It’s no secret, I love to travel. I travel for work, I travel for fun – basically whenever and however I can. So in my adventures I’ve gotten my travel routine down to a science. From the prep, to the journey, to the destination, I’ve definitely learned some tips along the way. Nothing on this list is sponsored, just my favorite travel tips that I wanted to share!
Apps & Websites
Obviously most travel is planned electronically these days. While I am old enough to remember buying plane tickets in person, I am forever grateful those days are long gone. So what are my go-to apps and sites for travel assistance? Well, first on my list is the driving app, Waze. Most people in larger cities are already familiar with it, but we live in a smaller city where it’s not needed day-to-day. However, I’m constantly surprised folks don’t use it on road trips. Owned by Google, it redirects you around any major traffic incidents. It has saved our booties multiple times on long road trips, directing us around interstates that are at a stand-still.
I have booked a lot of flights in my life. Not just for me, but at my job for other people, so I have used all the sites and Google Flights is currently my fave for one reason: you can view a fare calendar. So if you want to plan a trip to San Fransisco, but you don’t have certain dates, you can use the calendar to see when the most affordable time to go is. And if you’re feeling adventurous, but not sure where to go, you can enter your dates of travel, price range, and see your destinations options! Just keep in mind that not all of the discount airlines are listed on Google Flights, so it’s always good to check those as well.
As far as hotels websites, I do check out Trip Advisor but my favorite is Oyster.com. Their team inspects the hotel and gives pros and cons, as well as un-staged photos of EVERYTHING.
Driving as your connection
If you live in a bigger city with a large airport, then this tip isn’t for you. We have a regional airport, which is about a 35 minute drive away. Our flights are usually pretty expensive and it’s extremely rare to ever fly anywhere direct. However, we are about 2 hours from Tulsa, 3 hours from Little Rock, and 3.5 hours from Kansas City. If I’m able to score a cheap, direct flight from one of those airports it’s often worth the drive. Especially if the drive replaces the connecting flight you would typically have out of your regional airport (in terms of travel time). For example, when we recently went to Los Angeles, it saved us over $1,000 to drive to Kansas City for direct flights. And if you add up the time of the drive to the airport, the connecting flight, and the layover, it ends up being about the same travel time (if not less).
Packing Tips
I love my charging iPhone case so much, I have two. There’s nothing like travel to drain your phone battery, so I not only keep one on my phone, I keep a back-up in my purse when traveling. This ensures that I can go all day and all night, taking photos and ordering Ubers without stressing about my battery.
I have specific face soaps and creams that you can’t just find in the travel section of Target. The bottles are too large to take in my carry-on, so I found some travel salad dressing containers (kind of like these) at TJ Maxx and labeled them with a marker. Contact lens cases work well too!
I also pack my make-up/cosmetic bags a day or two before. That way I’m forced to get ready using everything I have packed. If I forgot to include something, I figure it out before I’ve left!
Checking a bag? Then don’t forget to pack your favorite box of wine. It’s less likely to break than a bottle, you don’t need a bottle opener, and the whole box is guaranteed to be cheaper than just one glass at the hotel you are staying at. Speaking of alcohol, Todd is a craft beer lover, so if I ever travel to a city that has beer he can’t get back home, I bring a few trash bags along. I tie up the cans in the bags, just in case they get punctured, and then pack them in-between my clothes for extra padding.
Credit Card Points
We opened a Disney credit card back when we started our kitchen renovations and have been using it for everything ever since. By this fall, we will have earned nearly $2,000 in cash to be used for a Disney vacation… so guess what surprise Iris is getting for her sixth birthday? That’s right, I’m deep into the planning stages of going to Disney World (that’s a whole separate post). We aren’t actually going until Thanksgiving, but about a month before we go, we’ll switch over to our other points card, which is for airline miles and start the process over again with new benefits. I have been extremely diligent about making sure the card is paid off monthly so that we haven’t paid a penny of interest, so it really is free money. I wouldn’t have been in the position to be so responsible just a few years ago, so I only recommend this if you are truly able to pay it off every month. Side note, I use my airline card to check my luggage for free on American Airlines, since that is the main airline I fly out of my local airport.
Make a List and Keep It
I very rarely forget to pack something on a trip. That’s mostly in part to my dorky, but necessary, packing list. I have Google Docs (so I can access/edit them from anywhere) of packing/to-do lists for my most common travel: family trips, work trips, and girl trips. They all vary slightly and I do update them based on the season/outfit selection, but it’s extremely helpful in staying organized. I also create a hand-written list for every trip called my “Do Not Forget” list. This is for things that I can’t pack until the last minute (like my hair straightener, favorite pillow for road trips, etc.). I place this list on my suitcase so that I’m sure not to miss it before it’s go-time.
Traveling with Kids
Here’s a list of items I like to pack/do for Iris:
– Slip-on shoes that are easy to get on and off. I love her Saltwater and Freshly Picked sandals dearly, but the first thing she does in the car is kick her shoes off and it always takes her an extra five minutes to get those back on at a restroom stop.
– Download Netflix movies/shows before we leave (I swear they take up a lot less storage than rented movies).
– Download kid podcasts so that she is entertained, but still looking out the window at the scenery (and hopefully not getting carsick). Thanks to NPR, we recently discovered this free one.
– Backpack full of toys, books, and coloring books. Iris uses this not only in the car, but takes it into restaurants, as well as our destination to play with.
– Sleep mask & blanket to make those much needed car ride naps a little easier.
– We take a lot of Ubers and Lyfts when we travel, but I of course want to make sure Iris is still safe. We purchased the mifold travel booster, which fits in my tote.
And there you have it! Hopefully something will help ya out and hopefully you’ll be having your next adventure soon! Speaking of, we’re leaving for a road trip in about five minutes, so I gotta run.
