10 Life-changing Travel Hacks for a Smoother Journey

If you’ve ever travelled before, you’ll know how stressful it can be. Forgetting your passport, overpacking, and missing your flight are just some of the rookie mistakes you can make when travelling. But don’t beat yourself up about it - it happens to the best of us!

To avoid some of these travel mishaps, check out our top 10 travel hacks to make your next trip a little smoother.

1. Roll, don’t fold
Ditch the folded clothes in your suitcase. Rolling your clothes allows for tighter packing, giving you more space to fit your belongings. You can even roll your underwear and socks into shoes or zip-lock bags for optimal space-saving!

Still not able to fit everything you need for your vacay? Check out these 8 packing tips to fit more into your suitcase.

2. Pack a multi power strip
If you’re travelling with family, or a group of friends, this ones going to make you the hero of the trip. Hotel rooms and Airbnb’s almost always don’t have enough power outlets. A multi power strip will allow you and your travel companions to charge all your devices, all at the same time.

3. Download Google Maps for offline use
A great travel hack for the navigators of the group is to download Google Maps to use offline. You can do this by going into Google Maps to area you’d like to save, and then type “OK Map” into the search bar, and press ‘Download’. Voila - you’ll now be able browse the map offline on your mobile, even when you don’t have internet connection.

4. Bring a pillowcase
No, we don’t mean the whole pillow - just the case. You can use it in multiple ways. It’s a great clothes compressor that can help you pack bulky clothing items like puffer jackets to optimise space in your suitcase. It’s also handy in emergency situations when you might need a comfy pillow when you’re stranded at the airport for hours on end. Simply stuff some of your soft clothing in the case and you’re sorted.

5. Reserve the aisle and window seats when you can
Let’s be honest, no one likes sitting in the middle seat of the plane. If you’re travelling with a partner or friend, try reserving both the aisle and window seats if they’re available. Other people booking on the flight generally don’t want to book a seat in the middle of two strangers. If you’re lucky, you may get a spare seat between the both of you for extra space! If not, just ask to switch seats to sit next to your travel partner.

6. Don’t unpack your travel essentials
If you’re a frequent traveller, keep your travel essentials stashed in your suitcase when you’ve made it back home. Things like your travel adaptor, neck pillow, and spare chargers are items that can be kept in your suitcase at all times. Not only does it save you storage space, but it also saves you from hunting the items down when it comes times for your next trip.

7. Never unpack your toiletries kit
Another helpful tip for frequent travellers is to have a designated travel toiletries kit that never gets unpacked. Keep all your refillable travel-sized containers in your toiletries bag to save you from packing and unpacking every time.

8. Keep scanned record of important documents
It’s a good idea to keep a scanned copy of your passport, ID, and itinerary on your phone. In case you lose your phone while travelling, you’ll also want to email the copies to yourself so you can access them whenever you need. This provides you with an extra copy of your important documents in the unfortunate event of loss or theft.

9. Wear compression socks on your flight
A victim of swollen feet on long flights? Wear compression socks to reduce the swelling, and give you better circulation throughout your flight.

10. Collect all your loose foreign change and give it to the homeless
Nothing’s more annoying than coming home with a bunch loose change from your trip that’ll probably end up in your draw somewhere. Instead, collect all your foreign change and give it to the homeless before you head home.

Need more travel tips for your next journey? Visit The SimCorner Blog!