What’s your non-obvious travel tip that makes every trip better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buy a universal travel adapter so you don’t have to keep switching between countries.

Bring a CO2 detector in luggage (separate batteries during transit). They are small but can be lifesavers especially in rental properties.

Bring foldable duffel bag for laundry or overflow souvenirs.

Bring chip clips for curtains that don’t close all the way.

First aid kit especially for children’s medication. Anything else you can get at a local pharmacy.

Speaking of pharmacies, European and Asian ones are great for reasonably priced skincare, sunblock and cosmetics. Grocery store olive oil and spices are usually fresher and better quality than frou frou gift shops.

If you are in a town on market day, you should make a point to go.

Make sure you download a map of the area that is usable offline. You can’t count on internet connectivity.

Pre-arrange transit from the airport if ride shares are not widely available. The people holding up signs advertising taxi companies will usually overcharge you.

You can use hotel hangers that have clips to hang trousers to close the curtains. No need to bring chip clips.

We don’t always stay in hotels, airbnbs and rental houses don’t reliably have those hangers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Avoid any type of gimmicky activities that pose as educational experiences. I include in this category food tours, pasta making classes, any staged activities in which the locals fight each other (Mexican wresting, Thai boxing, Japanese sumo, Bolivian chola wrestling, etc), chopstick making classes, and so many more. What a waste.

This is what I was thinking about these classes - that it is a gimmick but then my friend says she loved some class where they made pesto at cinque terre overlooking the sea and its her favorite memory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this seems basic, but i have a 2nd set of toiletries for traveling, this way i never leave something at home accidentally, like tweezers, or a razor or face wash.

me too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A game changer for me was downloading maps onto my phone before travel and relying on GPS, which doesn’t need cellular signal to work.
I rely on public tranportation and walk everywhere (if you call Uber to get from airport to hotel etc then don’t worry about this) so before I get on the plane, I enter my destination from the arrival airport and sort out how I am getting there.
Even if I can’t get a signal, having a map to tell me where I am is the most helpful thing. I used to carry a compass and try to navigate with a paper map, but Google Maps on a smartphone, working with GPS only is the bomb. You can map out how to get from A to B and even if your cell or wifi signal cuts out, the route will still show on the phone.

Another game changer is this refillable toothpaste tubes. I travel very light (right now I’m in Copenhagen for 1 week and brought only one personal sized bag and a cross body bag) and usually I’m running to the drug store to buy travel size toothpaste before a trip. Now I can just fill these.

The other perk is that these tubes don’t dispense a big glob of toothpaste, can control the amount that is squeezed out better.

https://www.matadorequipment.com/products/refillable-toothpaste-tubes

Please explain this Gps and downloadable maps to a non tech savvy person

Where and how do I do that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do capsule travel wardrobe so everything can be mixed and matched. We just did 10 days in Scandinavia with a carryon. This one was camel, white and black color scheme. We did Italy last summer and I did white, gray and navy.

Interesting. Tell me what you packed for the 10 days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have a toiletry bag that’s always packed
Ziplock bag for chargers etc
One pair of sneakers that I can run in and walk around during the day.
Global entry
Bring ABX in case of food poisoning. Plus Benadryl, advil etc.

How do you get antibiotics? That is prescription only

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A game changer for me was downloading maps onto my phone before travel and relying on GPS, which doesn’t need cellular signal to work.
I rely on public tranportation and walk everywhere (if you call Uber to get from airport to hotel etc then don’t worry about this) so before I get on the plane, I enter my destination from the arrival airport and sort out how I am getting there.
Even if I can’t get a signal, having a map to tell me where I am is the most helpful thing. I used to carry a compass and try to navigate with a paper map, but Google Maps on a smartphone, working with GPS only is the bomb. You can map out how to get from A to B and even if your cell or wifi signal cuts out, the route will still show on the phone.

Another game changer is this refillable toothpaste tubes. I travel very light (right now I’m in Copenhagen for 1 week and brought only one personal sized bag and a cross body bag) and usually I’m running to the drug store to buy travel size toothpaste before a trip. Now I can just fill these.

The other perk is that these tubes don’t dispense a big glob of toothpaste, can control the amount that is squeezed out better.

https://www.matadorequipment.com/products/refillable-toothpaste-tubes

Please explain this Gps and downloadable maps to a non tech savvy person

Where and how do I do that?

First, save places you want to go (restaurants, attractions) and your lodging in Google maps.

Open up Google maps, click on the circle in the upper right corner for your profile, select off line maps. Click on create an off line map (or something like that).Select the area you want. Go for as big a chunk as you need, if it's too big, Google will tell you and you can break it into two separate maps. Then you can use Google maps as usual in an area without cell service, just doesn't have live traffic info.

[Anonymous]

A To Do List posted on our frig. It's there for when we get back. Things that really need to be done right away when we return, like within a day or two. Therefore, I'm not thinking about things like that when we are away. Especially towards the end of a trip. I know a list is there. Whatever's on it, is on it. No reason to think ahead of time about reentry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do capsule travel wardrobe so everything can be mixed and matched. We just did 10 days in Scandinavia with a carryon. This one was camel, white and black color scheme. We did Italy last summer and I did white, gray and navy.

Interesting. Tell me what you packed for the 10 days

NP, I have the same travel capsules and also separate set of toiletries, make up, etc. so packing is very easy.

[Anonymous]

I pack a few small plastic over the door hooks for towels, robes, etc. Hotel bathrooms often don't have enough places to hang things.

I also pack a long extension cord with multiple outlets.

[Anonymous]

Take your budget and double it. Also fly first class...worth the upgrade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoid any type of gimmicky activities that pose as educational experiences. I include in this category food tours, pasta making classes, any staged activities in which the locals fight each other (Mexican wresting, Thai boxing, Japanese sumo, Bolivian chola wrestling, etc), chopstick making classes, and so many more. What a waste.

This is what I was thinking about these classes - that it is a gimmick but then my friend says she loved some class where they made pesto at cinque terre overlooking the sea and its her favorite memory.

We did two classes in Japan: 1) a 3-4 hour cooking class and 2) a Kintsugi class with an actual Kintsugi artist.

Both were a blast!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have a toiletry bag that’s always packed
Ziplock bag for chargers etc
One pair of sneakers that I can run in and walk around during the day.
Global entry
Bring ABX in case of food poisoning. Plus Benadryl, advil etc.

How do you get antibiotics? That is prescription only

when travelling, you can tell your dr about your plans and they will write the rx for the abx for jic situations.

i also get my travel immunizations done if i am going to certain parts of the world.

[Anonymous]

I always plan vacation from vacation days. No more than two or three sightseeing days in an in a row and then a full on nothing planned go to a beach relax at the hotel pool etc. day. I found that having too many sightseeing days in a row wipes out the group in the trip is much more fun when we plan nothing days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bring my oldest pair of tennis shoes to leave behind. it frees up some good space in the suitcase for things picked up.

Yeah just bring your trash to dispose of it / burden another country with it. Leave your trash at home!

NP. I do this, too. Not putting shoes back in my suitcase after our walking safari where they probably got spoor from all sorts of animals on them. Sorry not sorry.