The Ultimate List of Travel Hacks (Save this!!) We all love to travel. As much as it is exciting to go on a trip, it can be daunting if you are not prepared. It is essential to research and plan your holiday in advance to ensure that you have a perfect trip just the way you like it. We have rounded up the ultimate list of travel hacks to help you plan your holiday! If you are a solo traveler, you must read this guide on how to travel safe while going solo. After all, Ichiqoo is all 1Booking, Packing, Airport, Stay and other Travel hacks about helping travelers to travel like a pro.
Booking 1. When booking flights and hotels enable private browsing mode. Travel sites track visitors using cookies and are usually programmed to raise the price on repeat visits. 2. When your schedule cannot have overruns, try and book the first flight in the morning. Research says that morning flights usually leave on time. 3. Check Airlines’ own websites than just aggregator websites like Kayak. If you are planning to fly LCC, airline websites will offer better rates. 4. Ideal time to get great fares is 51 days before the date of your trip. Airlines are also known to release their deals on Tuesdays. 5. In the event that your flight is cancelled, don’t wait up in the queue. Instead pick up the phone and rebook your flight. 6. Baggage insurance won’t cover anything. If you fly regularly, buy annual travel insurance. 7. Look for offers on deal sites like Groupon before you travel. Places like Singapore and Dubai have some amazing travel deals and you can book them online. You might get local attractions for a much lower rate.
If you are looking to travel on a budget, here is a practical, actionable way to travel for less than $15 a day in Sri Lanka. Check it out.
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Packing 1. Always pack few days before your trip. It helps you remember what to carry. 2. Carry left over soap bars either from home or pick it up from your hotel room. Throw it inside your dirty laundry bag. When you are back home your suitcase would smell fresh. 3. Carry a sunscreen if you are travelling in summer. 4. Throw in an empty water bottle in your hand luggage. Fill it up after security check in from the water dispenser there. That way you will never have to buy a bottle of water. 5. Long flights mean dehydration and you need to nourish your skin too. Carry a moisturizer in your hand luggage 6. If you are taking a budget flight, pack a foldable backpack in your suitcase so you can repack essentials without paying for another 2Packing tips for your trip carry-on. 7. Carry few underwear in your hand luggage. In case your check in baggage is lost, your basics are covered. 8. Packing something fragile? Wrap it in a shirt. 9. Rather than dealing with unruly cords, pack them away in an unused sunglasses case and keep the case tucked in your luggage where it’s easy to access. 10. Put anything that can leak into zip lock bags. In the event that one does explode, all your clothes won’t be ruined. 11. Use a binder clip to protect the head of shaving razors. 12. Pack your hair clips in tic tac containers.
At the airport 1. Check in before you arrive at the airport. 2. Want free Wi-Fi? Check out the comments section in Four Square for Wi-Fi hotspots. 3. Most times, rewards lounges have free (but unsecure) Wi-Fi networks. Make the most out of it. 4. Wear slippers/shoes that are easy to take off. 5. Follow the cabin crew. They know the best places to eat at the airport. 6. Avoid check in luggage as much as possible. That way you will save a ton of time at the airport. 7. At the check in counter, ask the attendant to put up a fragile sticker on your bag. Your bag will most likely be out of the carousel first. 8. Avoid queue that have large families. Security check may be slower. Look for lines with
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individual travelers or pairs. 9. Avoid the first bathroom in the terminal. This would be the most used and are usually crowded. 10. Dress the part. Well-dressed people have a better chance for an upgrade than the not so well dressed ones. 11. Avoid currency exchange at the airport. They offer bad exchange rates. Head to an ATM to withdraw money if needed. Better still would be to convert currency in your city before taking off. 12. If you are a doctor, state that during your baggage check-in. Volunteer to help in case there is any emergency. Your goodwill may help you win a free upgrade.
On the Flight 1. Set your clock to the destination time once you board. Try and sleep during night hours and stay up during day hours. That would help your body adapt to the change in time zone. 2. Apply your favorite moisturizer, put a warm towel on your face and take a nap. Can’t tell you how refreshing that is! 3. If you are on a long flight, carry ear plugs and eye masks. It helps you sleep better even when the aircraft’s lights are not switched off. 4. Opt for a special meal on your flight. You will be served first �
Food 1. Avoid restaurants near tourist spots. Food is likely to be overpriced and generally not up to the mark. 2. Ask locals about their favorite place to eat and head there. Price would be reasonable and taste authentic. Better still, plan your travel through someone like Ichiqoo to get local scoops. 3. Research on what to eat and what not to, before travel. That way you will be able to experiment on local cuisine. 4. Keep snacks that you love. In case you get homesick, this comes as a comfort food.
20 Maxwell Road, #09-17, Singapore 069113
http://ichiqoo.com +65 9781 9464 (SG)
Stay 1. Look for hostels or boutique stays run by locals instead of international chains. The experience would be personalized and local. 2. Book your stay during off peak season to enjoy lower rates. 3. Always ask for a better room or free upgrade when you check into a hotel. You might get one. 4. Always book your stay with breakfast. It is unlikely that you would step out early in the morning. A good breakfast would give you enough energy to explore the city during the day. 5. Hang your wrinkled clothes in the hotel bathroom. Open the hot water in the shower and close the door for 10 minutes. The steam will remove the wrinkles naturally. 6. Carry a hammock with you. You can buy one easily online. Tie it anywhere and lounge under the sky.
During your holiday 1. Learn few words in the local language – Basic words like Thank you, No, Yes, Hello, Where, How much, How long, Toilet, Police, Taxi etc will help you travel easy. Learn how to say hello in 20 Asian Languages. Want to say thank you? We have that covered too. Here is a guide on how to say Thank you in 20 Asian languages. 2. Download XE currency convertor. In case you have to exchange currency during your holiday, you can access live exchange rates and see if you have a good offer. 3. A lot of countries are well connected and easy to commute using public transport. Avoid taxi in that case to save tons of money during your travel. Singapore can be easily explored by MRT’s. Sikkim has share jeeps that are cheaper than taxi’s and so on.
20 Maxwell Road, #09-17, Singapore 069113
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4. Keep a copy of your passport emailed to your personal account as a safety measure. 5. Find local souvenirs from grocery shops around non touristy places. They are different and value for money. You can pick up tea from local grocery shops in Sri Lanka or bamboo fans from Malaysia as giveaways. 6. Spread money across your bags and have some in your wallet. In case your pocket gets picked, you won’t be stranded in a strange town. 7. Use Google Maps offline by typing “OK Maps” and saving the map of the visible area for future access. 8. Don’t ask cab drivers where to go. They will take you to places that give them commission and it might be expensive. Ask the locals. Walk into a nearby store if necessary.
Hope our travel hacks helps you travel smarter this year. Do you think we have missed out anything? Let us know your travel hack and we would be happy to add it here. Enjoy!
20 Maxwell Road, #09-17, Singapore 069113
http://ichiqoo.com +65 9781 9464 (SG)