The 50 Best Travel Tips of 2024

My top trip planning tip is to… PLAN AHEAD!

However, some of us don’t like to plan ahead (my wife, included lol) and even despise planning head (also, my wife).

Understandably so, as sometimes it takes the thrill out of going somewhere new or exploring the unknown. I totally get that!

And if my full-time job was to travel the world, I’d certainly be traveling nonchalant. 

But, here I am, working a 9-5 job with three weeks of vacation a year (thanks, America).

I don’t have time to lose when I’m out of the office. 

I need every second, every breath, every destination to count! 

In the beginning, I made a lot of travel mistakes.

Not booking hotels ahead of time, not looking for flights 3 – 6 months in advanced, not paying attention to local events and happenings, lack of cultural understanding, and countless other errors.

I learned from my mistakes and my past experience has made me become a savvy traveler.

I want to help you speed up the process and avoid my mistakes.

These top 50 travel tips tips will help you stress less, save money, travel longer and get off the beaten path.

So, without further ado, here are my best 50 travel tips in 2024:

1. Always pack a spare change of clothes on your carry-on or backpack.

You never know when your luggage may be lost or delayed or the flight attendant accidentally spills orange juice on your pants. The last thing you want on a long flight is wet pants.

2. Learn the quickest ways to get over jet lag

Drinking plenty over water, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and fresh air are the best ways to avoid jet lag or at least shake it off quickly. Better yet, a shower is as good as liquid sleep… just be sure to head outside right afterwards, as the fresh air will wake you up for the day.

3. Wash your clothes in the sink if you must

Once you learn how to wash your clothes in the sink like a pro, you’ll never be worried about not having clean clothes again.

4. Learn how to pack like a pro

The never-ending packing debate has resulted in a few claims to fame, but a combination of both rolling (delicate, wrinkle-prone items) and folding (jeans, etc.) results in a pro packing approach. Better yet, pack clothes that don’t wrinkle. Better yet, never buy clothes that require ironing!

Related: The Ultimate Packing List

5. Price One-way Tickets & Return

If you’re going on a Euro trip or visiting another region where you’re covering a lot of ground, consider booking x2 one-way tickets (e.g. one way into Barcelona and one way returning from Malaga). This can save you a lot of time and money as you won’t have to backtrack.

Related: How to Use Google Flights

6. Know how to pack your hats 

Ever travel with a hat, only to arrive with it more or less resembling a scrunched up piece of paper? Learning how to pack your hat like a pro can change that. All you gotta do is pack the head with clothes (small items like undies and t-shirts), sit it in your suitcase, pack around it firmly and voila!

7. Always do your laundry before you pack

On that note, packing becomes about twenty times easier when you do your laundry beforehand.

8. Always carry baby wipes or dude wipes

Sometimes there won’t be a shower. Sometimes there will be delays and showers could be days apart. Sometimes there is no toilet paper and using a bum-gun is not your thing (Am I right Thailand?!). Avoid feeling gross (with a strong odor) and bring along baby wipes or dude wipes for a quick fresh feeling.

Related: Travel wipes

9. Pack entertainment

Ensure you have on-hand entertainment like an e-reader, movies or music…you’ll never hate flying long-hauls again!

Related: Everything you Need to Know About International Travel

10. Buy a Hard Suitcase

This one is self explanatory but the non hard suitcases get damaged, easily. Ever arrived at a destination and found something broken, be that inside the suitcase or the case itself? Buying a hard case was the best investment I ever made: no more broken camera gear, no more worries (I’ve even packed glass bottles inside before with no troubles).

Related: Hard Suitcases on Amazon

11. Pack one of everything

You can only wear one pair of jeans at a time and to be quite realistic, jeans last a fair amount of wears before needing a wash! The less you pack, the less you carry. If you find yourself in a pickle there will be somewhere nearby to purchase that item – don’t sweat it!

12. Leave room for wine in your suitcase 

Not only is bringing home wine a great souvenir, but you’ll be able to enjoy it while reflecting back on your trip!

Related: Wine bottle travel protector

13. Pack comfortable walking shoes

If hiking or traveling around Europe, you will be doing a lot of walking. Bring at least one pair of sneakers or gym shoes.

14. Research food before you go

Again, you don’t want to go hangry and research helps you determine all the options, versus picking a place based on what the outside or inside of the building looks like conversely, go on a local foodie tour!

15. Act now, apologize later

For many years I had always been to shy or concerned not to do things – like being unsure if I was allowed to take photos or not knowing if I was allowed to enter a certain door. In the end I realized that if I’m doing something wrong, I could apologize afterwards. Better to see, do and try everything than to never know. Plus a smile goes a long way to get you off the hook! JUST DO IT

16. Keep Notes

It never hurts to write a few things down or make an Apple note. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to forget those intimate little moments like when you caught eyes with a stranger or the finer details like the scent of those fresh blooms… and one day you’ll want nothing more than to remember.

17. Learn key phrases

One of the best things I did a few years ago was take the time to learn key phrases for each country I was visiting in Europe. Knowing how to say “NO”, “Please”, “Thank you” and “Do you have vegetarian?” has been a huge help over the years.

18. Always pack snacks

On a day trip, on a week-long trip, on a plane trip… always pack snacks. You just never know when you’ll next find something to eat. Never forget snacks, never. You or your travel buddy do not want to go hangry, trust me. Pack light snacks without a lot of sugar too.

19. Have multiple streams of money

One of the worst things to happen to me whilst traveling was losing my wallet with all my credit and bank cards inside. These things DO happen. In an ideal world I would have had some cash stored away in my suitcase for an emergency, but I didn’t. And boy was that a long, drawn out, hungry day.

20. Ask for help

Chances are that little old lady peeking up from her newspaper is just dying to give you directions. All you gotta do is ask.

21. Ask for suggestions

On that note, start asking locals for suggestions instead of always consulting Google (it does help A LOT of the time, but sometimes it is best to just ask a local). They can tell you some great local insider tips and often will offer to show you around or at least take you to the place you’re looking for.

22. Ditch the movies & things you can do at home

DON’T DO IT… that film isn’t going anywhere! Instead, opt for something fun where you can actually meet people and mingle with locals, like a bowling alley or local sports event.

23. Dry Shampoo

…saves lives.

24. Keep your luggage locked

Keep your mind at ease while traveling with a good set of TSA approved locks.

Related: TSA-approved luggage lock set

25. Ditch the sarcasm at border control

Have a solid answer when asked “What is your profession?” Instead of answering “well I’m a writer, kinda… more like a blogger really… I just, yeah, I just write and take photos”. Never ends well!

26. Never pack a big book on a plane

Believe me this should not be overlooked. I have packed books before. And more often than not, it was a guide book. But it just takes up so much room. If you must, take a “pocket book” or travel-friendly size book.

27. Pack your carry-on carefully

After losing my bags in Germany, I will no longer leave a country without packing a few handy essentials in my carry-on, including: my toothbrush, toothpaste, some spare underwear, deodorant and a spare outfit.

Related: Shop carry-ons on Amazon

28. Do not Sleep in. Ever.

OK, maybe sometimes it’s essential but try to avoid sleeping in every day.

29. Be Patient

You’ll be surprised how much better an experience you have when you just remember to be patient and understanding of the situation. Remember life is not what happens to you, but how you react to it!

30. Travel Insurance

Make sure you are carrying at least one travel credit card that has rental car and trip protection insurance like the Capital One Venture card.

31. Pack a scarf

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times a scarf has come in handy whilst abroad for my wife. Not only to negate the effects of airlines thinking they should resemble the weather in Antarctica, but also in situations where covering up is required like churches.

32. Back up photos & videos ASAP 

When travelling for an extended period of time you’re likely to accumulate hundreds and thousands of beautiful memories in the form of photographs and videos. Imagine how you’d feel if you lost said memories and could not ever get them back? I would strongly suggest a cloud system (online back up) or investing a small amount on this little device that backups your photos directly onto a USB device. It’s super tiny and easy to store in your bag, purse or carry-on.

33. Take lots of (but not too many) photos

On that note, let’s take a moment to talk about photos. I wanted to simply write “take lots of photos” but I strongly believe you can take too many photos, to the point where it becomes overwhelming. So read some of my photography 101 on my site and learn to take better photos, not more photos.

34. Learn your camera gear inside out

Trust me on this — you’ll never miss that gorgeous pastel coloured sunrise again if you just know how to work that camera. Here is the camera I use for incredible photos!

35. Have more budget than your budget

If you go anywhere new and have a really good time, you’re bound to go over budget. If you don’t go over budget, you’re probably not having as good a time as you could (splurge a little!) So whenever I budget for a trip I always have a booster budget (a few hundred dollars above budget) for the fun stuff I might come across and just want to say yes to, without having to worry about finding the funds to do so!

36. Drink plenty of water

I’m actually terrible at this, but I’m working on it. Bring a LifeStraw with you so you can feel comfortable taking tap water from any source while you’re vacationing.

Related: LifeStraw water bottle

37. Lower your expectations

I speak from experience when I say that having high expectations hardly ever leads to a positive trip abroad. Remember that when you travel things will always be different to the way you expect them and these are often things outside of your control (take the weather for example). Stay positive – it could be worse! You could be at home on the couch watching the travel channel!

38. Pack your suitcase and then remove half

I once read this travel tip years and years ago and laughed it off, thinking there was no way I could remove half of my luggage after spending so much time diligently picking out each and every item I just knew I would need on my trip. But I promise you, less is more (plus you’ll have more room for purchases).

39. Have a plan for sickness

If you’re prone to illness or you’re spending more than a few weeks overseas, chances are you will fall ill on your trip at some point time. When it happens it really does suck more than at home as you’re in foreign surrounds and your best chance of survival is to come prepared.

40. Travel closer to home

Travelling close to home is one of my favourite ways to counteract my relentless desire to get away and explore. Hello, road trip!

41. Learn a language, any language!

When it comes to learning new languages I pretty much suck for the most part. There, I said it. But while I can’t learn a whole new language and retain that knowledge, I can (and do) make an effort to learn a few key phrases in every language of countries i am visiting and once you start it is hard to stop! Besides getting over the fear of “sounding funny” is half the hurdle. Once you’re fine with trying new words and sounds it is much easier to learn a new language as it becomes so much easier to practice on anyone and everyone you meet.

42. Always store your hotel address + room number

If I had a dollar for every time I have found myself exploring a city for hours, always ending up kilometres away from my hotel with no idea how to return… well, I’d probably have enough for a new plane ticket! A great way to avoid becoming legitimately lost is to write down your hotel name, address and room number in your phone so that you always have something to refer back to. Better yet, take a screenshot of your hot pin on Google Maps from your phone before you leave for the day!

43. Supermarkets make for a cheap dinner

Okay I know I probably shouldn’t say this (because eating out is all a part of the local experience and all), but sometimes I just feel like a quick and cheap bite to eat that I can take home to enjoy or eat on the walk home.

44. Splurge every so often

If you’ve spent any amount of time on my blog whatsoever I’m sure you will know by now that I love gelato. While I admire budget travellers for their frugal ways, I myself have a little too much intrigue when it comes to new experiences (be that food, activities or seeing a theatre show) and just can’t say no. If it makes you feel good; do it. Splurge on all the gelato!

45. Always ask the price first

Before you get in a cab, before you commit to buy that kitsch souvenir, before you walk into a restaurant… always check the price before you commit or be willing to pay more than you’d like for something you may not even like at all!

46. Don’t overplan your trip

While pre-planning is a great idea, leave time for spontaneous adventure too! Don’t book things every hour.

47. If you need something, just ask

Ask a local where’s the best coffee in town, ask your receptionist if they have spare bathroom supplies before buying them, ask if you can try a flavour before you buy… its true that if you ask, you shall receive!

48. Be kind at check In

One of the biggest tips I have for you when scoring a hotel upgrade or getting a better seat on the plane is just to be kind. Even when you don’t want something from someone, be kind. Always be kind.

49. Sprint off the plane

Sick of spending too much time in lines and in airports? Arrive late (though don’t miss your flight… that would not be good) and leave early (run off that plane and fly to the front of the line at immigration).

50. Remember it’s not wrong, it’s just different

Always try to keep an open mind and remember that your way is not necessarily right, but just the way you know it to be. Don’t be afraid to look at things from a different perspective – its the best way to learn!

I hope these travel tips & tricks help you in your travels! As always, If you have any questions, I’m only a comment or DM away. DM me on Instagram @navigator.nick!

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