18 Travel Hacks That Will Blow You Away

Travelling, albeit it a wonderful experience, does have its downsides: waiting for your luggage, phone breaking as it can’t handle the humidity and tangled jewellery are just some of them.  Do not fear, these ingenious travel hacks will have you travelling like pro in no time!...

Plane with clouds that look like a world map

  1. Check your luggage as ‘fragile’
    A tried and tested method says that if you check in your luggage as fragile it will be among the first pieces to hit the baggage claim on the other side. Perhaps you can pack some teacups just for appearances.

  2. Take WiFi with you
    If switching SIM cards is too bothersome then you will love portable WiFi!  A portable WiFi router means you can connect your phone, tablet, laptop and more up to your own private WiFi hotspot anywhere in the world and access low cost data.  Easy!

  3. Discover the genius of ziploc bags
    Whether you’re just hitting the beach or touring Southeast Asia during the monsoon, consider using a waterproof sealer bag to protect your mobile when it’s not in use.  Once humidity gets into phones they go a bit haywire and can stop working completely.  If you dont have an underwater action camera you can put your phone in a ziploc bag and use it underwater (make sure you test it on something less expensive first!)

    Man underwater using his mobile phone

  4. Get the cheapest flights
    The conspiracy theorists among us would say that all those money-hungry airlines are watching what we search for and when, and upping their prices whenever we return to their site to book. So, why not enable private browsing just in case?

  5. Get an international data bundle
    An international data bundle can save you up to 80% and keep you connected in more places when you travel internationally.  You can add an international data bundle to all WorldSIM SIM cards.  View the international bundles and rates.

  6. Stop jewellery getting tangled
    Nobody likes spending their first night abroad untangling that plethora of wound up jewellery, especially not when they’ve just come off a lengthy long haul flight. So, why not use everyday drinking straws to protect your necklace and bracelet chains, keeping them safe and separate for the duration of the trip. Simply lower your necklace into the straw and keep the ends out of each side.  If you have chunky jewellery you can put your necklaces around your rolled clothes.

  7. Never forget anything again
    How annoying is it when you forget that all important travel item; your phone charger, a travel adapter or international SIM card?  To make sure you don’t forget the essentials, leave them in your suitcase so they are always there when you travel.

  8. Pack smart
    Multi-functional gadgets save you money and space in your suitcase; a speaker that is also a powerbank that can charge your devices on the move, a smart watch that is also a phone, a portable WiFi router that is also a powerbank or a pen that’s a screwdriver and phone holder.

    Suitcase and travel essentials

  9. Smell fresh
    When you are packing your suitcase, in layer your clothes with tumble dryer freshness sheets.  This will keep your clothes smelling gorgeous and fresh the whole of your trip.

  10. Don’t pay for extra baggage
    On days that you are flying wear clothes with the biggest pockets, you never know when you will be caught out with extra baggage charges (obviously its smarter to invest in a luggage scale and find out before you fly what the baggage allowance is!)

  11. Keep it clean
    Pack your shoes in shower caps to stop them from dirtying your clean clothes. Also pack a carrier bag for all your dirty clothes so you don’t have to wash everything when you return home.

    Girl travelling with her phone

  12. Use smarter travel apps
    There are loads of free and superb travel apps that work without data.  We love Maps.me as you can use it to mark places you want to visit and navigate (waling or driving) anywhere in the world without being connected to the internet.  Check out 18 of the best travel apps.

  13. Take all the comforts of home with you
    If you’re looking to save oodles on accommodation, then why not consider joining the thousands of users on Airbnb, renting out rooms, apartments and houses for reduced prices direct from the owner.  You will have all the comfort of being at home and you can wash your clothes so you don’t have to pack so much.

  14. Eat like a local
    When in Rome, do as the Romans do…and we don’t mean conquer mainland Europe or anything of the sort! We mean eat locally whenever possible, avoiding big name restaurants for earthy farmer’s markets and aromatic holes-in-the-wall.   That way you get a real feel for a place and some traditional food.

  15. Bid for your room
    A new wave of bidding sites like Priceline and Bidroom offer the shrewdest of travellers the chance to bag bargain accommodation deals for a fraction of their original price.

    Man travelling with a powerbank to charge his phone

  16. Stay charged
    There are few things more irritating than being left high and dry without digital entertainment mid-flight, so be sure to take along a portable powerbank, which will charge your devices back to 100% in no time.

  17. Roll 'em up
    While the age old debate about how to pack like a pro rages on, there’s a general consensus that rolling is the way to go.

  18. Just in case
    To save on irritating paperwork and reams of photocopied passport shots, why not e-mail yourself a copy of your documents so they’re accessible in the cloud.  You never know when you might need it.

 

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