21 Life Changing Travel Tips
Traveling can be one of the most enriching experiences of your life, but it also comes with challenges that can make or break your trip. Whether you’re an experienced globetrotter or heading out on your first adventure, having the best travel tips at your disposal can help you navigate new destinations with ease. One of the top travel tips is to always keep an open mind when visiting a foreign country. This will help you embrace the local culture, meet local people, and experience things outside your comfort zone. Trying local food at street vendors or local markets is a great way to connect with the destination in a more authentic way, while stepping away from the typical tourist spots can lead you to discover some of the best restaurants.
Another good idea is to pack wisely. Creating a thoughtful packing list will ensure you bring only what you need and avoid overpacking. One of my favorite travel tips is to carry copies of important documents like your passport and travel insurance. You never know when you might need them in a worst case scenario, especially when in a foreign country. For international travelers, having a debit card with no foreign transaction fees is key for easy access to local currency, and using it at ATMs is often cheaper than exchanging money at airports. Similarly, booking international flights during the off or peak season can make a big difference when it comes to finding affordable prices.
Budget Travel
For those traveling on a tight budget, taking advantage of free walking tours is a smart way to explore a new city while learning about its history and hidden gems. If you’re staying in a hotel room or rental, consider cooking meals using ingredients from local markets. It’s an affordable way to eat fresh and local, while also giving you a glimpse into daily life. One of the best tips is to learn a few phrases in the local language—it’s not only respectful but can also help you make new friends and enrich your travel experience. When the end of your trip comes, you’ll be glad you took the time to experience the destination like a seasoned traveler and immerse yourself fully in the adventure.
This blog post is about 21 Life Changing Travel Tips. We recommend you do as many of the following tips as possible to make your life easier while traveling. As an avid traveling family, we have found the tips below to be the most helpful on our travels. What’s your favorite tip below?
life changing travel tips
Pack an outfit in your carry on – in case your checked luggage goes missing, you’ll feel incredibly happy to know that you have a clean outfit to change into until your luggage is returned. Or if you’re a minimalist like us, all you need is a carry on. We exclusively travel with small backpacks and it makes it much easier to get around especially in Europe with the cobblestone streets. This is a very affordable small travel backpack that comes highly recommended: TRAVEL BACKPACK or this beautiful streamlined one is from one of my favorite brands and it will last forever: OSPREY BACKPACK
Only travel with carry ons instead of checking luggage – as mentioned above, we are minimalists and typically wear the same clothes repeatedly, even during travel. It makes your life so much easier when you travel this way. And, you save money by not having to pay for oversized or checked luggage. It’s a win-win! If you must have a rolling carry on, this one is awesome and eco-friendly: CARRY ON LUGGAGE
very important travel tip
Scan and store copies of your passport and ID – we’ve heard too many horror stories of people’s passports being stolen and they didn’t have the information with them. It’s highly recommended that you scan and keep the info in your phone or even print it out on paper and pack it in your bag. I always use CamScanner to scan important documents and then save them in my email and in the app.
Travel size laundry detergent – we always pack a bit of our unscented, eco-friendly laundry detergent in a small plastic baggie for when we need to do laundry while traveling. Or you can get these awesome eco-friendly travel sized laundry detergent packs. Or even these laundry sheets would be fantastic. It’s a must have when traveling and takes only a little space in your bag.
eco-friendly travel tips
Use recyclable/reusable tote bags – I always travel with a cloth tote bag for grocery shopping, farmer’s markets and/or dirty clothes. I also use the tote bags for when I go through airport security and need it for incidentals that need to be scanned. I love these kinds of ultra-packable bags: TRAVEL TOTE. These Chico bags are some of my favorites too!
Pack a small first aid kit – you never know when you might need a bandaid or some antiseptic. It’s good to have one of these handy. I love this tiny first aid kit!
best travel tip to save money
Become a loyalty member to an airline and hotel – this is a great way to save money while traveling and I mentioned it in the blog post about travel hacks. And always have the app for your airline as it makes communication with them so much easier.
Learn the language – you are fortunate if you speak English as it’s widely spoken, but it’s always a sign of respect to at least learn a few basic phrases while traveling to a non-English speaking country. I’m currently learning Portuguese since we live in Portugal and I get by with my rudimentary Portuguese. HAHA .. I’m already bilingual in English and Spanish .. just working on that third language. 🙂 We have used iTalki quite a bit to help with our language acquisition and highly recommend their services. We get to talk to a native language tutor and get help with pronunciation and grammar. iTalki
Bring earplugs – you never know what noises you will come across in your accommodations and if you want a guaranteed good night’s sleep, a pair of affordable earplugs will be appreciated. It seems like everybody I know is using these Loop ear plugs these days. Loop Ear Plugs
travel tip to feel like a local
Talk to the locals – this is the best way to get insider tips and tricks on what to do/see/eat while visiting a new place. Plus, maybe you’ll learn some tidbits about the culture and way of living.
Beat jet lag – this is SUPER important. When you transverse time zones, set your phone/watch to the time where you’re going and once you arrive at your destination, don’t go to sleep. Try to get out, walk around and go to bed at a normal time for you. This helps tremendously to reset your circadian rhythm and be accustomed to the new time zone quickly.
Purchase travel insurance – it’s best to be protected while traveling and travel insurance is quite affordable.
don’t get caught with a dead cell phone
Bring a battery pack for your devices – when you’re traveling and getting to know a new area, you probably use your map apps a lot and therefore, drain your battery. It’s great to have a backup battery pack to ensure that your cell phone is always functioning.
Pack a small power strip – this comes in handy if there are several of you traveling together and you all want to plug in your devices. And if you stay in a hostel, your roommates will definitely appreciate this item. TRAVEL POWER STRIP
Be nice to gate agents – if your flight gets canceled, you definitely want to stay on the good side of gate agents. So realize that they have a pretty stressful job at times and be kind to them. It’s always good to be kind to everybody anyway.
another great tip to save money
Fly mid-week or on Saturdays to get best prices and less crowded flights – you can save some serious money by flying when everybody else is working. The best priced flights are usually on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Car rentals – don’t rent directly from the airport and use a credit card that includes car rental insurance. Also, if you travel during the off-season or shoulder season, car rentals will be much more affordable. In January, we rented a car for a month in Lisbon for around 200€. That’s cheaper than a car payment! This is the rental aggregator we always use and have been extremely happy with: DISCOVER CARS
Use local ATM, not Euronet or other high fee ATMs – In Portugal, we always use the “multibanco” ATMs so we aren’t charged an extra fee or an awful exchange rate. Same goes for most of the world – use an ATM that’s connected to a local bank, not a special tourist ATM. If your home bank offers decent exchange rates, you can also exchange some of your local currency before you travel.
one of my favorite things to do while traveling
Visit local supermarkets or farmers markets to really understand the culture – this is one of my favorite things to do when I visit a new place. I’m a foodie and love to find vegan items in local grocery stores and see what locals are buying/eating. I also enjoy weekend farmers markets as I love to support local agriculture and local artisans. It’s a great way to understand the culture and people too.
Be prepared and efficient at airport security – I have a handy passport organizer with all of our passports ready for when we go through airport security. I also have a tote bag for the extras that need to be scanned, such as plastic baggies with small bottles of toiletries. We breeze through security by being ready and efficient.
most important travel tip – spend money on experiences, not things
Spend your money on fun experiences rather than buying souvenirs – when we travel and want a souvenir, we typically buy a small fridge magnet or something very small and eco-friendly. We prefer to spend our money on experiences that will provide great memories and fun stories. This is a great way to bond with your family and/or friends without breaking the bank on “stuff.”
bonus tip:
Use the Happy Cow app to find vegan, vegetarian and vegan friendly restaurants while traveling. I always use this app to find out where to go and love seeing the reviews and photos as they help us decide if the chosen place is a good fit for us.
As you navigate the life of travel, it’s essential to know the best times to book and prepare for both shorter trips and longer adventures. Whether it’s packing a small backpack for a quick trip or a larger travel backpack for extended journeys, being organized will give you more peace of mind. Don’t forget to stop by a grocery store for some essentials before heading out—having snacks or cough drops can make a huge difference, especially on long flights.
For those who enjoy vegan travel, local street food can offer incredible, plant-based options, and it’s always a good thing to explore local markets for fresh produce. Whether you’re staying a little time or a long time at your destination, make sure you’re in the right place with the right tools, like medical insurance and enough coverage in case of a medical emergency. A little bit of extra time spent on preparation can save you from unnecessary stress.
For those pursuing a traveling lifestyle, having efficient travel planning habits can make exploring various destinations a lot smoother. Arriving early at the train station or airports during high demand seasons will give you more flexibility in case you need help. When visiting the best places in any city, relying on local guides can also be invaluable for finding hidden gems with minimal hassle.
Always carry important items like passports and medication in a secure, accessible place in your travel backpack to ensure you’re ready for anything. Embracing these small but powerful hacks will make your journeys—whether in your home country or abroad—much more enjoyable and stress-free, allowing you to focus on making memories and soaking up every moment.
This blog post is about 21 life changing travel tips. Did I leave out your favorite travel tip? If so, I’d love to hear your recommendations. Feel free to leave a message below or email me. Maybe I’ll add your tip to the list!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend items that we truly love!
One of my favorite ways to save money is by using Booking for our accommodations while traveling. They have a special deal finder to save even more money on your stays. Check out the deal finder for Lisbon below.
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THE 5 ITEMS WE WERE SO HAPPY TO HAVE FOR ALL OF OUR TRIPS:
- North Face Aphrodite 2.0 capris – Seriously, I wear these pants every.single.day! I couldn’t live without these ultra-comfy, lightweight pants that dry so quickly. They are 100% worth the money!
- Osprey Day Pack – this is an awesome lightweight backpack! We easily put the belongings we need at hand for traveling around the city and on public transportation.
- Travel-friendly chewable toothpaste tablets – these are so fantastic for keeping your teeth clean on the go!
- Thermoflask water bottle – like a Hydroflask, but more affordable! We don’t go anywhere without these water bottles full of purified water.
- Merrell women’s light hiking shoes – these are amazing because they are lightweight, but are extra grippy and helpful! I also have this pair that I always get compliments on: Merrell Rainbow shoes. Fernando loves his Asics trail runners which are also grippy and perfect for walking on cobblestone streets.
OUR FAVORITE EUROPEAN SERVICES:
- DISCOVER CARS – If you want to rent a car while you’re in Vienna, then check out Discover Cars. We frequently rent cars and they always have the best prices and great quality vehicles.
- iTalki – do you want to learn some German before traveling to Austria? Then, we recommend iTalki. We highly recommend their language services.
- NORD VPN – perfect to use your technology in other countries!
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