Travel Tips To Know Before Braving The Open Road
Home life got you down? Have you only known one city your whole life and want to broaden your knowledge? Or maybe you just want to go on an adventure. For many out there, this summer might be their first time leaving familiar territory or even their country and in this case, we’ve prepared a couple of world-class tips to keep you flying high and saving some cash.
Credit Cards: The Silent Funds Killer
Credit cards are great to have with you on a trip and a heck of a lot more convenient than carrying around a huge wad of cash. But there are a couple of things you need to know before stepping on that plane and hoping a Mastercard and backup will save you from everything.
First, you have to make sure to keep it protected at all times. While that might be fairly obvious, your best bet is to buy a small, strapped travel bag to carry on you. The straps keep your card secured to you at all times for safe storage under your shirt or jacket and make it near impossible for a thief to snag. Once you’ve done that be sure to separate your two cards as accidents can happen. If you do happen to misplace the bag you’ll still have an extra card in your backpack.
Second, be sure to call the financial institution associated with your cards and let them know exactly where you’ll be headed. Do this a month or two ahead of your flight and be as detailed as possible. Too often do travelers forget to do this and end up having their cards deactivated on them for security reasons.Ordinary Traveler wrote that adventurers having their cards switched off is on the top ten list of biggest travel mistakes, so be sure to call your bank and avoid the complication.
Lastly, most cards come with some sort of overseas charge when withdrawing cash. Five dollars here and there doesn’t sound too bad but, before you know it, you’ve already spent $200 on unnecessary fees. To circumvent this problem talk to your bank and see if they offer a card that doesn’t incur overseas charges (most banks will have this option).
Source: To Travel is To Live via Facebook
If You’re Packing Light, You’re Packing Right
Ask any seasoned traveler and they’ll tell you (often after learning the hard way) that when you pack to be sure to keep it simple. A few changes of clothes, toothbrush in holder, a tube of toothpaste, a small first-aid kit, phone, and portable charger. Obviously, there’ll be more to account for but these make up the strong foundation of any trip, so work up from here and, if you put something in your suitcase that makes you think twice, chances are you’ll live without it.
Keep in mind that your trip’s length will determine what items you bring and the amount that you need. If you need a better idea of how to pack for different situations, smartertravel.com has an incredibly helpful breakdown of the types of trips you might go on and how to prepare for them.
A Bit Of Entertainment Never Hurt
Modern phones have defined technology over the last decade in a huge way. We’ve taken the functionality of a PC and put it in the palm of our hands along with GPS tracking, picture taking, social media and so much more. That’s why it’s a must have even when packing light is a top priority. Especially when you’ll be facing exhausting flights, non-stop bus rides, and myriad other situations where you’ll just be waiting. Generally speaking, you’ll always enjoy just admiring the view or taking in the culture and in those cases we suggest writing your experiences down on your phone to have forever. But when you’re stuck in the airport and the only thing you can “experience” is the crying baby being feverishly rocked by an overwhelmed parent, we suggest popping in the headphones for an hour of your favorite game.
App games have all genres covered at this point from adventure to video slots and, in the case of the latter, who wouldn’t want to add a few extra dollars to the travel budget while you’re waiting to board your plane? As far as gambling goes, be on the lookout for bonus sites such as bonus.ca, the top for Canada, as you could get quite a few free spins upon claiming said promotion. The current bonus offers players $500 and 120 free spins at Party Casino; not too shabby for someone just looking to pass a few hours here and then at the airport. Be sure not to invest too much time in your mobile as it’s a bit counterintuitive to the whole experience, but always at least have it as an option.
Source: Team Anime via Facebook
Respect Murphy’s Law And Do Your Research
“When things can go wrong, they will.” Learn this and learn it well because, although traveling will change your perspective, it’s a great big mess of variables from every little step to buying and taking flights to following a day’s itinerary. If one thing goes wrong – trust us, they sometimes will – a chain reaction of problems can crop up and ruin an otherwise perfect day or week. It’s your job to do two things very well: research everything you can and formulate backup plans. Book one hostel but look up two others in the area in case yours overbooks. If you’re going to a specific tourist attraction, look up the location’s website for hours of operations and then look up when the best time is to go on personal travel blogs. Google what the best phone company is in the area you’re traveling to and what plan options they offer when you buy a SIM card.
It’s taking these few extra steps that can really save your butt when things go south. This is especially important when you’re only traveling for a week or two and one miscalculation can make you lose half of your trip. All in all be safe and follow these tips. If you do you’ll come back with loads of memories that will last a lifetime. If not, you might just come back with a few nightmares you’d rather forget. And nobody wants to travel around the world for that. Good luck on your travels!