Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m always fascinated by the little habits experienced travelers develop, the things that never make it into travel articles but make a real difference.

For those of you who travel a lot, whether for work or serious vacations, what’s the one non-obvious thing you do that consistently makes your trips better, easier, or more enjoyable?

Not destination-specific, more like personal systems, habits, or small things you always do that most people wouldn’t think of. Examples of the kind of thing I mean: a packing trick, airport strategy, hotel habit, planning approach, or something you always bring that ends up being invaluable.

Curious what the seasoned travelers here swear by.

When going abroad and arriving in the morning, I always get a hotel room for the night before, so I can go right to the hotel and shower/change clothes before heading out. My goal is always to stay up until a reasonable bedtime locally (i.e. about 9 p.m.).

Excellent tip.

I’ve thought about doing this but don’t you need to check out of the hotel at 11AM or 12PM and only get room for a few hours (unless you are staying at this hotel the next night)? And do you let hotel know in advance that you won’t be there in the morning? Some hotels are weird about that.

I meant to write, do you let hotel know in advance that you won’t be there until morning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m always fascinated by the little habits experienced travelers develop, the things that never make it into travel articles but make a real difference.

For those of you who travel a lot, whether for work or serious vacations, what’s the one non-obvious thing you do that consistently makes your trips better, easier, or more enjoyable?

Not destination-specific, more like personal systems, habits, or small things you always do that most people wouldn’t think of. Examples of the kind of thing I mean: a packing trick, airport strategy, hotel habit, planning approach, or something you always bring that ends up being invaluable.

Curious what the seasoned travelers here swear by.

When going abroad and arriving in the morning, I always get a hotel room for the night before, so I can go right to the hotel and shower/change clothes before heading out. My goal is always to stay up until a reasonable bedtime locally (i.e. about 9 p.m.).

Excellent tip.

I’ve thought about doing this but don’t you need to check out of the hotel at 11AM or 12PM and only get room for a few hours (unless you are staying at this hotel the next night)? And do you let hotel know in advance that you won’t be there in the morning? Some hotels are weird about that.

Anonymous wrote:I've read all 12 pages (so far) of this thread and this is one of the better, actually non-obvious tips.

OP's request - "fascinating" and "non-obvious" habits of experienced travelers - did not materialize.


This is a Decidedly Obvious Generic Tips thread. Which is of course fine.

Clean house before leaving, including putting fresh sheets on beds, and emptying garbage cans and dishwasher.

Schedule grocery delivery for morning after we get home.

Upgrade to extra leg room.

Downsize wallet to small card case with ID, one credit card, one debit card, insurance card and photocopies of passports.

Bring a reusable shopping bag and tiny rain poncho.

All the Ziplocks.

When going somewhre with significant time change, especially with kids, we book a chill country type resort for the first 2 days to acclimate to the time. Then everyone is feeling better when we head into the city for more active sightseeing.

I also disagree with poster who doesn’t like to book any activities like wrestling, cooking classes, etc. We love those things and they make the trip engaging and fun.

Lots of great advice on this thread.

I try to keep things fairly minimal: capsule-ish wardrobe, like 2 pants, 3, tops, 2 sweaters, one dress and a jacket, usually 2 pairs of shoes (tennis plus either sandals or boots or loafers, depending on trip/weather, maybe flip flop type shoes or water shoes or hiking boots f trip calls for them). I bring a lightweight folding raincoat and expandable bag. I always bring a scarf--even in summer (a cotton scarf) but just can add warmth for unexpectedly cold days or the plane, etc. I also travel with my own very small, fully squishable pillow that I will often use in place of hotel pillows. ALso pack a few detergent sheets.

In booking hotels, I ask for quiet rooms.

Never book 3rd party flights, always with airlines.

plane--usually bring a backpack with a small cross body for phone and wallet; carry copies of passports elsewhere but also have digital copies. I pack change of underwear and shirt and, if a beach vacation, a bathing suit on carryon, along with meds (though I rarely check luggage these days). I bring some snacks for the plane, just in case we are sitting on the tarmac for hours. I also bring several pairs of earbuds and a portable battery to charge on the go.

upgrades: I check frequently for upgrade price and find that they are often least expensive around check in. I will ofte nupgrade for transatlantic overnight and any long haul; i will also pay for exit row or premium seats on long day flights. In general, I pay for things that aid our arrival--if we land and we are tired after long flight, I pay for private transportation to meet us and get us to hotel, etc.

if renting a car, learn the rules of the road and esp whether they have traffic cameras, etc (we saw them all the time in italy). also, in general, read a bit about customs and expectations around dining, tipping, etc. learn a few words in the local language.

like others, I keep my travel toiletries packed and stocked, with a mini first aid (tylenol bandaid, immodium etc).

When traveling with the kids, I really try to return on saturday if school starts monday. Also, kids get their own beds, and if possible we have two rooms. Everyone is in a better mood.

I throw out all food before I go and usually have cleaners come when we are gone. I order instacart delivery of basics to arrive once we land but not earlier in case we are delayed.

I live a couple hours from Dulles, so if we are flying out really early, we will do the park and fly at one of the nearby airport hotels. If we dont need a hotel, I reserve close in parking. IF we are leaving someplace late at night and its long haul, I will look for day hotels, day spa passes, or pay for a hotel so that we can spend the morning/mid day doing stuff and then relax and get clean before getting onto flight.

I generally take local public transportation whenever I can, assuming its efficient and safe. You learn more about the place, and its often better than cabs.

Anonymous wrote:I always try to bring about $200 in the local currency with me, but at a minimum I bring 200 US dollars. I've been in several situations where paying someone a "tip" really helped smooth the issues that I was having.

Also, you never know what will happen while you're traveling: I was in Spain on a solo trip when the grid for the entire country went down last year. I was able to get a cab to take me to my next destination (when the trains shut down) because I could pay him in cash. Nobody could process credit cards.

Not a bad idea, but last 2 Europe trips have used a grand total of 0 local currency. Everything is tap to pay and nothing was down.

...back to travel tips.
If someone does something too much (eg PP who had a child who said everything was just the most important thing ever), settle on a rationing. I travel with a family member who CONSTANTLY wants pictures. She can take as many as she wants, but I will only pose once per day.

New untested tip for group travel: we are testing the concept of dividing expenses by category, which is close enough for our budgeting purposes. So one person will cover meals, one lodging, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Take a shower as soon as you get to the hotel, this one applies to almost all trips.

For more specific circumstances, the smartest hack I've stumbled on is if you have a late flight home from vacation, instead of trying to find a locker for luggage or kill the better part of a day at the airport, hire a guide for the last day. Get picked up in the morning *with all of your luggage* and do whatever you're doing that day (in Thailand we tacked on a day trip to Ayutthaya and a visit to an elephant sanctuary, and still made it back to the airport with time to check in, eat and shower in the lounge). Your luggage is secure, you get a full vacation day instead of just a travel day, and you get to hand the reins to someone else. And they'll never let you miss your flight because they get a tip!

I've read all 12 pages (so far) of this thread and this is one of the better, actually non-obvious tips.

I nearly always travel solo and prefer the lounges just b/c it's much easier to set my bags down and go grab a snack or run to the restroom (yes my purse stays with me).

Also IME if you need any help with flight changes/etc, the agents in the lounges are generally better and lines generally shorter.

That said, with lounges now so crowded, when traveling with one or more others, I'd agree that sometimes a quiet gate area is just as good or better.

Anonymous wrote:

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 wrote:

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.

+1

My doctor wrote me a prescription for antibiotics just in case I got travelers' diarrhea on a trip to South America, and indeed, that is exactly what happened. I was so happy to have that medication.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So interesting to me what different people prioritize. I've visited airport lounges and other than free food, don't see the appeal. Absolutely not a priority for our family. We arrive at the airport early enough to get to the gate, grab 5 seats with plugs, and some read/scrol, some walk around, most do a bit of each. Besides, people-watching in the airport is facinating, a slice of Americana if you will

Agreed. Plus the lounge is usually heaving now that every ding dong has a card or "elite status." These days, honestly, the gates have been emptier on several occasions than the lounges.

I actually prefer the lounge to the gates. I do agree that sometimes it is very crowded. Also, US lounges are usually very basic. Other countries have better lounges and Asian ones are absolutely amazing. In US, the food and service is also very basic. In Asia - food quality and variety is quite amazing.

I have a plan now when I travel which I follow to the tee, for the house -

- I tell the post office to hold my mail. I have my porch lights on a timer.
- Any Amazon delivery etc is delivered to my neighbor's house. They are informed about it. And I track it.
- I pack my stuff at least 2-3 days before my flight. I work off check-lists.
- I make sure that no fruit/food is left outside on counters etc.
- I water plants one day before my flight.
- I will unplug all electronics and appliances that is not being used (only easy to unplug stuff) - TVs, piano, oven, washer/dryer, computers, monitors, game consoles, iron, lamps, chargers, most phone handsets etc.
- ONLY stuff that I want functioning remains plugged in - fridge, freezer, dishwasher, lamps on timers, alexa/google/siri, security, nest-cams etc. My neighbor lost all his electronics and appliances because of a lightning strike, and my house is on a higher elevation.
- I take out all my trash and wheel my trash bin to the side of my house. My neighbor wheels it out on trash collection day. Never leave trash in your garage or your home. It will attract critters.
- Family knows my itinerary and travel details in our group chat.
- House is cleaned professionally, one day before I travel.

Anonymous wrote:So interesting to me what different people prioritize. I've visited airport lounges and other than free food, don't see the appeal. Absolutely not a priority for our family. We arrive at the airport early enough to get to the gate, grab 5 seats with plugs, and some read/scrol, some walk around, most do a bit of each. Besides, people-watching in the airport is facinating, a slice of Americana if you will

Agreed. Plus the lounge is usually heaving now that every ding dong has a card or "elite status." These days, honestly, the gates have been emptier on several occasions than the lounges.