7 Travel Tips For Everyone
Cheesin’ on Cannon Beach, Oregon
Whether you’re traveling solo or vacationing with family, here are some helpful tips to add to your travel smarts folder (in your brain, obviously). As someone who’s been traveling internationally for almost twenty years, these are some repeat “yeps” I’ve collected and applied repeatedly.
Bring At Least Two Credit Cards, from Different Providers
It’s always good to have a backup card. I’m not out here offering you financial advice but in the event that one of your cards is lost, stolen, or frozen, having a backup card is a lifesaver. I also highly recommend having them from different providers, mainly if one of your main cards isn’t a Visa or Mastercard. In case you didn’t know, American Express is oftentimes not accepted in many overseas locations and/or local, small businesses. Don’t get stuck without a form of payment.
Alert Your Bank(s) of Your Travel Plans
This tip has slightly changed with time, it used to be that you almost automatically got frozen as soon as you swiped your card overseas, but times have changed. Many banks don’t require an alert (some don’t even seem to have the option to provide one) but some do. Reach out to your bank in advance to make sure you cover your bases, ahead of travel. You never want to be stuck without access to your money, and once you’re out of the country it feels infinitely harder to connect with the right people (especially when you’re stressed).
Keep a Little Bit of Cash on You, Disperse the Rest
Let’s be honest, cash is no longer king (often, Venmo is). That being said, there are still plenty of places where this isn’t true but start with a small sum of cash. Keep a little on you but divvy up the rest in various bags and compartments. There are many perks to this too, it keeps you honest with your spending, it helps prevent any sticky fingers from taking all of your money (if they get their hands on some), not to mention, it’s an amazing feeling when you forgot you hid a few bills in that one random pocket… and then all of a sudden, you feel like Mommy Warbucks.
Set up an International Travel Phone Option
I will be the first one to admit that I’m bad about this. I’ve traveled to most places without cell service, relying simply on the wifi of my stay and wherever I may pop into (cafes, shops, etc.). And while I do love the disconnect that brings me, it’s not smart. That being said, I do usually have a backup plan - aka money in my phone account to turn on travel coverage if I need to - but there are so many better options than that, that offer you more coverage for the same, if not better, price.
Be better than me - get yourself a SIM or eSIM (I recently fell in love with Airalo) when you’re traveling outside of your home country. Also, that bus ride is more fun when you can listen to a variety of music (vs the few songs you downloaded on repeat).
Always Know Where Your Passport Is
Your passport is your ticket home, don’t forget that. Protect that like it’s a precious gem. Keep it hidden while you're staying in places but, if you’re not using it often, make sure to do a little check-in to confirm it’s where it’s supposed to be. I’ve never lost or had a passport stolen, and I hope I never experienced that.
Learn a Few Key Phrases + Put Them on Your Phone
Travel is stressful and what can happen when we’re stressed? We forget things. If you’re traveling somewhere you don’t know the language, put a few key phrases - “I need help,” “Do you know where…?,” “Do you speak English?” - in a notes tab or Google document, can be useful in your day-to-day as well as if you’re in a bind.
Reviews are Your Best Friends
When it comes to where you are staying, don’t skip reading through the reviews. Make sure that you are not just looking at the good ones either (as those are oftentimes prioritized in the scroll). Also, read them across multiple sites (if possible). If you’re booking a stay through Kayak or HostelWorld, Google it as well (and sort to “recent”) to make sure everything is adding up. Bonus: by doing this you can sometimes save yourself money if you find a better rate on another site.
Have an amazing time!
Tag @accentgolden on social if these tips helped you and follow along for more travel insights!
