Traveling is a luxury everyone can afford nowadays. Now that there are cheap flights and accommodation options, even a student on a limited budget can use every break he gets from school to explore the world. To make this possible, he’d have to learn the best hacks out there.
That being said, here are the top 10 travel tips I can give you as a former traveling student.
1. Hide from the Airlines
Not quite literally, but you should hide from the airlines. This applies to your communication with them before you purchase your ticket and get on the flight. One of the best international travel tips I can give you is to try and save as much money as you can on transportation. You can do this not just by visiting cheap destinations when it’s not their season, but also by what I’d like to call – going under the radar.
Airlines tend to increase their prices if you visit the website to see the prices often. The more often you refresh it, the more interest you’re showing. You might not know this, but they have their ways of knowing. So, delete the cookies, use the private browsing mode like the Incognito mode on Chrome, or use different devices to search for flights. This way, airlines won’t be able to track the number of times that you visit their website and won’t raise the cost of your ticket.
2. Take Care of Your School Tasks
Whenever you can, travel to places you’d like to see. But, don’t do this at the cost of your academic performance. The best travel hack I can give you is the following. Find a service that provides assignment help for any type of homework you may have during your school break or even the free weekend, pack your bags, and off you go. This way, you can be rest assured that your grades will remain high and still get the chance to explore the world. It’s a win-win!
3. Pack by Rolling, not Folding
The traditional way we all use to pack our bags is folding. It’s easy and it’s, well, normal. However, a stack of clothing only seems like a smart idea and looks neat. When it comes to packing in tight spaces, you definitely want to make tight rolls with your clothes. This will take up less space and you won’t have to spend a fortune buying that extra luggage.
4. Always Store the Smallest Valuables
Whatever method of transportation you use, the tumbling on the road or throwing of luggage at the airport can cause your little items to tangle together, spill, or break inside your suitcase. Take your time when packing – it’s one of the best student travel tips I can give you. Put small, spillable and breakable things into compartments, pack them tightly in small boxes, and surround them by your soft clothes.
5. Label Your Suitcase ‘Fragile’
Even if you don’t have fragile items in your suitcase, ask for such a label at the airport or put one on it before you get there. Why? If you’ve ever peeked outside an airplane window, you know how the luggage is treated. When they see this label, they might be willing to toss it a bit gentler, trying not to break your ‘fragile items’ inside.
6. Get Offline Maps, Too
Even if you buy a card with an internet connection, you might lose Wi-Fi signal at some point. Offline maps are the smart way to travel today. There’s an option to download offline apps or simply get an offline map on your Google Maps application on the phone. This will allow you to move around easily.
7. Pack Underwear Everywhere
When we hear about luggage getting lost, we hardly ever think it will happen to us. The odds of this happening are still statistically slim, but it will happen when you least expect it. When it happens, the biggest problem you’ll have is lack of underwear. So, pack two or three underwear pairs in your carry-on.
8. Make Copies of Your Documents
We all tend to keep these safe, but things like this can happen to everyone. So, make sure you have copies of them all. Just get your phone and take photos of the passport, ID, and any other important document that might be stolen, lost or misplaced. Put them on a cloud too, in case your phone is lost or stolen, too. They might not get you through the airport gate, but it will be much easier to get back home if you have them.
9. Download Language App
Let’s be real, not everyone is great at learning languages. And even if you are, you surely won’t sit down and learn Mandarin a week before you depart to your vacation. So, have a few apps handy. Instead of a mini dictionary you’ll drag around, download a dictionary with the most popular phrases you’ll need. Download a translate app you can use when you need some help.
10. Leave Room in Your Suitcase
When packing, don’t forget to leave some empty room for items you need to take back home. We often forget about gifts and things we buy. If you leave a bit of room inside the suitcase, you won’t have to buy another one.
Ready for your next trip? Take your time to plan, pack your bags, take care of things at home, and have the trip of a lifetime!
Author’s Bio
Elizabeth Skinner is a travel agent, which means that she’s often on the road. She chose this profession because of her passion for traveling, and her language degree comes really handy while she’s on the road. If you need travel advice, she’s the person to turn to.
Love traveling.
