Traveling is a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons and open your eyes to different parts of the world. Did you know that there are various hacks that expert travelers use to expedite their journey, and make it more cost-effective? You may be unsure of where to start, as you’ll likely be bombarded by a slew of old-wives tales. To save you the trouble, we’ve compiled some of the best travel hacks that will make your trip easier and efficient!
- Bring a water bottle with ice
If you lug a bottle of water to the airport, the TSA will require you to throw the water out; in some instances they’ll even force you to throw out the entire bottle. Replacement water bottles in the airport can be incredibly overpriced. A simple workaround is to simply fill your water bottle with ice, which the TSA will permit. Find the nearest water fountain after clearing the TSA and you’ll have refreshing, and chilled water. Sure it won’t be your $10 Fiji water, but it’s better than nothing.
- Roll your clothes instead of folding them
This is an imperative hack to know when filling your suitcase with mountains of clothing. Rolling your clothes saves a substantial amount of space. If you really want to preserve space, you can even roll underwear and socks. It will also help you squeeze in a couple of extra items and get all the essentials organized.
- Mark your baggage as fragile
Ever look out the airplane window only to see suitcases being violently thrown about? There’s a way around that, simply ask for a fragile sticker when checking into your flight. Plaster the sticker on your luggage, and rest assured knowing that it won’t be vigorously manhandled. There’s no limit to how many fragile stickers you may get, so make sure to get one on every piece of luggage you check in. Another great thing about fragile stickers? They ensure your luggage gets taken off first!
- Always carry a pen
This one seems like a bit of a no-brainer, but you’d be amazed at how many times a pen could save you time when traveling out of the country. Oftentimes flights will hand out customs forms on the flight, but the flight attendants rarely have a pen. Preemptively filling out your entire family’s custom form can save you time and get you ahead of the queues.
- Store your cables in cases
Ever pull your headphones out of your pocket only to see a mess of tangled wires? Simply store your headphones and other electronic accessories in a small case, such as a spectacle case. This works well with broken cases that would otherwise be discarded.
- Wear a fanny pack
Perhaps the fanny pack may not be the greatest fashion piece, or work well with your self-esteem, but it certainly makes traveling easier! A fanny pack will keep your important accessories and belongings safe, and also help in speeding up the security checks.
- Get the perfect seat
Ever board an airplane only to see that your seat is situated right next to the bathroom? There’s an incredibly easy way around this thanks to the app SeatGuru. The app allows passengers to inspect every detail of an airplane before choosing a seat. You can also determine whether or not there are nearby power outlets, what the seat pitch is, and if the seat reclines.
- Store small liquids in a contacts case
If you have a small quantity of liquid or cream that you’d like to bring on your trip hassle-free, then simply store it in a contacts case. You can store two separate items in each compartment; just make sure you clean the case thoroughly before your next use!
- Use ATMs to acquire local currency
Airport money converters will often try to rip you off with their own fees, instead just use an ATM. ATMs always contain the local currency which you can access using your debit or credit card. All it takes is a single swipe to easily save some money.
- Stash your bobby pins in a Tic Tac container
Bobby pins always come in handy during traveling situations, such as when you need to change your phone’s sim card. Unfortunately, they tend to be a bit of a pain to store. Simply keep them in a tic tac container, and reap the benefits!
So there you have it folks, our top 10 travel hacks.
Make sure you stay tuned for more!
