The Ultimate Travel Tips List

Our attitude towards travel is that it is better to be safe than sorry. For this reason we take some simple precautions that some people think are a bit overkill, but we disagree. A few simple steps can go a long way towards staying safe so you can just focus on having fun and not worry about anything... Below is the ultimate list of travel tips:

SAFETY

Carry a decoy wallet-it should have inside: $5 of local currency, old/expired/fake credit cards, an old train pass or other ticket, and maybe a few receipts without your CC info on it so that if you get robbed, you can hand over your "wallet" and fool them into thinking it's real, then laugh as they run away thinking that they cleaned you out.
Split your money in 4 places: a money belt (worn inside your pants), internal pocket, shoe, wallet (very little)
Scams are different everywhere. Learn about them in each region by doing research online, in a guidebook, or by talking to other travelers.
If you feel like someone is following you, duck into a store and browse long enough for them to lose interest in you.
Always keep an eye out for safe-spots to duck into, especially at night: cafes, hotels, & brightly lit stores are good, anywhere that you can escape to safety if someone approaches you and you need to get to safety/away fast.
Keep a coin or two in each pocket to be readily available to give to musicians, playing on the street, baggage handlers on buses, etc, but keep your bills separate. You don't want to look like a target by reaching for a coin and having lots of bills come out.
Keep coins in a pocket where they won't bang together. You don't want to invite the attention of pickpockets or beggars.
Copy your passport 3 times before you leave home-leave 2 with friends or family back home, and carry 1 with you (instead of your actual passport--lock this in a safe upon arrival at your hotel/hostel) during day trips. Also copy visas you bought before arriving to that country. Take a couple of visa (passport size) photos with you for on-the-spit visas. It will save you hassle.
If someone approaches you, know that they may have THEIR best interest in mind, and not yours. If someone tries to grab you (to tell you forcefully that they have a good hotel for you), get out of their reach. If they do grab you, state firmly "NO" and move away from them immediately.
Keep your head on a swivel. Be responsible for your own street crossings. Motorcycles, cars, buses, and bikers are thinking about their travel--not yours--so be careful.
When renting gear, check it yourself for quality and function. Make sure the zippers work, the belt fastens, and the pockets do not have holes. Ensure that shoes are a good fit. It matters out in the field! This is especially important with activities such as hang gliding, mountain climbing, and cycling. Good gear can save you life, or at least make your trip memorable in a good way instead of a bad way.

FINANCIAL

Put departure country's coins in left pocket, arriving country's in right pocket. It will save time and prevent frustration, especially from those people in line behind you as you tip the 1st baggage handler you see or make your first purchase.
Don't exchange money with someone on the street-the exchange rate will be terrible, and they have been known to ask you to hand them your new cash back (after you count it) and skim some off the bottom without you noticing. This is one of many scams.
Carry back-up cash when traveling to remote towns. ATMs may be hard to find. Or, they may be locked late at night or on the weekends. In some countries, currency exchanges are closed for 4 hours in the middle of the day right when you may need money.
Give what you can when visiting a museum or zoo with a suggested donation. Your donations are often the only financial means to keep the place open and the lights turned on. Every dollar helps, especially when every visitor gives one! The ensures that traveling will continue to be amazing for those who come after us.
Always have small bills on hand. Taxi drivers are famous for not having change. Break your big bills at supermarkets or restaurants.
You're going to lose a little money when exchanging currency; minimize this amount by shopping around when possible to compare rates of different currency exchange stores, but don't let it ruin your day if you lose dollar here or there. What you lose in that dollar will be made up for in experiences. For the best rate, go to an ATM and withdraw cash in that country's bills. (Credit card advances are not the best way to get cash-use your debit card instead). you may want to ask the hostel's front desk staff which ATM nearby charges the smallest fee.
Ask if there is a fee to use your credit card when making a purchase-sometimes it may be 3%, or 19%. It may cost less than an ATM fee would cost to withdraw more cash, depending on your purchase and your bank. Note: Using a credit card is helpful to track your purchases when you return home.
Agree on a taxi rate before getting into a taxi. Often, meters are "broken" or do not exist, and you may pay much more than is fair. This throws off the local economy, so do everyone a favor and try to get the fair price. Ask hotel staff or fellow travelers. If you think they are overcharging you, walk away. They often will then call out a price that is fair. You can then say "ok, thank you" with a smile (so they know you are nice, and not stupid) and then hop in.

DIRECTIONAL

Upon arrival at a bus or train station, pre-purchase your departure ticket. This saves you a trip back there and ensures you will have a seat the day you want to depart.
Before you leave a hostel and head out to the bus station, get a map or ask the hostel staff to write down directions. You may easily forget a left or right and that could mean the difference between walking through a good neighborhood versus a bad neighborhood, or finding the bus station or not.
If you are going to travel the next day via plane, bus, train, or boat, learn the schedule the day before and arrive at least 15-30 minutes before departure. I have seen buses leave 5-10 minutes early because they are nearly full and passengers get stranded.
If you are partying the night before you travel (and may be hungover), pack everything before you leave for the evening, zip your bags and put them by the door (or in your locker) so that your groggy self will not be able to forget anything as you rise & shine and stumble out the door. That includes cell phone, charger, wallet, and passport. People forget these-I've seen it happen and it really cramps your day to miss an international flight or even just a bus.
Upon arrival at a hostel/hotel, ask for their business card, and see if they have a small map. I've seen tired, hungry travelers stumble into the first hotel they see (or can afford), toss their bags in their room, then bolt to a restaurant, then realize they have no clue where their hotel is nor what the name is. Not good.
Get a basic guide book so you know some hotel suggestions of your destination city, potential dangers, how to get around town and on to your next destination.
Put a loop of string around the spine of your guide book--it's the perfect place-marker of the city you are in & can't fall off like a Post-it note. Plus, it's more earth friendly. Slide it off and back on again when you travel to the next city.
Overnight busses with border crossings mean very little sound sleep. Be prepared to schedule a nap in your morning upon arrival. Groggy, slow-to-respond travelers are setting themselves up for trouble (getting frustrated, lost, mugged, or just looking like someone to hassle).
Briefly memorize the map of the town you're arriving in before you get off the bus to walk towards your hostel. If you don't have a guidebook with a map, take a screen shot on your electronic device before you leave the previous city, or buy a paper map upon arrival. Most information kiosks will give you a free on. Take a glance at your compass to make sure you know which way is North before you get off the bus. If you need to look at your guide book or map again, do so very subtly; step inside a store if necessary in order to look at your map out-of-site of the "sharks", or buy something small from a street vendor & ask them for directions with a hello and a smile.
Be flexible, mentally. You may miss one bus, but you will catch another one and have that adventure instead. Who knows-the time you spent waiting for the next bus may offer one of the most interesting adventures yet!
Time tables change often so don't completely rely on your guidebook. Know what time buses or boats leave the next day so that you don't waste several hours waiting to leave. This also can help you to make a connecting bus or boat on time and not have to waste a night stuck somewhere that you don't want to be stuck.
Leave one city early enough to arrive in the next city during daylight hours. Getting off a bus or boat at night with a huge backpack or suitcase is asking for trouble. Take a taxi to your hostel/hotel if you arrive after sunset. It's worth it to keep yourself and your stuff safe.
Write down the name of your hostel you're going to as well as the address and phone number if you do not speak the local language well. The taxi driver or people on the street who you ask for directions can probably understand the written word better than your spoken words (though they'll love it if you do try to say it at least once!).
It is better to say "yes" if your taxi driver asks if you have a hotel reservation. In some countries, they will tell you the hotel you asked to go to is full, so they will take you to a different hotel (one where they get commission for bringing you, which may not be the best hostel/hotel for you and also increases your price). Let the hostel you picked out suggest another place for you if they are truly full upon arrival.
That said, have a back-up hostel picked out in case the first one you visit is full. Not all front desk staff will suggest another hostel to try. Look at your map inside the hostel, then put it away and go to the second hostel. Walking around with a map in hand makes you look like fresh meat to a hungry predator.
Border crossings usually go like this: stamp out, walk somewhere, stamp in. Make sure you pay the departure fee or entry fee only if required & legal. Don't just pay a random person because they say you should. Unfortunately, this happens with some border police and it is not legal. But tourists often do not know and so they pay it anyway. Do your research ahead of time.
Think ahead to your departure date a couple of days in advance to determine how much money you'll need to get through the last two days. This way, you can usually avoid having to lose value when you change exchange money for your own country's currency (or the next country your going to). Calculate any hotel check-out taxes or fees, meals, & transportation fees to the airport.

PACKING

Always put everything back in its place in your bag-You'll always know where it is.
Fold socks together. One will run away otherwise!
Roll clothes to save space, prevent wrinkles and stay organized.
Use Eagle Creek Zipper Compression bags to reduce the size of your clothes. You can squeeze all of the air out then zip the bag shut. This really helps with bulky items like fleece.
Use a Travel bra and/or money belt--Store your passport, cash, and credit cards in them at all times. Wear them when traveling and lock them in your hotel safe or locker on non-travel days.
Take a daypack with you. It should be big enough to hold a water bottle, guidebook, sunscreen, granola bar, camera, and waterproof shell.
Carry a ponytail holder around your wrist, ladies-keeps hair out of your eyes in windy situations, off your neck when it's hot, and can close up holes in plastic bags in an emergency.
Take sturdy 1 qt ziplock bags. Great for leftovers, nuts from the bulk food department, and prevent liquids from leaking into your backpack when they spring a leak.
Wrap duct tape or cotton balls around sharp corners of toothpaste tubes & lotion containers before placing them in a plastic bag. Those sharp corners can puncture a Ziploc bag, and when a liquid springs a leak, it will leak right out of the Ziploc bag.
Use a screw-on lid on your 3 ounce shampoo bottle instead of a flip-top. Flip-top lids eventually become loose and can get pressed open in your backpack or suitcase and require a lot of clean-up time upon arrival. Plus, you'll lose your precious liquid that you carried all the way there!
When driving uphill and making a significant increase in altitude, even screw-on lids may pop off due to the increase in pressure. Put liquids in ziplock bags, and beware when opening the bottle upon arrival as it may explode and make a mess.
Take adaptors with you. They might be hard to hunt down.
Take water purification drops, a SteriPen/UV light or a water purifier with you. If iodine, use only for 1 month (if drinking the water you treat with iodine).
Travel with a headlamp or tiny flashlight (to look thru your backpack at midnight in a dorm room), a compass, & pen to fill out forms.
If your pants are fairly fitted, do not keep anything of value in your pockets. Tissues or one coin is fine, but don't invite pickpocketers.
Buy pants with zippers, or get zippers installed if yours have none. Even better is a flap with a snap that covers your zipper. They are too hard for pickpocketers to get into! Those people are prosfessional and fast.
Pack and then cut it in half. Girls: you might need to cut it in half again! Remember you have to carry it on your back. Note: Heels aren't sensible. Pack a pair of cute flats instead.

Misc

Trust people, but don't tempt them. Lock your zippers together, and lock your dorm locker. Use 2 small combo locks (keys to padlocks can get lost or rust): One on your day-bag, one on your main bag/on your hostel locker.
*If you can't find a lock, use a safety pin or twist-tie around your zippers. It will deter would-be thiefs. Even a simple twist-tie would take some rattling to undo and would alert you to the fact that someone's hands are on your bags.
Respect the locals. Be friendly, and they'll look out for you. For example: Don't get in line during rush hour in a city until you know how it works (at one bakery, you had to pick out your food in one line & get a receipt, pay in another line, then pick up your food in another line in Santiago...confusing!)
Know 10 basic words in the country you're going to (Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, how much?, bathroom, one ticket please,... ).
Make a friend or two on a bus or train--you can look out for each other and mew friends are great for taxi-sharing upon arrival.
Always keep zippers zipped, especially on pants pockets! Then you'll never have to wonder if something fell out.
Take pics of church signs, etc. when traveling. You will most likely forget the names by the time you sit down to label all of your photos.
If you see a crazy sign that says "Chicken Drop", GO! Travel provides many unexpected adventures.

Air Travel

Hydrate! The air is dry up there and not only makes your skin dry out, it also makes your throat dry which can make it sore, and dehydrate the rest of your body which will make you feel lethargic (as if jet lag isn't already doing enough in that department!). Every time a flight member offers you water, take it. I also take along a filter water bottle and fill it up after I go through security. They cost only $8-10 and the filter is good for 2 months which is much more economical than buying 1 bottle for $4 in an airport. If you're in a country where even the airport water may not be safe to drink. Add iodine drops to it and wait 20 minutes before drinking it. Some airports (especially in the USA) will have extra security screenings at the gate as you board & even make you throw away water you bought after you went through security. So, either go to your gate and see if they have additional security before buying a drink or prepared to chug it quickly.
Inquire in advance if you need to print out your airline ticket to enter the airport. India requires this for some airports, among other countries.
Leave earlier than you want to. Some airports are so large that running to your gate might still take 20 minutes at a good clip. Then, you'll be tired, sweaty & probably stressed out. Some airports have trams that take you to your gate, so running isn't even an option.
Being late not only might mean you miss your flight, it might also mean that you have to buy a whole new ticket to board the next plane out. It will just depend on the airport. If you miss the last flight of the day to your destination, you may get stranded (unless your hotel or hostel still has room for you when you return and try to check in).
If you're early, you'll have extra time to relax, read, grab a snack, or browse in the bookshop before hopping on your flight. If you want to splurge on one of the many airport luxuries you can find now, such as chair massage, manicures/pedicures, yoga, or hair salons, you'll arrive in your destination city that much more relaxed and prepared. Maybe you'll even meet a new friend if you just sit and wait.
Wear loose socks and loosen your shoes. Long flights mean your circulation will be reduced since it's hard to get your heart pumping and blood moving (unless you have a really racy romance novel in hand). This can account for swelling which will really cramp your style if you are trying to meet up with friends for dinner upon arrival and you can't get your feet into your shoes.
Get up and take a walk at least once, if not 2-3 times. This will help prevent deep vein thrombosis. Your row mates will understand if you're in the window or center seat! You just might inspire them to do the same.