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Travel Tips



I've been meaning to write this blog for a while (since we've been done traveling almost 4 months now). I hope someone finds these tips useful! I think we did a pretty dang good job planning for our trip, so I want to share our wealth of information 😊

Most of this will refer to our Europe travels since there was a lot more to plan for considering it was international and we needed to pack light compared to our road trip when we had lots of space in the car.

I have these sections in the following order in case you're looking for something specific: Financial, Phones, Flights, Accommodations, Transportation, Language, and Packing.

Financial

It is very important to plan ahead for money when traveling internationally since you could be caught paying tons of fees for exchanging money, using your credit card, or withdrawing money. There are some countries that are less open to credit cards than others, so it's good to know those details about where you're traveling too.
  • Get a credit card with no international transaction fees
    • We used Chase Sapphire Reserve
      • Travel rewards
      • $300 travel credit
      • Global Entry with TSA Precheck
      • Priority Pass for airport lounge access
      • I can refer you if you're interested in applying
  • Get a debit card with no atm fees (or one that will refund fees)
  • Where is cash important (where we visited)?
    • Germany
    • Netherlands
  • If you don't have to use cash, I recommend avoiding it as much as you can since it costs money to exchange it at the end if you have any left.
  • If you have to use cash:
    • Use ATMs
    • Avoid currency exchange offices at airports or in touristy areas since they have bad exchange rates
    • If you can find a bank while traveling that has a flat fee for exchange, that will be cheaper if you exchange a large sum at one time
    • Exchange with your bank at home before you leave if you can

Phones

What you choose to do for a phone will depend on what kind of cell access you want to have while you're traveling. If you need normal calling when you're out and about, do research to find what will be cheapest for you. The biggest carriers probably have international service you can add to your plan, but it can be extremely expensive. If you can get by with data only or even just wifi, you can keep things pretty cheap.
  • Phone Options:
    • Project Fi - we chose this option
      • We had one regular Project Fi sim with calling and another with data only
      • Cheap international calling and data - same price as domestic
      • Technically, it can only be used with certain phones (Nexus, Pixel), but we went though some shenanigans to get it working on my iPhone.
      • I can refer you for $20 credit for you and me
    • Get sim cards in each country
    • Buy a cheap international phone
      • You probably won't get smart features (google maps, other apps, etc.)
  • Useful Apps:
    • WhatsApp
      • Good for calling and texting while using data or wifi
    • Private Internet Access
      • Purchase VPN to secure phone and computers while browsing on unsecured networks
    • Google Maps
      • If you have data, you can get directions when you're out and about
      • If you are only using wifi, you can download maps while you have wifi and use them offline
    • Google Translate
      • Quick resource for translating on the go
    • Currency Calculator
      • Really helpful to see what you're actually spending and to know if an exchange rate is really bad
    • Eurail
      • See timetables for trains
      • Find the connections you need to get to a final destination
    • Priority Pass
      • Find lounges in Airports
    • Google Photos
      • Back up your photos in case something happens with your phone so you don't lose them all
    • Uber
      • We only used it a few times, but Uber is around in Europe as well if you need a quick ride
    • Untappd
      • If you love beer, you've got to keep track of what you drink!
      • You also get badges for each country which is fun 😊

Flights

If you can be flexible on dates to fly, use Google Flights to find the cheapest day to fly. It also helps to be flexible about where you are flying to if you can to check a few places and see what is cheapest. Kayak is also a good tool for finding flights and comparing prices across airlines. Flights are usually cheap within Europe, but the cheap airlines often charge for bags, so it's best to pack in a carry-on if you can. See Packing section below for tips 😊

Accommodations

You have a few options for accommodations. I've outlined the pros and cons for each kind below. We mostly used Airbnbs with a few Hostels with our main motivation being keeping costs low.
  • Hostels
    • Pros:
      • Cheap
      • Lots of resources for travelers
      • Meet other travelers
    • Cons:
      • Lots of people in one room (for the cheap ones anyway)
      • Can be rowdy since there are usually a lot of young people
      • Often have age limits
        • aka. youth hostels
        • I think adult hostels is a thing, but I haven't looked into it and it's probably less common.
      • Cleanliness and amenities vary
    • Best for solo, young travelers (even being 27, we felt a bit old at times)
    • Resources:
  • Airbnb
    • Pros:
      • Staying with locals with a unique perspective of the area/culture
      • Feels like a home
      • Generally more private
      • Can be cheap, especially if traveling with another person
      • Places can have laundry included (something you can filter on when searching)
      • Hosts often have pets!
    • Cons:
      • Meet less fellow travelers
      • Staying in someone's home can be somewhat uncomfortable depending on the vibe of the host
      • Cleanliness and amenities vary, but it's very easy to evaluate on Airbnb website
    • Best for couple or group travel
  • Hotels
    • Pros:
      • Well-established and trusted brands are easy to find
    • Cons:
      • Price
    • Throughout all of our travels through Europe and the US, we stayed in a hotel for one night in Vegas since we were seeing a show and wanted to stay on the strip for one night.

Transportation

Some countries are better than others, but overall, Europe is so much better at public transportation than the US. We took trains, subways, street cars, funiculars, cable cars, buses, taxis, Ubers, water buses, ferries, bikes, and our feet to get around. We never felt like we missed out having a car to drive places. I hate dealing with parking in cities, so I'd much prefer to use these methods to get to where I need to be.
  • Tips
    • Eurail Pass
      • We were just on the edge of the youth discount at 27 years old, so this saved us a lot of money.
      • If you can/will take trains between places (which you should), a pass is cheaper than buying separate tickets.
      • We got a universal pass with 12 days (10 + 2 bonus) and easily used them all up.
    • Use Google Maps, turn on transit maps, and use the public transportation option in directions.
    • Will liked Apple Maps better than Google Maps as long as the transit maps were available for the city we were in.
    • Get a 3-day, 7-day, 'whatever'-day transit pass when you can
      • I like being able to take transit as many times as I want without having to pay more every time.
      • It's usually cheaper if you're going to be one place for a few days rather than paying for a single ticket every time as long as you actually use it.
    • Not having a car in Europe was great, and having a car in the US was great, except when it came to parking in big cities.

Language

We had very few issues related to language during our travels. In the major cities, almost everyone can speak English, at least enough to get you what you need. We struggled a little bit in Cordoba, Spain since it was a smaller town, but Will and I had both studied Spanish in school, so we knew enough to get by. We honestly had the most trouble in English speaking countries because, either people didn't understand our American accent, or we didn't understand their Scottish, Irish, etc.
  • Use Google Translate app
    • Download language packs ahead of time
    • Real time AR translation via camera feature
  • Learn words necessary for dietary restrictions (i.e vegetarian, no meat, etc)
  • Look up common words/phrases:
    • Hello
    • Yes
    • No
    • Please
    • Thank you
    • Excuse me
    • Do you speak English?
  • If you're going to smaller towns, you may need more language knowledge

Packing

Plan ahead, make a list, and practice pack to know what fit. Pack in a carry on if possible (cheap airlines always charge for more bags). Backpacks are best for mobility. If you want to buy things, save room or plan to trash things to make room. We brought home a few, small souvenirs that easily fit in our bags without needing much extra space or prior planning.
  • Tips
    • Clothes
      • Pack to wear layers - minimizes amount of clothes with maximum options
      • Minimize shoes since they're bulky
        • Wear your biggest pair when traveling between places
      • Plan ahead for places that require covered shoulders and knees (i.e. cathedrals)
        • Carry a sweater/jacket/scarf and wear pants or long dresses
      • If you're going somewhere that will be hot, bring plenty of cool (temperature) clothes (Spain and Italy are hot!)
        • You can always layer for cooler days/places
      • Plan to do laundry if you're going to be gone more than a couple weeks
    • Things we didn't bring, but wish we had
      • Student ID for discounts
        • Sometimes worth trying anyway, they don't always ask
      • Small wallet that fits in a front pocket
        • RFID-blocking for extra protection
      • For picnic lunches/on the go/grocery food to save money
        • Wine/beer opener (without a knife if using a carry-on)
        • Grocery bag
        • Reusable silverware
      • Sewing kit
        • I broke one of the straps on one of my dresses that I could have easily fixed if I had a small sewing kit.
    • Space-saving tricks
      • Use the KonMari folding method for your clothes
      • Take the least amount of everything you can survive on
        • You need less than you think!

Full Packing List

I created this packing list months in advance so we had plenty of time to reconsider items and practice packing to make sure they all fit in our bags. This one lists generic items, but for the list I used, I also wrote out specifics, like exactly which shirts I wanted to bring, to minimize how much I had to think about it when I had to finally pack. Even with all the planning, we still cut a lot of items right before our trip and didn't miss them.

Packing Materials

Important documents

  • Passport
  • Copy of passport and license
    • This is what we carried around and left our passports locked up at our hostel/Airbnb
  • 2 Credit cards
    • An extra just in case
  • Debit/ATM card
  • Health and dental cards
    • Just in case

Tools

  • Umbrella
  • Flashlight
  • Nalgene
  • Twist lock carabiners
    • For closing up your day pack to prevent theft
  • Lock
    • For locking your bag closed and for locking your bag in a locker at hostels
    • There was one hostel where they didn't work well since they had small wire tops that didn't keep the locker from opening even when locked
  • Laundry soap (optional)
    • Lots of places have some you can use or purchase
    • We got some water soluble sheets that were easy to pack, but we're not sure they worked very well
  • Pillow case (optional)
    • If you're unsure about the ones available to you
    • I didn't end up using mine except to wrap up a small, fragile souvenir
  • Pen

Electronics

  • Power adapter for the country you're visiting
    • We had a universal adapter since we visited the UK and the rest of Europe which are different
    • Plus they're easy to get and pack
  • Power bank
    • Useful if you're out and about and can't get a charge for your phone or other electronics
  • Phone
  • Phone charger
  • Headphones
  • Computer
    • We brought one between the two of us
    • Will's is an 11" MacBook Air
  • Computer charger
  • Fitbit charger
  • Kindle
    • I ended up reading quite a few books over the course of the trip while on trains or just lounging around and I was happy to be able to take the Kindle instead of a bunch of books. Luckily, I didn't have to purchase it, but they are pretty cheap and probably worth the investment if you want to read while traveling anyway.
  • Kindle cord

Bathroom

  • Towel
    • Fast drying microfiber towels
    • Packed small
    • Great on the beach, since they didn't pick up too much sand and were easy to shake off
  • Shampoo/conditioner
  • Soap
    • We bought some more of those sheet things, but didn't really end up using them.
    • I mostly used my shampoo bar for soap as well.
  • Razor
  • Deodorant
  • Face lotion
  • Toothpaste/toothbrush
    • Foldable travel toothbrushes from Target
  • Comb
  • Qtips
    • This is one of the things I ended up buying while we were traveling because I can't stand how itchy my ears are after showering if I don't use Qtips. I had to buy way too many and ended up carrying them around the rest of the trip (because there was no way I was just going to throw them away). So I recommend bringing enough at the beginning so you don't have hundreds to carry around when you decide you need more. But maybe that's just me.
  • Sunscreen
    • We did bring some sunscreen, but we needed a lot of it, so we ended up buying it several times.
    • If you don't need it right away, you can probably get away without packing any.
  • Diva cup/cleaner
    • This was one of my best ideas. There was no way I was going to pack a bunch of tampons or pads, so I got myself used to using my Diva cup before our trip and it was the greatest decision. I could write a whole other post about this, but I'll spare you. I still use it and it's the best thing ever even when you're not traveling :)
  • Makeup
    • Minimal since I don't wear it a ton, but I knew I would want it every once in a while.
  • Nail clippers/file
    • I am easily annoyed with too long nails, so this was very important to me since we'd be gone for so long.
  • Chapstick
  • Headband

Pills

  • Pill organizer
    • A few of all the basics:
      • Motrin
      • Tylenol
      • Midol
      • Tums
      • Allergy pills
  • Multivitamins
    • We found a non-gendered multivitamin that we could both take.
    • Thought it might be good to prevent sickness.
  • Prescriptions

Accessories

  • Fitbit
    • If you have one! It was definitely fun to see how much we walked every day. Our record was around 25,000 steps (about 15 miles).
  • Swim suit
  • Gloves
    • A light pair of gloves are nice when in cooler places
  • Sunglasses
  • Scarf
    • A light scarf for added warmth if necessary
  • Jewelry
    • Minimal since I don't wear it a ton, but I knew I would want it every once in a while.

Clothes

  • Underwear
    • Enough to get you between laundry opportunities
    • We did almost 2 weeks
  • Pajamas
  • Bottoms - one of each
    • Leggings
    • Jeans
    • Jean shorts
    • Belt
  • Tops
    • 3 Tshirts
    • 2 Tanks Tops
    • 2 Nice shirts
    • 2 Dresses
    • 1 Long sleeve shirt
  • Jackets/sweaters
    • Rain jacket
    • Sweater
    • Zip up fleece

Shoes

  • Walking shoes
  • Another pair of shoes you can wear around when you're sick of your walking shoes
    • I brought Toms since I wear them all the time and they pack small
    • I wish I would have bought and brought a pair of good walking sandals
  • Socks
    • This was another thing I didn't pack enough of and ended up buying a couple pairs (but I was very minimal to begin with).
    • I packed too many warm socks and not a lot of short socks for the warm weather.
  • Shower shoes
    • Cheap flip flops from Old Navy

That's all for now. There's probably so much more that I can't think of/remember right now. Don't hesitate to ask any questions you have! We'd love to help make your travel successful!

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