medical attention or when you lose important items during the trip.
Don’t think that you may not get in harm’s way or get robbed of your luggage. Hundreds of other travelers thought the same way too, and they were sorry for it.
You may not get your lost items back, but with travel insurance, you can be reimbursed to replenish what you lost.
20. Don’t Have High Expectations
Always lower your expectations when traveling. This international travel tip will help you have a positive trip because you aren’t expecting much anyway.
So, even if the tourist destination turns out to be words on paper, you can always enjoy the little fun it offers.
21. Be Like the Eagle
Patience is one skill you must master so you can make the most out of the trip. Some travelers tend to get worked up when things don’t appear to work out the way they expected.
Instead, be like the eagle, by being patient. With patience, you can get the best out of your trip. Remember – your trip is about the journey and the experiences and not about how long it took.
22. Be Nice to Your Body
There is nothing wrong with having expectations for your trip. But you mustn’t do that at the expense of your body.
Your body needs to be in good shape so you can enjoy your trip. The food you eat, the weather you expose yourself to, and the exercise you engage in can take a toll on your body.
Be nice to your body by taking adequate sleep or having a nap at noon. You also want to be particular about the meals you eat, as well as taking routine exercises to keep fit.
23. Consider Carrying Bottled Water
Staying hydrated is very important. It doesn’t matter if you are hiking or touring a museum. Keeping bottled water with you helps you gulp to quench your taste.
24. Don’t Waste Money
You can go bankrupt if you don’t plan your trip well. Many-a travelers waste a lot of money when traveling, and this is usually because they spend money where they ought to have saved.
A few instances will suffice. Remember you are sightseeing? Why not walk 5 miles to save a couple of dollars? Or pair with a group to get access to a tourist site?
At the same time, look out for deals or offers that offer value for money.
25. Pre-Book Tickets for Tourist Attractions
You just arrived in the city for your tourist tours. You are waiting for the day of the tour to book your ticket.
This is not a wise thing to do. The general rule is to pre-book your tickets to tourist attractions. This way, you will skip the line and get instant access once you show up.
26. Eat the Local Food, but be Picky
Traveling tips from experienced travelers also include a bit of advice on meals – eat the local foods. This also comes with a caveat – be picky with the foods you eat.
Some meals may not sit well with your system. So, be picky when eating the local food.
27. Improve Your Concentration with Ear Buds and Sleep Masks
Your concentration can be interrupted by several factors. This is peculiar when you stay in a hostel. In this case, you have to put up with drunken travelers stumbling at night or even early risers who end up interrupting your rest by rustling their backpacks.
Even when you stay in a hotel, you would occasionally be interrupted by the noise on the street.
So, you should get a pair of earbuds to play your favorite songs or listen to a podcast. You can also invest in a sleep mask to block out light and help improve your sleep.
28. Learn and Practice a New Language
We bet that the destination you are traveling to doesn’t use your native language. This is why an important travel tip is to learn the language that is peculiar to the people inhabiting the location you are traveling to, at least, the local greetings.
Besides, learning a new language helps you to communicate effectively with the locals. This is in addition to the fact that a new language can help you make new friends, especially the locals who would be too glad to interact with you in the language they understand.
29. Travel on a Budget with Overnight Buses
Still, looking for travel tips that will help you travel on a budget? One of the best ways to cut down on your travel costs is by using overnight buses or trains.
The idea is for you to leave for your destination on a night bus or train. Since the bus or train will keep going until it arrives at your destination, you will not spend money on overnight accommodation.
30. Ask the Price
Still managing your money while traveling. Consider asking the price for any item or service you want to buy or use.
This can save you embarrassment and help you cut your coat according to your size.
31. Get Ideas from the Local Tourism Office
Not sure of what to do or where to go for sightseeing when on a tourist trip? Find out if there is a local tourism office in that location. The chances are that there will be one, at least.
You can visit the local tourism office and tell them what you are looking for – which are ideas on the best places to visit in that location.
Rest assured that they will be glad to be of help.
32. Be a Law-Abiding Citizen
The chances are that you are traveling to a destination that is not in your country. Even if it is, some locations within a country have specific laws that must be kept.
As a travel enthusiast, one of the things you mustn’t be caught doing is breaking laws. Find out the local laws ahead of time and see how you can get yourself to keep them, even if you don’t like them.
This way, you won’t get in the way of the authorities or end up serving a jail term for breaking the local laws.
33. Use Review Sites with Caution
A smart traveler looks up information before deciding on what to do. We are sure you are that definition of a smart traveler.
Yet, some smart travelers end up not being smart at all. This is usually the case when consulting review sites.
Maybe you are looking up restaurants or hotels near your destination so you can use their services. You reckon to find important information and possibly read the reviews/thoughts of past users on review sites.
While this is a good attempt, it doesn’t always work. On the one hand, some users tend to drop more negative reviews than positive reviews. On the other hand, some companies or service providers hire people to inflate their reviews to make them appear good.
So, use review sites with caution, if you must use one at all.
34. Leave Your Comfort Zone
A Comfort Zone is the worst place to be. From making you feel happy with the little you have achieved to not attempting to improve yourself – staying in a comfort zone is a no-no.
Have that in mind when scheduling your next trip. Try to travel to a location that is not within your current location.
This does not only help you to get new experiences. It also helps you to overcome some anxiety disorders you may have been dealing with.
35. Make Provisions for a Booster Budget
It is nice of you to think of cutting down on the costs of your trip. You don’t want to spend your life earnings on a week’s trip.
At the same time, you shouldn’t be so stingy to yourself when traveling. Having a “Booster Budget” or more money than you budgeted for is ideal.
With the additional sum of money, you added to the budget; you can splurge a little and ‘spoil’ yourself.
36. Never Forget Important Addresses
Your chances of getting lost during your trip are heightened when you can’t even tell where you are coming from.
The golden rule is “never forget important addresses.” This could be your hotel address or your hostel.
Ideally, you want to write down your hotel’s name, address, and even your room number on a piece of paper. You can as well as store the information on your phone’s notepad.
37. You Might not need a Money Belt
There have been few contrasting opinions on this travel tip. While some travelers prefer going with a money belt, others see it as a waste of money.
On the one hand, going with a money belt can be ideal if you want to take some money with you for shopping while touring.
On the other hand, you risk inviting robbers or pickpockets who will want to rip off your money belt.
So, weigh your options and see if taking a money belt is worth the risk.
38. Take a Travel Pillow for Sleeping
Your flight can take many hours before it touches down at the closest airport to your destination.
On your part, boredom tends to be your friend throughout the flight. What better way is there to enjoy the flight than to fall asleep?
So, get a travel pillow to keep your neck from straining while you doze off.
39. Going Out? Take What You Can Lose
Are you stepping out for a change of scene from the view you get from your hotel room? Perhaps, you want to visit the beach or the local service store to get a couple of items.
Whichever it is, ensure that you only go out with what you need or what you can lose and easily recover with it.
Keep your ATM card, but if you must take it, limit it to only one.
40. No Internet? Life Goes on
Only a few people can stay without logging into their Facebook accounts or surfing Google for information.
You are used to this routine already. But brace up for there may be no Internet connection at your tourist destination.
Life goes on. Just live in the moment and use the time you could have spent on the Internet to get to know your surroundings more.
41. Keep Your Change of Clothes in a Carry-On
A carry-on is a piece of hand luggage you are allowed to carry with you on the plane or train. You must keep your change of clothes and some other important items like toiletries in the carry-on.
The idea is that you wouldn’t be stranded on clothes to wear if your luggage is misplaced or stolen.
42. Don’t do Forex at the Airport
You need a change of currency. Say you are traveling to the UK from the U.S. You will have to change your United States Dollars (USD) to the British pounds (£).
There are lots of places to change your currency to the local currency, but the airport is not one of them. This is because of the higher exchange rate you will obtain at the airport.
Instead, find a Bureau De Change (BDC) to do your transaction if it is available in your destination country, your bank can also help you change your currency even before departure.
43. Carry Wipes with You
You reckon to take a bath once you get to your hotel, but things can happen and plans will change.
There may be delays in the flight landing at your destination or your bus develops issues on the way.
Prepare for this delay by carrying (baby) wipes. With this, you can have a quick clean of your face and possibly your arms and armpits.
44. Take an Extra Bank Card
Your bank or ATM card can stop working – and there is little or nothing you can do about it. The rule of thumb is to take an extra bank card with you.
With the extra card, you stand a better chance of being short of cash. Besides, it could be a better financial strategy because you can split your budget for the trip into two cards. If you lose the first, you can still manage with the second.
45. Learn Basic Phrases
As much as learning the native language is cool, you may not learn it all in a short while. Your best bet is to learn and master the basic phrases.
Learn how to say “Good morning,” “Thank you,” “How are you?” in the local language.
46. Wear Your Flip-Flops Anytime You Shower
You may be the only occupant of the hotel room during your stay, but several other people have been in there before you.
Taking your bath is cool, but wear your flip-flops so you don’t step on nasty kinds of stuff or slip during your shower.
47. Take Better Photos
As to be expected, you will take dozens of photos so that by the time you return from your trip, your phone’s gallery will be full.
However, learn how to take better photos. Don’t go taking random photos that you may never get to check at the end of the day.
Instead, take photos that do not only capture the most important moments of your trip but will also make a nice collection for your gallery.
48. Back-Up Your Photos and Videos
Your phone’s memory might get filled and you will have to delete some things to get additional space.
You might as well lose your phone and with it goes all the important videos and photos you took.
You can retain these beautiful memories for a long while by backing up your photos and videos to an external storage device. If possible, use cloud storage services, including Google Drive and OneDrive to back your documents.
49. Perseverance Pays Off at the End
You may have some difficulties getting somewhere. You may also have plans to do things and they don’t work out as you planned.
You would then be wondering why you came for the trip in the first place when all you get is disappointments.
Don’t get discouraged. Just find other ways to do those things or forget about them. Be consistent and keep a positive mindset so you can enjoy the rest of your trip.
50. Travel Often
Here is one of the most important travel tips – travel often! When you travel more, you will have access to newer information, as well as build new connections and relationships.
Who knows – you can get more on-the-road experiences that will help other travelers looking for international travel trips?
Whether it is for vacation, migration or business trips, employing these travel tips will help to ensure that you have a successful trip and stay out of trouble with the locals.
Getting acquainted with some of the best travel tips will help you to manage your communications, interactions, movements, health tips and many other important factors needed to travel safely.
If you’re making international travel, here is a compilation of the best international travel tips to help you travel better.
Conclusion
One of the best ways to stay safe when traveling is to get acquainted with the best travel tips that are necessary to make your trip a successful one.
Knowing these tips for food, security, and the best ways to make the most of your vacation is as important as your trip itself. The success of your trip depends on it.
If you’re traveling during covid-19, there are important travel tips during covid-19 that you need to adhere to in order to stay safe during your travel.
If you’re someone who travel with kids, considering getting acquainted with these travel tips when traveling with toddlers for the best safety experience and smooth vacation. Take a look at these international travel tips to help you become a pro traveler.
Do you find this article useful? Please let us know in the comment section.
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