Best travel tips

[jamessmith97]

Always pack a towel.
Buy a small backpack/suitcase.
Pack light.
But take extra socks.
Take an extra bank card and credit card with you.
Travel by yourself at least once.
Don't be afraid to use a map.

[malcontent]

Always pack a towel.
Buy a small backpack/suitcase.
Pack light.
But take extra socks.
Take an extra bank card and credit card with you.
Travel by yourself at least once.
Don't be afraid to use a map.

Never packed a towel, I just deal with it. I’ve even used clothes to dry off, in a pinch! Hotel towels are fine, and if they aren’t, ask the hotel to change them!

Cabin size luggage has definitely “saved me” on more than one occasion… except in Australia where they actually have the gall to weigh it, instead of saving me… it snagged me!

Packing light is one thing, but your luggage weight is also critical. I bought one of those super ultra-light cabin size bags from iT luggage, appears flimsy but it’s great.

Extra socks, especially in your cabin luggage for those long-haul flights, slipping on a fresh pair mid flight is a real creature comfort. Especially after stepping into the lavatory with the sticky floors one too many times!

I usually bring a few cards, but the rare snag can usually be quickly resolved. But then again, I rely on US cards when I travel, they have never failed me. For SG cards, I would be more worried.

Solo travel is a different experience for sure, without the distraction of others, you can really absorb so much more. However, I would say it’s still better to travel with someone. Another set of eyes and ears can really help!

Use a map… and rent a car whenever possible. There is nothing quite like a road trip, especially if you are going outside of the major cities… you have so much more freedom and can see so many places in between point A and B. I have rented cars in Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada and the US. Never regretted it.

[Lisafuller]

Always pack a towel.
Buy a small backpack/suitcase.
Pack light.
But take extra socks.
Take an extra bank card and credit card with you.
Travel by yourself at least once.
Don't be afraid to use a map.

I like to download google maps so I can use it offline in case there isn’t a signal - carrying a map around is basically a sign to everyone else that you’re a tourist, not a great idea in more sketchy areas.

[Lisafuller]

Always pack a towel.
Buy a small backpack/suitcase.
Pack light.
But take extra socks.
Take an extra bank card and credit card with you.
Travel by yourself at least once.
Don't be afraid to use a map.

Never packed a towel, I just deal with it. I’ve even used clothes to dry off, in a pinch! Hotel towels are fine, and if they aren’t, ask the hotel to change them!

Cabin size luggage has definitely “saved me” on more than one occasion… except in Australia where they actually have the gall to weigh it, instead of saving me… it snagged me!

Packing light is one thing, but your luggage weight is also critical. I bought one of those super ultra-light cabin size bags from iT luggage, appears flimsy but it’s great.

Extra socks, especially in your cabin luggage for those long-haul flights, slipping on a fresh pair mid flight is a real creature comfort. Especially after stepping into the lavatory with the sticky floors one too many times!

I usually bring a few cards, but the rare snag can usually be quickly resolved. But then again, I rely on US cards when I travel, they have never failed me. For SG cards, I would be more worried.

Solo travel is a different experience for sure, without the distraction of others, you can really absorb so much more. However, I would say it’s still better to travel with someone. Another set of eyes and ears can really help!

Use a map… and rent a car whenever possible. There is nothing quite like a road trip, especially if you are going outside of the major cities… you have so much more freedom and can see so many places in between point A and B. I have rented cars in Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada and the US. Never regretted it.

I like to max out my carry on limit - one carry on suitcase AND a large handbag, saves me a ton on extra luggage costs.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I max my carryon and travel as light as possible on checked luggage, (always with two suitcases of same brand with the slightly smaller one packed with as little as I can get away with and then pack the whole suitcase in the the maximum sized case. That way, got lot of room for stuff I can't get here or just is a lot cheaper over there. Oh, also carry a set of electronic scale hooks so can get as close to the maximum allowable weight as possible per bag.

[Lisafuller]

You sound just like my dad - he carries the hooks with him right into the airport to make sure we are JUST on the weight limit. Also puts a few foldable backpacks in the carryon for extra storage space if needed.

[malcontent]

I bought a Samsonite brand weighing hook for $10 on Amazon about 10 years ago, it’s not electronic (avoid batteries when I can) and it’s been very accurate over the years.

When I travel to the US, I often nest a medium size luggage inside a large luggage, and just fill the medium on the way there. Then on the way back it becomes two. I pack heavier stuff in the medium and lighter stuff in the large so they both hit 50 pounds.

I always come back from the US with more than twice the stuff I bring. After 27 years, I still get 90% of my clothes and shoes in the US (even if there was something worth buying locally, it often doesn’t fit me because I’m too tall). I’ve got a drawer dedicated to storing a reserve of new clothes, ready to go when older ones wear out. I’ve even got a spare set of new leather shoes sitting in my dry box right now.

What I have run out of is canned foods; I always fill up a printer paper box with cans and check it as a luggage. It’s just the right size; you don’t want a big box because the cans are heavy. I am currently down to my last two cans that I brought back in 2019… a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew, and a can of Hormel Beef Tamales.

[sundaymorningstaple]

You sound just like my dad - he carries the hooks with him right into the airport to make sure we are JUST on the weight limit. Also puts a few foldable backpacks in the carryon for extra storage space if needed.

Yep, mine stays in the outside side pocket in my backpack for easy access.

[malcontent]

The real mystery is why jamessmith97 started this thread as a very first post and then disappeared.

[sundaymorningstaple]

He was a troll/spammer and you were too quick to answer with a good answer and I figured it might be a decent amount of good info to come out in the thread, so I whacked him but left the post in place as you quoted it with a great reply. So I let the thread run but prevented the possibility of a return to insert a link in the post.

[Lisafuller]

I bought a Samsonite brand weighing hook for $10 on Amazon about 10 years ago, it’s not electronic (avoid batteries when I can) and it’s been very accurate over the years.

When I travel to the US, I often nest a medium size luggage inside a large luggage, and just fill the medium on the way there. Then on the way back it becomes two. I pack heavier stuff in the medium and lighter stuff in the large so they both hit 50 pounds.

I always come back from the US with more than twice the stuff I bring. After 27 years, I still get 90% of my clothes and shoes in the US (even if there was something worth buying locally, it often doesn’t fit me because I’m too tall). I’ve got a drawer dedicated to storing a reserve of new clothes, ready to go when older ones wear out. I’ve even got a spare set of new leather shoes sitting in my dry box right now.

What I have run out of is canned foods; I always fill up a printer paper box with cans and check it as a luggage. It’s just the right size; you don’t want a big box because the cans are heavy. I am currently down to my last two cans that I brought back in 2019… a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew, and a can of Hormel Beef Tamales.

same here, I always pack incredibly light on the way and then buy everything I need while I’m there. Usually I take a large empty suitcase to check in and by the time I’m back it’s full. I always get shoes in the US, I’m a women’s 11.5 which is still on the large side there but here it’s absolutely impossible to get nice shoes.

[Lisafuller]

You sound just like my dad - he carries the hooks with him right into the airport to make sure we are JUST on the weight limit. Also puts a few foldable backpacks in the carryon for extra storage space if needed.

Yep, mine stays in the outside side pocket in my backpack for easy access.

Backpack-ception!