We have had our share of travel-related problems over the years, and those problems have certainly caused a lot of frustration and angst. However, we have managed to learn a few things along the way, albeit sometimes the hard way. In this post we just wanted to share some tips that we have learned over the years that might be helpful or prevent some common travel problems.
1. Use Your Phone’s Camera for Reminders
When you parked your car in the airport’s Long-Term lot before leaving on your 3-week trip, you swore you would remember exactly where you parked. But then when you return 3 weeks later, you draw a complete blank. Has that ever happened to you? It has happened to me and its super frustrating, especially since you’re probably exhausted from a long flight.
There are parking apps that work in conjunction with Google Maps so that you can pin your location on a map. But a very simple way to remind yourself where you parked is to just to snap a picture with your phone. Now, whenever we park our car at the airport, theme park or any unfamiliar parking lot, we snap a quick picture of the space number, level number or some other landmark that we can use to remind us exactly where we left the car.
This same idea can be applied to many things when you are traveling. For example, take a picture of your hotel or even a business card with the hotel’s address and phone number in case you get lost or need to take an Uber back to the hotel. Yes, you could also enter that information into your phone’s contact list, but taking a quick snapshot is faster, and you probably do not need a permanent entry in your phone’s contact list for that hotel anyway.
Here are some other things you could capture on your phone instead of, or in addition to, carrying printed copies:
• Passports
• Visas
• Credit Cards
• Pet’s Health Record
• Prescriptions (for reference – not for actually filling)
• Itinerary Summary
2. Credit and Debit Cards
When it comes to credit and debit cards, less is more. There is probably no reason for you to bring along your Home Depot or Nordstrom credit cards on most trips. That said though, you should bring along at least 2 different credit cards that are generally accepted everywhere you will be traveling. You should carry those cards separately in the event one is lost and your account is temporarily or even permanently suspended.
If you are traveling with another person, consider carrying each other’s extra credit card. If you are two people with separate cards, but sharing the same account number, remember that if one of you loses their card, neither of you will be able to use that account since it will likely be suspended when you report the loss. Ideally, you should have at least two independent accounts, with each person carrying only one of the cards at any time.
The same rationale applies to debit cards, especially if you are traveling internationally. However, try to utilize credit cards for purchases as much as possible. Credit cards offer greater protection than debit cards in the event of theft or fraud. Save your debit card for use at the ATM when you need local currency. In addition, consider keeping any of the cards you do not need in your hotel room safe. Just be sure you don’t leave it behind when you check out of your hotel.
3. Develop a Departure Routine
Speaking of leaving things behind in a hotel room, I have been guilty of doing that on more than one occasion. In order to try to prevent that from happening, we now follow the same routine every time we check out of our room. For example, we open every drawer, peel back the bedding to make sure nothing is hidden from view, look under the bed for anything that may have inadvertently been pushed under it, check the closet, the safe, the shower for forgotten toiletries and especially the hook behind the bathroom door. (I’ve left clothes hanging there on a number of occasions!) We perform this same routine every time we check out of a hotel.
You can apply this same technique when you leave an airplane, train, tour bus, taxi, etc. The key is to get into the habit of doing it every time. It takes only a few seconds and it could save you all kinds of grief!
4. Travel Insurance
We have an entire post dedicated to understanding travel insurance, and we really believe no traveler should overlook it. Not only can travel insurance protect you from financial loss in the event your trip is canceled, but it can also cover losses due to trip delays, medical emergencies and repatriation.
Some folks assume that their domestic health insurance policy will cover them when traveling internationally, but that is often not the case. When you are planning your trip, check with your health insurance provider to understand exactly what, and under what circumstances, they will cover you. Even if you are in great health, you just never know when an accident could occur that could result in the sudden termination of your trip. In addition, the cost of your treatment and potential repatriation costs could be exorbitant. Yes, travel insurance can be somewhat costly, but it has the potential to save you tens of thousands of dollars.
5. Bring Your Own OTC Medicines
Even though most Over-the-Counter (OTC) medications are available just about everywhere, we still recommend packing at least a small amount of these items. For example, we always bring along some cold medicine, pain/fever reducer, imodium, Benadryl, Neosporin, etc. for a number of reasons.
First, if possible, I would prefer not to spend valuable vacation time tracking down a pharmacy to look for the item I need. Second, if you are in a non-English speaking country, all the labels on the products are in another language. I have found myself trying to ‘guess’ what the products were for just based on the picture on the label. (Not a great idea!) Third, even though English is prevalent in a lot of places, remember you are in another country. You cannot always depend on finding an English speaker to help you. For example, I was searching for a product in a pharmacy located in the largest mall in Budapest, and there were no English-speaking people that could help me.
So, do yourself a favor and pack a few things that you may need. At least you will have some products with you until you can find a convenient place and time to shop.
6. Leave Extra Time for Your Connections
We used to book our flights with a goal of spending the least amount of time in connecting airports as possible. However, it seemed like we were experiencing more than our fair share of delayed flights and missed connections, especially with international flights. In addition, with international travel, delays can also occur when making your way through immigration, customs and passport control. You just never know how long it may take to get through these hurdles.
Now, when we schedule our flights, we always allow extra time for our connections, at least three hours. Yes, it may seem like a long time to spend in the airport, but it’s certainly better than missing a connection and then frantically trying to reschedule a flight. There have been quite a few occasions when we have made our connection only because we scheduled this extra time. If the flights end up all being on time, then we have time to grab a bite or a beer, and relax with no stress.
Also, when traveling to Europe, we prefer to make our first connection in Europe instead of the United States. We have found that if we do miss a European connection, we have many more options for reaching our final destination than we would have in the States.
7. Know Where You are Going Before You Get There
Before we travel to a new location, we spend a little time researching how to navigate our destination. For example, we try to determine the best way to get from the airport to our hotel. We determine which tourist sites we want to visit and how to get to each one. We even use various travel sites to create a list of potential restaurants we would like to try.
In addition to using travel sites such as TripAdvisor to help us get the lay of the land, there are other tools available. For example, we use Google Maps to check out the location of each spot we want to visit. We even use Street View in Google Maps or the Wander app on our Oculus to make the ‘virtual’ walk or drive to the places we know we would like to visit.
I realize that a lot of folks prefer to be much more spontaneous and do not want to do this level of planning. But, just spending a little time getting your bearings before you arrive could end up saving you a lot of time and frustration.
8. Mix with the Locals
On our trips we spend a lot of time participating in the typical tourist activities and visiting all the iconic sites. These experiences are wonderful and I wouldn’t miss them for the world. However, some of our fondest travel memories have been when we left the beaten path and sought opportunities to embrace local culture. Things like sampling local cuisine, visiting a small, local pub, learning about local history or just having conversations with local folks can all be rewarding, yet simple ways to extend your understanding and appreciation for other cultures.
Rarely have we encountered anyone who was really rude or discourteous. We have found that when you approach others in a friendly, respectful and open way, you typically receive the same attitude in return. To us at least, its fascinating to hear the views and thoughts of people in other countries or cultures. You may be surprised to learn that you that we are all much more alike than you may think!
9. Appreciate the Moment
Whenever we visit those iconic tourist sites, we definitely take a lot of photos. We enjoy them, and they make for great conversation for years. On a road trip to several national parks a few years ago, we noticed that so many people seemed to be rushing through their visit, snapping photo after photo. That’s great, and I am sure they will enjoy sharing those photos later too.
However, it’s easy to get caught up in collecting photos and forget to really enjoy your surroundings. We try to make it a point to take a moment and truly absorb all the sights and sounds around us, along with the emotions they may evoke. After all, it’s quite probable you may never see that sight again in your life. So, try to avoid the urge to photograph everything and just experience what’s right in front of you.
10. Give Yourself a Break
Here’s a little reality check. When you travel, something, or maybe several things are likely to go wrong. Your flights may be delayed or canceled. You may get lost in an unfamiliar city. Your luggage may be lost and never arrive. All of these things have happened to us and they were definitely very frustrating experiences. In these situations, tempers can flare and it’s easy to get angry, allowing these negative experiences to overshadow everything else on your trip.
But rage and exasperation rarely solve problems, and alienating your travel companions will not make for a pleasant trip. So, consider making a deal with those travel companions. Recognize that things may go wrong, mistakes may be made and some decisions may turn out to be wrong.
This might seem a little simplistic, but when we travel, we try to set a threshold for the number of these kinds of events before we react. Its kind of like taking mulligans on the golf course. If for example, I fail to navigate properly and we get lost, we have already agreed ahead of time that no one is going to get angry. If my husband forgets to make our dinner reservation, its just another ‘mulligan’. Taking this approach allows us to diffuse situations before they become negative. And once you do this, its starts becoming a habit that you can repeat – even if you surpass your threshold of mulligans. It may take a little practice, but give it a try. It’s certainly better than spoiling your vacation with squabbles and hard feelings.
We hope you have found some useful tips in this post. These are things we try to do and have found that they enhance our travel experience. We think they may work for you too.
You probably have discovered your own tips that work for you. Feel free to leave a comment with any that you would like to share!
Great advice 👍