Travel Tips & Tricks

Updated July 2022

Plan

 

  1. Decide where you want to go! Figure out how long you want to stay and what you want the climate to be. What time of year will you go? Is that peak tourist season where lots of people will be there?

  2. Make sure you are prepared - Do you have your passport/ID? Do you know key phrases in the local language? Do you know the country’s emergency number? Do you know the most recent COVID policy? Do you have to upload your vaccine card in advance? (Check out my upcoming guide on O’ahu for details about Hawaii’s policy!)

  3. Decide how you want to get there - Do you want to fly? Take a train or bus? Or is it a road trip that’s calling your name? Are you going to travel around, or stay in one place?

    If you’re not going to have access to a car, be sure to research local public transportation options - Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post about Eurail.

  4. Think about how much you want to budget for this trip. Do you want to stay in five-star hotels, or hostels? Do you want a more personal experience and rent a house or apartment? Are there any pricier experiences you want to include?

    I would personally recommend using TripMasters as it has custom options for flights, places to stay, restaurants, attractions, and more to tailor your trip to exactly what you want.

Pack

Once you have your basic itinerary, it’s time to pack! I always hate having a stuffed suitcase at the end of the trip and you are more than likely going to pick up some things during your travels. I recommend packing light and prepping a week in advance if possible. This way you have plenty of time to tailor your suitcase (ideally just a carry-on) and take out still you will not use.

Check out my blog post “Minimalist Packing” for further tips and tricks on traveling light.

Enjoy

Now it is time. You’re prepped, you’ve got everything you need, you know what you want to do. BUT…

The biggest lesson I’ve learned from my travels is to stay flexible.

Maybe one attraction you want to see has a line two miles long, or the parking lot is full. Maybe one of the restaurants you were eyeing is closed, or too full to seat you. Often I’ve found, when this happens to me, I end up somewhere just as good (or even better) than what I had planned.

Ask locals, your host at wherever you’re staying or—my personal favorite—walk around and explore what the city has to offer. Often the best places are away from the crowds, and may not even be online or in your tourbook. Just make sure you don’t get lost!

Also, if you’re staying for a week or more, I do recommend scheduling a rest day. Having a day to have a picnic in the park and a movie night, or morning coffee at the local cafe and a leisurely stroll around town. While I get the appeal of packing your trip with activities everyday, it makes it harder to enjoy every moment since you’re rushing to the next thing.

Vacations never seem to last long enough, and taking a day to pretend you’re a local is one way to be more mindful and experience what everyday life would be like in a new place.