Summer has finally come! It is the time to take a much-deserved vacation from our busy lives. Whether you have a break from school or some vacation days saved up, summer is the most popular time for travel. So many people, however, find travel stressful. They either don’t know where to start or get overwhelmed with all the nitty gritty details of planning. Vacations are about stress free living and should not be full of worry. As a full-on travel bug and lover of organization, over the years I have come up with my top travel tips to make every vacation easy breezy. Here are my Top 10 Travel Tips for your travels this summer.
1. Check In Online
Check in online if you can! Bonus points for downloading your boarding pass onto your phone. This will save so much time at the airport! If you are checking a bag, you can check them outside at the curb. Avoiding the long lines and going straight to security is worth tipping the airport concierge.
2. Pack a change of clothes in your carry-on
Having a change of clothes and pajamas in your carry-on bag in case (God forbid) something happens to your luggage will eliminate the immediate stress of losing your belongings. You, also, never know when you could have a spill or an accident or after a long flight just really need to be in your sweats. Any medications you take, your toiletries, and important/expensive belongings like cameras, laptops, and designer items should also be packed in your carry-on.
3. Bring snacks & an empty water bottle on the plane.
Hangriness can ruin a travel experience. We have all been there. Blood sugar drops and it is over. Make sure to bring some snacks on the plane that are easy to access, and will give you that boost of energy when you feel your blood sugar crash coming on. I also recommend bringing some bars to stash in purses for food emergencies throughout your trip. This is especially great if you have a food allergy, special diet, or any specific preferences. This eliminates planning everything around or dropping what you are doing if someone is hungry. An empty glass or metal water bottle makes travel easier because you can fill it up at the airport and your hotel. It also saves you a pretty penny and the environment. No one has time for $10 water bottles. You can even bring a thermos and have flight attendants put in hot water if you want to make your own tea, coffee, or matcha.
4. Invest in a good suitcase
Having a nice suitcase that is light and has a good set of wheels makes all the in-between travel easy peasy. Whether you are traveling by plane, train, or automobile you will be all set to load and unload easily. My hard and fast rule for traveling is “never take what you cannot carry on your own”. You want to be mobile and it eliminates the travel stress of figuring out who can help. To add another layer of help, I only buy bright or unique suitcases which helps me know which is mine and makes them harder to lose or be taken by accident.
5. Put on luggage tags
Whether you have matching leather luggage tags for all of your suitcases (me!), or just use the paper ones they have at check in, make sure to have an accurate email address and phone number. They may look silly or seem frivolous, but if your luggage does get misplaced or taken this can be the factor between you losing it forever or getting it back.
6. Book your flight six weeks ahead of time
This travel hack is not well known, but it will help you get the best deals on flights, which leaves more money to use for things like tour guides and that hotel upgrade. Another hack is to use a private browser because airlines will track what you are searching for and then the prices for those flights the next time you log on. If you fly a lot, and definitely if you make the same trip for work or family quite often, make an account with that airlines to get points and sign up for email alerts on sales. Holla at Southwest for allowing me to travel home so easily!
7. Make an Itinerary
Having a laid-out plan of your trip, whether it is hour by hour or a broad overview of what you want to see that day eliminates the stress of planning while you enjoy your trip. When I travel I put together a google doc brainstorm of all the places I want to go while I’m there and then do my research to see which are close to each other and can be done on the same day. You don't have to plan minute by minute or color coordinate, guilty, just have a general layout and plan around any reservations you may have. This will make your days flow smoothly and it allows you to book tours, museum entries, reservations, etc ahead of time so that everything si already set up when you get there.
8. Have a scanned copy of your passport
If you are flying internationally have a scanned copy of your passport on your phone and a printed copy in your bag in case you lose it. This makes it easier for an embassy to get you a new one if it is lost.
9. Buy Data & Minutes.
So many phone providers have cheap plans or “pay only if you use”. The cost is way worth it. In those moments of panic where you get lost in a new place and need the maps app or need to call a cab, you will end up paying way less than roaming charges and then you have no worries. You can also use apps like Whatsapp, Viber, and Skype to use while on wifi, so you are only using cell service when you need to. Another key tip is to download parts of Apple maps, so that you can use it while offline.
10. Exchange money at your own bank.
Airports and other exchange centers tend to charge a higher fee, and most banks will exchange for free. You should order it a couple of weeks before you leave. If you run out of local currency or did not have time to make it to the bank, then use your debit card at a local atm.
Bonus: Pack a foldable bag
Always always have a foldable handbag or pack a purse in your carry on that you can use for every day outings and short trips. This way you don’t have to lug your whole carry-on bag all day or empty everything out of it. I love my Longchamp for this reason. It comes with me on every single trip because I can fold it up, and then stick it in my backpack until I need to go out.
It's also helpful to buy mini versions of your products. Don’t get caught with liquids over the limit or get forced into buying huge bottles that you have to leave at the end of your trip. This just happen to Becca when we were coming back from Mexico, and she had to go back and check her bag. I just bought her mini versions of all her products ;)
Happy Traveling!
Love & Laughter, Kaitlin
