8 New Travel Hacks to Get You Going
Here’s 8 travel hacks to make your next national or international experience more enjoyable and hassle free:
1. Avoid reserving “bulkhead” seats on airlines
The bulkhead area is the only place parents of infants can secure their bassinet to. If you purchase a seat nearby these partitions on an airplane, chances are good that you’ll be listening to the shrill wines of potentially dozens of babies before your flight’s done!
2. Electronics are bad for sleeping
Why do all new mobile devices come with blue light filters preinstalled? Because the light emanating from these devices is really bad for our natural sleep cycles. Even when that phone is on your nightstand in standby, wireless waves can still disrupt melatonin production. For a great night’s sleep or impromptu nap on the plane, turn the phone off for a little while leading up to your sleep and keep them off during.
3. “Clip” the blinds closed at the hotel
Flight attendants swear by this hack for getting a perfect night’s sleep. Use the clips on a close hangar, if the hotel’s closet has one, or use your own. Alternatively, a chip clip, hair clip, or even some handy clothes hangers in your luggage just for this purpose can do the trick.
4. Find a hotel with a laundry service, or laundromat close by
Lugging extra pairs of clothes around can be a huge travel disruption. There are several hotels that offer a daily laundry service for a reasonable fee. If not, it’s much less of an inconvenience to carry a few soap pods around in a Ziploc than it is to lug around extra laundry and the hassle of separating your dirties and cleans.
5. Use free soap to cover up dirty laundry smell
If you chose to forgo the last hack, that free hotel soap you’re planning to take home with you can do wonders inside a large Ziploc holding your dirty laundry, or smelly workout shoes.
6 . Don’t forget free breakfasts
Free hotel breakfasts have changed a lot over the last half decade. Increased travel and demands from travelers has made a lot of hotels and motels up their breakfast game. For instance, Marriott hotels offer scrambled egg burritos, fresh waffles, turkey bacon, fruit platters, yogurt, specialty coffee and more at some locations. Why leave the hotel for an expensive breakfast?
7. Global entry for the win
A Global Entry Pass for the U.S. is the only way to go if you despise waiting in lines and being probed and scanned by multiple TSA agents. This isn’t for trouble makers, but if you have a clean record and some time to sit down with an interviewer (at their convenience) this pass can save you a lot of time and travel hassle.
8. Embrace the “Schwab”
High yield checking accounts from the Charles Schwab Bank are the only way to go, unless your bank doesn’t charge you (any) fees while traveling and using ATMs worldwide. Who wants to pay all those fees anyway? They’re a real travel downer!
Whether you’re traveling cross country or to another continent altogether, the travel hacks above can certainly make your life a lot easier. Don’t forget to share your own tips in the comments!
Main Image Credit: crza/Flickr
