Travel Hacks That'll Save You Time on Your Next Vacation
There’s nothing quite like going on vacation. You get to try new foods, explore new places, and experience adventurous activities you may never try when you’re at home. On vacation, you get to enjoy the culture and people around you and simply relax without worrying about work and your responsibilities.
Maybe you only get a few vacations each year, or maybe traveling is part of your job, but no matter how often you go, saving time and money is an offer no one can turn down. Plus, you want to use every minute possible to enjoy your trip.
We’ve taken a look at the best travel hacks so you can start saving time and money on your next vacation. Read on to learn more.
Don’t Overpack
One of the biggest mistakes people make while traveling is overpacking. Overpacking isn’t just an inconvenience on vacation. If you have too many clothing options, it may take you longer to decide what you want to wear each day.
It may also take you longer to unpack and pack back up. This is especially time-consuming if you’re staying in multiple locations throughout your trip.
Instead of overpacking, here are a few tips for how you can pack light and save yourself time on vacation!
- Bring simple pieces that you can re-wear and use with different outfits. Solid colored shirts can be worn with pants, skirts, or shorts and made to be casual or dressed up.
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Only bring two or three pairs of shoes for different occasions. It might seem like a good idea to bring all of your favorite shoes, but they can take up a lot of room in your suitcase. Instead, bring one pair of shoes for each category in neutral colors so they can be worn with a number of combinations.
This means one pair of sneakers or outdoor shoes, one pair of sandals, and one pair of dressier shoes. You can alter this to fit your vacation needs and travel destination as well!
- Only bring skincare and beauty necessities or products that do multiple jobs at once!
- If you tend to overpack, here’s a travel hack to try. After you pack, choose a few items of clothing to take out of your suitcase and put them away.
Scan Important Documents Beforehand
Another travel hack that will help you prepare for the worst-case scenario and save you time is to scan all important documents ahead of time so you have access to your information in the event of an emergency or in case you lose any documents along the way.
You can scan your passport, driver’s license or other forms of identification, travel itinerary, any tickets you have for events or transportation, and any other documents.
You can use security software to do this, or simply store the information on your phone. If you aren’t planning to travel soon after your trip, be sure to delete these from your phone or computer.
Use the Restroom Before You Need To
Another tip that will save you time is to use the restrooms before you need to and plan ahead for where they’ll be. This travel hack is great for all families, but especially if you have smaller children. Here are a few ways you can use this hack.
Before boarding your plane, train, or bus, find the restroom and use it. Be sure to give yourself enough time to make it on your transportation, but finding the restrooms around 20 minutes before you leave should be long enough.
The same goes for when you get off your transportation. If it’s been more than two hours since your last bathroom trip, consider finding a bathroom when you get off so you won’t have to frantically look for one later.
Another way you can save time searching for bathrooms is to plan for where the bathrooms are. If you’re going on vacation to a theme park, for instance, grab a map and note where all the bathrooms are near you.
If you’re traveling in a different city or country that speaks a different language, have a sentence or two memorized so you can ask where the nearest restroom is.
Prioritize Your Plans
One of the biggest mistakes people make while traveling is not prioritizing their plans ahead of time. While it may seem unnecessary, having a plan in mind for what you want to do each day and when you want to do it can help save you from hours of deciding and planning in the moment. Time is precious when you’re on vacation, so be as efficient as possible.
If your priorities include sightseeing, shopping, and eating out, then plan those things. If you’d rather skip the shopping and go on a rainforest zipline instead, make time for it.
If you want to go to an opera, sail the ocean, or spend the entire day relaxing on the beach, prioritize your plans! You can even make an itinerary to save as much time as possible and plan ahead of time.
Get Basic Groceries Instead of Eating Out
If your priorities while traveling include sightseeing, adventuring, and activities rather than experiencing the culture and food, this travel hack is for you. When you arrive at your destination, do a speed round of grocery shopping. Get essentials for breakfast and snacks you can bring on the go, so you don’t have to stop for food while you’re out.
However, if your priorities include trying all the foods your travel destination has to offer, skip this hack and eat out as much as you want!
Stay Clean Everywhere You Go
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting yourself and staying clean is more important than ever. While you may not be able to wash your hands after touching different items, one of the best ways to protect yourself while traveling is to bring a hand sanitizing product with you.
ALSO is a travel-size hand moisturizer that also sanitizes that’s easy to use when you’re on the go. Our formula contains Shea Butter, Hibiscus, and Jojoba for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that nourish your skin, keep your hands hydrated while eliminating 99.9% of bacteria and germs. It’s very likely that your hands will get drier than usual on vacation due to flights and constant washing and sanitizing hands, so your hands will love Journ ALSO!
So, no matter what country, city, theme park, island, or resort you’re vacationing to, your trip will be in good, clean hands.
Best Travel Hack Companies
Here are a few of our favorite travel companies that will help save you time and money while you see the world!
Classic Journeys
If you’re a traveler who doesn’t enjoy the planning process, you may want to consider a touring service to help you explore your destination. They provide everything from luxury walking tours, winemaking experiences, adventure cruising, safari and wildlife, and more for families, solo travel, honeymooning, or whatever your occasion may be.
Trip Actions
If you need to change a flight, keep track of expenses or company reimbursements, or want to find the best rates and fares where you’ll be traveling, then Trip Actions is for you. They provide 24/7 online customer support and take care of all the fine details of your trip so you can spend more time enjoying your vacation.
Zero to Travel
If you love traveling and want to ditch the nine to five for a life of adventure, Zero to Travel can show you how to do it. From nomad living, learning to work from anywhere, and more, this resource can help you save tons of time traveling!
Time To Travel
Traveling shouldn’t be difficult. The travel hacks and companies above can help you save time while on vacation and save money too!
Plus, if you’re looking for skincare and beauty products to bring on the road or the key to simplifying your beauty routine, we’ve got everything you need to know here.
Sources:
Hand Sanitizer Use Out and About | CDC