When it comes to the technology of traveling, it can be hard keeping track of things. Travel hacks are always changing and there are constantly new ways to get the best deals. Travel apps are big now, with thousands of handy apps downloadable on your phone. And with more and more online banks being launched, it is worth doing some research on how to save on exchange rates. We’ve asked real travel bloggers for some help on these topics!
Do you have any travel hacks for upgrades, cheaper tickets, longer stays etc?
Absolutely Lucy: I have so many but I’ll share my top 4 favourites:
1. If you’re budget travelling (hostels/guesthouses etc) always check the price online first but don’t book ahead unless it’s super booked up. Asking a price on arrival and bartering can save you a LOT of money.
2. Don’t be stuck on travelling on specific days/times – the more flexible you are the cheaper the deals. Early mornings/night-time flights will often be cheaper as they are less convenient.
3. Remember to book on a Tuesday/Thursday as it’s often cheaper!
4. If you have specific time off – why not look for the cheapest flights on Skyscanner using the “Everywhere” option.
The Globe Trotter: Always use the Incognito/Private mode while booking flights. I find that I get better deals when searching in the Incognito mode.
Flights and Feelings: Don’t be picky about your destination if you’re trying to travel cheaply – anywhere will do, and the chances are you’ll have an amazing time wherever you go.
Booking accommodation with a free cancellation option is great for spreading the cost. You can also book a property with free cancellation and if the same property (or somewhere better!) comes up cheaper on another day, you can cancel your booking and book again at the cheaper price.
Victoria from TravelVixta: Always check Airbnb as you can get whole apartments or houses to yourself much cheaper than a hotel booking. We recently went to Bruges in Belgium and the hotels were £300 per night. We found an Airbnb 2-bed apartment for £60 per night!
Abigail: It never harms to email the hotel ahead of your stay. I usually travel around my birthday so I will email the hotel mentioning that I am visiting for my birthday and if they could recommend places to go, things to do, any special offers. Though don’t outright ask for things, be polite and ask for assistance for ways to make your trip special.
Ceece: Always stay hydrated, I have seen so many travellers not enjoy trips or their adventures to their best because they start feeling sick, tired, grumpy, etc and most of it is simple dehydration. I don’t go anywhere without water on me.
What are your 3 “I can’t travel without them” items? (Passports are a given so you don’t need to include that!)
Absolutely Lucy: I absolutely could not leave home without my camera – I love capturing photos of places. A good book and either my laptop or a journal so I can write about my experiences.
Flights and Feelings:
1. Phone – this is a necessity for pictures and video memories! If there are no pictures, did you really travel?
2. Headphone splitter – we love this for group travel because we can all listen to the same podcast or songs on the plane. We usually have a playlist for each trip so songs become associated with our travels and contribute to the memories!
3. Bluetooth speaker – music and travel go hand in hand for us! We love having a speaker in the hotel room because it adds to the vibes and excitement of our trip.
The Globe Trotter: A mini medicine kit, lip balm and a small diary & pen as I love jotting down my thoughts while travelling.
Abigail:
1. My phone, not for just the obvious but it is my music, books, camera, map & translator.
2. Volumiser Hairdryer – I have a asymmetric bob, unless styled I look wild.
3. Witch Hazel Gel – Witch Hazel is amazing for bites, sunburn, rashes, outbreaks, it is a magic all rounder!
Do you have any apps on your phone that you can’t imagine travelling without?
Absolutely Lucy: Google Maps is a given – I’d be *literally* lost without it! I absolutely love my currency converter and Moovit which is another travel planning app. I also really find it helpful to have the app of the airline I’m flying with – so at the moment I use Ryanair a lot as I’m in Europe – and I get lots of useful information, deals and updates through this. Other than this my phone is mostly filled with photo editing apps including Lightroom, Snapseed, Inshot, Maché etc.
Flights and Feelings: For New York, you need the NYC subway app, it works offline so you can always find the best travel route for where you are going.
Shazam has a great feature where you can quickly see which songs are the most Shazamed all over the world – we use it to help build up our travel playlists!
Abigail: Google Maps & translator and instagram. I love looking at near by location tags to find hidden gems like quirky cafes.
Do you use cards such as Monzo or Revolut when travelling? If so, any that you would recommend (and why)?
Absolutely Lucy: I’ve actually recently signed up with Starling Bank which is the “bank for backpackers”. I chose them because they don’t charge you to use your card abroad and you don’t have to let them know before you travel. The app is easy-to use and super quick to set up an account. It tracks your spending and helps you easily stay on top of your finances, including real-time updates which are really helpful in case your card gets stolen or cloned. You also have the ability to easily block and unblock your card in the app if needed. There’s also Round Ups which helps you save easily for a rainy day by taking tiny amounts from your main account each time you spend, and depositing it in a savings account. So far I absolutely love it! Much better than the previous N26 account I had.
The Globe Trotter: No, I haven’t used either of these but I have used Visa Travel Money prepaid cards in the past and they have been very practical and secure.
Flights and Feelings: We both got Monzo cards before our most recent trip to New York, we would recommend it. It takes the money immediately so you know how much money you have, you can’t spend more than you have put on there and there are no charges when withdrawing cash (up to a certain value).
Following ‘real’ travel blogs is a great way to keep track of new apps and travel money technology. Also read Part 1 and Part 2 of the bloggers Q & A.
Want to know more about the bloggers? Find them on:
Abigail Kathleen: Website, Instagram.
TravelVixta: Website, Instagram.
Absolutely Lucy: Website, Instagram.
Flights and Feelings: Website, Instagram.
Ceecees Travel Blog & Lifestyle: Website, Instagram.
The Globe Trotter: Website, Twitter.
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