Our Top Ten Travel Tips: Part One
Looking for a smooth, hassle-free travel experience? We’ve rounded up our top ten travel tips for all types of vacations. When traveling you have to expect the unexpected, but these tips will have you prepared for any and all curve balls that are thrown your way. Read on to see our first five and take notes!
1. Don’t Check Your Bags
Lost baggage, long waits at baggage claim, and lugging giant suitcases around your entire trip? No thank you! If at all possible, we suggest carrying on your luggage. It Amy take a tad more planning ahead of time, but it will pay off big-time for hassle free travel! Our favorite luggage brand is Away; their carry-on size is surprisingly roomy and can hold a week’s (plus!) worth of luggage!
2. Become a Loyalty Member
Have a favorite airline or hotel chain? Loyalty pays off! Becoming a loyalty member will help you rack up points over time, which can lead to free flights, free nights, and other fabulous perks like seat and room upgrades and complementaries galore. We at Castaway Destinations love Southwest and their Visa Points Rewards Program for Airline Programs and Marriot Convoy for hotels, but there are so many programs to choose from! In a recently published list of the top Air and Travel Loyalty Programs by NerdWallet, Alaska Airlines and Raddison Rewards America top the list.
3. Get to Know the Locals
Throw that guide book out the window! There’s no better way to get to know a new destination than by scoping it out through a local’s eye. Strike up a conversation with that friendly stranger standing next to you waiting for an Uber or chat it up with your bartender; they will give you the best spots to check out. Another bonus of meeting the locals? You’ll no doubt have some great stories to tell your family and friends back home.
4. Pack One Complete Outfit in Your Carry-On
If you must check luggage, please take our advice and pack an extra change of clothes in your carry on. Lost luggage happens more often than you would think (trust us; it has happened to us!), and it’s usually resolved within a day or two. A change of clothes will you get by if the unfortunate happens. Medication is also extremely important to keep close at hand in your carry-on. No one wants to see the inside of a Walgreens of other pharmacy on a trip!
5. Pack an External Phone Charger
If you plan to use Google Maps or another form of navigation on your phone while exploring new cities, your battery will drain faster than expected. Have an external charger ready to go in your purse or backpack when this happens, so you’ll never be in the red. Note to self: make sure to keep your external charger charged: nothing worse than a dead phone and dead charger!
Hopefully your learned a new tip you can tuck away from your next adventure. Next week meet us back on the blog where we’ll explore the rest of our Top Ten Travel Tips!
