What are the essential travel tips every traveler needs? These tips for travel destinations include what to research and recommendations that will improve your travel experience. Our top 10 essential travel tips include information and budget tips no traveler should leave home without. For real.
To say the Travel Junkie team loves to travel would be a serious understatement. One of the things we enjoy most about travel is sharing resources, and what we have learned about places. Or as we like to say, experiencing a different culture through travel.
We realize travel isn’t cheap. We like to get away several times a year and that just can’t happen if we don’t stick to our budget. How do we do it?
Top 10 Travel Tips
If you travel chances are there has a been a mishap, confusion, something forgotten or maybe even something bad happened. Let’s stop all and any of that from happening. Simple tips and with a little thought and planning your travel can be fun and memories will be made. All good memories that is.
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Top 10 Travel Tip #1 – Planes Trains and Automobiles.
How do you get to your destination?
Flying is fast but expensive and leaves a massive carbon footprint.
Driving is cheaper but takes a lot of time.
We have to balance the amount of time we have to travel against how much time we want to be at our destination. In today’s world, we always need to consider our impact on the environment.
Let’s discuss flying first.
If you fly, stick with a particular airline. We haven’t flown with anyone but Delta for years. Because of that, we can redeem miles and companion certificates to pay for flights at least twice a year.
Research and compare departure days to find less expensive flights. Flights on a Tuesday or Wednesday are usually cheaper than on Friday or Saturday.
What day you fly may also change your travel experience. If the travel experience is important to you, my story about getting through the airport fast will be a great resource for you.
If brand loyalty isn’t important to you, research and compare prices. You may be able to use a regional airline instead of one of the big guys and save a considerable amount of money. You may even be able to secure a direct flight instead of experiencing long layovers.
Double-check the hidden costs on regional airlines though. Extra charges for luggage, seat selection, and other fees add up fast – research can take time, but the results can significantly impact your budget.
How about trains?
If flying isn’t for you, consider going by rail.
Amtrak has not only become our friend, but it is also a great way to see the country.
Standard seats are pretty comfy. You may be able to upgrade to a sleeper room for less than published rates if you ask for an upgrade when boarding the train.
You may find that rail options are the most budget-friendly option available for you. Do a little research – I promise it will pay off. Of course this also depends on if a train goes to where you want to vacation.
Driving is always an option.
Our preferred method for driving is to jump in the RV, take our time to reach our destination, and explore the countryside. We actually RV for 2+ months in the winters to escape the Minnesota cold. It’s our favorite way to travel.
It may take longer to get there, but even with the extra costs of the camper, it’s usually more budget-friendly than other methods of travel.
The RV is definitely less expensive and more enjoyable than a hotel room. I mean, who can beat a home-cooked meal grilled beside your home-away-from-home?
You don’t own an RV? This resource below may help if renting an RV is an option for you! RVezy literally makes RV’ing EASY
Top 10 Travel Tip #2 – Find Lodging that fits your budget and expectations
We travel in the RV often. While camping definitely does NOT include room service, in theory, food in the RV costs the same as meals at home. Camp-site rent is usually considerably more budget-friendly than a hotel room. That is unless you want to be close to a beach or a body of water.
Tent camping is even cheaper, it’s just not my cup of tea. I need a bathroom close by, that is all mine. Amenities in some modern RV parks are as nice as those at many hotels. Many have great shower/bath houses, full hook-up and fun activities to do.
But obviously, camping doesn’t work for everyone, so what else is there?
Plus, with camping there is a newer form of camping called Hipcamp. We’ve found we really enjoy staying at Hipcamp locations and we even offer Hipcamp in our yard. Check out our Sunset Bay Getaway.
Research the benefits of a rental home.
We always weigh the options of renting a house instead of staying at a hotel. Most times the house rental wins, especially if we are on an extended trip or traveling with family.
Take our annual family vacation for example. We usually have between 12-15 people, including at least 6 couples. 6 hotel rooms, plus the expense of 3 meals a day for 15 people. Even if you stayed at a 1-star hotel, and ate fast food each meal, $600 per day is not an unreasonable estimate.
We NEVER pay more than $250 per day for a house, usually much less. Our group buys groceries in bulk, usually spending $300-$500 total for a week in groceries (including adult beverages!)
You do the math. We are firm believers in using VRBO when our destination includes a rental home.
I like rental budgets much better than the cost of hotel rooms, and when you add in the benefit of being able to imbed yourself into the local community, rentals are often a no-brainer.
Don’t rule out a hotel room.
On the other hand, if budget isn’t a problem or it makes more sense to charge a hotel room and spread the cost out as credit card payments, all-inclusive resorts or cruises may be options for you.
Some seem expensive upfront, but usually all-inclusive really means ALL-INCLUSIVE, which can be budget-friendly in the long run.
Sandals All-Inclusive Resorts has been our favorite all-inclusive resort. With both the Sandals and Beaches brands to choose from, this may be the best option for you too! If you are interested in learning more about Sandals reach out to me, your preferred travel agent.
I use the She’s Trippy Travel website to research my travels. If you want to research your dream travels head on over to She’s Trippy Travel.
It’s definitely worth checking to see what discounts are available. Checking for discounts is ALWAYS a top 10 travel tip.
If budget isn’t a concern for you, we can hook you up with the trip of your dreams.
Top 10 Travel Tip #3 – Consider transportation at your destination.
In the days of Uber and Lyft, the cost and hassle of renting a car aren’t always the best way to go.
Keeping an open mind about public transportation can help resolve all sorts of logistical problems. We travel to Miami almost every year, and always use public transportation. We do the same with many larger European cities. The London Tube and Paris Underground are great ways to get around and are downright cheap.
One thing to consider, subway transportation is generally efficient, but the rider misses out on the sights and can be a little disorienting for those with a good sense of direction.
Sometimes the budget isn’t everything. Research your options before you travel, or reach out to me. I would love to do your research for you!
This next tip may sound weird, but it works.
Buy a Hop-on-Hop-Off tour. These tours provide the opportunity to visit any number of attractions in a city, and then transport you to the next attraction on your list. All while getting an earful of local lore. How is that for getting the bang for your buck?
You can create your own Hop on Hop off using Viator.
On our recent vacation in Panama City, the Hop-on-Hop-Off was the first excursion we planned. We rode the bus the first day and used those recommendations to guide the rest of our week. That was probably the most fun research I have ever done!
If you decide car rental is the way to go, reserve off-terminal if you are picking up the car at the airport or compare the rates of several companies. Upgrade when picking the car up instead of when you book the rental may help stretch your budget. A little bit of work may make a big difference in the end!
Top 10 Travel Tip #4 – Research Research Research!
Yep, I’m going to tell you that reading my website is a good idea.
Not because I have written it, but because my husband and I actually travel and a lot of the content on She’s Trippy is either our own travel, or a contributors travel.
Also, I am a travel agent so that means I can help you plan your travels and find you the best places and prices.
My favorite translation book is now an app.
Ever travel somewhere and not know how to ask “where is the bathroom?” Translation apps are a genius invention.
Google Translate worked very well for us with translating Portuguese in Brazil. One could almost say it was a lifesaver. Whatever you use, have a translation resource available if you expect language barriers.
Top 10 Travel Tip #5 – Use membership advantages.
Take advantage of consumer resources available to you for any kinds of travel, air, hotel, car, etc. United Airlines, HiltonHonors, IHG, JetBlue, Marriott, Southwest Airlines, etc. Basically anything you can think of, has a reward program.
If traveling in a car, either your own or a rental, or in your RV, use an app like Upside to earn cash back on every gallon of gas. Upside also has restaurants you can earn cash back at as well. If you click this link and join you can get an extra $5 bonus on your first purchase. Download Upside Now.
When we rent houses, we always ask for referrals for excursions from the owner or property manager. Those referrals usually result in discounted rates for excursions.
Use your frequent flier miles and credit card perks. You may be surprised at how often these budget-saving resources get missed. For more information about budget-friendly ways to use those perks, I love this article.
You can also check out these cash back apps that might come in handy.
Top 10 Travel Tip #6 – Ask questions!
If you haven’t been there, why wouldn’t you have questions? Ask what activities are available at your destination.
Inquire how much parking will be and how accessible it is. Ask what restaurants are close, and (this is awful) how close is Wal-Mart. It never fails – as much as you plan, something always gets left at home.
Ask if the area is family-friendly and if smoking is allowed.
Whatever is important to you, ASK before you finish planning your trip. Being informed is one of the most important pieces of making the best decisions for your trip.
Top 10 Travel Tip #7 – Packing Tips.
Believe it or not, this is the most fun piece for me. I usually start packing a month before we go on big trips. I start making a list for packing and a list of must do things before we leave, I’m a planner.
Here are some very specific packing tips:
Decide if you need a checked bag or not. Many airlines will check a bag for a reduced or at no cost for their reward members. I learned the hard way to follow the recommendation for carrying “necessities” in your carry-on.
Make sure you have a change of clothing, yep underwear included, medications, toothpaste and toothbrush, and a hairbrush or comb. We’ve been caught in a layover more than once and we have had our luggage lost.
The carry-on saved us when my luggage was lost. Not my husbands, just mine. We went to see his family in New Jersey, and my suitcase was lost, and had to be delivered very late that night.
In my Getting Through the Airport Fast story I include very detailed packing tips that can help travelers clear security and get through the airport quickly. This story is worth checking out.
When packing, consider your destination.
Of course, packing means considering what clothing to take, but even more importantly, I always carry a pair of sunglasses in my purse when flying.
Nothing is worse than walking out of an airport into a gloriously sunny tropical day and being “blinded by the light”.
Pack what items you need to ensure you enjoy every minute of your destination!
What other packing tips do I have?
Other recommendations are pretty standard. Everyone tells you to take your medications in your carry-on bag, but we received some very wise advice when traveling internationally.
Make sure to carry your actual pill bottles, or at the very least take pictures of the pill bottles.
Names of medications and the ability to communicate exactly which pills you take are crazy important. This is especially important if you take daily meds.
We have found medications have different names and bottles look different. Add the potential for a language barrier when trying to pick up any replacements and you will appreciate anything that helps simplify the process of replacing medications.
Better safe than sorry.
Also, we carry a small first aid kit with Band-Aids and antibacterial ointment.
Save room to pack souvenirs.
We always buy local spices or goods so we can extend our travel experiences after returning home. Whatever works for you, make sure you have room for it. Often items found at your travel destination are different than what you can find at home. This is another place where your pre-travel research may pay off.
Knowing what you want to purchase, will help you ensure you have enough room in your luggage to bring it home.
If you buy liquid goods through an international duty-free shop and still have to clear customs, the liquid goods will need to go in a checked bag. We found this out the hard way. On our way home from Jamaica we bought a bunch of hot sauce in the airport in Jamaica and then when we got to Chicago, they actually had to pull our checked luggage so we could put all the bottles in our checked luggage as it wasn’t allowed in our carry on.
Make sure to budget enough time and luggage space to repack any liquids and other non-carry-on souvenirs in your checked bags. If you don’t and you have a connecting flight after clearing customs, your purchase will not be going home with you.
The last couple of tips is short but really important.
Top 10 Travel Tip #8 – Consider travel insurance.
I’ve never purchased travel insurance for US destinations, but have purchased it from Allianz Global Assistance for several international trips. So far, it’s been used once.
I was really glad to have it, honestly, it wasn’t that expensive, and we had a good experience when we needed to issue a claim.
Travel can be hard, and travel insurance can help make things much easier when travel goes… oh so terribly bad. Using this travel tip can help you decide when it makes sense to purchase and the differences between the different plans.
If you aren’t a gambler, travel insurance is a really good idea. My favorite is AXA Travel Insurance.
Top 10 Travel Tip #9. Be flexible.
Planning ahead may help spread the cost of your trip out over several months to a year. On the other hand, there are really good last-minute deals available.
When we are looking to book a trip we try to be flexible.
Our RV’ing trips in the winter are always a fly by the seat of our pants kind of trips. We know where we are going, but don’t book a lot of stuff in advance. We take our chances and in doing so have seen and done some amazing stuff.
Our flexibility allowed us to continue to travel and see the country.
Last, and this top 10 travel tip is my personal pet peeve.
Top 10 Travel Tip #10– Remember, you are the guest.
Wherever you travel, you chose to visit that destination for a reason. There is an experience, an event, a culture, history, whatever it is, that you chose.
Enjoy that thing for what it is, not for what you want or feel it should be. Absorb it, make mental memories, take pictures, and be that experience/event/culture for your time there.
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