From planning, to packing, to sun care, here are the top tips I’ve discovered over a decade of travel.
1. Travel with realistic expectations.
Don’t travel expecting everything to be the same as in your home country–isn’t the point to have different experiences? You won’t be able to eat dinner at 6:00pm in Europe. Your server won’t continuously check on you as we experience in the US. And “island Time” is a real thing! Do a bit of research before you go and , most importantly, be prepared to go with the flow.
2. Pack only a carry-on bag and a backpack.
Only take baggage you can carry yourself. There will always be situations where you can’t roll your suitcase, including down plane exit stairs, across sand, and over cobblestones. If you are like me, your suitcase will be packed to the gills, so it’s important that you choose a light one that won’t be too heavy to lift once packed. After a lot of research, the winner by a landslide is the Lipault Cabin Spinner. It weighs under 5 pounds empty, and the seams are incredibly forgiving. You may be able to find a lighter carry on, but the added ease of a spinner and the ability to put your heavy backpack on top sets this one apart! Mine is 4 years old and still in perfect condition.
3. Be cautious about group tours
Planning a trip to a new place can feel overwhelming. When I was planning my first trip to Greece, I found a a tour with a generic tour company and I was tempted to go that route for ease. I asked about the hotels in the TripAdvisor forums and got many responses telling me the hotels were the “cheap seats” and that I could plan a better experience for less money. I took that advice and in 1 day, I was able to plan my trip using the tour as a template. first, fly to Athns, then take a plane immediately to Santorini.. Stay in Santorini for 4 days, then take a ferry to Mykonos. Stay for 3 days, then fly back to Athens for the last two nights of the trip. Using this skeleton, I then researched lodging in each place using the next two tips below. This is not to say that there aren’t great tours out there; I’ll discuss further in a blog post about my experience with group travel.
4. Use TripAdvisor to for research and planning.
TripAdvisor.com is a wealth of information. You can find places to stay, restaurants, things to do, all with with reviews. For me, the biggest value is the information I find on the forums. Search on the site for the the travel forum for the location you plan to visit. For example, here is the Cinque Terre Travel Forum. It’s good etiquette to spend time reading and searching for questions you have prior to posting your own question. I’ll tell you, these people know what they are talking about! They are other travelers, some who have visited the area recently, others are experts who have visited many times or may be living there. Remember to be polite and don’t forget to say thank you and give back by posting your own experiences or answering questions after your trip.
5. Stay local.
If you stay in a typical American chain, it’s going to feel like the typical American chain. While I understand th human tendency to gravitate toward the familiar, travel should be about experiences that are diferent. Local hotels will have more charm, connect you better to the culture, and typically be much cheaper. I recently stayed directly on the beach on Isla Isabela in the Galapagos Islands in a private room with private bathroom and balcony for $60 USD per night. Which brings me to the next tip…
6. Make cancellable reservation .
Many local hotels have generous cancellations policies. Some allow you to cancel up to 2 weeks prior to your trip. I typically book a couple of places in each location when I’m planning. I track bookings and cancellation dates in spreadsheet. This greatly cuts down on the stress of finding the perfect accomodations early in your planning. I start the reservation process on TripAdvisor and then use one of TA’s reputable booking engine affilites that pop up in the search, or book directly with the hotel. I have used Booking.com for years and never had an issue. Cancellations within the hotel’s policy have always been easy through them. As with any internet transaction, be a smart consumer. Don’t book places that look shady or have no online presence or reviews. Some very small hotels may not accept credit cards and you will have to pay cash upon arrival.
7. Natural hair, don’t care
Whatever your hair does naturally, that’s what it should do on vacation! There will be wind and wate, different humidity. You have much better uses of your time and luggage space! If you have curly hair all you need is a small comb, a good curl cream, and a variety of hair ties. And hats 😉
8. TSA Approved reusable quart bags
All quart bags are not created equal . If you are using a ziploc bag for your toiletries, you are missing out on a lot of space. These TSA approved bags are square and they don’t taper at the bottom. Also invest in these leakproof bottles for your toiletries. You’ll never fit every thing you need in the manufacturers packaging.
9. Find a laundromat
Pack half the clothes you need and do laundry on your trip. There have been inexpensive laundromats everywhere I’ve traveled. Typically you drop off in the morning and pick up later in the afternoon- easy peasy and inexpensive as well.
10. Don’t be afraid to ask locals for help.
I tend to be independent to a fault, but I have learned through experience that local people have better answers than what you are going to find on your own. They know the local taxi drivers who will pick you up quickly and on what day “the egg guy” comes to town. I was once at a winery in Greece with a dead cell phone and only 30 euro cash. I needed a taxi to the beach that was my next stop, but figured I’d also need a stop at an ATM to be able to pay the cab driver. When I explained the situation to the hostess at the winery, she not only called me a cab, she negotiated that the trip would be only 30 euro! People are willing to help, you just have to reach out.