47 Tips to Becoming a Travel Wizard
Always learn the exchange rate– If you don’t know if it’s a good deal or not, you’re easy pickings for an opportunist
Do your homework – Before you up and book a flight to somewhere with massive political instability, do some reading. Read up on the culture, traditions, and laws. Chewing gum is illegal in Singapore, there are other known places with bizarre laws which you may need to know.
Travel with the season – Don’t think that you’ll go to Greece for cheap as soon as the holiday season ends. Flight operators don’t lower the price to get more people to go in the off-season, they jack it up. Some of the cheaper operators don’t go during the off-season also. However don’t let the season dictate your travels, just research it beforehand.
Weather can change your plans– It’s a good idea to check that you won’t be in Thailand during monsoon season. It can seriously ruin your plans.
Learn when to haggle and when not to – Are you really going to be the guy haggling with someone over something that costs £1? Learn the exchange rate and make a judgement on if the seller is trying to rip you off. Would that souvenir flag cost £20 back home? If not then haggle away. If it would cost way more than that back home then don’t bother.
Wash your clothes by hand – Most hostels will charge for washing and drying. Sometimes your clothes won’t even come back completely dry afterwards. If you only pack a small amount of clothing then you will be doing a lot of washing and rack up unnecessary expenses. Even if you pack lots of clothes to avoid doing washing often, when you end up doing your washing you’ll have to do several loads and get the same result. Pack a clothes line with twists and buy some powder or detergent, wash your clothes in a sink or a bucket.
Be open about travel dates and times – If you want to save some money on flights, take your time. If I wanted to go to Hawaii from the UK it’s going to cost an average of around £1000, yet if I flew to the states, then to Hawaii it will cost about half as much. Pick the more awkward route and you most often end up better off.
Don’t leave your valuables on show – In an average hostel I’ve found that nothing really gets stolen. People appreciate that everyone is in the same boat when it comes to travel, in that everything you carry with you is everything you have and it would suck to have anything go missing. That is in general. However you do get some people who have a low moral calibre who will take something. So if you leave your backpack open and all of your stuff strewn about the room, don’t be suprised if something goes missing. Especially if you leave your new £1000 macbook on your bed.
Agree a price before you set off – Generally I would say to avoid taxis altogether, but sometimes you need to bite the bullet. Know where you are going and roughly the time it takes to get there so if the taxi runs on a meter then you’ll know if the driver is ripping you off. If there is no meter then agree a price before you set off.
Learn the language – Learning a few words and phrases in the local language can help you many times over. If you show that you’re willing to put some effort in to learning about the culture of where you are visiting, a frosty reception can turn into warm and welcoming. It could help you negotiate prices, find directions, or even deter thieves.
Pack less – Less is more when it comes to packing. Most stuff you could ever want or need can be bought, found, or borrowed along the way. Most stuff you are packing you don’t need anyway.
Back up your documents – Have a backup of your important documents. Passports, insurance documents, certificates, resumes – don’t store your passport backup in the same place as your passport.
Back up your files – If you have digital files which are important, back them up too. If your laptop is stolen and you just finished your manuscript for your 2000 page travel guide, you are going to wish you had thought about backing up the files, and then adding this tip to your guide. Bring a USB or hard drive, or use the cloud for backup.
Smile to defuse situations – A smile can go a long way, whether it’s trying to meet someone new, or buying groceries. However it can also defuse a potentially dangerous situation. If someone thinks that you’re an easy mark to rob and you’ve clocked onto them watching you, smile and look them in the eyes. If you ask them “Can I help you?” in their own language then it’s likely that it can defuse the situation completely. If you are aware of your surroundings and can speak the local language, you are less of a target.
Couchsurf – A brilliant way to meet locals. Plenty of people will open their homes to you and show you around their town, introduce you to their way of life, treat you like family. Don’t use couchsurfing though if you are after free accommodation. While you get somewhere to stay for free and likely a free meal out of it, if you are just after the free things then you have the wrong attitude, that’s just rude. Interact with your host, be enthusiastic about what they have to offer and be grateful.
Try street food – A cheap and fast way to experience some national foods, grab and go. You never know what you’ll get to try.
Socks are key – Ask any backpacker what item of clothing they never had enough of, the answer will be socks. Pack plenty, wash them in the sink.
Drybags – If you get caught out in a rain storm with your backpack on, no matter what rain cover you wear your bag will get soaked through. Everything you have in your bag is at risk of getting soaked too. Pack everything in a dry bag and do it up properly, your backpack might get wet but not the contents. I carry a drybag as big as my backpack allows (40l) so I can fit everything in it. I also put my electronics in another, and save one for dirty laundry.
Laundry bag – I use a dry bag for laundry. If you have dirty smelly socks sitting next to your clean t-shirt, you’ll end up smelling of feet. If it rains and your laundry gets soaked, you’ll end up smelling of damp and feet. Nobody wants that.
Use a draw string bag as a daypack – Even though I only ever take a 40l backpack, having a day pack is useful as you don’t want to have to carry around anything unnecessary. One of those bags which you get for free at exhibitions that scrunches up and takes no space is ideal.
Don’t use a money belt – While they are good for utility and carrying things, thieves know that these exist. Never have your passport in an easy to find place, atleast when outside the airport. If you can, leave it at a place you are coming back to (locker, hostel). Have a decent travel credit card which has no fees so you can take money out of an ATM when needed, rather than carrying all your money around. If you have to carry it around, keep it in different places that a thief might not think to look. Always keep some on you, so if you lose your pack, you always have spare.
Talk to your hostel staff – They are always dealing with travellers, it’s their job. They will know all the best spots and activities and how to save you money. Most will be travellers themselves just stopping to save some cash.
Bring a combination lock – Taking a lock is a given, but most take the small key locks as they are cheap. The problem is that keys break or get lost. Pay a little extra for a combination lock to avoid problems later.
Look both ways crossing a road – If you aren’t used to the flow of traffic or even if you are, look both ways as the highway code may not be as stringent as back home. Human error and stupidity also play a part. One example is the trams in Amsterdam – If you’ve ever been there, you will know what I mean, they are like ninjas. You can’t hear them at all, so if you aren’t paying attention you are likely to end up in an emergency room. The same with the cyclists. They don’t stop for anyone and they cycle like a bear is chasing them.
Avoid the crowds and avoids the costs – If you go to all the tourist locations you will pay the tourist price for everything. Stray from the path a little, once in a while.
Cook your own foods – There are many benefits of cooking your own food. You know exactly what’s gone into it and can cook it how you like. It’s a great way to meet new people in hostels. You save a ton of money. If you get food poisoning then the only person to blame is yourself, though depending on your ability in the kitchen it may be a reason not to cook your own food. Time to learn!
Goon is good and bad – If you have been to New Zealand or Australia and are a budget traveller, you will likely have had a run in with goon. It’s a bag of bad wine that does horrible things to your insides. You can get it all over the world, but I don’t think anything destroys your liver quite so well as southern hemisphere bagged wine. Compared to bottled wine, it’s good for your wallet. But on every other front, not so much. It will destroy you and should you survive, you may have a story or two to tell (though maybe not). Proceed with care.
Use a head torch – Don’t be that person who turns on the light in a 10 person dorm at 4am because they have to make their early train and are looking for their toothbrush.
Bring first aid – You never know what could happen on your way. Always be prepared with a well packed first aid kit.
Try new things – You have gone on your journey for one reason or another. To see what’s out there? To find yourself? To re-invent yourself? If any of these reasons are yours, be sure to take every opportunity you can, as you never know what excitement it can lead to.
Hostel food – If you are looking for cheap food then hostel food may be the way to go. Some hostels will offer free breakfast, if you can manage to get up in the morning. Some will offer a communal dinner for cheap too.
Tourism office – If you prefer not to find your way on your own, you can go to the tourism office to find out all the city has to offer.
Use a flexible water bottle – One that folds down or crumples up is best. If it’s made with BPA plastics then steer clear. If it comes with a water filter then even better.
Get good insurance – It’s a fools idea to go travelling without good insurance. A broken leg could land you with a high enough medical bill to end your trip early.
Go incognito – If you’re looking for cheap deals online constantly, sites install cookies and trackers on your pc and increase the prices shown. Go incognito if you want to find the cheapest deals.
Take photos – Take photos of people you meet, places you go, things you do. You will thank yourself that you did when you are finished.
Document your journey – Either through blogging or through writing, or whichever medium you prefer. Years later you will be glad you had. You will be able to look back at everything you’ve done.
Keep in touch – Your parents will worry while you are on your way. Skype is an easy way to keep in touch, but so are apps like Whatsapp. Keep them in the loop!
Wear suncream – The silent killer, especially when going to hot places and spending time outdoors, even worse if you’re Irish (Sorry!). If you end up with a serious case of heatstroke you can put yourself in a hospital for a while.
Use your head – Use common sense while away. If you think you are being scammed, sit back and think about it. Don’t always buy the first one you see as it may be cheaper or better around the corner. Don’t rush into things which you are doubtful about. Don’t put yourself in unnecessary risk.
Purify the water – Chlorine and Iodine tablets are cheap and easy to get at home, but also relatively easy while away. You can also buy devices which purify a certain amount of water. If you plan to spend any time in developing countries I’d highly recommend any of these. If all else fails you can just boil the water to kill any bacteria, but carrying around a saucepan and stove in preparation isn’t ideal.
Take a minute to appreciate where you are – You just flew half way around the world, negotiated a price on a room in a shady part of town, trekked through the rainforest, climbed 2,500 meters up a mountain. Now take a second to appreciate where you are and how far from home you are. Even if you didn’t hike up a mountain, still take a minute. Feel free to take a minute at any point during your journey, you’re doing something inspiring and amazing, so that fact.
Get lost – Knowing where you are is great, but the best travel stories always involve you being lost and assimilated into a local tribe of people, then being made to fend for yourself with nothing but a slingshot and a pair of flip flops. If you can get yourself lost and then find your way, you’ll likely have a great story to tell from it, or at the very least an experience.
Bring a map – If you really don’t want to get lost, don’t be afraid to stick your head in a map, you might see something interesting. Make sure you can read one though.
Volunteer – While it won’t help you save up for your travels or save for your next leg, it is one of the most rewarding things you can do. I’m paraphrasing but will the world be a better one because you travelled it, or you stayed at home.
Know what’s in your pack – If you know what’s in your pack then you will know if anything was lost. Take a picture if you struggle with remembering. Just make sure you don’t lose the picture.
Shout fire – Finally, if you get into trouble shout fire. People will run to you if you shout there’s a fire, but tend to run away if you shout for help.