Wisdom from the Road Well Traveled

I’ve spent about one third of 2018 on the road. All that travel has inspired a utilitarian post - a handful of tips for my fellow road warriors:

• I’m a bit compulsive above not having lint on my clothes. When a lint remover is not available, those sticky airline baggage tags make a fine substitute.
• Toss some dryer sheets in your luggage. They help remove static and keep your clothes smelling fresh. They’re also surprisingly good at shining shoes.
• I’ve made pretty decent collar stays out of a plastic hotel key and a pair of scissors from the front desk. If arts and crafts aren’t for you, paperclips work pretty well too.
• Skip the antibacterial gel. It makes a mess if it pops open and often leaves your hands with a residue. Pick up hand sanitizing wipes. They travel better and do double duty when you need to wipe down an airplane tray or table top. My wife turned me onto these. They smell great and are 100% biodegradable.
• Buy a USB Hub with a plug. This is a great one. It will save you from bringing a dozen different chargers and you’ll be a hero at the airport when everyone is scrounging for an outlet. If you forget your charger, most hotel TVs have a USB port and the front desk is bound to have a spare cable or twenty accidentally left behind by previous guests.
• What's my must bring item for Las Vegas? This. Hotels can be dry as hell – especially in Las Vegas. Keeping this little guy on the nightstand while you sleep can be a lifesaver when it comes to preventing red eyes and a scratchy throat.
• Losing your phone is the worst. Make a quick note on your phone with your name, email, and an alternate phone number. Take a screen shot and make that image your lock screen. It’s not a guarantee that your phone will return - but it will definitely help if it’s found by anyone willing to lend a hand.
• Use the camera on your phone for backups. Take pictures of your driver’s license, passport, luggage, etc. Store these on secure cloud locations. It can be a huge help if any of it gets lost. It’s also an easy way to remember what room number your in.
• Hitting the road for an extended period? Check out ExOfficio. Maybe this is too much information but they have great under clothes that wash and dry quick.

There are an overwhelming number of travel apps out there, a little research will reward you well. Here are just a few I use regularly:
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• I use TripIt to keep track of every detail while traveling – hotels, flights, rental cars, meetings  - everything. It’s insanely easy to add plans to trips – just forward confirmation emails and it does the rest. It also has plenty of space to make notes if you need to add details from phone calls with travel companies.
• Fly a lot? Hate wasting money? Try Hopper. It’s great and has saved my thousands.
• Sometimes things happen and you need to find a room last minute while traveling. Walking into a hotel and asking if they have any rooms is a great way of saying, “Hi, I’m screwed and I’m willing to pay top dollar.” Check out Hotel Tonight, it’s a great app that connects you with hotels that have open rooms and are willing to offer same day discounts.
• Did you know Google Translate will let you download nearly 60 different languages so you can use it offline? You do now. An absolute must when traveling abroad.
• Offline Maps and Navigation is a great tool when traveling outside your data zones. Just make sure you download the maps you’ll need before you hit the road or in a strong wi-fi area.

Speaking of travelling outside data zones. Another useful tip is to search out apps specific to the area you are traveling. You’ll find many foreign cities have offline subway and train maps, as well as travel guides. These offline tools offer massive assistance when you’re outside your data area – and can save you substantial time and money.

Got a travel tip you’re willing to share? Drop me a line or comment below.