My 10 Best Travel Tips!

These tips might not change your life but they surely will help make your trip a little less stressful to plan.

1- Plan Ahead of Time

Providing it's not a spontaneous trip, always try plan as much in advance as you can. This might prove useful as prices are much cheaper for accommodation and flights if you book months in advance. Also, you might find the best options available such as window seats and rooms with better views.

2- Always Buy Travel Insurance

A medical emergency can wipe out your savings. Not only that, but also if you experience an unfortunate robbery or loss of expensive gear such as a laptop or camera equipment. I have learnt this the hard way when I lost my GoPro Hero 5 after one month of owning it when it was released. I decided that I needed a shot of me diving from a cliff, and that proved unnecessary when my cheap selfie stick broke. The GoPro from that moment has belonged to the sea and I never got a new one because I didn't have travel insurance. One of the most well known companies for travel insurance is Allianz. Check out their deals and always compare with other companies to make sure you're getting your money's worth.

3- Be Flexible

Be as flexible as you can so you manage to get the best prices to travel and explore incredible destinations, without breaking the bank. To find good deals on flights ahead of time, I normally go to Skyscanner and type "Everywhere" in the 'To' search bar. Once you enter the search, go to the 'Depart' date and click 'Find Cheapest Month'. Try it and explore your options. Hopefully you'll be able to travel more now that you're saving a lot of money.

4- Make Photocopies of Important Documents

You never know when you will lose an important document such as a flight booking or even a passport. Providing you have a copy of these documents can make a difference between losing out on an expensive flight or being able to return home. Place these copies in a different bag to the one with the other documents. Don’t forget to e-mail a copy to yourself too. You will find that this will come in handy if you need to use them as a back up. Most airlines will accept it if you tell them that you lost the original documents.

5- Make Sure to Use No-Fee Bank Cards

Don’t give banks your hard-earned money. Keep that for yourself and spend it on your travels. Get a credit card and debit card that doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee or an ATM fee. Over the course of a long trip, the few dollars they take every time will really add up. Banks that don't charge you a fee abroad can be found here.

6- Always Visit the Local Tourism Office

Although sometimes they might want to push an offer to you that you might not be interested in, they know about everything going on in town. Having said that, they can point you to free activities, special events happening during your stay, and everything in between. They even offer discounts on attractions and transportation. It is their job to help you experience the destination better. It’s amazing how many travellers skip this when they are visiting somewhere but, as a savvy traveler, you know to use this resource. This is probably one of the most underused travel tips in the world.

7- Never Eat in a Touristic Area or Near a Tourist Attraction

As a general rule, I always walk four blocks in either direction before I find a place to eat. The closer you are to tourist attractions the more you are going to pay and the worse the food (and service). Use websites like Yelp, Google Maps, or Foursquare to find some delicious and popular restaurants around you. Remember that asking the locals is always a good idea because they normally won't pay extortionate prices to have a meal.

8- Carry a Basic First-Aid Kit

Being prepared for when an accident happens is always a good idea. I take antibacterial cream, band-aids, and ointments for minor cuts and scrapes. You never know when you’re going to need it and you can’t always get it when you travel. They are also more expensive if you need to buy them in a touristic area.

9- Carry Emergency Cash

Sometimes there are places that don't accept card payments or have a minimum payment on card. It is usually a good idea to have extra cash for any urgent purchases like water or a small sandwich to take on a hike. Normally I take £200 cash in the form of £5, £10 and £20 notes in case I need to use it. Also having this cash in the same currency as the country you're visiting helps, but most places globally accept foreign currency and will give you change in their local currency. That's why small amounts in notes are useful.

10- Take Clothes That are Comfortable

This is the last tip but certainly one of the most important as you might get annoyed of having stylish but uncomfortable clothes. This is mostly the case if you are doing more exploring than modelling or going to fancy places. You will find that the more comfortable you are, the more you can focus on exploring and staying out longer. I always find that by having comfortable clothes on, I am less keen to go back to my accommodation and wasting time to change for a specific outing.

I hope you found these tips useful as although you might have had some of them in mind, it is always a good reminder to know them before you travel and while you're abroad.