Getting around the world

It depends on the route and how far ahead you book, but trains are often competitive once you factor in airport faff. London to Paris on Eurostar takes 2h15 city centre to city centre. The "cheap" flight takes 1h15, but add security, boarding and the train into town and you're at 4+ hours. Booked early, Eurostar and budget airlines are often within £10-20 / €12-23 / $12-24 of each other. For anything under 4 hours by rail, trains usually win on total time and cost.

Some countries require one alongside your regular licence, and some rental companies won't hand over keys without it even where it's technically optional. The safe bet: get one. In the UK it's £5.50 from the Post Office and takes about 10 minutes. In the US it's around $20 from AAA. Getting caught without one can mean fines or voided rental insurance, which is a very expensive way to save a fiver.

It varies wildly. Budget airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air measure to the centimetre and will charge you at the gate if your bag doesn't fit their sizer. Full-service carriers like Emirates and Singapore Airlines are generally more relaxed. Our airline-specific baggage guides cover exact dimensions and what you can realistically get away with for each carrier.

Only if you're covering serious ground. A Eurail Global Pass makes sense if you're hitting 4+ countries in a month. For a simple Paris-Rome-Barcelona loop, point-to-point tickets booked in advance are almost always cheaper. A 1-month Eurail pass starts around £280 / €330 / $340 for under-28s, more for adults. Do the maths on your specific route before committing.

Yes, almost always. Counter insurance typically costs £15-25 / €17-29 / $18-30 per day. Standalone excess insurance from a third party costs £3-5 / €4-6 / $4-6 per day and covers the same thing. Just make sure your policy covers the specific country you're driving in, and check whether it includes tyres and windscreens, because some don't.

Google Maps for most situations. It works in almost every country and offline maps mean you're not dependent on mobile data. Apple Maps has improved hugely but still has gaps outside North America and Western Europe. Waze is brilliant for driving but useless for walking or transit. Full comparison in our best travel navigation app guide.

Short-haul (Europe, domestic US): 4 to 8 weeks before departure. Long-haul: 6 to 12 weeks. Booking too early is nearly as bad as too late, since airlines often start with inflated prices, drop them as departure approaches, then spike again in the final 2 weeks. Set a fare alert and book on the dip rather than gambling on timing.

For budget travellers, absolutely. You save the fare AND a night's accommodation. Southeast Asia, South America and parts of Europe (particularly Spain and the Balkans) have excellent overnight coach networks. The trade-off is obvious: you won't sleep like you would in a bed. But a decent neck pillow and earplugs go a long way, and the maths usually works in your favour.