If you have to cancel a hotel less than 24 hours in advance, call and tell them you need to bump the reservation back a week. Then call the next day and cancel it penalty free because it’s 6 days prior to the reservation.
Most flights won’t give you a refund on basic tickets. Upgrade them to a higher class ticket then cancel for a full refund.
EDIT: I’ve done this with United/JetBlue I can’t speak for other airlines.
Bored Panda got in touch with seasoned traveler Victoria from Bridges and Balloons to hear more about her experiences and ideas. Firstly, we wanted to hear what advice she would give her younger self.
“When I was younger, I seemed to think time was endless and I’d definitely return to the places I loved. As it is, I still haven’t made it back to some of them. The lesson from this is to make sure you see the things you want to see wherever you go and savor every moment. You don’t know if you’ll ever be back there. That said, I don’t believe in “ticking off all the must-sees” and doing things because that’s what you think you should. Everyone’s “must-sees” are different, so do what you like rather than what you think you should.”
We once racked up over 20,000 capital one points in an unconventional way.
We were in Paris and we’d rent the Velib bikes to get around the city. The catch is that everytime we’d rent a bike out, a hold was put on our credit card in case of damage to the bike. The hold was close to $400 each bike, I believe, and It would take a couple days for the hold to be lifted.
For some reason the hold would go through as a purchase on our card, and with the travel multiplier, we were getting about 1,600 points every time we’d rent a bike.
The best part was that, if you rented the bike for less than 30 minutes the rental was free. So we’d just rent 2 bikes, ride to the next station in less than 30 minutes, drop them off and rent 2 more bikes. We did this an absurd amount of times and got rewarded handsomely. .
If flying between the US and Canada, ALWAYS look at buying separate one-way tickets each direction. More often than not, you’ll save $100+ due to their strange exchange rate and tax calculations. It doesn’t work on every single route, but is always worth a check, and I’ve been amazed how often it’s been much cheaper.
We were curious to hear her thoughts on saving money versus paying a premium for convenience. “I definitely value time over money and will often pay extra for convenience or comfort. But that’s a luxury and a privilege. When I was younger, I didn’t always have that option, and to be honest some of those adventures were the most memorable. For example, I once traveled 48 hours on a bus to go whale watching in Patagonia. If I’d had the money, I’d have certainly flown, but the effort made it extra special. When you have a choice, it’s hard to pick the days-long bus trip!”
One of my favorite obscure travel hacks is to use Google Maps offline. Before my trip, I download the maps of the areas I’ll be visiting. This way, I can navigate, find attractions, and even search for restaurants without needing an internet connection. It’s especially useful in places with spotty Wi-Fi or when I want to save on data usage. Plus, it saves a ton of stress and helps me feel more confident exploring new places.
Always carry a sarong with you when travelling. It’s basically an all in one lightweight tool. You can use it as clothes, raincoat, a rope, a bandage, a beach towel/picnic rug, a bag or a blanket.
This is probably outdated these days, but I used to exchange cash with travelers going the opposite direction when I landed. .
“I’ve always been a complete geek when it comes to planning. I love to do my research and make a rough list/itinerary of everything I want to do. But I’m not a slave to that plan. In a way it’s a back-up in case we don’t find things naturally while there. I much prefer to find things spontaneously, but sometimes, without that research and list of back-ups, you find yourself in tourist traps or crappy restaurants (and that’s my travel nightmare!).”
If you’re flying internationally into the US and are a US citizen, do the mobile passport option if the airport has it. It’s an app and takes 30 seconds to do. It’s just as fast as global entry. I’ve passed 100s of people waiting at passport control.
It’s easy to find good/safe areas to stay in using Google Maps. Just search for Starbucks and you’ll notice there are certain areas with clusters of Starbucks. 90% chance these are safe areas. But if you want to be 100% sure, take note of those areas and search for “yoga”. If you see a bunch of yoga studios overlapping, you’re golden. This takes about 10 seconds to do.
** This method may not be effective is some places, for various reasons. I can only say this method served me very well while traveling in Mexico for 9 months.
*** For the “live like a local” types who dislike gentrification and relish the thought of getting mugged day one this method also works because it’ll let them know exactly where *not* to stay.
Happy travels!
If you’re not sure of the neighborhood you’re booking your hotel or rental stay in, go to Google Street View and “walk around” in the neighborhood. You can see if it looks pleasant, has nearby cafes or local grocery stores, etc etc.
“I used to use guidebooks, but nowadays I turn to travel blogs. I always recommend finding a blogger you relate to and using their guides – it’s like having a really knowledgeable friend with great recommendations. But remember not all blogs are created equal – many are vacuous SEO machines. You just need to find one you can trust,” she shared.
We book one way flights sometimes on different airlines and have saved compared to booking a round trip.
I always try to have an extended layover (like 10 hours or more) so I can visit the layover city. This way I’ve been able to visit Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Singapore without going on a specific trip to those destinations. It takes a bit of fiddling around to book those flights (airlines present you with the ‘most convenient’ flight) but it’s worth it.
Requesting a special meal (i.e. vegetarian) on an international flight will ensure you get served first.
I love ice in my water bottle so I always get a grande ice water at the airport Starbucks once past security to fill it up with.
“For me, travel has always been about perspective. I love to get outside of my bubble and see other cultures and ways of life. It’s a type of therapy for me, and one I think everyone could benefit from. It’s the antidote to getting stuck in your ways. And while I am willing to pay more for convenience and luxury, I don’t think expensive always equals better. We always seek out places that have character and creativity, and that could just as easily be a budget guest house as a luxury retreat. For us, it’s the experience that matters most.”
If you go to a grocery store or pharmacy in the United States and you’re just picking up food and you notice there’s a sale if you have one of their grocery or pharmacy rewards cards, then you can use a number to get it – you just need to use the local area code unless it’s a national chain and then use an area code from any big city. There’s a song 867-5309 (ee-eye-oo) and this is Jenny’s number.
They’ll ask if you have a card, and say you’ll enter the area code of Jenny’s phone number on the credit card type-pad. Someone it seems in every state has made that their number. I’ve even asked the clerk ringing me up, what’s the area code here again? They tell me – add the area code then 867-5309.
I just did it yesterday.
*Jenny, Jenny, who can I turn to?*
*You give me somethin’ I can hold on to*
[*I know you think I’m like the others before*](https://genius.com/6353984/Tommy-tutone-867-5309-jenny/I-know-you-think-im-like-the-others-before-who-saw-your-name-and-number-on-the-wall).
A lot of flights are not allowing carry-ons these days with a basic ticket purchase (JetBlue 🤨), so I’ve been using my fishing vest I got from Japan to carry all of my clothes I can’t fit into my personal items. Styled right, it looks super cool with my outfit, AND I can fit eight shirts, five pairs of socks, and an entire laptop (storage on the back) in it—and snacks and water. When traveling to places where it’s inconvenient to bring my fishing vest, I’ll bring my jacket with deep pockets and my Costco dad cargo pants. I can fit 2-3 shirts per pocket. And before anyone complains about the extra weight I’m bringing into the plane, I can promise you my extra clothes and snacks weigh less than 5 pounds.
I always create a Google map list and save items to populate my map. It makes it easy to plan out your days and see what sites/restaurants/attractions you are near in a new city.
Might not be obscure to some, but was new to me last month.
Esims are a godsend.
You can shop around online before starting your trip for the best deal on a temporary esim. I paid 30 cad for a 1 month 12 gig unlimited everything else plan, good for all of Europe. Installed the esim before heading to the airport. As soon as the plane landed, I was able to fire up my esim without any of the hassle of finding a physical sim card. Was in my Uber 10 minutes after leaving customs, it was great.
Not all phones support it, but for those that do, they are extremely convenient and cheap.
Traveling International? Bring a pen with you. The longest lines you wait for at customs is for the damn pen.
Pack a plastic fork and spoon with you. I hate showing up to my hotel with some instant noodles and then having to use the coffee stirring sticks like chopsticks to eat it.
If you’re tall, mention you have problems with your knees at the check in counter. Sometimes they’ll find you a seat with more leg room.
Traveling for a short period? Use a garment bag instead of a suitcase. I find I can fit 3 outfits, my laptop and other essentials in one garment bag comfortably and it still fit as a carry on. .
When going through security, put all of your pocket belongings into your backpack.
Then, you don’t have to worry about using the small trays, or gathering up important things from the conveyor belt :).
I fly long haul flights that are 14+, and so compression socks are a must. If I take my shoes off to put on my sling, I’ll also bring fuzzy socks so my feet don’t get cold.
Have a small baggie of hydrating powder for water, Advil, ear plugs, Imodium. I have a headband that hooks onto my mask so I don’t have to have my mask behind my ears, which can sometimes make them sore.
Probably obvious, but put airtags in your checked luggage.
Southwest starts drink service at rows 1,8,15,22. If you have a choice of row 9 or 15, go to 15. You get your drink first and have a better chance at getting more than one.
I travel with wrinkle resist clothing only. Still gets wrinkled. So I carry a small sprayer bottle. Spritz down clothes night before with water and hang to dry, wrinkles gone in the AM. Haven’t ironed in years.
I always bring baby shampoo and an entire unopened box of ziploc bags.
The baby shampoo is great for washing yourself (obviously) but is also perfect for washing things like lightweight shirts, underwear, and socks in the sink. I’ve also put on my flight suit inside out and washed it in the shower. If you don’t get all of the baby shampoo rinsed out, your skin won’t be irritated like it would be if you had used regular soap.
There’s a London night bus which goes to Heathrow and back. I say this one in particular because it’s quite a long route. If you arrive late in the evening and need somewhere to just exist, you can ride it back and forth and sightsee or snooze a little. I discovered this when I arrived via bus from France in the middle of the night but my next bus up to Edinburgh didn’t leave for like 6 hours. Seemed pointless to get a hotel room.
https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/n9/
Changi airport in Singapore has something similar, but it’s an actual tour bus you can take for free during a layover.
https://www.changiairport.com/en/airport-guide/facilities-and-services/free-singapore-tour.html.
Random one but saline spray in the carry on! I feel that spritzing my nose a few times every flight helps prevent me from getting sick (I used to ALWAYS get sick on flights)!
Mini spray bottle with alcohol (vodka or isopropyl) for deodorizing clothes.
Edit: diluted hand sanitizer works too.
Fannypack when going through airports for my passport, phone charger + foreign wall adaptor, two power banks for unpredictable situations, the little pocket is for coins for the bathrooms, and for security I’ll also stuff my wallet in there to minimize the amount of stuff I have out.
Always pack a power board when I go overseas, only need one converting plug and you are good to go with all devices. Especially helps with my CPAP and being able to charge devices.
Don’t wear tight shoes on a plane. Due to the pressure change your feet swell on the flight.
I always keep a safety pin pinned inside my backpack; this was originally for changing SIM cards, but it turns out to be quite handy while traveling.
I also take one of my pens and wrap/roll a bunch of masking tape around it, so I always have a little supply of tape; again, constantly useful, mostly for covering up bright LED lights inside the hotel room.
Merino wool clothes keep you smelling fresh so you can pack less. Never thought I would be wearing a wool Tshirt, but it works! Pricey though.
In my luggage I always pack an empty 30 gallon trash bag, for my dirty clothes. I tend to sweat a lot in hotter climates, and having my dirty clothes in a trash bag (which is often lined with an odor eliminator) and separate from my clean clothes keeps my suitcase from becoming smelly. And it makes unpacking at the end of the trip dirt-simple: the trash bag full of clothes goes into the laundry.
My wife and I always pack large binder clips (such as for holding large documents together) to close window shades, and we always pack a titanium hiking spork or plastic utensils for leftovers.
And always have a pen with you. It’s surprising the number of places, especially when traveling internationally, when having a pen with you is useful.
Finally, if you’re out shopping for clothes, shop in hiking sections of stores like REI for *light-weight* clothing; that is, clothing intended for packing during hiking. I managed to bring the weight of my check-on luggage from 45 pounds to around 28 pounds by mindfully thinking about the weight of the articles of clothing I was packing; hiking pants instead of jeans, for example. Three pair of jeans weighing 2 pounds each verses 3 pairs of hiking pants weighing around 8 ounces each makes a difference, and 8 shirts made with lightweight materials intended for hiking is a lot lighter than 8 ‘cheap’ t-shirts.
This is niche to Sydney International airport, but never get a customs ticket at the first station. Keep walking there are empty ones right before you go through customs / e passport check.
The (almost) cure for jetlat is staying up to a decent bed time and then taking a melatonin.
Keep a pair of chord headphones in your travel bag at all times for the inflight entertainment.
Always bring a swimsuit just incase
LAX terminals sometimes have alternative security areas. These are also manned and sometimes empty.
Roll your clothes up and vacuum bag them. Not only will they wrinkle less, and you can fit more into your bag, it makes it nearly impossible for them to get dirty or wet.
I always pack a mini LED flashlight. They’re a few bucks on Amazon and eBay. It was quite useful recently when I visited a Belizean island with no street lights. Got jump scared by a few land crabs, too.
For work: always carry a Sharpie. I write the expense category/type and date at the top of each one. When I upload them in I can read them easily and I don’t have to worry about which country or language it was.
Bandana- use as a hand towel, neck cover, head cover, etc
Snow Peak sporks- lightweight with excellent forking action 😉
Google Keep Master Packing List- unique sections for electronics, dry toiletries, liquid toiletries, electronics, work, creative, seasonal needs, etc. copy a new one for each trip and click/check things off as I pack. I keep a short list of morning-of to-do’s at the top as needed (fill cat feeders, pack toothbrush, etc).
If you travel to Hawaii, rent a jeep. They will give you a list of all the places you are not allowed to take the jeep. Now you have your itenerarry.
I get rid of old clothes on my travels, which helps me empty my carry-on for more souvenirs. I bring old shirts, pants, sweaters, underwear, and socks for travel to get rid of them as I go. I hate checking in luggage and I will have plenty of extra room to bring things back.
