The 25 Best Travel Hacks for 2023 from A Lifelong Traveler - What Works And What Doesn't
Updated: Jan 10
If you’re anything like me, then it’s probably safe to say you can’t get enough of exploring new places and meeting new people. You love learning about new cultures, appreciating the sights, and immersing yourself in the local atmosphere. As a lifelong traveler, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to find ways to make your trips a bit more affordable and convenient. After all, we don’t want to spend all of our time searching for ways to cut costs. We just want an affordable way to travel so we can see as much as possible without breaking the bank. With that in mind, here are some of the best travel hacks from a lifelong traveler that could help make your next trip not only more affordable but also more enjoyable too.
Table of Contents
Save money on your next trip by researching before you go
Airbnb is a great way to find an affordable place to stay while you’re there
Book your flight, train, or bus ticket as far in advance as possible
Eat like a local and ride the public transportation system
Stay in touch with loved ones back home by using free apps for messaging, emailing, and video calling
Don’t forget to label your belongings so you can easily identify them when you return
Find free museums and art galleries
Don’t plan on sightseeing on the first day
Stay somewhere with free Wi-Fi
Check the weather before you go
Bring your own toiletries
Be flexible with your itinerary and stay longer in each city
Take advantage of free breakfasts
Bring a travel towel to hostels
Take advantage of free walking tours in large cities
Eat local street food
Avoid tourist traps
Buy tickets online in advance for attractions and activities
Be flexible and spontaneous
Buy groceries and prepare your own meals
Respect local customs and traditions
Get a travel credit card
Bring essentials, but pack light
Stay Safe
Learn the Basics of the Local Language
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Save money on your next trip by researching before you go
If you want to save money on your next trip, it’s really important to conduct some research before you go. When you travel, you may be tempted to book your trip based on the cheapest places you could find online; however, if you don’t know what you are looking for, you could end up wasting a lot of time and money. Before you go, make sure you have a clear idea of your travel style and what you are hoping to get out of your trip. Are you hoping to see a specific sight? Is there an event you would like to attend? Once you have a better idea of what you are looking for, you will be better equipped to find the best deals online.
Airbnb is a great way to find an affordable place to stay while you’re there
If you love Airbnb, you’re going to love this travel hack. Did you know that Airbnb has a partnership with hotels all around the world? Through this partnership, Airbnb users can book hotel rooms at select hotels using their Airbnb listing. Some of these hotels are completely free of charge! You can use this hack by using the Airbnb search function to search for “for less than $50.” Chances are, you will find a few hotels that you can stay at for next to nothing. You can book these for as long as you want and even cancel if you have to. It can be hard to budget for accommodations, and Airbnb has now become one of the best ways to find affordable accommodation while traveling. You can even earn extra money while you’re on vacation. Plus, it’s a great way to meet locals who are renting out their space.
Book your flight, train, or bus ticket as far in advance as possible
If you book your flights, bus tickets, and train tickets all at the same time, it might be worth it to book your tickets as far in advance as possible. When booking your tickets as far in advance as possible, it’s important to remember to book your tickets for the cheapest possible dates. When booking your tickets for the cheapest possible dates, it’s important to remember that airlines will often try to sell the cheapest tickets first. For example, let’s say that you want to travel from New York to Chicago on a Wednesday in September for $350. However, you notice that tickets for that flight are being sold for $500. While these $50 tickets may seem like a deal, airlines will book these tickets on the cheapest possible dates. Over time, these dates often become more expensive, making a $350 ticket to Chicago nearly impossible to get.
Eat like a local and ride the public transportation system
Did you know food costs vary dramatically around the world? Some food items can cost almost nothing while others can cost a small fortune. If you are looking to eat like a local and save some money, try eating at a local restaurant and drinking water instead of eating at a fancier restaurant. Local restaurants are often cheaper than fancier restaurants and there’s no need to worry about tipping. When you eat at a local restaurant, you can often eat cheaply by ordering a simple dish and drinking water. Public transportation is a great way to save money and travel the world. Many public transit systems, including those in the United States, offer discounted or free passes for students and low-income families. These passes can make traveling much more affordable and convenient. If you aren’t able to travel as much as you would like because of your budget, signing up for public transit passes can help you save money and still travel.
Stay in touch with loved ones back home by using free apps for messaging, emailing, and video calling
Did you know that using certain apps while traveling can help you stay in touch with loved ones back home? For example, even though Skype is incredibly expensive while traveling, it is still extremely useful. You can use it to call your family and friends back home, as well as use it to do group calls with travelers who are traveling to your country. Texting apps like WhatsApp, Viber, and WeChat are very affordable in most countries and can help you stay in touch with loved ones back home. These apps can be linked with your phone’s GPS so that you can quickly and easily find your friends and family back home. You can also use these apps to make free video calls with other travelers in your area. This is a great way to meet new people and make some friends while staying in touch with loved ones back home.
Don’t forget to label your belongings so you can easily identify them when you return
Did you know that it is important to label your belongings when you travel? While passports, credit cards, and money are the most important things to label, it is also important to label your luggage, bags, and backpacks. It is easy to forget to label these items while you are traveling, but doing so could save you a lot of grief when you return home. Luggage tags are cheap and easy to mark with a marker. This allows you to quickly and easily mark your belongings as yours and distinguish them from other bags. Make sure to mark your bags with a visible tag or color so you can quickly identify them when you return.
Find free museums and art galleries
Many people think that museums and art galleries cost a lot of money. While you may want to splurge and pay for entrance to some museums, it is actually easy to find free ones. There are many museums that have free admission on certain days of the week or at certain times of the day. Some even allow you to enter for free if you bring your own cup from home. You can also find free art galleries in many cities and towns around the world. By doing a little bit of research, you will be able to find plenty of places where admission is free!
Don’t plan on sightseeing on the first day
It can be tempting to want to see everything in a new city as soon as you arrive, but this can be a big mistake. It is best to get settled into your new place before you go sightseeing. If you are going to be in the city for several weeks, it also helps if you wait until the weekend to start sightseeing because most museums and attractions will be less crowded on the weekends. The first day should be spent looking for a place to live and getting settled in, so that you can enjoy the rest of your trip without any stress.
Stay somewhere with free Wi-Fi
Sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp are great ways for travelers to find out what places are highly rated in certain areas, but they won’t help if there isn’t any Wi-Fi available at the location. If you have found a place that seems promising but doesn’t have Wi-Fi, then it might not be the best choice.
Check the weather before you go
Checking the weather before you leave is always a good idea, but it is especially important when traveling. If you are going somewhere that is in a different season than where you are from, then the weather will be different. This is why it is so important to check the weather; if there will be snow, then bring a jacket, or if it will be very hot, then wear light clothing. Checking the weather can also keep you from being disappointed; if your trip to Paris was canceled because of bad weather, then knowing that ahead of time can save a lot of frustration.
Bring your own toiletries
While hotels usually provide soap and shampoo for their guests, they usually don’t provide everything else like toothbrushes, toothpaste or razors at least not for free. It is best to bring these things with you because otherwise, you might have to buy them at your destination which could get expensive.
Be flexible with your itinerary and stay longer in each city
If you plan to visit multiple cities on your trip, then be flexible with your itinerary so that you can stay longer in each city. You will enjoy each city more if you have time to see everything, and it will also allow you to relax and take in the culture of each city.
Take advantage of free breakfasts
While not all hotels offer free breakfast, many do. If a hotel offers free breakfast then it is a great way to save money on meals while traveling. Be sure to take advantage of this perk because it will save you a lot of money.
Bring a travel towel to hostels
Hostels usually charge for towels. Even if they don’t, its still nice to have your own towel if you need it.
Take advantage of free walking tours in large cities
If you are visiting a large city like London or Rome then you should take advantage of the free walking tours that are offered by some companies. These walking tours will show you all the major attractions in the city while also providing some history and background information on each site.
Eat local street food
While some people are not comfortable with this idea, it is a great way to save money on food while traveling. Be sure to research the areas that you are visiting and decide whether or not you feel comfortable eating local street food.
Avoid tourist traps
Some places charge higher prices simply because they know that tourists will pay them. If you want to save money then avoid these areas and shop in local markets instead. Tourist trap restaurants in particular typically have subpar food at best so explore and find where the locals are dining.
Buy tickets online in advance for attractions and activities
Many tour companies offer discounts if you buy tickets online in advance. Also, by buying tickets online you can avoid long lines at the entrance of popular attractions and activities as most people do not purchase their tickets in advance. This means that if you buy your tickets early then there will be less people at the attraction which means shorter lines for you!
Be flexible and spontaneous
When traveling it is best to be flexible and spontaneous. This allows you to take advantage of any opportunities that you come across while on vacation. For example, if you are traveling with a group of people and one person wants to go shopping, then another person wants to see a museum and the third person wants to go on a hike, then go with the flow!
Buy groceries and prepare your own meals
Cooking for yourself is one of the cheapest ways to eat while traveling. You can buy groceries in local supermarkets or use services that deliver take-out food from local restaurants directly to your hotel room. Also, if you are staying in hostels then it is usually possible for you to use their kitchens.
Respect local customs and traditions
When traveling it is important to respect the customs and traditions of the locals. For example, in many countries, it is customary to take off your shoes when you enter a home. Make sure you know what is expected of you so that you do not offend anyone.
Get a travel credit card
A travel credit card can help you save money on travel expenses while also earning rewards that can be redeemed for free flights and hotel stays.
Bring essentials, but pack light
When traveling abroad it is important to bring essentials such as your passport and some money. However, you should try to pack light so that you can avoid paying extra fees for overweight luggage.
If you are flying then you can save a lot of money by only bringing carry-on luggage.
You should also make sure that you have all the necessary travel documents before leaving home. This includes your passport, visa, and any other special travel documents (for example, Covid Vaccination documentation). You may also want to look into getting travel insurance if your trip involves a lot of planning or expensive activities such as hiking or skiing.
If you are going on a long trip then it is worth investing in a good backpack that will help reduce some of the strain on your back and shoulders.
Stay Safe
When traveling abroad it is a good idea to keep a low profile. If you are in an area where people are hostile then you should try and leave as soon as possible. Stay in well-lit and populated areas and be cautious of your surroundings especially if you need to get cash from an ATM.
Learn the Basics of the Local Language
When traveling abroad and English is not widely spoken then it is important to learn at least some of the local language. This will allow you to communicate with locals and will help in general situations such as finding accommodation or making important purchases.
Conclusion
Traveling is an incredible experience that broadens your perspective and helps you see things from a different perspective. However, it can be difficult to travel and maintain a normal lifestyle when you are far from home. Traveling can be expensive and time-consuming so it is important to know how to make the most of your money and time when traveling. I wish you happy travels and please let me know your thoughts or your own experiences in the comment section below.