Tips & Hacks
Welcome to our Tips & Hacks page!
With over 20 years of travel experience we’ve put together our best tips & hacks that can make your vacation more productive, fun, and comfortable.
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1. Tips for cheap flights
A budget-friendly flight is easy to find if you know where to look. These tips for cheap flights can help you get to your destination with a little extra cash in your pocket…
- Book at least four weeks in advance. Ticket prices increase a few weeks before departure dates. But if you are after last-minute deals, the risk is up to you! We generally book as early as possible.
- Always consider flying on a budget airline. Be wary of additional fees for carry ons. We regularly use budget airlines
- Be flexible with your travel dates. Most airlines have allotted days when they fly to certain destination. So if Ryanair fly to Paris on say a Thursday, Air France may fly on a Friday, affecting prices again.
We find Skyscanner.net the best site for finding the best and cheapest flights around.
2. Use small containers for liquid
These are an absolute life saver if you want to take your favourite shower gel, mouthwash, or cream away with you. They will also save you money in the long-run as you won’t need to buy their own expensive travel sizes!
Not only are they convenient, Travel Bottle Containers will not be confiscated by Airport security as they are 100ml or less!
3. Buy high quality ear plugs
Sleeping in a strange bed can be difficult enough, the last thing you need is to be woken by loud noises in the night. These gel ear plugs will block out most noises and will ensure you get a good nights sleep.
We recommend the gel ones over the traditional foam based ones and one pair will generally last for a few days.
Any brand of Gel ear plugs are fine! We tend to use BioEars.
4. Use hand luggage
If you’re planning a trip for less than a week, then you generally don’t to pack a huge amount of clothes. Filling a small carry-on bag will usually be enough.
This will not only save you money but also means you don’t have to waste time waiting for your bag on the carousels in the airport.
Make sure you check with your airline the maximum size bag you would be allowed to take on-board, as all airlines are different! Some also allow additional carry-ons, like a laptop bag.
5. Use Public Transport
Avoid taxis or chartered vehicles. Instead, use public transportation like the metro (underground), buses and trains. Using public transport will give you a more authentic experience and it wont burn a hole in your pocket.
Renting a bike or an electric scooter is also a great way to explore, and it’s usually cheaper than taking taxis.
We only use chartered vehicles if time is an issue, but would always recommend using public transportation.
6. Find Hotel Deals
Accommodation costs can add up quickly and will most likely be the biggest expense while traveling! Accommodation does not have to be expensive!
Booking.com is our go-to website for pretty much every trip. They have over 2 million+ properties in 220+ countries – including boutique stays, hostels, and luxury properties. Just have a budget in-mind and away you go.
- The closer you are to the city centre, the more expensive the accommodation. Try looking further away from the centre if they have great public transport.
- Use Hostels if on a budget. Our first trip to Krakow had the best view for as little as £25 per night.
- Most accommodation via Booking.com offer free cancellation and pay on arrival
7. Scan your passport and Drivers license
It’s every travellers worst nightmare to be stranded in a foreign country because their passport was lost or stolen.
If you have photocopies of your passport, driver’s license, and other documents, it will be easier to have them replaced. With a copy of your passport for example, you can go to the nearest embassy and have that document reissued much more quickly than if you had nothing at all.
Simply scan or take a photo of your document and email it to yourself, that way all you need to do is go to an Internet cafe and print out your documents.
Most iOS and Android devices will also store photos in the cloud these days, making it easy to access those files/photos. Keep in mind your mobile device could also be stolen so its best to have spare printouts in your bag and at home.
8. Take a leak proof water bottle
Instead of constantly buying bottled water, why not save yourself the time, money and effort with a reusable water bottle?
These are great to have in your backpack when you’re feeling parched!
You will find that most places have water fountains dotted around that can be used to fill up your bottle, and a lot of hotels these days have great drinking water straight from the tap!
Travel bottles will save you money in the long run as you won’t need to buy bottle water!
We use ion8 water bottles. These water bottles are made from phthalate free, non-toxic BPA free plastic. Drinks bottle is safe and suitable for hot or cold drinks.
9. Use a power bank
If you’re planning a long exciting day in a new city, the last thing you need is for your phone battery to die on you.
Having a power bank in your bag will allow you to charge your phone on the go! No more getting lost when your phone battery dies!
Be careful when purchasing 20000mah and above power banks, these are sometimes not allowed as carry-on items on flights.
We generally go for the RavPower brand power banks. They are affordable and have multiple USB-C and USB-A ports for charging many devices at once.
10. Take hand gels & wipes
One of the BEST things you should always travel with – wet wipes and anti-bacterial hand gels! Even before the Covid pandemic we would never be without these! They protect your health!
The first thing you should do after you locate your seat on the plane is wipe everything down with an anti-bacterial wipe. If your seat area is clean you feel more at ease knowing that you are in a hygienic environment.
The wipes are also great to use on your hands & body during a hot and humid day of sightseeing, or if you are in the middle of nowhere and don’t have access to a shower.
We use any brand of anti-bacterial hand gel, but always use ‘wet ones’ for the wipes.
Stick them in your handbag or backpack!
11. Use Google Maps
One of the best travel hacks that we use for city breaks, road trips, and adventures – Google Maps.
It really is a lifesaver. The app will allow you to download area maps so you don’t have to use your data but will still allow you to search for streets, landmarks, and addresses. It still gives some walking and hiking routes. It doesn’t take up lots of space. It will also provide driving routes + voice navigation instructions on road trips.
We find the app is also great for planning which landmarks and places we want to visit, as it allows you to click on your point of interest and then save it on the map like a pinpoint. It will also provide information about the place, such as opening times, tickets, directions, and the ability to call.
What’s also great is the app will allow you to zoom in, zoom out, and also use street view so you can see exactly where you are or what to look out for.
For information on how to use and download the app, please see (page for help)
12. Pack a pen
Perhaps one of the simplest travel hacks of all, but by far the most useful. Take a pen!
There’s nothing more frustrating than needing to fill in a form, write down an address or phone number and finding you don’t have a pen on you.
Just take one!
13. Download Google translate
When you’re travelling abroad and don’t speak the language, it’s handy to have Google Translate ready for offline use. If you won’t have Internet connection while you’re on your trip, there’s a way around it: Download the Google Translate app, go to Settings and choose “Offline Translation”. From there, you can download different languages.
Tip: If you want to translate signs, menus, etc. Tap the camera button while on the Google Translate app to translate images in real time. Super useful!
Available on Apple App store or Android Play store
14. Download Your Travel Apps
Whenever you’re travelling abroad or if you have already booked your trip, make sure you download your relevant apps!
Most Airlines have their own apps that allow you to add your flight, check-in, download your boarding pass, and even let you pre-order food and drink.
I recommend also downloading a currency converter app, this will allow you to check how much you are paying while abroad!
