Hey Pandas, What Are Some Vacation Hacks You Know? (Closed)

Always get travel insurance. Always.

If you travel a lot and are prone to forgetting things, have a separate kit of toiletries and other essentials explicitly for traveling. For me, that means an extra wall charger and cable for my phone, a full set of travel-sized toiletries in a kit (to include things like a razor, q-tips, etc.), and an empty water bottle; I store them in my luggage and they never leave unless I'm traveling.

Not a hack but an useful advice.

-Don't spend all your time in your all-inclusive hotel. Try to go out and explore
- also try not to drink too much because, you went on a holliday to rest and high alcohol consumption will make you feel more tired than you ever felt.

Three points of advice:

1. Keep passport, money and medication in a hip pack/bum pack. (Cotopaxi is my favorite brand.) You may think “she’s crazy!” but let me explain. Put passport and money in one compartment (better if it’s waterproof) and put other small, necessary items in the main pouch. Change what’s in it depending on where you go. Beach? Sunscreen. Long car ride? Dramamine. Always have enough money, sunglasses and lip balm in it.

2. Always keep anti-nausea/carsickness/dizziness medication in your pouch. Always have anti-diarrhea medications as well. You should have one that fights the bacteria and one that just ~stops the flow~ if you know what I mean. The second is only for emergency flights, bus rides, meetings, etc.

3. Know the area. Know about which languages are spoken where. Know what percentage of people speak your language and how well. Try to know at least a few words in the spoken language(s). Thank you, excuse me, sorry and “I don’t speak X” go a long way.

Beyond that, just use common sense!

1. We tend to use backpacks for suitcases as it helps distribute the weight of everything more comfortably and has multiple pockets to separate clothes from medical from others things. (A spare plastic bag is packed for dirty laundry.)

2. Instead of stopping at rest areas, we stop at grocery stores. They have bathrooms, affordable snacks and (at least the ones we frequent) a place to refill the gas tank.

If staying at a hotel or other place that has business cards, grab a few and keep one with you at all times. If they don't have cards, ask a staff member to write down the hotel address and phone number in the local language (even if that language is your own). Go out and explore!! Have fun!! When you are ready to go back but have no idea how to get there, hail a cab and show them the address/business card, or ask locals and show them the card. Works perfectly.

Seek the advice of a travel professional. Travel advisors aren't necessarily more expensive, we know we compete against the internet. It does not behoove us to try to fleece you. Whether it's an all-inclusive vacation somewhere warm... what do you get when you search for properties? Hundreds of results. We can narrow it down easily. Family friendly or adults only? More active and lively or chill or romantic? Are you a beach or pool person? If you are planning a European adventure... do you know how to travel from one place to the next? Hotels in city center or near things (not always the same!)? What currency? Don't get me started on all the components it takes to cruise.

Plus we have sources that can bundle and package things. We'll make sure you have a ride from the airport and have trip insurance. We won't always give you the cheapest option, often because the cheapest option sucks. We want to give you the best value, which means your time. 3 layovers, each one 7 hours? No. A flight that gets you to get destination at 10 pm? Nah. Hotels that are super inconvenient so you have to pay through the nose for transportation? I don't think so!

if you have to do a long road trip (400+ km), do a 10 km joggging just before. it'll vivify you. and you'll reach the destination without feeling tired

If you go to a country with another language, first words to learn in every language are: please, thank you, excuse me, hello/how do you do - with those, everybody will try to help you as you show decency and the will to be more than a bloody tourist

mine is kind of simple. i take two suitcases and i nest them inside each other. i then use the smaller one to pack my things. this not only helps me not over pack but, since i usually shop for things during trips i know i will have space to pack them up. the other thing i started doing after i had been stranded at airports was to make sure my carry on has a cup, tea, and a few snacks. got stuck at the denver airport due to blizzard and could not believe that an airport of that size literally locks up every stop around 9 pm and then it's just you and the maintenance people and whatever poor souls who were stranded as well.

Make yourself a little money conversion list so you can get a rough idea how much something is in your own currency without too much maths. When I went to Mexico I had one with English pounds, US Dollars and Mexican peso and just kept it in my purse.

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If you are on a road trip in a mountainous area, take a couple of lightweight jackets or sweaters in case of wet or cold weather. If you don't need to wear them they can be used to shade your cooler. It can snow any time of year in the U.S. Rocky Mountains. Never underestimate how cold the desert can get.