I submitted these ten travel tips a few years ago to a Twitter account that contacted me asking for advice. I recently found them on my computer, and realized I should share them with my readers too! Here we go…
10 Travel Trips
1. Throw an empty grocery bag in the pocket of your suitcase. You’ll be able to pack wet swimsuits, sandy flipflops, dirty clothes, loose shampoo bottles, or any other damp emergencies without messing up the rest of your items.
2. When exploring a new city on foot, upon exiting your hotel turn around and see what your hotel looks like and note any landmarks that you’d be approaching from the other side. Your mind can play tricks on you and get you lost if you don’t have any visual references.
3. If you have wet towels or swimsuits and forgot a plastic bag, look inside your hotel room closet. There’s often a plastic bag for dry cleaning tucked in the back – they are disposable and you can take them.
4. If on an extended business trip, don’t bother with packing your own toiletries unless you have specific needs. The hotels will have shampoo, lotion, and conditioner. Pack your own toothbrush and contact lens supplies though.
5. When you get home from a trip, take a photo of any clothes that you never wore. The next time you go on a similar trip, you’ll be able to remember what wasn’t worth packing.
6. If you’re celebrating a special occasion, don’t be afraid to let the hotel know. They aren’t always able to do anything but many hotels would love to send you a little chocolate or wine as a congratulations. Just email them and let them know you’d be appreciative of anything they can think of to make your stay special.
7. It’s okay not to be totally tech-dependent. At some point, you will be stuck in an airport with drained batteries. You might want to consider having some pertinent information on paper (and then toss it at the end of the trip) such as your hotel address or driver info.
8. If you aren’t pinching pennies, concierge/lounge access rooms in hotels are often worth the upgrade, as they generally provide free breakfasts and often free appetizers and wine in the evenings. (Read the hotel reviews to see what others say.)
9. Always carry your phone/tech chargers in your carryon. No matter how fully charged they already are, one day you will be stuck in an airport or on a parked airplane and really wish you had a power source.
10. Be considerate. Do not put your winter coat or small carryons in the overhead compartment on airplanes until everyone around you appears to be seated. It’s easy to squish coats on top of suitcases afterwards, but if you put the coat in first it takes up too much unnecessary room.
