The Joy of Traveling

The tips, tricks and where to go when traveling in and out of the country.

Travel Hacks

Flight Hacks

  • Only 52% of available bookings appear online.  So if a flight appears to be full, call the airline and actually speak with a human being.  Chances are they’ll be able to get you a ticket in no time!
  • Always clear your cookies and search history (or use a different computer) before booking.  Once you start looking into flights, you are flagged for having shown interest.  Consequently, prices go up.  By clearing your cookies or using a different computer (incognito), your search history will no longer cost you more.
  • The cheapest times to buy a flight are between 6am and 12pm. The cheapest day to fly on is a Tuesday and the best days to book a flight are Saturdays and Sundays. Avoid flying on a Sunday, which tends to be the most expensive day of the week.
  • Buy a main cabin seat and upgrade later.
  • Airlines typically hold back about 30% of their seats, so ask for a better one!  You’d be surprised how often you can avoid sitting in a middle seat near the restrooms by simply speaking with an airline representative.
  • Be loyal to an airline so you can rack up on miles and let the airline buy your plane tickets. All you’ll have to pay is taxes.

Overseas Hacks

  • There are plenty of ways to get around when you’re in different cities but they can be expensive. One way I recommend is getting a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus. They take you to ALL of the famous sights in the perspective city and you can ride that bus for 1-3 days and it’s one set price, whereas an Uber/Lyft could run you anywhere between $20-$80 PER RIDE!
  • Place some plastic wrap over the opening for lotions and liquids before screwing on the lid to prevent them from spilling.
  • Book your tours upfront and use the skip the line option. I recommend using Viator.com because of the many options they have for just about every travel destination
  • Train tickets: you need to buy them ahead of time, they’re like plane tickets, the longer you wait the more expensive they’ll be
  • Pack strategic, especially if you plan on country hopping. Remember you have to take that suitcase with you on every train if you’re hopping around
  • Combat jetlag by NOT going to sleep when you arrive but rather wait until it’s nighttime in the country you’re visiting, the same as when you get back. You’ll thank me later!
  • Carry a book bag, if you’re out the majority of the day and buy things you want a place to keep them. There are heavy pickpocketers so keep the bag turned into your body in crowded areas
  • Passport: keep your passport on your person. I have actually seen someone get robbed and her bag held her passports and credit cards. This is something that I recommend so if you are to get robbed (God Forbid) you still have your documents to get back to your country of origin. It’s called a Running Buddy.
  • Don’t forget your PLUGS! Not every country uses the same plugs so you have to bring the correct one for the country you’re going to.
    • Type A – Canada, United States, Japan, and Mexico
    • Type B – Canada, United States, and Mexico
    • Type C – widely used throughout Asia, Europe, and South America
    • Type D – India
    • Type E – Belgium, Czechia, France, Poland, and Slovakia
    • Type F – Commonly used in Europe and Russia
    • Type G – Widely used in the Arabian Peninsula and United Kingdom, as well as in Ireland, Malaysia, Malta, and Singapore
    • Type H – Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank
    • Type I – Australia, Argentina, China, and New Zealand
    • Type J – Only used in Liechtenstein and Switzerland
    • Type K – Only used in Denmark and Greenland
    • Type L – Only used in Chile and Italy
    • Type M – Only used in South Africa
    • Type N – The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)’s choice for the standard universal plug. Mainly used in Brazil and South Africa.
    • Type O – Only used in Thailand

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