15 Insanely Easy Top Travel Tips To Instantly Change The Way You Travel (And Make It Suck Less)
I’m going to show you 15 effortless ways to dramatically change the way you travel.
• Booking is extortionate.
• Packing is tedious.
• Airports are mind-baffling.
• Flights are painful.
But:
There’s no need to count down the hours until your feet have touched ground at the other end before you can start enjoying yourself.
This is your guide through all the nasty.
Transformed into something you no longer have to dread.
And don’t worry:
There’s no need for a notebook and pen, these are super effective, idiot-proof cheats that will get your holiday juices flowing and you can start using them right now.
• Speed through the airport faster than Usain Bolt.
• Pay way less for your flights. (We saved £48.66)
• Take advantage of some of the best apps.
• Discover more.
• And plan like a boss to make the greatest travel schedule ever.
So without further ado, lets move on to the first tip.
Bag It Up Best: Make Your Bag Stand Out From The Crowd For Speedy Airport Exit
It’s bad enough waiting for the bags to be put out in the baggage reclaim area, but when you have to pull out your Sherlock skills to decipher which bag is yours, it quickly becomes the dreaded last hurdle before smelling that fresh, vacation air.
The solution is simple:
Make yours stand out.
First off:
Pick a colour.
Any colour.
Black is the new black.
Except for when it comes to bags. So don’t pick a black one.
I repeat, do not pick black.
And if that’s not shocking enough, black bags are WAY more likely to be stolen.
Why?
Because they’re so damn popular. That’s why!
Maybe, orange is the new black.
If you’re into that sort of thing.
Now:
Don’t think that a different colour is enough; it still needs to hold a unique quality.
After all, Terminal 5 at Heathrow alone can have up to 12,000 bags a day. And in amongst that, someone can quite easily have the same bag as you.
So,
Get a colourful and loud car sticker. Or twenty. And cover it, go crazy.
But don’t stop there:
Take a piece of old fabric, like that top that never makes it out of your bottom draw, and tie a strip of it around the handle.
Then get another piece.
Or a ribbon.
And tie it to the zip.
The brighter, the better.
Then get a suitcase belt. Throw that on there too.
Have fun with it! Let your children paint it. There’s no wrong way to make your bag unique and have it stand out from the crowd.
Where The Safest Place To Sit On A Plane Is (except when there are snakes, then nowhere is safe)
Before you book your ticket, read this:
Did you know that the safest place to sit on a plane is at the back?
Well, it is.
Channel 4 had a documentary called The Crash, in which a Boeing 727 was ploughed into the Sonoran Desert in Mexico.
This experiment leads to the conclusion that the front and mid sections of the plane are more severely affected by accidents and crashes.
It is also said, by TIME, that the aisle and window seats are more likely to be impacted in the event of an issue.
So if you’re booking a last minute flight and the only seats left are the dreaded middle seats near the back of the plane, at least you’ll know that, should your flight end in disaster, you will have a better chance of survival.
Travel the world at a fraction of the price (How To Get Cheap Flights Easier Than You Think)
There’s plenty of ways to save up your money to go on holiday.
Such as, making your wages have an automatic transfer to your savings account, cut down on buying luxuries, and so on.
But just because the money is there, why spend more than you have to on flights?
Keep more of it for holiday treats and souvenirs by doing this:
Check out our 15 Hacks For Cheap Flights to save you a fortune.
You will find out the best days to book on and the best days to fly on. As well as how far in advance to book.
Look here:
We ran a search. For a return journey from Buenos Aires to Cordoba, the two largest cities in Argentina. Leaving on 4th August and returning a week later on 11th August.
We looked on Skyscanner, Expedia, Momondo, Travel Supermarket and many more.
The cheapest we could find was with Kayak.
In fact, the first 19 results (sorted by price) were all with LATAM at £138, with varying times of departure all of which returning on 11th August.
But there’s more (or should I say less):
With a sprinkle of this and a dash of that, we managed to find this instead.
Now if you’re like me and you haven’t the foggiest idea how much ARS 1693.55 is actually worth.
Wow that’s a saving of £48.66!
Can you say jackpot?
To find out how you can do this with your flights and pick up a few other secrets on the way, check them out now!
Know Exactly Where Your Belongings Are With This Luggage Tracker (For Ultimate Peace Of Mind)
Have you ever lost your luggage at the airport?
You might be thinking:
“No, that will never happen to me..”
Actually, it’s out of your control. And practically unavoidable for those of you that are more frequent travellers.
What if I told you over 24 million bags were mishandled in 2014, according to SITA research.
Here’s another question for you:
Can you imagine ever losing your luggage at the airport?
Horrible, right?
Now if you followed along and read tip number *, then you’ll know it is best to have the most outrageous and unique suitcases in the airport.
But that won’t help you in the slightest when it comes to your luggage being lost, left behind or sent somewhere else.
Here I will show you how to lose this worry, and know where your bag is at all times.
And, should it go missing, you will be able to solve the issue before it becomes an issue.
Keep reading:
GlobaTrac has created a small slice of heaven called Trakdot.
This little device, no bigger than the palm of your hand, offers you the satisfaction of knowing where your baggage is at all times.
You can receive a text or email notifying you when your bag has landed. Or, if you’d rather, go online to Trakdot.com or use their free app to track it.
Start if all off glamorously to make a greater trip – (Fly Glamorously Without Paying The Extra Dosh)
Everybody LOVES a good freebie.
So why not upgrade your seats at no extra cost?
Pinch a taste of the upper class by following these hints:
Arrive at the airport.
And check in.
Early.
Dress neatly. You have to look the part to become a part.
If you have a title, use it. Judges, Ministers and sometimes Doctors are more likely to get upgraded.
If the flight is relatively empty, then save your breath. They won’t bother upgrading you unless it is full.
Pick good timing and make your request with plenty of notice rather than when everyone else is competing for the agent’s attention.
Or if all else fails, say it’s your Birthday, Honeymoon or Anniversary. Cliché, I know, but it may get you a free glass of bubbly at least?
I’m not going to lie to you:
There’s no guarantee of falling into a free upgrade, all I’ll say is:
Try anyway.
Travel more, queue less (Cut Down Your Time Stuck In Airport Queues)
If you came to a fork in the road. One road heading left. Another to the right.
What one would you choose?
Did you know that roughly 83% of us are right-handed?
And with being right handed, we tend to lean towards the right when given ultimatums like the one above.
Apply this to an airport.
The queues. The shops. The general traffic.
Try this:
Go against the grain and go left when given a choice.
This will allow you to get through lines quicker and avoid the majority of the hustle and bustle.
But don’t stop there:
Keep this in mind on holiday, and when you’re back. Everyday life may become that tiny bit sweeter thanks to this tip.
Connect To First Class With This Cheat – My Tips On Hacking Airport Wifi
Okay, I know the image for this one very much lacks in the creative department.
It’s not awesome (like the rest of the article), but do you know what is awesome?
Free Wifi.
Your bags have been checked. You’re through security. You’ve been tempted by all the shops. You’ve pigged out at a fancy restaurant.
Now what?
Check your emails? Maybe Facebook too?
Here’s a little tip for you that might bag you some sneaky, free wifi:
Go to your gate.
Look around.
Find yourself a first class lounge.
Go near it. Like, really near it. Touch it!
Now stay put.
If you’re lucky, some of that password-free wifi may have seeped through the glass and straight to your phone or laptop.
It would be a crime for you not to use it, right?
Absolutely!
Oh, and just in case it is password protected.
Take a look at this:
Already got access to wifi? But it’s limited to 90 minutes or so?
Fool the system:
Head to your settings and change the time of the clock on your device.
Bada bing bada boom. There you have it, you’ve reset your 90 minutes. (“Abra-Kadabra” is so last decade)
Just don’t forget to change your time back again after you’re done!
Please..
Pretty please with a cherry on top.
If you have any suggestions on how to make it totally mind blowing, then do by all means leave a comment and let me know!
Reduce The Effects Of Airsickness With A Simple Turbulence Cheat
If you’re like me: the slightest bump in a journey can make your stomach uneasy, then this flight tip will make your day.
The very high majority of the time, turbulence is nothing to worry about.
Planes are built to withstand a lot more than a few knocks.
Your pilot can tell when possible turbulence is on your path and so they turn on the seatbelt signs. Sometimes it doesn’t even amount to anything. And there are no jolts or reasons for your bottle of bubbly to spill.
But if you’re sat on the plane, and there is a bit of turbulence, here’s what you need to do:
Shake it off.
Move your body around a little!
This simple, foolish-sounding advice will counteract the movement of the plane and stop your tummy from dancing on its own.
And don’t worry about people looking at you.
No one will even notice as they will be wobbling too.
Look Like A Local With This Nifty Map Alternative
Nothing screams ‘tourist’ more than a confused face and a huge map harder to fold than an origami swan.
This tip is so genius and straightforward; you will wonder why the heck you’ve not thought of it before!
So here it is:
1. Get your map.
2. Get your phone/tablet.
3. Take a picture.
It’s that simple.
Now it’s right there in your pocket. How convenient is that?
Less bulk, less hassle, less of a tourist.
Got A Baby? No? Here’s Why You Need To Get One (Hint: If a professor says you need one, it must be true)
Remember that gut-sinking feeling when you reach down into your bag or pocket, and your wallet isn’t there?
Most of the time, you’ve forgotten to pick it up.
But what if you didn’t?
What if it fell out of your pocket on the street somewhere.
What if you left it on the train heading to your hotel.
This little hack is very likely to increase the chances of your purse or wallet coming back into your possession.
(And I’ll be worried if you already do this without this being its intention..)
By placing a cute baby picture in your wallet, you are more likely to have it returned should you lose it.
Don’t believe me? Here’s the proof:
A group of psychologists in Edinburgh ran a test to see what difference a picture in a wallet has to it making its way back to its owner. They carried out an experiment which involved placing 240 wallets around the streets of Edinburgh with a picture of one of the following; a cute baby, a cute puppy, a happy family or a happy elderly couple.
The results showed that 88% of the wallets with a baby picture in were returned, which rocketed high above the return rates of the other wallets.
Professor Richard Wiseman, one of the psychologists who supervised the experiment, said that the result reflects compassion that people have evolved to ensure the survival of future generations.
Something to note:
You don’t want to have an ‘awkward moment’ when your partner sees a picture of a baby in your wallet and accuse you of having a secret relationship.
With some colourful language and objects possibly getting lobbed in the direction of your head.
So just to save me from getting the blame:
Do tell your partner if you’re planning on doing this.
Know Where You’re Headed With The GateGuru App
Airports are huge.
Massive!
And way too easy to get lost in.
Not to mention getting to your gate on time.
You would be lying if you said you’ve never taken the wrong turn. Maybe even ended up in the wrong terminal.
Here’s what to do:
Get your phone out now. Get on the app store. And download the app called GateGuru.
If you’re like me and struggle to get anywhere on time, then this is incredible for helping you navigate around airports.
It includes maps, tips, weather and food information. Just simply type in your itinerary and GateGuru will do the rest!
Since being launched in December 2009, the creators have continued to cram all sorts of features in. It has information on shops, restaurants and tonnes of other services available within your airport including more than 35,000 reviews from fellow travellers.
And what else?
Access to real-time flight status information.
It’s super reliable and up to date!
They have other nifty features that will make you love it even more. You can check your mileage, plan your whole day out and reserve last-minute rental cars at discounted rates, exclusive to GateGuru.
Prepare For The Weather The Right Way With The WeatherCube App
Don’t blame it on the Weatherman.
You don’t need to.
I’m here!
And I have just the solution:
It’s your very own personal and reliable Weatherman. Right there on your phone. WeatherCube.
Check the weather the day of your flight, before you get up and out of bed.
WeatherCube has a simple yet funky design. Kind of like a Rubik’s Cube.
Remember them?
But don’t worry, though:
This app is nothing like those multicoloured devil cubes.
In fact, I couldn’t think of anything more simple.
Take this chap on your next travels and look at the hourly, daily and weekly weather with data from over 1.7 million cities around the world.
Approach Each Country With Confidence And A Voice With The iTranslate App (The Best Translation App Ever)
..Come again?
..What?
Urgh, you know that feeling when you can’t understand a single word anyone is talking about? Quite literally.
As beautiful as holidays and time away in foreign countries are, you can’t help but sometimes feel isolated by that language barrier.
Well, worry no more.
I have the perfect cure for this.
And I’m going to tell you right now:
iTranslate is an app that lets you translate text and websites as well as look up words and meanings. You can talk to iTranslate, and it will convert your words to text and translate them into a different language of your choice.
It offers a feature of offline translation which makes this app the perfect travel companion. iTranslate can identify languages for you in seconds. You can save your favourite translations or share them with friends.
What’s more?
It includes over 90 languages! Make use of the dictionary and verb conjugation features and try and pass yourself off as bilingual.
Discover 5 Star Dining With The Yelp App
Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?
Who better to help you decide where to dine in, or out, than people just like you.
But whatever you do, just don’t be this guy:
Yelp uses the best technology to present you with the most helpful and reliable reviews.
Yelp was founded in 2004 with over 120 million reviews by the end of 2016.
It shows you instantly how much each service is likely to cost you, as well as stating how many reviews they have and an average rating out of 5 stars.
Also, use it to find events and talk to and connect with other ‘Yelpers’.
Take A Trip Around The World And Never Get Lost
No one expects you to be a pro on the roads or know your way around a town you’ve only just arrived in.
But does that mean you shouldn’t be a pro?
You’re right, absolutely not.
What I am about to tell you can go no further… You don’t want anyone knowing you’re not a pro, do you?
Okay.
Now do exactly as I say:
Grab your phone and download Navmii.
You can thank me later.
There are more than 150 countries available, offering a navigation and traffic warning service. It keeps track of your mileage as well as your overall driving performance.
There are offline maps you can download to allow you to use it without an internet connection.
And just when you thought you couldn’t possibly be any more of a pro:
There’s a new feature that’s been added called Find My Car to help find where you parked your car. Super if you’ve parked anywhere without parking section signs.
Oh, and you can even make it sound like Snoop Dogg or Stephen Fry (you’re welcome).
There you have it. Our top travel tips.
It’s now time to put these super useful tips into practice.
But remember, you don’t have to do them all.
Just a few.
Or maybe even one.
Trust me:
You’ll be back for the others.
After all, why not make your next holiday the best it can be? No one’s stopping you.
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