5 Travel Tips I Learned Recently
In September, I went on a trip to Germany and Prague. This was my 3rd solo trip I’ve ever taken and since it was kind of last minute, I didn’t prepare for it like my type A self usually does. That being said, I learned some lessons the hard way so you don’t have to! Here are my 5 top travel tips:
#1 - Bring a reusable water bottle
But make sure it has a filter like this one! Hydration is key when traveling. Being on the go, low humidity in the airplane, a change in your schedule, drinking more alcohol than usual are all things that contribute to dehydration. Not to mention, drinking water will help jet lag and it’s just good for you.
Drinkable water can be hard to find (especially internationally) and buying bottle water adds up! In Prague, I was so desperate for water that I drank the sink water and it actually made me feel nauseous the rest of the day because it’s definitely not drinkable water haha. I didn’t bring my filtered water bottle on this trip and that won’t be happening again. I use this Brita one because 1) it’s cute and 2) it works!
#2 - Snacks, snacks, and more snacks
If you think you have enough snacks, you don’t… so pack more lol! I brought 10 granola bars on this last trip, they were all gone by the 3rd day and I was starving. Pack all the snacks and when you arrive to your destination, find the nearest store and get more snacks. If you’re doing a longer trip, you will most likely be traveling from city to city at all hours and, for me, I am always running late so snacks will come in handy if you don’t have time for a meal or if places aren’t open yet.
Snack Ideas (that won’t make you the smelly food culprit):
Mixed nuts/trail mix - my favorite
Fruit (real or dried) - apples, banana, grapes, etc.
Granola/protein bars
Popcorn
Beef jerky - if you’re into that sort of thing
Chips/crackers/pretzels - great variety pack here
PB&J is always a classic
Yogurt/hummus - can bring this as long as it’s under 3.4 oz.
#3 - Research the seat you're in
For this flight series to Germany, I choose an emergency exit row (thinking I’d have more leg room) and to my surprise, it was not a good experience lol. The seats did not lean back, there wasn’t a tray table in front of me, and my bag had to go in the overhead bin not under the seat so it wasn’t easily accessible. I wish I would’ve known all of this and what the airline’s regulations or seat restrictions were. A friend actually told me I should use https://www.seatguru.com/. You will be able to look up the seat map for the flight and find seat reviews and seat limitations like if it leans back or not or has an obstruction. So be sure to know what kind of seat you are getting into before you pay for it!
#4 - You don’t always need a plan
I am guilty of always needing to have a plan and feel like if I’m not doing something every minute of the day, I’m going to miss out. On the train from Prague to Berlin, I was chatting with a woman from Berlin and we were talking about our travels. Her advice was “don’t try to see everything because you won’t be able to do. just try to be. walk around and wander, sit with a coffee and just be.” Definitely going to travel with this piece of advice because most of the time my best experiences are the ones that just sort of happened when there was no plan.
Secondly, do not exhaust yourself during the day. Pick 2-3 things that you must see that day and as long as you see those, it was a success! Remember the advice from above, it’s impossible to see everything! I did so much during the day that I had no energy left at night and night is where all the fun happens!
#5 - Learn the language and about the place you are visiting
This might seem like an obvious tip but you’d be surprised at how helpful it actually is. Learn about the country you are visiting and their culture. I like to learn a few facts about where I’m headed and I always study up on the public transit in that country so it’s easier to navigate (I’ll do a separate post on that later). This trip I did not brush up on German or Czech and I wish I would have because I needed help in the Czech train station and it would’ve went a lot smoother if I knew the language…
Make sure you learn a few key facts about where you are going so you get a feel for the country. And I would learn the following phrases in their language: hello, please, thank you, how are you, do you speak English, I don’t speak (insert their language) well, and can you help. Practice beforehand so you are confident when you speak and it’ll relieve some stress and help you better communicate!
These aren’t all my travel tips, just the ones I brought as takeaways from this most recent trip. But they are useful nonetheless! Each trip I learn something new about myself which is what I love about traveling.
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