Whether you’re travelling for the holidays, business or just because, there can be no doubt about it: travelling can be a gigantic pain in the you-know-what. But, if you have a few tricks up your sleeves, ones that have been used to great effect by veteran travelers all over the world, then you’ll find the whole experience of getting from point A to point B much easier. So, take a look at these 29 travel hacks, and see if you can’t incorporate a few into your itinerary.
1) Roll Your Clothes
It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book, but it bears repeating. If you’re looking to conserve space in your luggage, then roll up your clothes rather than folding them flat. You’ll be surprised by how much more you can pack in!
2) Pack a Dryer Sheet
Have you ever noticed that your clothes don’t smell right once you open up your luggage? If you pack a dryer sheet in with your clothing, they’ll smell so fresh and so clean once you arrive.
3) Use Private Mode
All of those sites that you use to get deals on travel are snooping your Internet history, your location, and even your frequency of visits. With that information they’re driving up the prices they offer. Stop them by putting your browser in private mode.
4) Make Your Luggage Stand Out
If you’ve got some generic-looking luggage, then put a bow or ribbon around one of the handles. It’ll make it much easier to spot when it comes down the conveyor in the baggage claim.
5) Glasses Case for Chargers
If you’re tired of fishing through your bags for your chargers, then why not pack them in a glasses case? They’ll be much easier to find, and they’ll be protected.
6) Use Shoe Space
Without a doubt, shoes can take up the most space in your luggage. But are you maximizing that space? If you pack your socks and underwear inside of your shoes, then you’ll save valuable space.
7) Binder Clips for Razors
Worried about your razors floating around? Protect the heads with a binder clip, then they won’t damage anything, and they won’t get damaged themselves.
8) Binder Clips for Headphones
Tired of fishing for your headphones in your carry-on? Then wrap them around a binder clip or an unused gift card. It’ll keep them from getting tangled, and they’ll be much easier to find.
9) Keep Your Collars Firm with Belts
If you’re packing dress shirts and you need to keep the collars firm, then all you need to do is pack your belts inside of the collars. They collars will maintain their structure, and they’ll be ready to go once you unpack.
10) Use Tissue Paper to Pack
Who wants to deal with an iron? If you’re packing clothes that need to stay pressed, then pack them with tissue paper. This will keep wrinkles from forming, saving you valuable time later.
11) Use the USB on a Hotel TV to Charge Your Phone
Having trouble finding an open outlet in your hotel room for your phone’s charger? No problem! Almost all flat-screen televisions have a USB port. So why not plug your phone in there?
12) Pack a Power Strip
If you’re looking to make friends while you’re travelling, then pack a power strip in your carry-on. You can use it to charge your devices, and you can offer it up to others to charge their devices. You’ll be the hero at the gate.
13) No More Hotels
Hotels are the way of the past, dude. Instead of booking a hotel, why not try a new service like Airbnb? Instead of cramping yourself into a hotel room, you can get a house or apartment, and it might even be cheaper.
14) Send Important Documents to Yourself
In the event that something awful happens, it’s always a good idea to have an extra copy of your important documents. So scan them and save them and send them to yourself in an email.
15) Mark Your Bags as Fragile
If you want your belongings handled with extra care, then mark them as “fragile”. Not only will they receive extra attention, but they’ll also go on the top of the baggage pile, which means that your bags will be the first to arrive at the baggage claim.
16) Spread Your Cash Around
Don’t carry all of your eggs in one basket. Instead, make sure that you spread out your cash between all of your bags. In the event that sometime gets lost, you won’t lose everything.
17) Take a Picture of Your Baggage
Sometimes baggage gets lost. In the event that it does, having a picture on your phone of what your baggage looks like will make it much easier to file a claim and make it much easier to locate.
18) Shuttle to a Nearby Hotel to Use Uber or Lyft
If you’ve already ditched conventional taxis and are using Uber or Lyft, then it’s probably frustrating that those services can’t pick you up at the airport itself. But, if you take a shuttle to a nearby hotel, then your problem is solved!
19) Let Your Bank Know You’re Travelling
Make sure you call your bank before you take off in order to let them know that you’ll be travelling. Nothing is worse than landing and finding out that you can’t use your account because it’s been flagged for potential fraud.
20) Cereal Container Trash Can
Travelling on the open road? Then use a cereal container as your car’s trash can. It’ll keep your car clean, and it will keep any offensive odors from ruining the drive.
21) Plastic Wrap Stops Leaks
Bringing along shampoo, conditioner or other liquid products? If you’re worried about those things spilling in your bags, then unscrew the tops, put plastic wrap over the opening, and then screw the tops back on. Problem solved.
22) Pack Some Nips
Need a bit of a buzz while you’re in the air but don’t want to pay through the nose for tiny bottle of Sutter Home? Pack a few travel-sized bottles of booze, and you’ll be good to go. You may not think they’re allowed, but they are!
23) Shower Cap Your Shoes
If you’re worried about the soles of your shoes getting all of your clothes dirty, then pack them in a shower cap or plastic wrap. No fuss, no muss – as they say.
24) Fly in the Morning for Less Turbulence
If you’re looking to avoid turbulence, then morning flights are the way to go. As the day goes on, the ground heats up, which increases the possibility of turbulence.
25) Book Flights for Tuesday Night/Wednesday Morning to Save Money
If you’re looking for a deal, then Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning are the best times to book your flight. This is when airline companies are trying to dump their remaining tickets.
26) Wear Slip Ons Through Security
You know you’re going to have to take off your shoes at security, so why are you wearing those lace-up kicks? Wear shoes that slip on and off in order to make your life that much easier.
27) Surprise the Flight Attendants
The flight attendants that serve you have been in the air for hours, crisscrossing the globe. If you bring them a small token of gratitude, like a bag of candy, you’d be surprised by the ways in which they’ll return your kindness.
28) Try Calling the Airline for a Better Price
Sure, the Internet makes everything easier, but that may not be the best way to get a deal. Before you commit to a flight, try calling the airlines themselves. An agent may be able to offer you an even better deal.
29) Always Bring a Scarf
It can get cold anywhere in the world, even in the tropics. So bring a scarf! It’ll keep you warm in the event that things get chilly, and it won’t take up as much room as a bulky jacket in your luggage.
