Travel Invaluable tips
- Thread starter Swanky
- Start date
- Pack undies and socks in ziplock bags, that way you'll find them very fast and they won't be scattered around everything else
- Buy an inflatable neck pillow for long haul flights, especially when travelling in economy
- Leave enough space in your "liquids' ziplock" or bring a second one to store essentials such as eye mask, ear plugs, lipbalm, tissues etc. for the seat pocket in front of you (so you don't have to grab your bag from under the seat or even the overhead compartment all the time)
- Invest in good carry on luggage. I swear by my leightweight and easily movable Rimowa Salsa Air. I don't need to drag it along, it will just slide next to me with ease even with a heavy laptop bag sitting on top of it
- Store your designer goods in the carry on luggage which should have a lock
- Download subway/metro/tube plans as pdf for your smartphone. It's easy to look at on the go without instantly giving away that you're a tourist
- Use google maps for walking itinaries and if you don't have free internet access on holidays snap a picture of the itinary with your smartphone off your screen so you know how to walk from a metro station to your destination (again, without having to whip out any maps for everyone to see)
- Buy an inflatable neck pillow for long haul flights, especially when travelling in economy
- Leave enough space in your "liquids' ziplock" or bring a second one to store essentials such as eye mask, ear plugs, lipbalm, tissues etc. for the seat pocket in front of you (so you don't have to grab your bag from under the seat or even the overhead compartment all the time)
- Invest in good carry on luggage. I swear by my leightweight and easily movable Rimowa Salsa Air. I don't need to drag it along, it will just slide next to me with ease even with a heavy laptop bag sitting on top of it
- Store your designer goods in the carry on luggage which should have a lock
- Download subway/metro/tube plans as pdf for your smartphone. It's easy to look at on the go without instantly giving away that you're a tourist
- Use google maps for walking itinaries and if you don't have free internet access on holidays snap a picture of the itinary with your smartphone off your screen so you know how to walk from a metro station to your destination (again, without having to whip out any maps for everyone to see)
Last edited:
If you want to pack something delicate or something with sequence lay it out flat in between two sheets of tissue paper. Then you can fold it and roll it up and pack it without ruining or snagging the item.
I always like to pack a travel size pack of lysol wipes, that way when I get to my hotel room I can wipe down commonly touched surfaces that are generally not cleaned by house keeping; like doorknobs, light switches, tv remote. And they take up almost no space.
I always like to pack a travel size pack of lysol wipes, that way when I get to my hotel room I can wipe down commonly touched surfaces that are generally not cleaned by house keeping; like doorknobs, light switches, tv remote. And they take up almost no space.
don't every fill bottles all the way- they will explode. leave some off the top and even better put saran wrap in between the opening and the top.
plan all your outfits- it will save room and i have always been notorious for overpacking and not wearing half of my stuff.
bring a small travel size of febreeze. i don't usually do laundry on trips so if i am out and clothes smell of smoke, food or even b.o. spray away
if you only travel with small suitcases still have an expandable bag that you take with you so if you bring souviners home you have baggage.
what i do every trip. I send myself a postcard with what i did that day. its fun memory keeper and who doesn't like snail mail. also strongly suggest buying something from every great trip. be it something for the home or a scarf, painting, or whatnot. it gives what you have character and a story to tell.
plan all your outfits- it will save room and i have always been notorious for overpacking and not wearing half of my stuff.
bring a small travel size of febreeze. i don't usually do laundry on trips so if i am out and clothes smell of smoke, food or even b.o. spray away
if you only travel with small suitcases still have an expandable bag that you take with you so if you bring souviners home you have baggage.
what i do every trip. I send myself a postcard with what i did that day. its fun memory keeper and who doesn't like snail mail. also strongly suggest buying something from every great trip. be it something for the home or a scarf, painting, or whatnot. it gives what you have character and a story to tell.
This wouldn't work for me for two reasons: I'm spontaneous so something that interested me to wear last week won't
Interest me by the time it comes for me to wear it. Secondly, when I go overseas it's usually for 2 or 3 months, don't think I can be bothered printing out 90 pages of outfits lol.
My tips
* Where available, use the room safe, OR if none available, lock valuables in your suitcase. And I always lock my suitcase and other bags when I leave my hotel room.
* I'm usually a person that likes too take lots of different coloured clothing on my trips, but obviously that means more stuff to carry sound. So I'd say try and take more neutral coloured clothes, so they mix and match with each other, and then colour it up with accessories.
* Always have copies of passport, credit cards, travel insurance etc, one copy in suitcase and another copy in another bag.
* Where available, use the room safe, OR if none available, lock valuables in your suitcase. And I always lock my suitcase and other bags when I leave my hotel room.
* I'm usually a person that likes too take lots of different coloured clothing on my trips, but obviously that means more stuff to carry sound. So I'd say try and take more neutral coloured clothes, so they mix and match with each other, and then colour it up with accessories.
* Always have copies of passport, credit cards, travel insurance etc, one copy in suitcase and another copy in another bag.
In any event, I'd still compare any prices for a packaged tour, with my own research of these things separately online. Few years ago, I went to Canada and the US for five weeks. I managed to get four weeks in a Toronto hotel (got half price rate as my friend heads sales and marketing in the hotel), accommodation in four star hotels in the US for a week, all bus travel and plane travel (including return flights from Sydney to Toronto, stopover NYC), all for around $5500 TOTAL. Before I booked all of that online by myself, I asked Flight Centre for a quote JUST for a return flight Sydney to NYC and four night in NYC. They quoted me $4800. What a joke. Since then, I've stopped going through travel agencies to sort out my trips in terms of booking everything through one place.
I suggest 'couchsurfing' as a way to find a place to stay.
It will give you an exotic experience, I'm sure.
It will give you an exotic experience, I'm sure.
How to survive your long-haul flights:
1) Make use of the headrest! Many wouldn't know, but actually you can tweak the headrest to a U-shape so that your head doesn't topple all over.
2) Bring an empty water bottle. Some airports do have water points in the holding room AFTER the security checks. Fill that in and bring it onboard. Get your cabin crew to subsequently fill it up for you. Not all airlines provide mini-size water bottles, so do take note!
3) Bedroom slippers! You can get the "free" ones from hotels. Bring it onboard!
4) If you are carrying your branded bags, get an extra blanket from the crew, wrap the blanket over your bag and now its safe to go underneath the seat. The bag is now safe from dirty aircraft carpets and you do not have to worry if your legs accidentally kick on it.
5) Last tip for mummies with infants/kids: bring extra clothings, diapers, toys to distract child, and most importantly MILK POWDER! I know a lot of mummies who don't pack milk powder and thinks that airlines SHOULD provide that. And if your child is crying bitterly during landing, your child is just trying to relieve from the earaches (that even we adults do experience it!), there is nothing wrong with the cryings.
1) Make use of the headrest! Many wouldn't know, but actually you can tweak the headrest to a U-shape so that your head doesn't topple all over.
2) Bring an empty water bottle. Some airports do have water points in the holding room AFTER the security checks. Fill that in and bring it onboard. Get your cabin crew to subsequently fill it up for you. Not all airlines provide mini-size water bottles, so do take note!
3) Bedroom slippers! You can get the "free" ones from hotels. Bring it onboard!
4) If you are carrying your branded bags, get an extra blanket from the crew, wrap the blanket over your bag and now its safe to go underneath the seat. The bag is now safe from dirty aircraft carpets and you do not have to worry if your legs accidentally kick on it.
5) Last tip for mummies with infants/kids: bring extra clothings, diapers, toys to distract child, and most importantly MILK POWDER! I know a lot of mummies who don't pack milk powder and thinks that airlines SHOULD provide that. And if your child is crying bitterly during landing, your child is just trying to relieve from the earaches (that even we adults do experience it!), there is nothing wrong with the cryings.
1. Noise canceling headphones - I don't know how I traveled before them.
2. Americans traveling abroad: enroll in STEP https://step.state.gov/step/
3. Bring 2 SD cards for your camera and alternate usage of the cards, leaving one card at the hotel. I would be so sad to lose my camera and all my photos! Alternatively, you can upload photos from your camera to the iPad and then to Photostream or iCloud.
4. Create a custom Google map of places you want to visit. Download map before you leave and you won't need data to access it.
2. Americans traveling abroad: enroll in STEP https://step.state.gov/step/
3. Bring 2 SD cards for your camera and alternate usage of the cards, leaving one card at the hotel. I would be so sad to lose my camera and all my photos! Alternatively, you can upload photos from your camera to the iPad and then to Photostream or iCloud.
4. Create a custom Google map of places you want to visit. Download map before you leave and you won't need data to access it.
Great tips! Google Maps now allows for offline maps to be saved - zoom capabilities and everything. I was able to save all of metro London and Paris maps! They stay on your phone for 30 days.
These are all great ideas! Thank you, I know the thread is old but still good tips! The "scan and email stuff" tip... I do this at home. Almost any important receipt, school or research paper etc gets scanned and emailed. I put the search clue in the header so I can find it. Many times I've had to go back and found the VIN for the car or something needed because I'd scanned and emailed it.
Last edited: