Travel can be many things: exciting, exhausting, eye-opening, hectic, and inspiring...often all at the same time. But with a few tricks and tips up your sleeves, you can minimize the ~stressful~ aspects of traveling and focus on making it the most positive experience. So redditor u/BigBritNotBen asked, "What is your most obscure yet vital travel tip?" Here's what some people said.
1. "When you're getting local currency from an ATM, select a weird dollar amount so that you receive some smaller bills. It's always nice getting an assortment of smaller bills to use for tips and petty cash rather than only big bills that people are reluctant to break."
2. "I always google the prevalent local scams in the area before visiting somewhere new. It's helped me not fall for a few."
3. "Always bring light rain gear with you. A rainy day is often the best time to take advantage of popular sites and activities. A little rain can make normally packed activities wait-free."
4. "Brushing your teeth is the quickest way to feel human again after a long flight. Pack toothpaste and a toothbrush in your carry-on so you can do this before you leave the airport."
5. "For some reason, it’s often difficult to find sunblock and mosquito repellent in the countries where you frequently encounter lots of sun and mosquitoes. Pack these items with you in your suitcase."
6. "Always have spare days in your itinerary to account for uncooperative weather or just to weave in things you discover while you’re traveling."
7. "Instead of asking the hotel concierge or Airbnb host where they recommend you go out to eat, ask them where they like to eat with friends and family. This will probably keep you away from tourist traps and make you more likely to learn about local gems."
8. "I always take some ziplock bags along with me. There's almost always a half-eaten pastry, part of a sandwich, or leftovers when I'm eating out. I'll just pop it into my bag for later."
9. "When traveling internationally, take a color photocopy of your passport to carry around with you, and leave the original passport in your hotel safe."
10. "I always try to plan a 'soft day' midway through my trip to give myself time to rest and get my energy back up. Depending on the place, I usually work in some form of spa treatment, a beach 'do-nothing day,' a trip to relax in a hot spring, or just an afternoon set aside to picnic and drink wine."
11. "I always have a travel medicine kit containing the following: the stop-and-go set (antidiarrheal and a laxative), acetaminophen/painkiller, antacid, and some sort of antihistamine for allergies. These things fit in a tiny makeup bag and have saved me many a trip to a foreign pharmacy."
12. "Never travel with brand-new sneakers. Visiting a new place where you're walking a ton is not the right time to break in those new sneaks. Rather, pack your favorite comfy pair that is already worn in and won't give you blisters while you're out exploring."
13. "Google has some really wild offline capabilities. You can download an offline map on Google Maps for a region to help you navigate, whether you have cell service or not. If you're in a country with a language barrier, you can download languages in Google Translate for offline use, and while you may not be able to have a deep intellectual convo, it will help you get by with the basics. This is particularly helpful in countries that use different alphabets, because you can scan a photo you take or play a phrase out loud when asking for help."
14. "I always pack a few sarongs. They’re so thin and fold up into nothing, but they are useful for SO many occasions. They can be used as towels at the beach, clothing (such as a skirt/dress), and a headscarf or shawl if you want to cover up in certain places. You can use a sarong to protect your skin from the sun or to keep you warm after the sun goes down. And you can scrunch it up to use as a pillow during travel. They dry quickly, and they’re light and small enough to throw one in your day pack."
15. "If you need to use the bathroom in the center of a city, search for a public library. Library toilets tend to be much cleaner than those in other public settings...and they're usually free."
16. "It’s okay to sit in your hotel room across the street from the Eiffel Tower and decide that today is a "sit in my room and order an amazing pepperoni pizza and binge a TV show" kind of day. You travel to relax and enjoy yourself, not to run a marathon of 'How much can I possibly fit in?'"
17. "Every mediocre meal is a wasted opportunity. Doing a little advance research can improve the chances that you'll have great and memorable dining experiences. It will also relieve the stress of trying to make decisions when you're tired, jet-lagged, and hangry. Research restaurants before you go. Find a few near your hotel and the major sites that you'll visit. Mark them on a map. You may stumble on better options, but it's always nice to have some well-vetted defaults on hand."
18. "When you're visiting a city, get up before sunrise and walk around before most other people wake up. I did this in Venice, and the quiet city was pure magic."
19. "Take a trip to a local grocery store whenever you're in a foreign country. I'm always surprised to see how much I learn about the local culture just by spending 10 minutes walking around a market, browsing what's available in the different aisles, and watching locals do their grocery shopping. It's so fascinating."
20. "Set your watch and phone to the time zone of your destination as soon as you get on the plane. Frame your flight around this time zone, whether that means taking a sleeping pill or drinking caffeine. You'll avoid jet lag like a champ."
21. "I follow a rule of thirds while traveling. I spend about a third of my time hitting up the major touristy spots, I devote a third of my trip to doing local activities, and I give myself a final third to do totally unstructured, spontaneous things or just to simply rest and refuel."
22. "When you have the opportunity, sit at the bar or chef's counter for dinner. It's a nice way to interact with others besides your travel companion or to meet new people if you're traveling solo. My husband and I have gotten some of our best travel tips from bartenders and other locals seated at the bar."
23. "If you have one, always carry around your student ID. It often gets you discounts into museums and other attractions."
24. "Consider using a travel agent. Most people don’t realize that a travel agent can do all the research for you and find the best deals, resorts, and flights, and they often don’t cost the traveler a dime. Many are structured so they get commissions from the resorts. So why not let someone else do all the busywork for you?"
25. "Try searching for flights in the airline’s original language. I once saved $700 when booking tickets for a trip to Peru by using Spanish rather than English."
What is a travel tip that you swear by? Tell us in the comments!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.