Life

These Travel Hacks Will Make Your Next Trip Better

It's been a while since I've gone on a major trip, and I'm starting to get a serious case of wanderlust. This infographic featuring 21 travel hacks that promise to make your next vacation way better? Well, it's not exactly quelling my urge to drop everything and hit the road (or sky, or sea, or whatever)… but maybe that's not such a bad thing. A little wanderlust is good for the soul, right?

Created by Baltic Travel Company (anyone thinking of going to Norway anytime soon?), the infographic in question highlights 21 relatively simple ways to make your next trip easier, more enjoyable, more affordable, and safer — and a bunch of them sound quite useful, indeed. Packing lightly? Definitely important. Leaving the guidebooks at home? Good plan — especially since the Internet will do everything you need a guidebook to do and more. And speaking of the Internet, getting a prepaid SIM card or getting a temporary international plan is definitely better than pay roaming fees, so plan your phone usage wisely. Some of the tips might even come in handy just during your day-to-day life: Putting your phone in a plastic Ziplock when you're at the beach, pool, or other body of water of your choice? Excellent advice for klutzy people like myself.

I'll admit, though, that I'm not totally convinced all of them will work. For example, labeling your suitcase as “fragile?” Well, given that labeling packages “fragile” rarely seems to do much good, I can't imagine the situation would be much different with your luggage. It might just be better to keep the breakable stuff on your carry-on, and put anything that's sturdy enough to stand up to a little turbulence in your checked bag. The best days to book your travel tickets also change periodically based on a variety of factors, so don't just assume it's going to be Tuesday or Wednesday — do your research before you shell out your cash.

Overall, though, there are still some useful tips to be had here, so check out the full infographic below. Bon voyage!

Images: Pexels/Rawpixel; Baltic Travel Company