I’ve been travelling for roughly 10 years, and in that time I’ve gathered my fair share of travel hacks that have made my experience in airports, and even airplanes, a lot smoother. Some of these tips may seem like common sense, and others may not, but they’ve done me well and just might help some of you as well! So, without further ado, I give you my top 10 travel tips!
1.) When packing, say the names of the days not the numbers.
I know, personally, that when I’m packing, the number of days start to spin around my head and I end up confusing myself. So, instead of saying “Day one, day two, etc.” I’ve started saying where I’m going. For example, as I was packing for my Mediterranean trip I’d say “Sea day, Palermo, Naples, etc.” That way, not only do I ensure I have an outfit for everyday of the trip; I’ve also memorized the itinerary!
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2.) Pack a few extra clothes.
This tip goes beyond "just in case one of your shirts gets ripped or ruined." I always pack an extra tank top, sweater, pair of shorts, and a pair of jeggings. I’ve found this to be a huge life saver-- when I went to Norway and Iceland I packed leggings, t-shirts, and long sleeved shirts, but I packed an extra tank top and pair of shorts. Our second day in Norway it ended up being in the high 70s, and despite my parents mocking me, I was the only one fully prepared and comfortable.
3.) Use a scale and weigh your suitcase.
I cannot stress how important it is to know how much your suitcase weighs. If your suitcase weighs over 50 pounds, you’ll be charged an extra fee, and trust me it is such a hassle trying to redistribute weight amongst suitcases so that one isn’t over-weighted. So, I repeat, know how much your suitcase weighs before you get to the airport!
4.) Keep ALL medicines in your carry on.
You’ve heard it time and again to keep all important medicines in your carry on. When they tell you that, you REALLY need to do it. On my aforementioned trip to Norway, we had to fly in to Denmark from Iceland. We arrived in Iceland from Toronto and we didn’t know that our luggage wasn’t checked all the way through (no one thought to tell us).
We ended up in Denmark without our luggage, which was carrying my allergy medication and my mom’s blood pressure medication amongst other things. What made it more difficult was the fact that we didn’t know how long our luggage would be lost, and so we had to hurriedly try to find replacement meds.
5.) Bring a book, music, and/or portable gaming console.
Listen, flights are long and VERY boring, and waiting around for flights is also long and boring. To combat this you should bring a book, magazine, music player, and/or games for something like a Nintendo DS or a PS Vita. They’ll make the time fly by faster (pun FULLY intended).
6.) Pack at least one portable charger.
Now that you’re using so much battery power, you should bring at LEAST one portable charger, if only for your phone. You’ll be using up more energy than you think, and the last thing you want is to have your phone die before you reach your final destination, making it impossible for you to let your friends and loved ones know you’ve arrived.
7) Arrive at the airport two hours early.
If I’m not mistaken, most airlines will tell you something like this but make sure you don’t just brush it off. Arriving two hours early means: two hours to check in to your flight, check your luggage, going through security (which can take a LONG time), finding your terminal, and making sure you know where your gate is. This also ensures that you’ll be around to hear any important announcements about your flight, like delays or gate changes.
8.) Use the secondary security checkpoint when possible.
Now, as I just told you, and as you may already know, security checks at the airport are for lack of a better word-- Hell. They move slowly, you’ve got to take off all your metal, check (and double check) that your pockets are emptied, you have to take your shoes off, and then hurry to put them back on at the end-- it’s just one big, annoying inconvenience. While there is no way around this process, it is made quicker by secondary checkpoints. I’m not sure if every single airport has them, but I know that my hometown’s airport does and it is rarely crowded at all.
9.) Keep your ID and boarding passes together and in an easily accessible place.
Part of the reason security checkpoints move so slowly is because people have to dig through their bags for their ID and boarding passes. To prevent this, make sure you have your ID and boarding pass in a place where you can very easily grab them, this also includes when you go to board your flight. Internal flights won’t ask for ID necessarily, but international flights will sometimes ask for your passport and your boarding pass, and having them in an easily accessible place will also ensure that you definitely know where they are.
10.) Bring a light jacket.
ESPECIALLY on longer flights, a light jacket is highly recommended. While you can always turn your little air conditioning off, the overall temperature across the plane may still end up being very cold. There have been numerous times where no matter how warm it was outside, I needed to bundle up in a jacket or a blanket on the plane.
These tips aren’t necessarily ground-breaking, but I still hope that they can help any new or inexperienced travelers through their journeys!
