Here are the best travel tips to help you prepare for your upcoming trip. 

5 Best Travel Tips You Need to Know

If you are anything like me and want to be prepared for a long trip abroad, I have created these 5 travel tips I wish I knew when traveling abroad for the first time.

1. Try to have layovers that are longer than 1 hour

If you are doing a layover, you may want to rethink doing one-hour layovers. From experience, I have not once but twice almost missed my connecting flight because my previous flight was delayed. Here are 3 reasons why you should not do short layovers.

1. The airport you may be doing a layover at is HUGE and your terminal is across the airport and will take you a while to get to.
2. You may need to pick up your checked luggage (mostly from international flights) then drop them off and sometimes even go through TSA again to catch your next flight.
3. Like several times myself your previous flight is delayed an hour and you may just make it to your connecting flight.

From experience, I avoid one-hour layovers because I simply don’t think they are enough time. Though it seems nice to just hop onto your next flight you never know if your terminal is on the other side of the airport, if you need to pick up and drop off checked bags, or if your previous flight is delayed.

2. Do not check a bag

Though it may seem impossible to not check a bag, especially when you’re doing a long trip, trust me when I say it will save you time and money! Traveling without a checked bag makes leaving the airport a lot easier. You don’t need to wait for your bag or worry if your bag didn’t make it. I rather save myself the worry and travel with a carry-on. Traveling with a carry-on, especially a backpack, is easy to travel around in Europe since you may be walking and it saves you the hassle of dragging your luggage through cobblestones, which is a lot harder than it looks. Flying with a carry-on is more efficient as you’ll save money on not checking in your bag and you always have all your belongings with you.

3. If you are a student or a recent grad travel with your student ID!!

I cannot stress this enough! Traveling with your student ID will save you money. A lot of museums around Europe offer student discounts on entry tickets. Some even offer students free entry; all you need to do is show them your student ID and you are good to go. This is a great tip if you are traveling on a budget and want to save a couple of dollars.

4. Download your airline’s app

Downloading your airline’s app is very helpful because you have all your flight info and boarding pass in one place just a couple of taps away. It also makes it easy to check in to your flight 24 hours before departure and obtains your boarding pass. Keep in mind that some airlines charge a fee if you check in at the counter.

I also like to download the app and receive updates on my flight in case my flight is delayed or my terminal has changed. Having your boarding pass on the app allows you to skip the check-in process at the airport (unless you are checking a bag) and go straight to security. Saves you time, and allows you to have a speedy entry to your terminal.

5. Invest in Global Entry and TSA precheck

You should invest in Global Entry and TSA precheck if you’re a frequent flyer. It’ll save you so much time getting in and out of airports as fast and easily as possible. Global Entry is useful if you fly internationally often, it’ll save you the hassle of waiting in those long lines to get through immigration and customs when entering back into the US. Most airports in the US have Global Entry preclearance queues and all you need to do is scan your passport at a kiosk, take a picture, answer a few questions, and you are good to go.

The great thing about Global Entry is that not only do you get to skip the long lines but you are also eligible for TSA precheck. With TSA precheck you get to skip those long TSA lines, leave your shoes and jacket on, and leave laptops along with liquids in your bag. You can get TSA pre-check for $80 without Global Entry. However, both Global Entry and TSA precheck cost $100 and are valid for 5 years. Another thing to keep an eye out for is if you have a travel rewards credit card your Global Entry and TSA precheck can be offered for free! You can apply here to start your Global Entry and/or TSA precheck application. It may take 4-6 months to get approved, so apply accordingly. If you fly often, I highly recommend Global Entry and TSA precheck to save you time and make your trip through US airports a breeze!

 

 

Traveling can sometimes be intimidating and even stressful. But I hope these 5 travel tips can prepare you to have a smooth traveling experience and saves you time and money!