Traveling is fun. That’s just a fact. Another well-known fact is that travel is not always easy, smooth or convenient. Of course, chalking up all the mishaps as part of the fun is the best attitude to have, however avoiding them in the first place is probably better. To ensure that your travel is as pain-free as possible, we’ve assembled the best travel hacks that ever existed. Whether you’re looking for packing hacks, cheap flight hacks, airplane hacks, or just general travel life hacks, we have you covered.
Take an extra day off before and after your trip.
We generally want to make best use of weekends. But if you are seeking leisure travel, try taking a day off before and after the trip. It helps you relax more and gradually get back to work. Also, it helps you save a few bucks as weekday fares are generally less than the weekend fares.
Be open to flying to your destination from an airport that is not close to you. You may save a lot of money :
Now if I fly to Santorini from Luxembourg, it will set me back by 2500 EUR. No kidding. But if I take a bus from Luxembourg to Charleroi, and fly to Santorini then I get a return ticket in less than 80 EUR. Always search for the airports closest to you. Sometimes a train ticket to that place + a flight ticket from there may save you hundreds of Euros, at the cost of adding just an hour or two to your itinerary.
Always stay in hostels.
There are multiple advantages of staying in hostels. The most obvious advantage is that most of the hostels are very cheap, compared to the hotels. However, the less obvious but more important advantage of staying in hostels lies in the fact that you get the chance to bond with other backpackers across the globe.
I have stayed in rooms where every roommate was from a different continent, and we spent hours talking and learning about different cultures. Most of the hostels also organize events and games every night, adding to the fun. As you see in the picture you can book a hostel for less than 5$ per day, you can use Arihla to find the best hostel for you (read reviews before booking any hostels you will find reviews below every hostel on Arihla).
Instead of buying expensive international roaming and data from your cell provider, just buy a cheap prepaid rechargeable SIM in what ever country you need service.
Having both phone and data makes for a fun traveling experience, since you can keep in touch with your people and also post photos, use the GPS, and book Uber/Lyft rides, which are more convenient and usually cheaper than taxis.
Make friends. You meet people from all over the world in hostels, and people are much more open and friendly when travelling. The guy snoring across the aisle from you in your train? Next year you could be sleeping on his couch in Mexico City (true story)
When you get boring on the airport: Put Your Tinder Radius on One mile at the Airport You would be surprised how many attractive people are bored swiping at the airport and how fast romance can develop when people are afraid of missing their flight.
Carry on luggage.
Not so much a hack, so much as a way of life. Do not check bags unless you’re literally going away for a month. Using carry on helps you narrow down what you truly need to bring with you, and it saves you a ton of time at the airport, and almost completely eliminates the risk of the airline losing your bag.
Get a PriorityPass Card which gives you access to lounges at hundreds of airports worldwide.
The next time you have a long layover, a cancelled or delayed flight, head to the lounge for free wi-fi, convenient power plugs to juice your laptop, free food and drink, and free magazines/newspapers. Bonus: You might spot celebrities, business leaders and world-leaders in the lounges at major airports. Recently, I sat across from Kofi Annan at the Houston Airport during a layover.