Travel Tips

Yes, I have a few suggestions.

I wouldn’t call myself a travel expert, but I am very intentional about what I do. The combination of my personal preferences, plus the fact that I’m traveling full-time now, has helped me discover some practices and rituals that allow me move through the world with just a bit more grace.

I hope you find the following ideas helpful or at least entertaining. More importantly, I hope you discover your own methods and preferences along the way. After all, learning about yourself is one of the best parts of the journey.

Long-term travel:

I always travel with an expensive, scented candle because it creates an intimate feeling of home.
Note: If I put the candle in my carry-on it will always get flagged by TSA because their scanners can’t see through it. The lighter, strangely, isn’t an issue unless it’s in a checked bag.
Nothing sets a mood faster than music, and nothing is more underwhelming than playing music from my phone’s speaker. Whether I’m settling in for a chill night or I need some motivation to get through a long bike ride, having a portable speaker is essential for me. I use the JBL Clip 4, and I’ve been super happy with it —small size, big sound, waterproof-ish, and long battery life.
At the beginning of 2020 I decided I’d always have fresh flowers in my home. Little did I know it would be such a wonderful yet simple morale boost during the pandemic. Now, whenever I can, I get fresh flowers and make a little arrangement for my home on the road. Sometimes the vase is a repurposed Gatorade bottle or an unused coffee pot, and sometimes the flowers are a gift to my host; but no matter the scenario they always brighten a room.
I carry a small, 30-page journal wherever I go. When I meet someone interesting, or visit friends, or share an adventure with others I ask them to sign it. I encourage them to draw a picture, write a note, or plagiarize song lyrics —anything to add to the memory. This way, whenever I do have a home again I’ll always have a bit of my travel companions with me.
This is not about video games at all; it’s about having something indulgent, enjoyable, and mindless to do when I need a break. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan, or it feels like everything is harder than it should be, and all my friends are far away, and the locals speak a different language, and all I want to do is veg out and relax. Those are the moments when I turn to Smash Bros. Maybe your indulgence is a graphic novel, knitting, a vibrator, or downloaded Netflix shows. Whatever it may be, bring something to get lost in when you’re feeling depleted.
I used to think it was silly to unpack at a hotel because eventually everything would have to go back into my suitcase. However, living out of a backpack gets old pretty fast. Any place with a dresser, some hangers, and a desk(!!) feels like luxury to me, and it’s helpful to claim those small wins along the way.
Pack your bag the same way every time. Update your calendar reliably. Keep travel documents in a simple Dropbox folder. Use a list. Make labels. Etc…
Life on the road has enough wildcards in itself. If you are disorganized in your approach you will be sawing off the branch you are standing on.
I bought a Google Nest Hub for my parents so I can share photos of my travels from anywhere in the world, and it automatically creates a slideshow with the photos I add. It’s a handy way to include loved ones on my travels.

Navigating and planning:

This exercise has nothing to do with getting around town. It’s all about building confidence with something unfamiliar. Nearly every city I’ve visited has some sort of bus system, and they all operate pretty much the same way. I started by learning my local bus system, and it’s been helpful everywhere.
This one is sneaky. Airlines will attract customers with the lowest initial price (e.g. basic economy), and then add on a bunch of stupid fees. Often the total is higher than a standard ticket on a competing airline, but by the time one has entered all their info and added the “upgrades,” they are more inclined to pay the price (and be done with it) than research other options. This is especially true when searching on a mobile device because it’s more inconvenient to switch between apps and tabs. If you want to save money, do your research on a computer where it’s easier to toggle between tabs and compare your options.
This is a search engine that is most useful for comparing multiple ways to get somewhere. While Google Maps does a decent job of showing major bus systems and public city transit, Rome2Rio.com gives a greater variety of options, especially when there’s not a well beaten path.
When I asked Google “What’s the best way to get to Sandpoint Idaho?” it gave me a bunch of ads for transportation companies in the area, but none of them were helpful. However, when I searched “How to get to Sandpoint Idaho reddit,” I immediately landed on several message boards written by actual humans that told me to rent a car. For now, reddit seems to be a helpful way to cut through the ads and get some better intel.
I rely heavily on my phone when I’m traveling. Google’s wireless phone plan is a fixed price for unlimited data, and it works in, like, 120 countries. Having the ability to search and text in a foreign country is vital for me, and this is the most straightforward, reliable, cost-saving option I’ve found yet.

Packing:

After years of always feeling like I was forgetting something I finally made a packing list. In fact, I made several of them: one for the beach, for camping, skiing, work, etc. I keep them in a Notes app so they’re always accessible, and I add to them whenever I discover something worth taking on the road.
At the end of a trip, usually on the flight home, I’ll note everything I didn’t use. This way, the next time I’m thinking about bringing that sketchbook or travel chess set, I have a compelling reminder to leave them behind.
I organize my clothes into smaller bags within my suitcase. All my shirts go in one, all my socks and underwear in another, etc. It takes more time to pack, but it’s a breeze to stay organized. Plus, I can use the smaller bags for things like sunscreen, snacks, and a water bottle whenever I need a grab bag.
Even when I go to Antarctica; there will be a swimsuit in my bag. The reason is simple: to need it and not have it is always more annoying than the space it takes up in my suitcase.
Having a dedicated place for my dirty laundry helps to keep things organized. I use a coated, canvas-like bag from B&H (the camera store). It’s rigid enough to stand up on its own, and flimsy enough to fold down into nothing.

Helpful things to carry:

These little clips are perhaps the most frequently used things I carry. I’m not even gonna list the potential uses for them because the joy is in discovering it for yourself. Four of them has been the right amount for me.
On more than several occasions I’ve MacGyver’d a solution using key rings. Whether it’s fixing a zipper or attaching a strap to something, these little things take up no space and have the power to save the day.
If you’re staying at a hostel, this is a no-brainer. I prefer a combination lock so that I don’t have to carry a key, but maybe that’s because I’m the type of person that remembers numbers easily.
Whether I’m doing laundry, taking public transit, or desperate for a snack it’s always helpful to have petty cash and coins.
Despite the fact that smart phones have been around for over 15 years, there are some things that are just easier (or possible) with a physical copy.
I have a wallet in which I keep an expired drivers license, a debit card from a closed bank account, a fake credit card I got in the mail, and a depleted Amex gift card. Then I’ll add about $20 worth of local currency plus some coins, and it becomes a very convincing decoy. My actual wallet I keep tucked away in non-obvious places. The whole point is that I won’t lose much if I get mugged or it gets stolen.
This also goes under the list of “Things I hope I never need.” If I ever lose my passport in a foreign country, I’m guessing it will be a lot easier to travel back home if I at least have a printed, color copy of the photo page. I made a few copies and keep one in each bag I carry.

Flights and Airports:

I’m a window seat person through and through. I want to watch the earth pass by, or lean up against the wall when I’m tired; but I absolutely do not want atmosphere-less sunlight shining directly in my face. Thus, every time I book a flight I consider where the sun will be in relation to the direction I’m going, and I choose the shady side.
I never use the lavatory on planes (literally never), so I’ve also noticed that the first bathroom after landing is always the most crowded.
I was super late to the game when it comes to TSA Pre-check, so my experience isn’t very valuable. However, I have only found it to be mildly helpful at best. Perhaps Clear is more efficient now, but still not as widely available; I don’t know. I still prefer to get to the airport early because I always carry something to help me pass the time.

Finding Deals:

You probably already know about Google Flights, but you might not know that you can leave the destination field blank, and still hit Search. Doing so will populate a list of the cheapest flights to anywhere from your point of origin. If you’re eager to travel on a budget, and you’re open to going somewhere unexpected, give it a whirl.
Airlines hate Skiplagged, but it’s amazing for those traveling light (i.e. no checked bags). The idea is that a flight to Cancun with a layover in Dallas is often cheaper than booking a flight directly to Dallas. Unlike other search engines, this one basically searches for layovers instead of final destinations.
A flight to Geneva was going to cost over $1,000; so instead I booked a $200 one-way flight to Edinburgh (using the blank destination trick mentioned above) on December 21st. Then I found an $87 flight from Edinburgh to Geneva on the 23rd. Your mileage may vary, but the idea is that there is usually a cheap flight to somewhere in Europe, and once you’re on the continent there are often cheap ways to get from A to B. Between Ryan Air, EasyJet, trains, Bla Bla Car, etc. there are ways to save a few hundred bucks if you’ve got time to spare.
I really don’t enjoy planning, so I’ll often show up in a new city with only a vague itinerary in mind. Google.com/travel is an easy resource to fill in the gaps.
Turo is like Airbnb for cars. Using the app I connect directly with the owner to rent their vehicle. It’s usually much cheaper than, say, Hertz, not to mention I don’t have to wait in line and go through the whole song and dance about what insurance coverage I need, if I want to upgrade to a bigger vehicle, or pre-pay gas, etc. It’s a no nonsense victory for the sharing economy, and it’s saved my butt on multiple occasions ever since most rental companies sold off their fleet to survive the pandemic.
I haven’t used this yet myself, but my sister just told me about a feature on Kayak that allows you to freeze the cost of a flight, guaranteeing the cheapest price posted over the next seven days.

Quirky preferences:

Easily my most nerdy travel decision is to only bring electronics that all use the same charger. With the exception of my laptop, every device I own is charged by the same USB-C cable. This means I can charge my phone, GoPro, drone, bluetooth speaker, Nintendo, and even my hair trimmers all with the same cable. (Owners of the newest iPhone, welcome to the club! We’ve been waiting for you.)
Who decided how long the handle on a toothbrush should be? I’ve managed to get by with only half of it. Then again, I haven’t seen a dentist in about a decade, so maybe don’t follow my lead. Regardless, it weighs less this way, so if you’re into ultra-light traveling it’ll save an ounce or two. Same goes for the razor.
Someone out there has been enjoying their private helicopter ever since they started selling travel-sized contact solution bottles. At first glance these little babies appear un-refill-able, but with the help of a butter knife I’ve saved enough money to put my non-existent children through college.
Well before I was a nomad I kept a “copy” of all my toiletries in a small travel bag. This is one area where I’m willing to spend a little more for the convenience of knowing I have everything I need without thinking about it.
And yes, I’m aware that this is much easier for dudes than ladies, but feel free to mention it if you must.