5 Essential Travel Tips That Can Make Your Holiday Easier
Small decisions can make a surprisingly big difference when travelling. These five practical travel tips cover spending money, accommodation security, navigation, packing and adjusting to a new time zone.
Practical travel advice you can actually use
The internet is full of travel hacks that promise to save huge amounts of money or completely transform a holiday.
In reality, some of the most useful travel habits are much simpler.
They involve understanding how card payments work abroad, preparing your phone before you leave, packing carefully and thinking ahead about the first few hours at your destination.
None of these ideas will suit every traveller or every destination, but they provide a useful starting point when planning a city break, beach holiday, family trip or longer journey overseas.
Pay in the local currency when using your card abroad
Card terminals and cash machines in popular holiday destinations sometimes offer visitors a choice between paying in the local currency and paying in their home currency.
For example, a traveller from Britain visiting Spain may be asked whether they would like a purchase charged in euros or pounds.
Choosing pounds can involve a service known as dynamic currency conversion. This means the merchant or cash machine operator performs the conversion instead of your own bank or card provider.
The exchange rate offered may be different from the rate that would otherwise be applied by your card provider.
That is why it is worth checking the payment screen carefully before accepting the conversion.
Before travelling, check your bank card
- Check whether your card charges a foreign transaction fee.
- Check whether overseas cash withdrawals carry additional fees.
- Make sure your bank has your current mobile number.
- Have a backup payment method stored separately.
- Avoid relying on a single card for your entire holiday.
Carrying a small amount of local cash can also be useful for markets, tips, small cafes, local transport or businesses that do not accept your preferred card.
Use sensible extra security in your accommodation
Most hotel stays are trouble free, but it is still sensible to become familiar with your room and its security features when you arrive.
Check that the main lock, deadbolt or security latch works properly.
Also locate the nearest emergency exit and take a quick look at the evacuation information provided by the hotel.
Some travellers carry a small portable door wedge or travel door alarm as an additional precaution.
These can be useful in appropriate situations, but they should never be used in a way that prevents you leaving the room quickly during an emergency.
Check your room
Test the main lock, balcony door and windows. If anything appears damaged or insecure, contact reception.
Protect valuables
Avoid leaving passports, wallets and electronics in obvious places. Use suitable secure storage where available.
Know your exit
Identify the nearest staircase or emergency exit, particularly in a large hotel or resort.
Protect your room details
Avoid announcing your room number unnecessarily in crowded areas and keep your room key or access card secure.
Accommodation security should be calm and practical rather than something that makes you worried throughout your holiday.
A simple check when you arrive can help you identify anything that needs attention.
Prepare your maps before you lose internet access
One of the easiest mistakes to make on holiday is assuming your phone will always have a reliable data connection.
Coverage can become weak in rural areas, underground stations, mountains, remote beaches and unfamiliar city streets.
Before leaving your hotel or accommodation, open your preferred mapping application while connected to Wi-Fi and check whether it allows you to download an offline map for the area you are visiting.
Downloading only the area you actually need can help reduce storage use.
It is also useful to save important places before you start exploring.
Useful locations to save
- Your hotel or apartment.
- Your arrival airport or railway station.
- Your return transport meeting point.
- Attractions or tours you have already booked.
- A nearby pharmacy or medical centre.
- Any car park where you have left a rental vehicle.
Travellers using roaming or an overseas SIM should also think about mobile data charges before departure.
Read our International Mobile Data Guide for more information about staying connected abroad.
Pack items that can solve more than one problem
Good packing is not simply about taking fewer things.
It is about choosing useful items that can serve more than one purpose throughout your trip.
For longer holidays, a small travel laundry soap or suitable solid soap can be useful for hand washing lightweight clothing where appropriate.
Washing a small number of items during your holiday may allow you to pack fewer T-shirts, socks and other everyday clothes.
Always check clothing care instructions first. Some fabrics should not be hand washed and some accommodation may not be suitable for drying wet clothing.
Useful multipurpose items
Reusable water bottle
Useful after airport security and while sightseeing in destinations where the local tap water is safe to drink.
Small power bank
Helpful when using your phone for navigation, boarding passes, transport tickets and photography.
Lightweight tote bag
Can be used for shopping, beach equipment, laundry or carrying a jacket during the day.
Copies of important documents
Keep appropriate secure digital copies of important travel information in case your original documents become inaccessible.
The objective is not to prepare for every possible situation.
Packing too many items for situations that are unlikely to happen often creates a heavier suitcase without making the holiday easier.
Start thinking in your destination's local time
Long-distance travel can leave you tired because your normal sleeping and waking routine no longer matches the local time at your destination.
The larger the time difference, the more noticeable this may feel for some travellers.
One simple approach is to change the clock on your phone or watch to the destination time during your journey and begin organising normal activities around the local time where practical.
For example, if you arrive in the morning, it may help to treat it as a normal morning at your destination instead of continuing to operate completely according to the time back home.
Make the first day easier
- Stay properly hydrated during your journey.
- Try to follow normal local meal times after arrival.
- Spend some time outdoors during daylight where practical.
- Avoid planning an exhausting itinerary immediately after landing.
- Allow yourself suitable time to rest after overnight travel.
Planning a lighter first day can often be more useful than trying to squeeze sightseeing into every available hour.
Holidays should leave room for rest as well as activities.
Your pre-holiday travel checklist
These five tips work best when they become part of your normal pre-travel routine.
- Check your bank card's overseas fees.
- Carry more than one suitable payment method.
- Save essential destinations on your phone.
- Download offline maps where available.
- Save copies of important booking information.
- Check that you have the correct travel adaptor.
- Carry a suitable charging cable and power bank.
- Check baggage restrictions before travelling.
- Plan a reasonably relaxed first day after a long journey.
- Keep emergency and insurance information accessible.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pay in pounds or local currency when abroad?
When a payment terminal gives you a choice, paying in the local currency generally means your own card provider performs the currency conversion instead of the merchant's currency conversion service.
Always check your own card fees and the information shown on the payment screen before confirming.
Should I carry cash when travelling?
Cards are widely accepted in many destinations, but carrying a small amount of local currency can be useful for smaller businesses, markets, transport, tips and situations where card payments are not available.
Do offline maps work without mobile data?
Many mapping applications allow selected areas to be downloaded for offline use.
Features vary between applications and destinations, so download what you need while connected to Wi-Fi and test it before relying on it.
What information should I keep on my phone while travelling?
It can be useful to keep your accommodation address, booking references, transport details, insurance information and emergency contact details accessible.
Sensitive information should always be protected appropriately.
What is the best way to avoid overpacking?
Start with the activities you are likely to do rather than packing for every possible situation.
Choose versatile clothing, check the weather shortly before travelling and avoid packing items that your accommodation already provides.
HolidayIn4U is an independent travel information website providing destination guides, planning tools and practical holiday advice designed to help travellers research their trip before booking.
Travel information can change. Always confirm important prices, entry requirements, transport details and official travel advice before travelling.
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