Travel Tips

These are my travel tips from more than 12 years of around the world travel. This is what I’ve learned about how to travel, what I have taken from the mistakes I’ve made, and the process of formulating a strategy go travel a little better, cheaper, and with less hassle.

Perhaps you can take a little something from these travel tips, too?

Help other travelers by contributing your own travel tips below.

Accommodation

• Bus Station Hotel- How to sleep in bus stations for free
• Family hotels better accommodation for travelers- Search out family hotels to stay in when traveling.
• Meeting travelers in hotel etiquette- Why you should be friendly to your fellow hotel boarders, even if you don’t want to.
• Couchsurfing Tip- Request longer stays for more Couchsurfing success.
• How to deter hotel theft- Safe guard your possessions in hotels.
• Airport Hotel is Free- Save money by staying overnight in the airport on early morning departures and late night arrivals.
• Apartment in Budapest, Hungary- Temporary stay apartments are cheaper than hotels.
• How to Sleep Outside for Free- In many circumstances, a traveler could find himself outside after nightfall without a place to seek shelter and, in some cases, without the monetary resources to rent a bed even if one was available.
• Timeshare Rental- This can be a great ‘home base’ option as you explore an area.  They usually have deluxe amenities more like a home, and sometimes even the most seasoned budget travelers can use a few comforts.  They can be rented for a week, often for much cheaper than you might expect.

Food and Water Tips

• Cook for yourself when traveling- One of the best ways to stay healthy and travel cheap.
• How to eat vegetables abroad without getting sick- Tips on how to prepare vegetables and when to not eat that salad.
• Dumpster Dive for Free Food- A guide on how to find free food in dumpsters.
• How to Eat Roadkill- How to get free meat on the side of the road and prepare it safely.
• How to Find a Good Restaurant- Travel tip about choosing wisely when eating in restaurants.
• How to make beer cold without refrigeration tip- Have some water? Some toilet paper? You can make those warm beers cold.
• Eat for free in Airports- Additional tip on eating free in airports.
• The Ground Score, or How to Eat for Free in Airports- Here is a travel tip for a sort of gross way to save precious travel funds when in hard places where food is expensive and you are hungry: a place like an airport.
• Traveler Food: Chicken, Eggs, Rice, Vegetables- Chicken, eggs, rice, and vegetables are among the cheapest foods to eat almost anywhere on the planet
• Buy 20 liter jugs, not bottles of water- Tip on how to save money on bottled water.
• How to Clean Drinking Water for Travel- A tip on how to save money by cleaning your own drinking water with a filter.
• Water Filters Good for Travel Tip – Use a water filter to conserve travel funds.
• Safe Food Travel Tip- How to make sure your food is prepared well.

Money Saving Tips

• How to travel cheaply in expensive countries- A guide to travel cheap where the costs are high.
• Cheap Travel Means Speaking Foreign Languages- To travel the world cheaply means that you need to learn foreign languages.
• Supermarket checkout errors- Be vigilant against errors when going through supermarket checkouts.
• Cheap travel not just to save money- There are many benefits to traveling on a tight budget.
• Tropics are for cheap travel- What to save money? Go to the tropics.
• Learn culture for commerce- Traveling cheap means learning culture.
• How to make and save money for travel tips
• How to save money to travel
• Live in Car to Save Travel Funds
• Economic Recession Best Time for Traveling
• Free Accommodation is the first step to saving travel funds
• Dumpster Dive for Free Food
• How to build a free shelter
• How to Eat Roadkill
• Always Ask the Price Travel Tip- Always ask the price of everything you buy to curb surprises.
• Travel Cheap: Watch Global Currency Exchange Rates- To travel the world cheaply, it helps to keep watch over global currency exchange rates.

Work Abroad/ Making Money for Travel Tips

• How to avoid the English teaching trap- Ways to make sure you don’t sign your life away to a bad English school abroad.
• Diversity of Work Skills Important for World Travel
• Pennies a day travel fund saving method
• How to make Money to Travel
• Work for Travel Money at Labor Ready
• Farm Work for Travel Funds
• Need a Car to Work in USA
• Travel on bank interest payments- An interesting way to make money to travel.
• Drunks Drop Money Travel Tip- Travel tip about how to pick up a few extra dollars by keeping your head down.

Money – General

• Best banks for international travelers- A report about what banks are best for world travelers.
• Tips for using ATMs abroad- How to curb problems when using ATMs when traveling, and what to do if something goes wrong.
• How to avoid being shortchanged- Advice on how to get all your change back.
• How to quickly convert currency in your head- A good way to know how much money you are spending abroad in a currency that you are familiar with.
• Small Money Better for Travel- Carry currency in small denominations.
• Debit Cards for Travel- I rely on debit cards to withdraw money internationally.
• Label Travel Funds- A quick tip on how to keep track of your money while traveling.

Travel Safety and Security Tips

• What to do if you’re in an earthquake- Tips on how to best survive a large earthquake
• How to deal with Corrupt Police when Traveling Abroad- What to do when officers of the law find you in their sights.
• Traveling safe is like crossing the street- If you are aware of your surroundings when traveling as you are crossing the street you will probably not have many problems.
• How to use social media and the internet in disaster response- Tips on how to use the internet in emergency situations.
• Use Public Computers Securely- How to prevent email accounts and credit cards from becoming compromised by using public computers.
• How to make an inside security pocket- Instructions on how to make a hidden pocket in your pants.
• How to deter hotel theft- Safe guard your possessions in hotels.
• Shut and lock hotel room doors- Prevent easy theft.
• How to prevent theft- A primer on how to limit theft when traveling.
• Warning sign for bad travel business- What to look for to know when to run.
• Travel dangers happen riding waves- Tips on how to stay safe when traveling.
• Standard operating procedure to avoid theft- Always follow the same procedures to make your possessions less available for theft.
• Be a big man travel tip- Do not act passive when traveling. The potential for being rude is not worth getting sick, cheated, raped, or robbed.
• Do not believe what people say- Initially believe the opposite of what people say about themselves as a rule of travel.
• Travel Safe Means No Fear of Places- Do not fear places, fear situations.
• How to Walk Through the Desert – Notes on how to walk through wilderness areas.
• Check Garbage Travel Tip – Always check garbage bags before throwing them away.
• Buckle Backpack for Security- Strap up your bag when it is off your back
• Be aware of the information that you enter into public computers- Travel Tip #18

Health and Medical Care when Abroad Tips

• How to prevent against being bitten by mosquitoes- What attracts mosquitoes to humans and how to lessen the amount of times you’re bitten.
• How to care for your feet when traveling- A guide on how to keep your feet healthy when on the road.
• Yellow fever vaccine for international travel- Just get this vaccine, it could save a lot of hassles.
• Medical Care When Traveling Abroad- Apart from traditional healing arts, which are often real hit or miss endeavors, there are two modes of receiving medical care abroad: the foreigner clinic way or the local hospital/ pharmacy way.
• Strength training exercises for travel- How to work out on the road.
• How to Exercise While Traveling - The first installment of a guide on how I do strength training while on the Road. Information on how to lift “weights,” do calisthenics, and train for endurance while traveling.
• Do Not Touch the Electric Shower- I was just in a Guatemalan shower that exploded due to a malfunction in the electric shower head.

Ground Transportation Tips

• Taxi Travel Tip- Advice on how to take a taxi abroad.
• Avoid International Bus and Train Services- A travel tip that focuses on saving money while crossing borders.
• Walk Not Ride: Walking Better and Often Quicker than Public Transport- Walking is always cheaper and sometimes even faster than intra-city public transportation.

Air Travel Tips

• Arriving at an airport at night travel tip- What to do when you arrive in an airport late at night.
• Flying with an infant tip- An easy tip to keep infants happy on airplanes.
• How to get from Airports to cities cheaper- How to avoid overpriced airport transportation.
• Plane Tickets Fees Incl. Taxes Excl. Warning- Be sure to check and recheck the price of your plane tickets before buying.
• Don’t Hesitate when Buying a Plane Ticket- When you find a good price on an air ticket, buy it without hesitation or further deliberation.
• How to not forget items in airport security- Make sure you leave nothing behind when going through airport security screenings.
• Onward Tickets for One-Way Travelers- This is a travel tip about how to get around proof of onward travel requirements when flying.

Travel Gear Tips

• How to make a tuna can camp stove- Instruction and video on how to make the cheapest alcohol travel stove ever.
• How to make a gear carrying system for a bicycle- How to rig that bike for travel without spending all your bean money.
• Hitchhiking tips- How to successfully hitchhike around the world.
• How to take photos in the sun tip- Advice on how to take better photographs on sunny days.
• Use high quality travel gear- This tip is about selecting travel gear based on its quality rather than price.
• How to select a camera for travel- Tips on what to look for in a good travel camera.
• Know where you flashlight is- A flashlight does me no good if I don’t know where it is.
• How to use a compass for travel- Instructions on how a compass can be used as an essential piece of travel gear.
• How to repair a laptop computer cord- How to splice out a short in a laptop cord.
• Wear a hat when traveling- Reasons to pack and wear a good hat when traveling.
• Use Care with Computer Plug when Traveling - Remove and insert plug in a computer with caution.
• Travel Tip #10-How to Turn a T-Shirt into Shorts- Read on, and you will be sure to learn how to turn a t-shirt into a pair of shorts.
• Travel Tip #9- How to Turn a Plastic Bag into a Cup- Instructions with photographs of how to transform a plastic bag into a drinking vessel.
• How to Make Saddlebags- How to construct large, belt hanging pockets that could be called “saddlebags”- because they follow the same idea as gear bags that you put on horses

Travel Information Tips

• Sign out travel guidebooks from your library- The cheapest way to get a guidebook.
• How to ask directions- Ask “this way or that way,” not “How do I get to __.”
• Do not travel in the cold- Go north April – September, south October – March. Follow the birds.
• How to find travel information- What are the best sources for finding out how a place is before you get there.
• PDF Future of Travel Guidbooks- Travel guides are going digital, and why I think this is good for the travelers.
• Travel Tip #8- Travel Guidebooks, To use or not to use- A discussion of the pros and cons of using a popular travel guidebook.

Packing Tips

• Travel packing to make homes- How to pack for long term travel.
• Minimalist travel packing- How to move about the world with as light of a burden as possible.
• How to pack for long term travel- Tips on how to keep everything you don’t need from entering your bag.
• Loose the Shampoo when Traveling- I have found that using bar soap rather than shampoo leaves my hair just as clean, lowers the amount of times a week that I have to wash my hair, and, most importantly, it removes the need to carry around and purchase shampoo.

Travel Lifestyle Tips

• How to fully enjoy places when traveling- Stay a while, soak it all in.
• Go to traveler university- Use university as travel preparation.
• How to live the traveler life- Tips on how to be a perpetual traveler.
• Long Term Travelers Make Homes- Make a home out of the world.
• How to enjoy long term travel- Do projects to keep productive when traveling.
• Wash Your Laundry While You Shower- In this tip I offer up a rule of travel that I always follow: always wash your clothes every time you shower.

Social/ Cultural Tips

• Tips for learning foreign languages- Suggestions from Jasmine at Jasminewanders.com as to how to learn foreign languages.
• How to travel where you can’t speak the language- Primer on how to use a notebook to communicate what you want and need while traveling somewhere that you can’t speak the language.
• Conflict Resolution when traveling- How to solve many problems in travel.
• Have better conversations tip- Notes on how to get the most out of traveling.
• Smile and say hello- Offer greetings when stared down my unfriendly faces.
• People look at you travel tip- How to turn unfriendly stares into friends.
• Travel with girlfriend travel tip- How to get along on the romantic road.
• How to Deal with Hotel Runners, Sharks, Touts- I do not like dealing with hotel runners. Any person who potentially stands to make money by lying or cheating me I tend not to trust.
• Beware of Friendly Gypsies in India- Friendly people wanting to be your “international friend” often want something more than friendship. No matter where in the world you travel, watch out for the “Hello, my friend” routine.
• Not Your Friend Travel Tip- This travel tip is about how to avoid some of the major hassles associated with traveling- TOUTS. Simply put, these are people who will come up to you in the street and pretend to be your friend all in the great drama of separating you from your money.
• On Moroccan Touts- More tips on dealing with touts.

Immigration/ Border Crossing Tips

• Check passport stamps before clearing immigration- A tip on a simple way to prevent immigration problems by making sure your stamps are legible and correct.
• Immigration Customs Travel Tip – How to use dirty underwear- In point, dirty underwear and socks are dirty, so what could possible be the use of them? Read this tip to find out.

General Travel Tips

• Travel Tips from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles- What a slapstick comedy can teach about travel.
• Own all popular top level domains for website- Traveling webmasters tip about buying .com, .org, and other popular extensions for your web address.
• Tips for solo female travel- Advice from Jasmine Stephenson about traveling the world as a solo female.
• How to use a pila- How to use a Latin American washing basin.
• How to take Field Notes – Tips on how to take notes when traveling.
• Take Notes Blogging Tip- Take notes on what you are doing to better. run a blog.
• Write, Write, Write of Your Travels- This travel tip is about the retrospective value of writing about your travels.

Travel Tips

If you have any travel tips that are not included here, please contribute them in the comments below.