Travelling to different countries is a great way to experience the rich diversity of our beautiful planet. You get to learn about new cultures, meet new people, try a range of different cuisines, and to immerse yourself in the beauty of the natural world.
However, travelling can become stressful if you think of the expense, of those airport queues, and parking issues.
Nevertheless, you can still enjoy travelling by honing techniques to make your travelling life easier. Here are five hacks that will make things easier as you travel:
1. Reserve parking as early as possible
Planning your parking ahead of time can save you from some serious headaches when you travel, so try to reserve parking as early as you can.
Large international airports such as Miami International and London Heathrow are very busy places, with many millions of people trying to fly to different destinations year in year out. And just like you, these people are also trying to get to their gates on time.
Parking at Miami Airport, for example, can prove to be a real challenge because it is a very hectic hub. You’ll most likely have a hard time looking for a decent parking space since you’ll have to compete with a lot of fellow travellers.
As you get ready for your trip, it is always best to find a safe, cost-effective, and easy way to park your car. If you book your parking early, you will be sure of a good spot.
Pack efficiently
Packing for your trip can be challenging, especially if you’ll be away for a long holiday. Nowadays, there are many tips on how to pack efficiently.
However, before you start packing, the first thing you should do is to plan your outfits ahead of time so you won’t forget anything essential.
You should consider mixing and matching different clothing items so you don’t have to bring as many jeans or skirts etc. After that, you can try rolling your clothes instead of creating a folded pile in your luggage, so you can fit more things into a smaller space. You can even roll your socks and underwear with your clothes to save space.
Try to keep everything as lightweight as possible, starting with your luggage. You don’t want to pay fees for overweight baggage, so try not to take too much with you.
One of the best travel tips is to wear your heaviest clothes when you travel. And, if you travel a lot, it would be wise choice to invest in a luggage weighing scale.
You should also consider the beauty products and toiletries you take with you. For example you could opt for travel-sized toiletries or decant your toiletries into travel bottles to avoid issues at the airport. There are many stores that offer perfume in small, sample-sized bottles that you can take wherever you fly. You can also purchase travel-sized makeup products in sets, or try multi-purpose cosmetics so you don’t have to carry a lot of heavy bottles.
Mark your luggage as “fragile”
If you want your luggage to be handled with care you should mark it as fragile.
Usually, baggage handlers are in a rush to get passengers’ bags onto the plane in a short window of time. These bags are put into different containers, which are then loaded onto the airplane. Your best chance of protecting your souvenirs and beautiful little trinkets in your luggage is to have it marked as fragile. This way, your bags will be kept at the top, plus with the added benefit that they will be among the first ones to be delivered to the luggage carousel on arrival.
You shouldn’t have to worry about your baggage being mishandled since the staff will double their efforts to keep your things safe.
Another important tip regarding this is to remove old stickers and tags. If your bag has an obviously old fragile tag, or if it is from a different airline, baggage handlers tend to consider them as expired.
It is usual for them to look for stickers and tags that are issued directly by their airline, located near the checked tag on the handle. Your luggage will be treated like any other bag if there’s no valid tag to be seen.
Scan your documents and email them to yourself
One of the worst things that can happen to travellers is to misplace important documents. They take an awful lot of time to replace, and that can be even more difficult to do when you are in a foreign country.
Aside from this, you might not be able to get home, or could be delayed in returning, which could well cost you even more money.
One travel hack that you should try in order to avoid such issues is to scan important documents and printing out duplicates or emailing them to yourself, you will then have an extra copy in case of theft or loss.
Documents you should consider duplicating are your passport and any visas, your travel insurance, driving licence, travel itinerary, airline tickets, and hotel reservations.
It’s also worth going to the trouble of securing duplicate copies of your health information and vaccination certificates. It’s extra effort, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Use Google Maps offline
If you’re travelling to a place you haven’t visited before, you might want to use Google Maps. It’s a great application when you’re travelling as it puts paid to problems with mobile data – say if you’re unable to get online or your phone tariff means international roaming is expensive. With Google Maps you can download directions for offline use.
By doing so, you’ll be able to use the app’s features even without an internet connection. Do this before you leave home, so you can access the app and your directions at your leisure while in a destination.
It is important to remember, however, that with Google Maps, you won’t be able to get cycling, transit, or walking directions offline. It is also unavailable in some regions due to things like language issues, contractual limitations, address formats.
Travelling is something to be enjoyed, savoured even, and not a chore to be stressed about. With these very simple hacks, you’ll be able to have fun while you visit your dream destination without worrying during your trip.
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