71 travel hacks, by a seasoned traveller who has been to 50-plus countries

Save scans of your passport, visa and travel insurance on your email. (Photo: Nappy via Pexels)

Flight deals: Searching for a cheap flight is easier said than done these days.

• If you can, keep your travel dates flexible.

• Try doing private browsing for better deals.

• Expert will tell you that booking on a Tuesday is always cheaper than, say, Friday, when the booking rush gains momentum.

• Start your research with sites like kayak.com or booking.com to compare prices. Simultaneously, check the fares on the airlines’ official website. Sometimes airlines price tickets lower on their own websites than they do on aggregators' as a way to entice people to book directly.

• Sign up for Airfarewatchdog so you can stay updated about good flight deals.

• Check the airline’s foreign website to see if the price is cheaper in another currency. (i.e. britishairways.co.uk instead of britishairways.com).

• Check alternative routes. Most major airports have expensive fees and taxes that can add a lot of money to the price of a ticket.

• Opt for airlines with flexible date change/cancellation policy. Remember, if you are going through a travel agent or online aggregator even if the airline has a full refund policy, you will lose money because the agent, online aggregator will charge his fee.

• Go to the airport’s website and see which airlines fly into it. Sometimes, small carriers that are not listed on aggregators or other search engines offer better flight deals.

Hotel Deals:

• Book directly with the hotel. To avoid paying commissions to online aggregators, many hotels now guarantee that you’ll find the lowest possible rate on their website.

• Last minute booking? Use a last-minute app such as Hotel Tonight or booking.com to take advantage of deals on unsold rooms the day you arrive.

• Downtown hotels meant for business travellers are cheeper during weekends while hotels/B&Bs that specialise in weekend getaways are typically cheaper during the week.

• If you have a non-refundable booking and your plans change, sell your room on sites such as RoomerTravel.com.

• It is 2022 but hotels are still charging for wi-fi. Sign up for their loyalty program to get free wi-fi.

Hotel Security Deposit: Most hotels require a credit card during check-in as security deposit. This can go wrong because, in several cases, instead of holding the deposit, the hotel actually debits the money and then begins the long chase of getting the refund.

• Ask whether cash security deposit is an option. It is easier because you get the cash back on check out.

• On several occasions I have asked the hotel to lock the phone/mini bar to avoid paying the deposit.

• Insist on knowing whether they are holding or debiting security money from your credit card.

• If you use a debit/forex card, the money is debited and then refunded. You might end up losing money in conversion rates.

• Even if the money is refunded on your credit card, you still have to the pay bank fee for international transactions.

• Visa and Mastercard are accepted worldwide; other credit cards might have limited acceptability.

Documents: These days, travel is document-heavy. Carry all mandated documents.

• If you are travelling with your phone + laptop, save soft copies in both - just in case, the battery of one device dies.

• Save scans of your passport, visa, travel insurance, vaccination certificate, RT-PCR on your email.

• If you are uploading documents on your Drive, make sure you have checked the Make Available Offline option.

• Take a screenshot of all of your documents, so they can be accessed without having to connect to the Internet.

• Entry guidelines are very fluid right now, check all details before travelling.

• Lock your passport in the hotel room locker.

• Some bars do not accept soft copy of your ID; hence, if you are planning a pub crawl, carry the passport.

• If you’re travelling abroad and don’t speak the language, it’s handy to have Google Translate loaded and ready.

• To translate signs, menus, etc. tap the camera button on Google Translate app to translate images in real time.

Save scans of your passport, visa, travel insurance, vaccination certificate, and RT-PCR on your email.(Representational image: convertkit via Unsplash)

Packing:

• Roll your clothes instead of folding them.

• Carry a deflatable neck pillow. It's easier to lug around.

• Keep a lot of Ziplock bags.

• Using a Tic Tac case for bobby pins, carabiner for hair ties, store Q-Tips in an old pill bottle. Pack your shoes in shower caps.

• No one carries shoe polish. When my shoes get dirty, I wipe them and use hotel’s moisturiser for a quick shine.

• Mark your luggage as Fragile. That way you get your luggage first and the airline workers will be extra careful with your goods.

• Wear compression socks to make your flights more bearable.

• Keep a pen in every bag/pocket.

• Carry an adapter that works in various countries. If you forgot to carry the USB adapter, look for the USB port in the hotel’s television, charge your electronics there.

• If you are travelling as a family, pack your own power strip to charge more than one device in those hotel rooms with limited outlets.

• Carry/buy, one-dollar rain ponchos that barely occupy any space.

• Log out of your email before boarding so that just in case your laptop is stolen, no one will have access to important details.

Food:

• Mention your meal preference while booking the flight ticket. Remember, if you choose vegetarian, some airlines might serve fish because they categorise fish under vegetarian. If you are a vegetarian, opt for Asian Hindu vegetarian meal.

• If it is a long-haul flight and you want to snooze early, order a special meal - it always comes first.

• Bring your own snacks, tea bags, instant coffee, granola bars. Even on a domestic flight. A Cuppa Noodles which is INR 45 in the supermarket, costs INR 250 in the air. Ask for warm water and have your noodle fill.

• Opt for collapsible containers and water bottles.

• If you hate airline food, carry a mini bottle of tabasco/sriracha (available under 5ml and 30ml, respectively) that will spice up everything.

• Ask for a second helping. Most airlines comply.

Forex: You can buy and carry cash or load money onto a forex card.

• Always buy currencies in advance so that you can compare quotes from various moneychangers.

• Exchange INR to USD in India. It will be cheaper. Converting INR to any exotic currency in India, if it is available, is very expensive.

• Do not exchange money at airports and hotels; you’ll get the worst rate.

• The lower the amount, the higher the exchange rate.

• Don’t buy any exotic currency until you arrive in that particular country.

• Don’t carry your exotic currency in your Forex Card or Travellers Cheque. They are not accepted at all establishments.

• Sell your exotic currency before leaving that country.

• You can use your debit card in another country’s ATM to withdraw cash but it is expensive. Plus, your bank will charge a transaction fee. Be aware of ATM skimmers that clone your card.

• Use a bank’s dedicated ATM and not an ATM kiosk in a mall or supermarket.

• Most banks charge a fee for every international transaction.

• Often, if you are converting INR into USD and then into exotic currency, the credit card fee of 2.5-4 percent actually turns out cheaper than converting money twice over.

• Keep all the receipts if the country offers tax refunds for tourists. Get to the airport early for refund because refund queues can be long.

If your bag has a white chalk cross marked when it comes out of baggage claim, that's a sign it will be checked again. (Representational image: Caroline Selfers via Unsplash)

Customs: You cannot carry bark, bee products, coffee, fresh meat, caviar into Australia; silkworms into Austria; fish meal, cotton, peel of citrus fruits and melon into Canada; Indian hemp into the UAE; frozen water, goods made in foreign prisons into the UK… The list of items that fall under P -Prohibition, R - Restriction, N - Note run into several pages. Check this to avoid getting into trouble with the Customs.

• Countries have specific limits to the cash that you can bring in. If you are questioned at immigration about how much cash you are carrying, speak the truth.

• Throw away fruits, seeds from your hand baggage before going through the Customs.

• Some airports have sniffer dogs near the baggage carousel. Do not resist. Do not pet those dogs.

• While checking in, you might be randomly selected for a Customs check and taken to the Customs office at the airport. Answer all questions truthfully. The officers read body language, do not fudge facts. I have been picked several times for this ‘random check’ at flight check-in. I show them my wallet and it has always been a breeze for me.

• If you notice a white chalk cross mark on your bag at the baggage claim, your bags will be checked again.

City Tourist Cards: You pay for a City Tourist Card (Pass) but it offers incredible savings (roughly 50 percent off the regular cost) on seeing museums, attractions, historical sites and using public transport. Not all city cards (tourist pass) offer the same discounts/benefits, so check details. Most can be bought online before travel.

• Visiting for a week or just a day? Most city cards offer single and multi-day options.

• Check whether the the city card includes offers and discounts at various shops, cafes and restaurants.

• The card typically gives you priority access to busy attractions.

• Free guidebook and map is usually included in the city card price.

• Many city cards also allow free use of public transport.

• A few attractions also offer student and military discount. Carry your ID.

• Several museums offer special discount times or free nights. Check the official website for details.

Tip: Visit welovecitycards.com for details about city cards in 16 countries and 29 cities.