Travel Tips Everyone Should Know Before They Start Planning

Going on a vacation is perhaps one of the most liberating and exciting experiences that we could ask for. We get to explore the world, sample different foods, immerse ourselves in unique and wonderful cultures that we’ve only ever heard of, and of course, meet some amazing people. However, making the most of a trip is difficult. Between time and money constraints, we’re also limited by the amount of knowledge we have on a certain country or language. As a result, it can be difficult trying to squeeze as much fun and entertainment out of a vacation. But with these following travel tips, you can stretch your pennies and experience the world in all of its glory.

These Travel Tips Will Save Money and Time

Look at discounts and last-minute flights for vacation ideas

Check out a website such as DontPayFull.com and you’ll find hundreds of coupons and discount codes for flights and trips all across the world. It’s the perfect source of inspiration for a vacation planner who is running out of ideas or wants a bit of help deciding where to go next.

Whether or not you have plans for a vacation, visiting a discount flight website or looking at sales could give you the motivational boost you need to plan your trip.

Find a travel vlogger

If you don’t have much of an idea of where to go, then you’re going to be lost when you finally arrive at your hotel. You might wander around the city and be pulled in by tourist traps, you might spend extra on hotels when there are better places to stay, and you might end up paying exorbitant amounts for something like traveling by taxi when you could save a lot of money by getting a public transport pass.

Finding a good travel vlogger or famous YouTuber that specializes in travel can help. It’s a good idea to try and identify with a YouTuber that follows the same interests as you. For instance, if you love traveling to eat and sample different cuisines, then you can follow YouTubers such as The Food Ranger who goes on tours in different Asian countries to sample all kinds of food. He makes recommendations based on his personal tastes, so if you enjoy his content then you should consider traveling to the countries that he visits in his videos.

Follow some travel hacks

There are always going to be small tips you can follow in order to get the most out of your hotel, travel, flight or even locals. For example, you could exercise a little before your flight in order to give your muscles a good stretch before you’re crammed into a small area for hours and hours. There are so many different life hacks for travelers it would be impossible to list them all in one article. But I’ve found that this article, 13 Useful Life Hacks for Travelers is pretty helpful. 

Learn the culture of the destination

If you travel to a country far from your own then chances are the culture is entirely different. You’ll be dealing with a lot of customs and traditions that you might end up violating. If you don’t want to stand out (in a bad way) then you should learn about the culture of a country before you go.

For instance, it’s very common to tip in America, to a point that it’s almost mandatory. However, in other countries, service charges are added to the bill and tips are only seen as a gesture of goodwill. In England, it’s very unusual for people to talk while using public transport, so most people stick to themselves and listen to music or stare at their phones. Another big difference is in Southern Europe, where Spaniards are known for their physical contact during conversation. It’s not seen as an invasion of your personal space when they approach you to hug or shake your hand.

Learning the language (or at least a few phrases)

If you want to blend in and make friends with the locals, then you’re going to need to learn a couple of phrases or at least be enthusiastic about immersing yourself in their culture. One of the biggest differences between someone that knows the language and someone that doesn’t is the locals are more inclined to invite them to their meetups, hangout locations and teach them all about the best places to eat.

If you don’t know much of the language or you try to make yourself stand out in a bad way, then you’re more likely to have people scam you, charge extra money for services or even lead you into tourist traps. Learn the basics of a foreign language with these straightforward tips at Hilton.com and you’ll find the quality of your vacation will greatly improve.

Plan where you want to go before getting on the plane

A great way to plan where you want to go is to follow the first tip: get inspiration. Start by looking at YouTube videos (which I already mentioned), travel guides and even blog posts. The more obscure the source of information (random blogs with few views, YouTube videos with only a couple of likes) the less likely it will cost a fortune to travel there and the less money you’ll be spending.

A lot of places in the world are fantastic for their culture, tradition and entertainment, but they might be hard to discover because they don’t have media attention from major travel websites, bloggers or content creators. These types of places are the best to visit if you want to make the most of a trip.

In short, don’t be lead on by the tourist traps and big flashy neon signs. Opt to walk the less traveled road, find all the places the locals go to and avoid the big crowds if you really want to make the most of your vacation. Use travel blogs, websites and videos to get a good idea of where to go, and plan your trip so that you don’t spend too long wandering around the city with nothing to do.