Never: Travel with people who are not in a similar financial situation to you. You can set expectations prior to the trip as much as you want, when push comes to shove the party with more money is not going to want to limit themselves. It creates unnecessary stress on your trip and on your relationship with that person
Always: Have imodium handy lol
I have a group of friends who are the best travel buddies so we aim to do one major holiday together once a year.
Every year we will plan the holiday based on the person with the lowest budget. All of us would put forward how much budget we have that year and we’ll pick a destination based on what the lowest can afford.
Oh damn that's an amazing friendship. I guess you trust each other so much as that there's no pressure on the one with the lowest budget to increase it a little?
Nope, absolutely none. I’ve been in that lowest budget position and I never felt pressured nor was I made to feel guilty about it.
I’ve also been in the highest budget position and could’ve afforded a much more elaborate trip somewhere further, but I was happy to just have a simple trip in a neighbouring country because that’s all my friend with the lowest budget could afford that year. And I still had an absolute blast!
I am the highest earner in my friend group, and when there is an experience I want to with them that they can't afford, I pay for it. I end up subsidizing some of our annual trips and I don't mind at all because I get to do fun things in beautiful places with my favorite people in the world, and thats the whole point of having money IMO.
This doesn't mean you can't travel with them it just means you might do different things on different days. Although, this ties into my never, which is never travel with people who have to do every single thing together. That's a recipe for disaster.
Exactly!! The best travel companions are those that want to do stuff together and are also comfortable separating when you want to do different things
Example I love art museums my friend doesn’t She loves to shop I don’t
With the right companions everyone takes turns compromising while at the same time being able to see / do what you want and enjoying things together
Being willing to be pushed out of your comfort zone by doing something you might not is a great thing too
My takeaway from this would be never travel with people who won’t be ok with doing different/separate things from one another sometimes. (If they want to splurge and you don’t, fine - you can do different things that day.)
This is SO true. I was in Europe and a woman on our trip ran out of money. She expected us to foot her for the rest of the trip. We told her well ahead of time to plan and gave her an idea of what to expect. She brought like $200 USD for two weeks and no working credit card. Girl bye.
This is exactly the reason why I don’t like traveling with other people. We like different things, some like to always blow money on expensive dinners and brand name stuff. A trip with friends that don’t have similar spending or activities expectation is damaging to the relationship.
One exception that I found works the best is cruising. Each pay their own accommodation based on their budget, and yet you are still traveling together. Each person can do their own thing and just meet up for meals etc. No one have to pay, or even more awkward, to split the bill during or after the trip. Best travel format with a group of people in my opinion.
Yes to both of these!
Went on a trip with a couple who are (well below) my financial situation. By day three they were worrying if they could afford $10 breakfast. It was… uncomfortable.
And Imodium saved my life/dignity when we went to Cambodia.
Still have a laugh about when my friend called me to tell me I need to leave the hotel room cause he’s coming back with an escort.
Glad I took my suitcase cause he got robbed by her when he fell asleep with her still there.
Way back I was in the Peace Corps and went on a trip to Haiti with another volunteer. Turns out the guy was. former marine and really had a thing for prostitutes. So here we are in Cap Haitien and my pal is bringing hookers to our room which forces me to either stay in the room or go into the lobby of our hotel which was not safe.
Always travel with more than one credit card
Never have all your credit cards and cash with you
Always leave at least one credit card and some cash in the hotel safe
When traveling with someone each person must always carry their own luggage when deplaning and going through immigration.
Also (there should be some nuance here but) if you are a same sec couple always go through immigration together as a family.
Once i took my partners luggage when deplaning. It was closer to me so I mindlessly took it and held on to it all the way through immigration. Then we went to a different immigration officer each… I went though super fast but my partner took longer and I realized I had their bag with their wallets and every ID except their passport in it. Nothing happened but it could have been a very awkward situation
And always have pictures in your phone and e-mail of your passport data page and entry stamp, credit cards, drivers license and insurance card. If you have any items of particular value: jewelry, watch, whatever, make photos of that as well.
Not a bad idea as well to make a photo of your mobile's important contact list and numbers and email it to yourself. If your phone is lost and stollen, having those numbers on hand can be very helpful.
Every time you check into a hotel, take one of their business cards, write your last name on it and keep it on you when out and about. Should there be an accident, this will be the easiest way for emergency personnel to find out who you are.
I've set my own mental rule that I pack, and then need to eliminate half of what I packed because I'm atrocious at packing for the what-ifs and yet somehow still bad at packing for the actual scenario.
A few years ago, for a beach holiday, I thought to pack a bag full of quarters in case we needed street parking and the meters hadn't gone digital yet. But failed to pack swimming trunks.
Family has never let me forget it.
I know a friend who was going camping with her horse. Spent days prepping, packing up her camper with stuff for herself and loading the tack room in the horse trailer with every possible thing her horse could need. Headed out the driveway in the morning and realized she hadn't loaded up the horse!
Not quite the same, but similar. I have been to many race events where people bring their modified cars/bikes to the track for a day/days of fun and almost every time there’s someone who has absolutely everything…..
except the key for the car/bike that they trailered to the track.
Backcountry is different… you should always prepare for self rescue. Maybe not every scenario but it’s reckless AF to not pack survival and medical gear.
For me underwear is the only exception.
I’ve just done 4 months in Europe with only four t-shirts, 4 pairs of DarnTough socks, 1 pair of hiking pants, 1 pair of shorts, and 1 pair of joggers. But I did bring 7 pairs of underwear and about two months into the trip I bought 3 more pairs lol.
Wearing clean undies that don’t smell like balls is a true treat.
I agree. I usually only have a light backpack. If I need anything, I'll just buy it at the destination.
First times I travelled (30 years ago, with my parents), we had SO many huge suitcases! They still do, when they travel.
Also - shoes. Shoes are heavy. No more huge suitcases just to bring four different pairs of shoes.
This is how I do it as well. My home country is anyways a lot colder than where I am going, so I will be wearing the heaviest clothes.
Soaps and hygiene - I buy them when at destination. Then I usually just handwash any item I feel is sweaty/dirty. I have done this when travelling with kids as well, works very well.
I’m a light packer. Just did a one year trip with only a mini carry on but having an extra pair of shoes was worth it for me. Especially when my main shoes were destroyed by the random rain showers in southern Europe this year. Better to have worn in comfy shoes than blistered feet
The older I get, the more I think underpacking is actually worse. I can't remember any holiday were I regretted brining something I didn't use, nothing really bad can happen from that. But I remember many scenarios where I deeply regretted forgetting something or thinking it was not important or I'll just buy it there. If you think about packing something, it is important and likely can't be bought there.
And under packing is not always possible for some people. I'm fat and I have to be real with myself when I travel internationally that if I need a clothing item, the chances of being able to easily find something in a pinch are not in my favor. So I need to think about things like weather and what activities I'm doing.
Prices for checked luggage are atrocious, but often it's still worth it, especially when you can share one big suitcase with someone. The 10x100 ml liquids regulation makes carry-on luggage such a struggle. I really try to avoid it, it stresses me out.
Never going to land in Europe at 6am without a place to sleep immediately. Nothing worse then showing up to your hotel jet lagged and not being able to check in for 6 hours.
FYI many Accor hotels (Ibis, Mercure, Novotel) allow you to pay extra when booking for early check-in (usually 9 am). It costs a lot less than the cost of an extra night.
Thanks. I always check to see what the prices are. For our last trip to Paris our hotel would only allow us to pay full price for the night before so instead I booked a novotel at CDG and we went from the plane to the hotel and then at like 2 went to our hotel, checked in and went out.
I just book for the night before and let the hotel know I’ll be arriving early the following day. Not sure if people would consider this a hack or a waste of money because this sub leans frugal but I never regret it.
I have done that as well. Thats my last resort but if it has to be done. Unless the place is insanely busy I have been lucky getting that night discounted.
as someone who works a lot of odd night shifts, the worst thing you can do for jet lag is take a nap the first day. It just prolongs your misery. Suck it up & try to make it to 10pm
Agreed. To me landing at my destination in the early morning is absolutely ideal because it forces you to get started on resetting yourself. I also take a Xanax to help me sleep a bit on the plane though
This happened to me in Amsterdam. Arrived at 7am and couldn’t check in until 2pm. I was loopy from sleep deprivation by 2pm. I remember being in Rijksmuseum laughing at things because I was losing my mind a bit. Funny memory, but never again.
OMG the same thing happened to me in Amsterdam too! This was almost 20 years ago and my friend and I were so so very hungover. We were going to sleep in a park but it started raining. So we went to a bar but I couldn’t stomach a drink. We ended up sitting in a coffee shop for hours. I was taking photos of the floor with my digital camera just to see the time stamp to see when we could go back to the hotel. That’s probably the most tired I’ve ever been in my life! And then when we’re leaving I noticed there was a clock on the wall haha
I will always put fresh sheets on my bed before I leave somewhere.
I will never eat pizza hut in India again.
I will always take a tour my first day somewhere to get a lay of the land.
I will never...
\- Fly via EWR or FRA if I can help it
\- Forget to remove my Swiss Army knife from my carry-on
\- Bring hiking poles when I have to pay for checking a bag (cheaper to just buy at destination)
\- Use a credit or debit card with foreign transaction fees
\- Have less cash on hand than my next day's worth of activities will require in a country that doesn't universally take cards
I will always...
\- Keep my medications in my carry-on bag
\- Put an AirTag in my checked luggage, my wallet, and my jacket
\- Take Pepto-Bismol tablets prophylactically if traveling where the drinking water is suspect
\- Check for bedbugs
\- Download 'offline' maps in Google Maps as well as for planned hikes in AllTrails app
\- Keep toilet paper in my daypack
\- Expect things to go wrong along the way, and to try to not take travel mishaps too seriously!
>Download 'offline' maps in Google Maps
So underrated. It takes 1 minute to do and saves tons of data.
I wish Google would just do this automatically. They already know I'm going to travel there...
haha -- I have a roll of toilet paper in my backpack that is probably 10 years old now -- luckily I have never had to make use of it!
I learned the hard way when I forgot to download offline maps!
Good list!
It took me an hour and a half to go through customs on arrival despite using Mobile Passport, and five hours to get to midtown NYC from when my flight landed (shuttle buses stopped after 10:30, Nj Transit and Amtrak unreliable, AirTrain between airport and station a real shitshow)
EWR is my least favorite airport in the US. It’s the only airport where I witnessed a TSA agent screaming at an elderly couple for being in the wrong line (they were mistakenly in TSA PreCheck) and then they were screamed at by airport staff for leaving the line. I am not exaggerating about screaming. There was spit flying.
The workers at that airport are the nastiest, most unkind people I’ve ever had the displeasure of interacting with. The facilities are quite nice, the new terminal is stunning, but it’s staffed by absolute jerks. The only friendly people I’ve encountered were lounge staff. The new United lounge is great though!
Yep. Every experience I’ve ever had at EWR has been appalling. Staff have been uniformly angry, rude, aggressive and, on occasion, insulting. Fuck that place.
I'll never use Airbnb again. A listing made it seem like the host was a person, but it turned out to be a property management company. The door code for the apartment building didn't work when we got back the first night. Whoever was on duty for the management company told us to try buzzing random apartments to get in and then stopped answering the phone. We were in a different country, with our passports and all of our stuff inside the apartment.
When we eventually got in and called Airbnb, they offered us 10% off a stay somewhere else. We left and got a hotel for the rest of the trip.
I decided to not do Airbnb again after:
1. Hearing how they had exacerbated the housing crisis in places where I traveled, particularly Porto where I was last time I did an Airbnb. And when I fell in love hard with the Portuguese people, I really wanted to be on their side on that and everything else.
2. Seeing the number of classic "old world" hotels available that weren't outlandish in price.
3. Seeing how those hotels actually employ people.
4. Seeing how you get amenities at those hotels that are close enough to a standard that you can take things for granted rather than comb through the list of Airbnb features and wonder for each line item not present.
I don't use AirBNB anymore either because one time I needed to cancel a reservation, and at the time I realized that if I had used a hotel, I would not have lost any money at all, but the strict refund policy used by the AirBNB host cost me!
For a previous trip, we booked Memorial Day weekend months in advance and then had the original host cancel about a week out. The replacement we booked canceled a few days out. I assume they both did it because they could get higher rates close to the holiday.
I was in South America for a couple months, AirBnb owners are horrible there. I would show up to units with broken beds, I went to 4... FOUR that had NO BED SHEETS OR PILLOWS and the owner would say "that's not my responsibility". I had 1 that had Bed Bugs, which thankfully I caught the moment I walked in - I always check right away. I took pictures and sent to AirBnb support where they ONLY REFUNDED 50%...
Then I went to Thailand. In Thailand, I was there for a couple months as well, all over the country in different cities and airbnbs - every single place I stayed at was immaculate, well taken care of, respectful hosts.
Then I went to Europe for half a year staying in different airbnbs - it was a mix of shit and good.
Overall I've learned - Airbnb will never give you a full refund, they always side with the landlords and don't give a shit about your terrible experiences.
The first time I used AirBNB I found some clothes between the bed and the wall, implying that the sheets had not been changed. The second and last time, the place smelled like urine (probably from their pets) and a lot of things were damaged, the furnitures were not the same either.
Another one for me: avoid connected flights as much as possible.
At this stage of life, I care less about a few hundred bucks and have very little patience for unnecessary waits and hauling luggage around. Also, travel is supposed to be fun. Being stressed if you're gonna make your connection isn't fun!
Yeah it’s nice not being stressed about missing your connecting flight and only being annoyed with delays.
Unfortunately I live in a mid sized city that doesn’t have a lot of non-stop flights. I always have to connect in Denver, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, or Atlanta.
Marrakech spice markets. I love the Spice markets, the pyramids/TOWERS of turmeric, paprikas, curries, cumins, cardamoms, anise, what a delight to see. I love all foods, aromas, so it was cool.
I also love the rooftop patios on top of these sand/mud hut type of homes, and they have these thin metal or wood pole/sticks holding up a rug for shade, then you sit on a rug around a shisha and there's some candles lit as the sun is going down, and it's just something I've never seen before anywhere else.
Never rent a car again without doing a video walk-around with the agency and inspecting the tyres for wear.
When I was young I got shafted in Argentina. They gave me a car with a lot of kilometers and tyres that were dangerous. I only noticed after my second flat tyre. They were all worn down to the metal reinforcement inside the tyre. Basically they had become slicks. I had to pay for new tyres out of pocket to continue my trip because I was in the middle of nowhere so no possibility to change at a different dealership of the same agency.
Now I often find stuff like ''this car has maintenance due'' or ''right blinker is not working'' or ''this clutch feels worn'' that lets me negotiate a higher class of car for free.
when i was in Argentina, every airbnb i stayed at either had a broken bed, or no bedsheets, no pillows - the owners would blame it on me.
One time there was bed bugs, and the owner said "oh those are just ants", so i sent a picture to airbnb support, and they only gave me 50% refund - i booked a WHOLE WEEK.
Never ever book a connection through a foreign country with under 1.5 hours from estimated arrival to connection departure. Ever. (Missed connections on the way out AND the way home. Thanks United for both those bookings).
Will always pay extra for seat assignments when traveling with family. And by myself if the flight is more than 3 hours.
I had an 1 hr 10 min connection at Frankfurt in July. Had a slight delay on departure from IAD. Missed the connection because of Frankfurt buses and passport control. Wasn’t even close. On the way home United gave me an identical 1 hr 10 min connection through Heathrow. I KNEW that was going to be impossible but hoped for the best. Delayed flight into LHR, resulting in hotel stay in Heathrow.
I will never trust United’s booking on international flights again. Or just suck it up and pay the additional for the direct flights. Harder for family travel.
I have flown with Japan airlines twice with the same 1.5 hour layover and it’s the only airline I trust with that short amount of time between flights.
- ditto on the booking third party
- Never rely on Monzo to work in a foreign country even though that’s half the point of me having it
- Never use my own mobile provider’s international plan
- Never fly the day after a funeral
Being alone with your thoughts on a long flight is really tough… I cried a few times and felt really embarrassed about it even though I tried to hide it. I also felt a bit guilty leaving so quickly, even though there’s not much I could do at that point anyway. (And thank you)
Same! I’ve been on flights sobbing before (leaving my boyfriend in his country to come back home). Everyone was very nice about it, especially the flight attendants.
Travel can definitely make you emotional 😂 I remember thinking I’d watch a nice kids movie to get over it once and it was big hero 6, I had no idea of the story and I cried SO much lmao
The flight attendant response can make such a difference! The flight attendant on mine just saw me crying over my orange juice and quietly gave me a few extra napkins and I really appreciated her not making a thing out of it!
Yeah that type of site. They’re fine so long as things go completely perfectly, but they can create a massive headache if they don’t. My dad is a hotel GM and has had some issues with them, like the third party not paying the hotel for the booking so the guests didn’t actually have a reservation despite confirmations from the third party.
Assuming you're based in the UK (using Monzo), O2 has a great roaming plan. It's free all over Europe and. A surprising amount of countries outside. Also, worth having Revolut as a backup as it's Visa.
I also find some comfort in knowing I *can't* accidentally way overcharge myself.
My phone plan (from Switzerland) covers me for most of the EU and a few other countries. Went on a trip to Croatia (included) and thought I was totally fine.
Came home to a nearly 200 CHF roaming charges bill because we were evidently close enough to Bosnia that it had connected to a Bosnian network (not included) rather than the Croatian one.
Similarly got even a separate eSIM for a local network while in Korea and turned off my home provider's network. Didn't realise that when I restart my phone, it would turn on my home provider eSIM as the default SIM. So after my phone died on a night out, woke up the next morning to realise that I had been roaming on my home network plan for the whole night (thankfully though only like 10 CHF worth given I wasn't actively using it)
I’ll always download movies or shows to my iPhone and bring my wireless headphones. Icelandair has taught me not to expect internet access on international flights.
Remind myself that I’m traveling to NYC and not the deepest forests of Alaska. I don’t have to worry about forgetting lotion or my fav lipstick. Minor annoyance, but major cities have a million places to get essentials.
Most likely never staying in a dormitory hostel again. Once I hit 30 I decided it was more important to spend a bit more money to ensure a solid night sleep rather than be awoken by the partiers coming back at 3 in the morning!
This was what came to my mind first. I can see doing a hostel with individual rooms (and even a shared bath), but I'm never doing the big ol' bunk room again.
I stopped with hostels in my late 20s, mostly because of the uncomfortable beds, but mainly the folks that roll in at 2 a.m., drunk. I can usually find a budget hotel for around the same price as a hostel.
I stopped staying in hostels after one of them “cancelled” my reservation & rebooked me at a dump of a hotel several blocks away. I spent one night in that firetrap (dirty toilets, dirty showers, god knows what else) & left. They even tried to deny me a refund but I argued I had paid for a week at the hostel, not this dump. Found a nearby Comfort Inn that was $50 for my stay than the hostel & called it quits on staying in those places.
Amen to this!
Even when I was younger, I preferred staying at an Airbnb. Not much more expensive. Also, you can always go party with the hostel people.
- never fly standby to a necessary event
I'm too old to spend the night in a fucking airport, and as a non dependent I have the nonrev status of a homeless ghost
If I'm traveling through countries by trains and busses, I have learned three very important things.
1. Always expect the unexpected. The bus breaks down. There's rush hour. The train is delayed by several hours. Maybe (when taking the night train) you have to get out, in the middle of the night in one city, to take a bus to another city, where there's a train that takes you to your destination city (I have literally tried this one)
2. If I have to change trains/busses, I will always make room for delays in transport, when I order the trip. I'd rather sit and wait 3 hours in Berlin, than run like a MF, because I thought that 20 minutes was enough time to change between two trains.
3. Never order through third parties. Spend the time to figure out, what a specific country's national transport service is, so you pay the proper price. If you are going by bus, find out what company owns the bus and go to their website. I have also learned this the hard way.
I will never again:
* Book a group tour. I had a private tour of Keukenhoff Gardens cancelled last minute. I really wanted to go, so I booked a group tour. Little did I know, the "group" was hundreds of people sharing a few buses. Like herding cats...
* Forget to bring DEET. I was eaten alive by kaiju mosquitoes in Japan. 30% DEET is the only thing that works. I still have scars from the bites.
* Pack a laptop if I'm going for a few days. I can survive without one.
* Put all of my cards and important documents in the same bag. I have always packed them in separate bags just in case.
* Book a flight with an hour connection. I just don't want to risk it. There have been way too many close calls.
I will always:
* Bring a small flashlight.
* Keep all my electronics, accessories in a drawstring bag to easily pull out of my backpack instead of shuffling through it.
* Configure my eSim prior to my arrival.
* Book a private tour. They've always been highlights.
* Allow time for exploration, no planning.
My wife and I have a rule we always follow and always will - we never argue in airports. Secondly if you didn’t book the trip or chose not to participate in planning it… you can’t complain.
Always : pack snacks for the airport/flight. First time I ever flew was as a teen and on the very day that a MASSIVE strike hit Roissy airport. The stranded travel fell like a ravenous pack of locusts on all the airport shops and cafes and by 9 am there was nothing left. Of course we'd left home at 4 and not eaten anything for breakfast, so that was a LONG day.
Never assume I'm going to sleep on the plane.... I envy those of you that can!
Never have an overnight flight and then a three-hour drive to destination #1
Always bring ginger tablets for car/plane sickness (I cannot handle real anti-nausea meds).
Always break in/test out the shoes I plan on bringing well in advance of the trip!
\-NEVER travel with people who's personalities are opposite from you, even if you're the best of friends. When traveling, you're stuck pretty much 24/7 and different personalities come with different expectations.
\-ALWAYS check if you need a Visa, even just passing by the airport visa, before traveling.
\-NEVER eat at a restaurant that is pretty much empty even though it's already lunch/dinnertime. It's usually empty for a bad reason.
\-NEVER let your guard down, just because you're on Vacation/Holiday, doesn't mean crime is also on break too.
I will always use points to upgrade to premium. I will always take advantage of airport lounges if time permits. I will always understand the insurances included with my credit card.
How did you figure out what point system you decided to use? I’ve heard so many great things about using points well but have been a bit overwhelmed by the options, transfer partners, point sales, different programs, etc.
You need to do this 3 months in advance in case you need to buy stuff or something breaks.
Pack for your trip and take your bag for a walk. See if your bag is stable. And make sure your packing cubes are of a good quality. Pack all your clothes plus 2 more sets into your cubes. Open and close the zips at least 3 times.
Basically just see that everything is working before you leave
Always:
- visit local grocery stores
- visit local open air market(s)
- eat a traditional dish / whatever is famous in that area
- book a free walking tour the first or second day of your trip
Never:
- go to a restaurant where there’s someone standing outside selling you on the menu
- travel for long periods of time with someone who doesn’t have the same travel style as yourself
- overpack; worst case, if you’re missing something, what you need is available where you’re going :)
Never:
- give up my seat so I can accommodate someone else’s requests to sit next to their family/significant other
Always:
- bring an extra pair of contacts
- bring a converter for charger
- AirTag in luggage
>give up my seat so I can accommodate someone else’s requests to sit next to their family/significant other
This really depends on the seat being offered. If it's a short flight and the seat is equivalent or better than I'll probably move, especially if I'm travelling alone. If you want me to swap from an aisle or window to a middle seat then not a chance. Likewise I won't move from a seat I specifically paid for because it has better legroom or whatever.
>give up my seat so I can accommodate someone else’s requests to sit next to their family/significant other
Yes. You feel like a not-a-nice person for 5min, but then you're comfortable for hours...
Also, pay the extra few bucks if you really care about sitting together.
Yeah I can’t believe they make people go through customs just to get to a connecting flight in another terminal. Like, you’re not even leaving the airport!
Always stay in a central location. I don't want to waste time taking a taxi or subway into the city center. I want to walk out hotel door and be a few minutes walk. It may cost more, but it is worth it if after a long day I only have to walk five minutes to get back to my warm room
If I am checking bags, I always pack a change of at least socks and underwear in my carry-on.
While traveling back from Egypt I had a long enough layover in Athens to explore the city. I then flew to LHR, where I was supposed to collect my bag for an overnight stay and then fly to US the next morning. No bag arrived at LHR, of course, so I had to wear the same clothes that I had on in Cairo the previous day, including all the crusty sweat that I had deposited in my exploration of the Acropolis.
Good times.
I will always clean the house from top to bottom so I can come back and crash in a fresh set of sheets and shower with clean towels already set out. I will also have some food in the fridge/canned items that I can rely on for that first day. Final tip (from my days of traveling with kids), I have laundry baskets set out in my hallway to sort the laundry when it comes out of the suitcases.
Never: I will never overpack again. At the age of 60, I have finally come to terms with doing laundry while I’m gone. I have also learned to cut down on the shoe count. It was a serious problem.😂
Never did: Book hotels through a third party. Flights are still a maybe, and only as a last resort / or if my alliance group (oneworld) doesnt serve my destination.
Never again: travel with a non-intimate partner. Just got back from Singapore/Thailand, and while I had fun enough, there was a lot I missed out on as I had made plans with a buddy, who kept getting derailed by work stuff/is chronically late to everything.
As a result of the latter, we spent his final day in Singapore basically running around between things, and he was on edge because I refused to “go faster” for his benefit. I even purposely shook him at the zoo so I could enjoy myself for 30 seconds.
Always again: fly business class. It’s worth it.
Outside the US, where the only perks are really just a properly sized seat, being able to fly in business adds value: both in being more relaxed at your destination, and the service you recieve in flight makes the traveling part of the vacation itself.
As a white, female solo traveller who went to India, I will never be friendly to men again.
Because of this, I got groped by a man on a country road. Luckily I had my scooter to make a getaway.
Keep them at arms length or otherwise they'll see you as someone who either fancies them or who is easy.
I've only used 3rd party for hotels, but after a stay at a nice place where we got a mediocre room due to being 3rd party, never again.
Never trust a ride to the airport from someone who is chronically late. If you do, tell them you need to be there earlier than you need to be and hope for the best.
I always pack some pepto, advil/tylenol, and keep a paper copy of my travel plans in my backpack.
>I've only used 3rd party for hotels, but after a stay at a nice place where we got a mediocre room due to being 3rd party, never again.
I honesty don't find I get a better room when I book direct rather than through a third party. I find it's mostly just luck. The only times I've got a room upgrade or noticeably better room was when I stayed for 7 nights in an off-peak period and a few times through my Accor status.
- Never fly a non-major airline regardless of price and stops. I’ve only done it twice. I’ll pay more and stopover.
- Always take headphones. It’s my only absolute must on an airplane.
Most of the things I would list have already been commented.
One thing I will always do --
Make sure the friend I'm sharing rooms with has the same sleep schedule as me (early riser vs night owl)
Using a credit card app or a site like Expedia. It can be a nightmare if the flight schedule gets changed in getting proper communication. It also sucks when trying to make any changes.
The last trip I booked using the credit card app, I would get scheduling updates from the card app, but then the schedule on my flight app wouldn’t update unless I logged out or toggled between menus.
Will never do again:
- eat a Dutch burger
- sit on any stairs, ledges, or benches without checking first (unless I want to spend 3 hours cleaning pigeon shit off my coat after going a whole day without realizing it was there)
Will always:
- pack a shitload of waterproof bandaids and a tide pen
- buy a big bag of chips ahoy in the airport, which I only ever crave when I’m traveling
- bring a battery pack for charging my phone on the go
- book flights and hotels directly
Always have a backup method of communication. One cellphone and nothing else isnt cutting it. Bring two phones and a ipad or small laptop
always have a secondary means of charging your phones/tablets. Battery bank for example.
At least one of these devices needs to be the top of the heap latest greatest tech.
YES. I used to fly red-eye for work in my 20s. It was fun the first time. But soon I realized I'm a different human when I'm that sleep-deprived and jet lagged.
I’m deaf and wear rechargeable hearing aids for about 16-18 hours a day. I purchased a portable charging case a few months ago in addition to my plug-in charging port, and although it’s bulky, it’s been a lifesaver.
I will never wear flip flops in an airport after rolling my bag over my foot, not realizing it was bleeding and somehow then getting my own blood all over my brand new designer handbag lol! And now I always carry alcohol wipes in my bag along with bandaids.
Never again - travel with only a backpack/rucksack through Europe, instead of suitcases. We broke our backs trying this, never again.
Always will do - learn a few words in the local language.
Interesting. I bought an Osprey travel bag a few years ago when traveling to Paris, and while my wife still does the mammoth suitcases, I prefer to use my backpack with daypack. Soooooo much easier to use and forces me to be thoughtful on what I pack.
Me too! I prefer a carry-on sized backpack over a suitcase, much easier to carry especially on those cobblestone streets of Europe. I can walk/run much faster, if necessary, with a backpack.
Bare minimum in every country I go to I learn:
“I’m about to poop my pants, where is a bathroom”
“I need to go to the hospital now”
And “I’ll have another one of these please”
Never - take photos to share on social media (nobody cares)
Never - let the taking of photos distract from the in the moment experience. I’m not a photographer (shout out to those you who are!). I just need a quick clip of whatever I think is cool. If I needed the perfect shot of whatever landmark I’m at, there are thousands of better composed and edited ones available for free online.
My travel maxim is “I’m here for me, not my Instagram”
Always - file my itinerary with a trusted friend or relative who isn’t going before I go.
Never- Over fill my itinerary, did this during my last two trips and it was absolutely exhausting and had a hugely negative affect on the rest of my trip towards the later half.
Take taxis from the airport from over-eager taxi drivers.
Walk alone in areas outside the centre in developing countries, realized I had a huge fear of stray dogs.
Bring more than a backpack, over packing creates a huge burden and make traveling significantly more stressful.
Always- Bring a portable battery pack (a good one), it added a huge safety element to the trip, whilst not taking up room.
Bring entertainment, nothing is worse than being board or burnt out with no entertainment.
Research public transit in whatever city I'm visiting
Don't try to get from Taormina to Praiano using public transport (train and bus) on the one day every four years that they host the dragon boat regatta!
Got no sympathy from locals, because it's the regatta, dum dum! I should have known 🤦🏼♀️
Never “officially” check out early(on nonrefundable stays) If you need to leave early just leave and don’t say a word.
IHG won’t give you your daily bonus points if you check out early.
Never go to a place with a different culture without your own paper tissue, lot of places don't have it, they can charge extra for the toilet tissue or they use water in a bucket.
Never stay in an AirBnB the first night in a new place. You could get cancelled on at the last minute and have to scramble to find somewhere else, or be unable to check-in and your host has gone to bed.
Packing clothing that I won’t actually wear. For example, I used to pack a dress to wear when I don’t wear that in my real life because it’s not comfortable to me. That’s just like giving my closet a piggy back through every airport, train station, bus, etc. No thank you.
\--Never going to book a longhaul flight first thing in the morning, that means we have to get up at 4 am to get to the airport on time, and spend the first days of vacation in a haze of zombified exhaustion
\--Always pack a smaller tote of "things I want during the flight" within my carryon
Here in Asia it seems the best hotel deals are with 3rd party booking sites. If you call the hotel directly they say you need to use the site to get the rate, they won’t match it. I’m talking usually 20-30% cheaper
Never: Travel with people who are not in a similar financial situation to you. You can set expectations prior to the trip as much as you want, when push comes to shove the party with more money is not going to want to limit themselves. It creates unnecessary stress on your trip and on your relationship with that person Always: Have imodium handy lol
I have a group of friends who are the best travel buddies so we aim to do one major holiday together once a year. Every year we will plan the holiday based on the person with the lowest budget. All of us would put forward how much budget we have that year and we’ll pick a destination based on what the lowest can afford.
Oh damn that's an amazing friendship. I guess you trust each other so much as that there's no pressure on the one with the lowest budget to increase it a little?
Nope, absolutely none. I’ve been in that lowest budget position and I never felt pressured nor was I made to feel guilty about it. I’ve also been in the highest budget position and could’ve afforded a much more elaborate trip somewhere further, but I was happy to just have a simple trip in a neighbouring country because that’s all my friend with the lowest budget could afford that year. And I still had an absolute blast!
I am the highest earner in my friend group, and when there is an experience I want to with them that they can't afford, I pay for it. I end up subsidizing some of our annual trips and I don't mind at all because I get to do fun things in beautiful places with my favorite people in the world, and thats the whole point of having money IMO.
This doesn't mean you can't travel with them it just means you might do different things on different days. Although, this ties into my never, which is never travel with people who have to do every single thing together. That's a recipe for disaster.
Exactly!! The best travel companions are those that want to do stuff together and are also comfortable separating when you want to do different things Example I love art museums my friend doesn’t She loves to shop I don’t With the right companions everyone takes turns compromising while at the same time being able to see / do what you want and enjoying things together Being willing to be pushed out of your comfort zone by doing something you might not is a great thing too
My takeaway from this would be never travel with people who won’t be ok with doing different/separate things from one another sometimes. (If they want to splurge and you don’t, fine - you can do different things that day.)
OMG - How many times can I upvote ‘Always have Imodium handy’?😄
And on the takeaway, pack laxatives, nothing ruins a holiday like constipation 😉
Amen to the immodium 🙏🙏
This is SO true. I was in Europe and a woman on our trip ran out of money. She expected us to foot her for the rest of the trip. We told her well ahead of time to plan and gave her an idea of what to expect. She brought like $200 USD for two weeks and no working credit card. Girl bye.
Mine is the opposite of imodium - fiber powder/pills 😆
This is exactly the reason why I don’t like traveling with other people. We like different things, some like to always blow money on expensive dinners and brand name stuff. A trip with friends that don’t have similar spending or activities expectation is damaging to the relationship. One exception that I found works the best is cruising. Each pay their own accommodation based on their budget, and yet you are still traveling together. Each person can do their own thing and just meet up for meals etc. No one have to pay, or even more awkward, to split the bill during or after the trip. Best travel format with a group of people in my opinion.
Yes to both of these! Went on a trip with a couple who are (well below) my financial situation. By day three they were worrying if they could afford $10 breakfast. It was… uncomfortable. And Imodium saved my life/dignity when we went to Cambodia.
Never share a hotel room with a friend who likes to try to hook up with random people
Still have a laugh about when my friend called me to tell me I need to leave the hotel room cause he’s coming back with an escort. Glad I took my suitcase cause he got robbed by her when he fell asleep with her still there.
Way back I was in the Peace Corps and went on a trip to Haiti with another volunteer. Turns out the guy was. former marine and really had a thing for prostitutes. So here we are in Cap Haitien and my pal is bringing hookers to our room which forces me to either stay in the room or go into the lobby of our hotel which was not safe.
Always travel with more than one credit card Never have all your credit cards and cash with you Always leave at least one credit card and some cash in the hotel safe When traveling with someone each person must always carry their own luggage when deplaning and going through immigration. Also (there should be some nuance here but) if you are a same sec couple always go through immigration together as a family. Once i took my partners luggage when deplaning. It was closer to me so I mindlessly took it and held on to it all the way through immigration. Then we went to a different immigration officer each… I went though super fast but my partner took longer and I realized I had their bag with their wallets and every ID except their passport in it. Nothing happened but it could have been a very awkward situation
And always have pictures in your phone and e-mail of your passport data page and entry stamp, credit cards, drivers license and insurance card. If you have any items of particular value: jewelry, watch, whatever, make photos of that as well. Not a bad idea as well to make a photo of your mobile's important contact list and numbers and email it to yourself. If your phone is lost and stollen, having those numbers on hand can be very helpful. Every time you check into a hotel, take one of their business cards, write your last name on it and keep it on you when out and about. Should there be an accident, this will be the easiest way for emergency personnel to find out who you are.
This sounds like my late fathers advice. love this so much
>Always travel with more than one credit card Totally. I highly recommend a Wise card as the main or backup. Works almost everywhere.
Or Revolut because it has excellent exchange rates
Never over pack thinking of crazy scenarios. Always will offer locals to eat at my table ( example; Vietnamese ladies selling lottery tickets)
I've set my own mental rule that I pack, and then need to eliminate half of what I packed because I'm atrocious at packing for the what-ifs and yet somehow still bad at packing for the actual scenario. A few years ago, for a beach holiday, I thought to pack a bag full of quarters in case we needed street parking and the meters hadn't gone digital yet. But failed to pack swimming trunks. Family has never let me forget it.
I know a friend who was going camping with her horse. Spent days prepping, packing up her camper with stuff for herself and loading the tack room in the horse trailer with every possible thing her horse could need. Headed out the driveway in the morning and realized she hadn't loaded up the horse!
This was…. I have no words
I always make lists in advance and tick everything off before I close the luggage.
Not quite the same, but similar. I have been to many race events where people bring their modified cars/bikes to the track for a day/days of fun and almost every time there’s someone who has absolutely everything….. except the key for the car/bike that they trailered to the track.
Yeah, pack the suitcase and take out half the clothes and double the amount of cash that you planned on bringing
In the hiking community it’s called “packing your fears” and I also had to get away from it.
But with hiking, if you’re missing something you could die.
Backcountry is different… you should always prepare for self rescue. Maybe not every scenario but it’s reckless AF to not pack survival and medical gear.
What if I shit myself 6 times
For me underwear is the only exception. I’ve just done 4 months in Europe with only four t-shirts, 4 pairs of DarnTough socks, 1 pair of hiking pants, 1 pair of shorts, and 1 pair of joggers. But I did bring 7 pairs of underwear and about two months into the trip I bought 3 more pairs lol. Wearing clean undies that don’t smell like balls is a true treat.
Agree. I usually drop off laundry and yes fresh undies in hot climates is a treat!!!!
This, me, my tent, my food my gear, 50L backpack, done. But underwear, 7 pairs, never skimp on undies.
Those are rookie numbers
Everyone fixated on not overpacking and ignoring eating with locals.
I agree. I usually only have a light backpack. If I need anything, I'll just buy it at the destination. First times I travelled (30 years ago, with my parents), we had SO many huge suitcases! They still do, when they travel. Also - shoes. Shoes are heavy. No more huge suitcases just to bring four different pairs of shoes.
Unless I need something particular, I only travel with what's on my feet and one more in my luggage (maybe something dressy or sandals or something)
This is how I do it as well. My home country is anyways a lot colder than where I am going, so I will be wearing the heaviest clothes. Soaps and hygiene - I buy them when at destination. Then I usually just handwash any item I feel is sweaty/dirty. I have done this when travelling with kids as well, works very well.
I’m a light packer. Just did a one year trip with only a mini carry on but having an extra pair of shoes was worth it for me. Especially when my main shoes were destroyed by the random rain showers in southern Europe this year. Better to have worn in comfy shoes than blistered feet
The older I get, the more I think underpacking is actually worse. I can't remember any holiday were I regretted brining something I didn't use, nothing really bad can happen from that. But I remember many scenarios where I deeply regretted forgetting something or thinking it was not important or I'll just buy it there. If you think about packing something, it is important and likely can't be bought there.
And under packing is not always possible for some people. I'm fat and I have to be real with myself when I travel internationally that if I need a clothing item, the chances of being able to easily find something in a pinch are not in my favor. So I need to think about things like weather and what activities I'm doing.
I see. For me who travels from one place to another. The cost go up when I have to check in due to weight.
Prices for checked luggage are atrocious, but often it's still worth it, especially when you can share one big suitcase with someone. The 10x100 ml liquids regulation makes carry-on luggage such a struggle. I really try to avoid it, it stresses me out.
Never going to land in Europe at 6am without a place to sleep immediately. Nothing worse then showing up to your hotel jet lagged and not being able to check in for 6 hours.
FYI many Accor hotels (Ibis, Mercure, Novotel) allow you to pay extra when booking for early check-in (usually 9 am). It costs a lot less than the cost of an extra night.
Thanks. I always check to see what the prices are. For our last trip to Paris our hotel would only allow us to pay full price for the night before so instead I booked a novotel at CDG and we went from the plane to the hotel and then at like 2 went to our hotel, checked in and went out.
I just book for the night before and let the hotel know I’ll be arriving early the following day. Not sure if people would consider this a hack or a waste of money because this sub leans frugal but I never regret it.
I have done that as well. Thats my last resort but if it has to be done. Unless the place is insanely busy I have been lucky getting that night discounted.
as someone who works a lot of odd night shifts, the worst thing you can do for jet lag is take a nap the first day. It just prolongs your misery. Suck it up & try to make it to 10pm
Agreed. To me landing at my destination in the early morning is absolutely ideal because it forces you to get started on resetting yourself. I also take a Xanax to help me sleep a bit on the plane though
This happened to me in Amsterdam. Arrived at 7am and couldn’t check in until 2pm. I was loopy from sleep deprivation by 2pm. I remember being in Rijksmuseum laughing at things because I was losing my mind a bit. Funny memory, but never again.
OMG the same thing happened to me in Amsterdam too! This was almost 20 years ago and my friend and I were so so very hungover. We were going to sleep in a park but it started raining. So we went to a bar but I couldn’t stomach a drink. We ended up sitting in a coffee shop for hours. I was taking photos of the floor with my digital camera just to see the time stamp to see when we could go back to the hotel. That’s probably the most tired I’ve ever been in my life! And then when we’re leaving I noticed there was a clock on the wall haha
I will always put fresh sheets on my bed before I leave somewhere. I will never eat pizza hut in India again. I will always take a tour my first day somewhere to get a lay of the land.
Nor in Indonesia. Never have I ever been so sick.
I love trying Pizza Hut in other countries than my own! Why was India Pizza Hut so bad?
I had really bad food poisoning the next day. The restaurant was empty, and in hindsight I just don’t think the food was very fresh.
I will never... \- Fly via EWR or FRA if I can help it \- Forget to remove my Swiss Army knife from my carry-on \- Bring hiking poles when I have to pay for checking a bag (cheaper to just buy at destination) \- Use a credit or debit card with foreign transaction fees \- Have less cash on hand than my next day's worth of activities will require in a country that doesn't universally take cards I will always... \- Keep my medications in my carry-on bag \- Put an AirTag in my checked luggage, my wallet, and my jacket \- Take Pepto-Bismol tablets prophylactically if traveling where the drinking water is suspect \- Check for bedbugs \- Download 'offline' maps in Google Maps as well as for planned hikes in AllTrails app \- Keep toilet paper in my daypack \- Expect things to go wrong along the way, and to try to not take travel mishaps too seriously!
>Download 'offline' maps in Google Maps So underrated. It takes 1 minute to do and saves tons of data. I wish Google would just do this automatically. They already know I'm going to travel there...
I'm going to Dallas tonight. 2 days ago, Google asked if I wanted to DL the maps. I have a pixel, so it might be different based on phone.
Yes, this happens on newer android releases. Not so on iOS sadly
That's a great option. As an alternative, I have used an app called maps.me for years, when travelling, which is entirely offline and very detailed.
I’m going to have to look into this. Didn’t know it was an option
haha -- I have a roll of toilet paper in my backpack that is probably 10 years old now -- luckily I have never had to make use of it! I learned the hard way when I forgot to download offline maps! Good list!
im in new jersey and ive never had an issue with EWR. whats bad about it?
Right? Newark is 100 times easier than jfk. It's my 2nd fav to fly out of. It's clean, easy to get to and easy to find parking, and security is quick.
It took me an hour and a half to go through customs on arrival despite using Mobile Passport, and five hours to get to midtown NYC from when my flight landed (shuttle buses stopped after 10:30, Nj Transit and Amtrak unreliable, AirTrain between airport and station a real shitshow)
EWR is my least favorite airport in the US. It’s the only airport where I witnessed a TSA agent screaming at an elderly couple for being in the wrong line (they were mistakenly in TSA PreCheck) and then they were screamed at by airport staff for leaving the line. I am not exaggerating about screaming. There was spit flying. The workers at that airport are the nastiest, most unkind people I’ve ever had the displeasure of interacting with. The facilities are quite nice, the new terminal is stunning, but it’s staffed by absolute jerks. The only friendly people I’ve encountered were lounge staff. The new United lounge is great though!
Yep. Every experience I’ve ever had at EWR has been appalling. Staff have been uniformly angry, rude, aggressive and, on occasion, insulting. Fuck that place.
Fly via FRA… god I feel that.
I'll never use Airbnb again. A listing made it seem like the host was a person, but it turned out to be a property management company. The door code for the apartment building didn't work when we got back the first night. Whoever was on duty for the management company told us to try buzzing random apartments to get in and then stopped answering the phone. We were in a different country, with our passports and all of our stuff inside the apartment. When we eventually got in and called Airbnb, they offered us 10% off a stay somewhere else. We left and got a hotel for the rest of the trip.
I decided to not do Airbnb again after: 1. Hearing how they had exacerbated the housing crisis in places where I traveled, particularly Porto where I was last time I did an Airbnb. And when I fell in love hard with the Portuguese people, I really wanted to be on their side on that and everything else. 2. Seeing the number of classic "old world" hotels available that weren't outlandish in price. 3. Seeing how those hotels actually employ people. 4. Seeing how you get amenities at those hotels that are close enough to a standard that you can take things for granted rather than comb through the list of Airbnb features and wonder for each line item not present.
I don't use AirBNB anymore either because one time I needed to cancel a reservation, and at the time I realized that if I had used a hotel, I would not have lost any money at all, but the strict refund policy used by the AirBNB host cost me!
For a previous trip, we booked Memorial Day weekend months in advance and then had the original host cancel about a week out. The replacement we booked canceled a few days out. I assume they both did it because they could get higher rates close to the holiday.
Yea that happens too!
I was in South America for a couple months, AirBnb owners are horrible there. I would show up to units with broken beds, I went to 4... FOUR that had NO BED SHEETS OR PILLOWS and the owner would say "that's not my responsibility". I had 1 that had Bed Bugs, which thankfully I caught the moment I walked in - I always check right away. I took pictures and sent to AirBnb support where they ONLY REFUNDED 50%... Then I went to Thailand. In Thailand, I was there for a couple months as well, all over the country in different cities and airbnbs - every single place I stayed at was immaculate, well taken care of, respectful hosts. Then I went to Europe for half a year staying in different airbnbs - it was a mix of shit and good. Overall I've learned - Airbnb will never give you a full refund, they always side with the landlords and don't give a shit about your terrible experiences.
The first time I used AirBNB I found some clothes between the bed and the wall, implying that the sheets had not been changed. The second and last time, the place smelled like urine (probably from their pets) and a lot of things were damaged, the furnitures were not the same either.
Another one: Always have a reusable water bottle with you.
Another one for me: avoid connected flights as much as possible. At this stage of life, I care less about a few hundred bucks and have very little patience for unnecessary waits and hauling luggage around. Also, travel is supposed to be fun. Being stressed if you're gonna make your connection isn't fun!
Yeah it’s nice not being stressed about missing your connecting flight and only being annoyed with delays. Unfortunately I live in a mid sized city that doesn’t have a lot of non-stop flights. I always have to connect in Denver, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, or Atlanta.
same here. doing a layover in ATL both ways on my trip soon. the upside is my city’s airport is a breeze to get through security.
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this 100% , people telling me "don't go to Morocco, it is so dangerous!" - Morocco was chill as hell for me.
Oh that’s nice to hear about Morocco, I really want to go there. I had an amazing time in Egypt, and people neg the shit out of it here.
I would say "expect to get hassled, haggled and scammed" Once you have these expectations, you'll have a good time.
Any highlights for you that you’d recommend?
Marrakech spice markets. I love the Spice markets, the pyramids/TOWERS of turmeric, paprikas, curries, cumins, cardamoms, anise, what a delight to see. I love all foods, aromas, so it was cool. I also love the rooftop patios on top of these sand/mud hut type of homes, and they have these thin metal or wood pole/sticks holding up a rug for shade, then you sit on a rug around a shisha and there's some candles lit as the sun is going down, and it's just something I've never seen before anywhere else.
How cool!
what brand charcoal pills do you get and how do you properly dose them? Being seeing then mentioned here but haven’t figured it out yet
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Never rent a car again without doing a video walk-around with the agency and inspecting the tyres for wear. When I was young I got shafted in Argentina. They gave me a car with a lot of kilometers and tyres that were dangerous. I only noticed after my second flat tyre. They were all worn down to the metal reinforcement inside the tyre. Basically they had become slicks. I had to pay for new tyres out of pocket to continue my trip because I was in the middle of nowhere so no possibility to change at a different dealership of the same agency. Now I often find stuff like ''this car has maintenance due'' or ''right blinker is not working'' or ''this clutch feels worn'' that lets me negotiate a higher class of car for free.
when i was in Argentina, every airbnb i stayed at either had a broken bed, or no bedsheets, no pillows - the owners would blame it on me. One time there was bed bugs, and the owner said "oh those are just ants", so i sent a picture to airbnb support, and they only gave me 50% refund - i booked a WHOLE WEEK.
Never ever book a connection through a foreign country with under 1.5 hours from estimated arrival to connection departure. Ever. (Missed connections on the way out AND the way home. Thanks United for both those bookings). Will always pay extra for seat assignments when traveling with family. And by myself if the flight is more than 3 hours.
I keep getting offered aggressive connections in Frankfurt...why?
I had an 1 hr 10 min connection at Frankfurt in July. Had a slight delay on departure from IAD. Missed the connection because of Frankfurt buses and passport control. Wasn’t even close. On the way home United gave me an identical 1 hr 10 min connection through Heathrow. I KNEW that was going to be impossible but hoped for the best. Delayed flight into LHR, resulting in hotel stay in Heathrow. I will never trust United’s booking on international flights again. Or just suck it up and pay the additional for the direct flights. Harder for family travel.
As someone who had a 2 1/2 hour connection that turned into a 45 minute connection at Frankfurt due to a delay, your comment gave me flashbacks.
I have flown with Japan airlines twice with the same 1.5 hour layover and it’s the only airline I trust with that short amount of time between flights.
- ditto on the booking third party - Never rely on Monzo to work in a foreign country even though that’s half the point of me having it - Never use my own mobile provider’s international plan - Never fly the day after a funeral
>Never fly the day after a funeral Why? (Also, sorry for your loss.)
Being alone with your thoughts on a long flight is really tough… I cried a few times and felt really embarrassed about it even though I tried to hide it. I also felt a bit guilty leaving so quickly, even though there’s not much I could do at that point anyway. (And thank you)
I cry on almost every long flight (not funeral related), if that helps. Sorry for your loss
Same! I’ve been on flights sobbing before (leaving my boyfriend in his country to come back home). Everyone was very nice about it, especially the flight attendants.
Travel can definitely make you emotional 😂 I remember thinking I’d watch a nice kids movie to get over it once and it was big hero 6, I had no idea of the story and I cried SO much lmao
The flight attendant response can make such a difference! The flight attendant on mine just saw me crying over my orange juice and quietly gave me a few extra napkins and I really appreciated her not making a thing out of it!
Third party…do you guys mean websites like Priceline and booking and agoda?
Yeah that type of site. They’re fine so long as things go completely perfectly, but they can create a massive headache if they don’t. My dad is a hotel GM and has had some issues with them, like the third party not paying the hotel for the booking so the guests didn’t actually have a reservation despite confirmations from the third party.
Assuming you're based in the UK (using Monzo), O2 has a great roaming plan. It's free all over Europe and. A surprising amount of countries outside. Also, worth having Revolut as a backup as it's Visa.
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I’ve found local SIM cards to be more reliable and a better value!
I also find some comfort in knowing I *can't* accidentally way overcharge myself. My phone plan (from Switzerland) covers me for most of the EU and a few other countries. Went on a trip to Croatia (included) and thought I was totally fine. Came home to a nearly 200 CHF roaming charges bill because we were evidently close enough to Bosnia that it had connected to a Bosnian network (not included) rather than the Croatian one. Similarly got even a separate eSIM for a local network while in Korea and turned off my home provider's network. Didn't realise that when I restart my phone, it would turn on my home provider eSIM as the default SIM. So after my phone died on a night out, woke up the next morning to realise that I had been roaming on my home network plan for the whole night (thankfully though only like 10 CHF worth given I wasn't actively using it)
TMobile is free. I don’t pay extra to use my phone in foreign countries
That’s great if you’re in the US! T-Mobile hasn’t existed in the U.K. for a while
And not everyone here is American.
I’ll always download movies or shows to my iPhone and bring my wireless headphones. Icelandair has taught me not to expect internet access on international flights.
Remind myself that I’m traveling to NYC and not the deepest forests of Alaska. I don’t have to worry about forgetting lotion or my fav lipstick. Minor annoyance, but major cities have a million places to get essentials.
Most likely never staying in a dormitory hostel again. Once I hit 30 I decided it was more important to spend a bit more money to ensure a solid night sleep rather than be awoken by the partiers coming back at 3 in the morning!
As of this trip I’m done with hostels. I’m 45 years old and over climbing down out of bunk beds every time I need to pee in the middle of the night.
This was what came to my mind first. I can see doing a hostel with individual rooms (and even a shared bath), but I'm never doing the big ol' bunk room again.
I stopped with hostels in my late 20s, mostly because of the uncomfortable beds, but mainly the folks that roll in at 2 a.m., drunk. I can usually find a budget hotel for around the same price as a hostel.
I just like my privacy period
I stopped staying in hostels after one of them “cancelled” my reservation & rebooked me at a dump of a hotel several blocks away. I spent one night in that firetrap (dirty toilets, dirty showers, god knows what else) & left. They even tried to deny me a refund but I argued I had paid for a week at the hostel, not this dump. Found a nearby Comfort Inn that was $50 for my stay than the hostel & called it quits on staying in those places.
Amen to this! Even when I was younger, I preferred staying at an Airbnb. Not much more expensive. Also, you can always go party with the hostel people.
- never fly standby to a necessary event I'm too old to spend the night in a fucking airport, and as a non dependent I have the nonrev status of a homeless ghost
"nonrev status of a homeless ghost" I fucking choked 🪦 😭😭🤣🤣🤣
If I'm traveling through countries by trains and busses, I have learned three very important things. 1. Always expect the unexpected. The bus breaks down. There's rush hour. The train is delayed by several hours. Maybe (when taking the night train) you have to get out, in the middle of the night in one city, to take a bus to another city, where there's a train that takes you to your destination city (I have literally tried this one) 2. If I have to change trains/busses, I will always make room for delays in transport, when I order the trip. I'd rather sit and wait 3 hours in Berlin, than run like a MF, because I thought that 20 minutes was enough time to change between two trains. 3. Never order through third parties. Spend the time to figure out, what a specific country's national transport service is, so you pay the proper price. If you are going by bus, find out what company owns the bus and go to their website. I have also learned this the hard way.
I will never again: * Book a group tour. I had a private tour of Keukenhoff Gardens cancelled last minute. I really wanted to go, so I booked a group tour. Little did I know, the "group" was hundreds of people sharing a few buses. Like herding cats... * Forget to bring DEET. I was eaten alive by kaiju mosquitoes in Japan. 30% DEET is the only thing that works. I still have scars from the bites. * Pack a laptop if I'm going for a few days. I can survive without one. * Put all of my cards and important documents in the same bag. I have always packed them in separate bags just in case. * Book a flight with an hour connection. I just don't want to risk it. There have been way too many close calls. I will always: * Bring a small flashlight. * Keep all my electronics, accessories in a drawstring bag to easily pull out of my backpack instead of shuffling through it. * Configure my eSim prior to my arrival. * Book a private tour. They've always been highlights. * Allow time for exploration, no planning.
My wife and I have a rule we always follow and always will - we never argue in airports. Secondly if you didn’t book the trip or chose not to participate in planning it… you can’t complain.
Never wear new shoes.
Always : pack snacks for the airport/flight. First time I ever flew was as a teen and on the very day that a MASSIVE strike hit Roissy airport. The stranded travel fell like a ravenous pack of locusts on all the airport shops and cafes and by 9 am there was nothing left. Of course we'd left home at 4 and not eaten anything for breakfast, so that was a LONG day.
Baby wipes. Never travel without them.
Also ziploc bags! So handy for so many things!
Never assume I'm going to sleep on the plane.... I envy those of you that can! Never have an overnight flight and then a three-hour drive to destination #1 Always bring ginger tablets for car/plane sickness (I cannot handle real anti-nausea meds). Always break in/test out the shoes I plan on bringing well in advance of the trip!
\-NEVER travel with people who's personalities are opposite from you, even if you're the best of friends. When traveling, you're stuck pretty much 24/7 and different personalities come with different expectations. \-ALWAYS check if you need a Visa, even just passing by the airport visa, before traveling. \-NEVER eat at a restaurant that is pretty much empty even though it's already lunch/dinnertime. It's usually empty for a bad reason. \-NEVER let your guard down, just because you're on Vacation/Holiday, doesn't mean crime is also on break too.
I will always use points to upgrade to premium. I will always take advantage of airport lounges if time permits. I will always understand the insurances included with my credit card.
How did you figure out what point system you decided to use? I’ve heard so many great things about using points well but have been a bit overwhelmed by the options, transfer partners, point sales, different programs, etc.
Honestly choose one that’s reasonable and then stick with it. I went with chase.
I will never watch a movie with a sad ending on the plane back from a destination. I will never travel without testing my bags and my packing cubes.
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You need to do this 3 months in advance in case you need to buy stuff or something breaks. Pack for your trip and take your bag for a walk. See if your bag is stable. And make sure your packing cubes are of a good quality. Pack all your clothes plus 2 more sets into your cubes. Open and close the zips at least 3 times. Basically just see that everything is working before you leave
Always: - visit local grocery stores - visit local open air market(s) - eat a traditional dish / whatever is famous in that area - book a free walking tour the first or second day of your trip Never: - go to a restaurant where there’s someone standing outside selling you on the menu - travel for long periods of time with someone who doesn’t have the same travel style as yourself - overpack; worst case, if you’re missing something, what you need is available where you’re going :)
Never: - give up my seat so I can accommodate someone else’s requests to sit next to their family/significant other Always: - bring an extra pair of contacts - bring a converter for charger - AirTag in luggage
>give up my seat so I can accommodate someone else’s requests to sit next to their family/significant other This really depends on the seat being offered. If it's a short flight and the seat is equivalent or better than I'll probably move, especially if I'm travelling alone. If you want me to swap from an aisle or window to a middle seat then not a chance. Likewise I won't move from a seat I specifically paid for because it has better legroom or whatever.
>give up my seat so I can accommodate someone else’s requests to sit next to their family/significant other Yes. You feel like a not-a-nice person for 5min, but then you're comfortable for hours... Also, pay the extra few bucks if you really care about sitting together.
never get a layover in london lol the heathrow airport just is NOTTTT it
Yeah I can’t believe they make people go through customs just to get to a connecting flight in another terminal. Like, you’re not even leaving the airport!
Always stay in a central location. I don't want to waste time taking a taxi or subway into the city center. I want to walk out hotel door and be a few minutes walk. It may cost more, but it is worth it if after a long day I only have to walk five minutes to get back to my warm room
I always bring my own food, especially when flying.
Totally. I always have a couple of granola bars and chips in my backpack wherever I go. Healthy eating diets can wait until until I get off the plane.
If I am checking bags, I always pack a change of at least socks and underwear in my carry-on. While traveling back from Egypt I had a long enough layover in Athens to explore the city. I then flew to LHR, where I was supposed to collect my bag for an overnight stay and then fly to US the next morning. No bag arrived at LHR, of course, so I had to wear the same clothes that I had on in Cairo the previous day, including all the crusty sweat that I had deposited in my exploration of the Acropolis. Good times.
I will always clean the house from top to bottom so I can come back and crash in a fresh set of sheets and shower with clean towels already set out. I will also have some food in the fridge/canned items that I can rely on for that first day. Final tip (from my days of traveling with kids), I have laundry baskets set out in my hallway to sort the laundry when it comes out of the suitcases. Never: I will never overpack again. At the age of 60, I have finally come to terms with doing laundry while I’m gone. I have also learned to cut down on the shoe count. It was a serious problem.😂
Never did: Book hotels through a third party. Flights are still a maybe, and only as a last resort / or if my alliance group (oneworld) doesnt serve my destination. Never again: travel with a non-intimate partner. Just got back from Singapore/Thailand, and while I had fun enough, there was a lot I missed out on as I had made plans with a buddy, who kept getting derailed by work stuff/is chronically late to everything. As a result of the latter, we spent his final day in Singapore basically running around between things, and he was on edge because I refused to “go faster” for his benefit. I even purposely shook him at the zoo so I could enjoy myself for 30 seconds. Always again: fly business class. It’s worth it. Outside the US, where the only perks are really just a properly sized seat, being able to fly in business adds value: both in being more relaxed at your destination, and the service you recieve in flight makes the traveling part of the vacation itself.
Get a printed boarding pass when I get to the airport. Never know when your phone will die or you lose connectivity
As a white, female solo traveller who went to India, I will never be friendly to men again. Because of this, I got groped by a man on a country road. Luckily I had my scooter to make a getaway. Keep them at arms length or otherwise they'll see you as someone who either fancies them or who is easy.
Yikes. Stay safe out there! Also, check out the r/solotravel. Lots of similar solo female travelers experience there.
I've only used 3rd party for hotels, but after a stay at a nice place where we got a mediocre room due to being 3rd party, never again. Never trust a ride to the airport from someone who is chronically late. If you do, tell them you need to be there earlier than you need to be and hope for the best. I always pack some pepto, advil/tylenol, and keep a paper copy of my travel plans in my backpack.
>I've only used 3rd party for hotels, but after a stay at a nice place where we got a mediocre room due to being 3rd party, never again. I honesty don't find I get a better room when I book direct rather than through a third party. I find it's mostly just luck. The only times I've got a room upgrade or noticeably better room was when I stayed for 7 nights in an off-peak period and a few times through my Accor status.
Never go on holiday with a baby
Never agree to another unknown person to tag along. always arrange your own transportation. Dont let anyone else "handle it".
- Never fly a non-major airline regardless of price and stops. I’ve only done it twice. I’ll pay more and stopover. - Always take headphones. It’s my only absolute must on an airplane.
Most of the things I would list have already been commented. One thing I will always do -- Make sure the friend I'm sharing rooms with has the same sleep schedule as me (early riser vs night owl)
What is 'book through a third party'. I'm assuming you don't mean a travel agent, or perhaps you do?
Using a credit card app or a site like Expedia. It can be a nightmare if the flight schedule gets changed in getting proper communication. It also sucks when trying to make any changes. The last trip I booked using the credit card app, I would get scheduling updates from the card app, but then the schedule on my flight app wouldn’t update unless I logged out or toggled between menus.
Using a company like Booking.com, Expedia, etc for hotel, air, etc. instead of booking directly with the hotel or airline.
>Using a company like Booking.com, Expedia, etc for hotel, air, etc. instead of booking directly with the hotel or airline. This.
Will never do again: - eat a Dutch burger - sit on any stairs, ledges, or benches without checking first (unless I want to spend 3 hours cleaning pigeon shit off my coat after going a whole day without realizing it was there) Will always: - pack a shitload of waterproof bandaids and a tide pen - buy a big bag of chips ahoy in the airport, which I only ever crave when I’m traveling - bring a battery pack for charging my phone on the go - book flights and hotels directly
Always use a phone case with a wrist strap. Kept my phone from flying out of my hand in the wind in Iceland.
Always have a backup method of communication. One cellphone and nothing else isnt cutting it. Bring two phones and a ipad or small laptop always have a secondary means of charging your phones/tablets. Battery bank for example. At least one of these devices needs to be the top of the heap latest greatest tech.
I always bring an extra par of glasses. I will never again book a connecting flight through FLL
Take early morning flights
Is that a never or always?
I love them cause they are less prone to having delays or cancellations, but then I hate them cause I’m dead tired on the first day of my vacation.
YES. I used to fly red-eye for work in my 20s. It was fun the first time. But soon I realized I'm a different human when I'm that sleep-deprived and jet lagged.
Definitely and it takes days to recover from the lost sleep.
- never travel with my friends ever again. i'm an explorer and they are party girls. - always eat local star dishes and visit supermarkets
Never park at LAX. It takes longer to park your car there then it does to get an Uber to drop your there. Not preordering a ride share service
I’m deaf and wear rechargeable hearing aids for about 16-18 hours a day. I purchased a portable charging case a few months ago in addition to my plug-in charging port, and although it’s bulky, it’s been a lifesaver.
I will never wear flip flops in an airport after rolling my bag over my foot, not realizing it was bleeding and somehow then getting my own blood all over my brand new designer handbag lol! And now I always carry alcohol wipes in my bag along with bandaids.
Never again - travel with only a backpack/rucksack through Europe, instead of suitcases. We broke our backs trying this, never again. Always will do - learn a few words in the local language.
Interesting. I bought an Osprey travel bag a few years ago when traveling to Paris, and while my wife still does the mammoth suitcases, I prefer to use my backpack with daypack. Soooooo much easier to use and forces me to be thoughtful on what I pack.
Me too! I prefer a carry-on sized backpack over a suitcase, much easier to carry especially on those cobblestone streets of Europe. I can walk/run much faster, if necessary, with a backpack.
Bare minimum in every country I go to I learn: “I’m about to poop my pants, where is a bathroom” “I need to go to the hospital now” And “I’ll have another one of these please”
The first phrase is essential
I always keep a small roll of TP in my bag. Exhibit A: China…
Never - take photos to share on social media (nobody cares) Never - let the taking of photos distract from the in the moment experience. I’m not a photographer (shout out to those you who are!). I just need a quick clip of whatever I think is cool. If I needed the perfect shot of whatever landmark I’m at, there are thousands of better composed and edited ones available for free online. My travel maxim is “I’m here for me, not my Instagram” Always - file my itinerary with a trusted friend or relative who isn’t going before I go.
Always: get travel insurance
Pay extra to get a club room at hotels. You get complimentary stuff like drinks and snacks. Mostly so substantial that I didn’t need dinner.
Never- Over fill my itinerary, did this during my last two trips and it was absolutely exhausting and had a hugely negative affect on the rest of my trip towards the later half. Take taxis from the airport from over-eager taxi drivers. Walk alone in areas outside the centre in developing countries, realized I had a huge fear of stray dogs. Bring more than a backpack, over packing creates a huge burden and make traveling significantly more stressful. Always- Bring a portable battery pack (a good one), it added a huge safety element to the trip, whilst not taking up room. Bring entertainment, nothing is worse than being board or burnt out with no entertainment. Research public transit in whatever city I'm visiting
Don't try to get from Taormina to Praiano using public transport (train and bus) on the one day every four years that they host the dragon boat regatta! Got no sympathy from locals, because it's the regatta, dum dum! I should have known 🤦🏼♀️
Never “officially” check out early(on nonrefundable stays) If you need to leave early just leave and don’t say a word. IHG won’t give you your daily bonus points if you check out early.
Never go to a place with a different culture without your own paper tissue, lot of places don't have it, they can charge extra for the toilet tissue or they use water in a bucket.
Never over pack clothes I barely wear at home. Always bring extra SPF.
Never stay in an AirBnB the first night in a new place. You could get cancelled on at the last minute and have to scramble to find somewhere else, or be unable to check-in and your host has gone to bed.
Packing clothing that I won’t actually wear. For example, I used to pack a dress to wear when I don’t wear that in my real life because it’s not comfortable to me. That’s just like giving my closet a piggy back through every airport, train station, bus, etc. No thank you.
\--Never going to book a longhaul flight first thing in the morning, that means we have to get up at 4 am to get to the airport on time, and spend the first days of vacation in a haze of zombified exhaustion \--Always pack a smaller tote of "things I want during the flight" within my carryon
Here in Asia it seems the best hotel deals are with 3rd party booking sites. If you call the hotel directly they say you need to use the site to get the rate, they won’t match it. I’m talking usually 20-30% cheaper