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10 Travel Hacks You Should Know By The Time You Turn 30

10 Travel Hacks You Should Know By The Time You Turn 30

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Your twenties are a time of exploration. There’s never a shortage of new experiences, so you can get to know yourself, learn about your place in the world, and inevitably make a bunch of mistakes along the way. Travel is no exception.

You might have found yourself hopelessly lost in a foreign city without even a word of the local language to lend your tongue. Perhaps you are a monarch of the middle seat. Or you might’ve returned from a weekend interstate and spent two hours searching for your number plate in the sea of cars that is airport parking.

But if your thirties are on the horizon, rest assured that the new decade brings with it a whole new set of adventures, with a bit of extra wisdom in the brain bank to back you up. If you want to feel like a maestro at this whole travel thing, start with these shortcuts, then head to Wotif.com to complete your trip booking.

#1 Become a carry-on connoisseur

By the time you hit 30, you should have mastered the art of minimalist packing, but your bag choice is just as important as what’s inside. Some carry-on suitcases, especially those with wheels, can weigh up to 4kgs – that’s more than half of your weight allowance spent on the vessel.

Wotif travel expert Chris Milligan says specially designed backpacks are the way to go. “If you’re ready to commit to the baggage-free life, look for dedicated backpacks designed for use as carry-on luggage,” he says. “They’re not as bulky as hiking packs and offer a suitcase layout rather than the compartments of a typical backpack, which is great as compartments just add extra fabric that restrict the volume of items you can pack.”

You can get more tips on how to live that carry on-only life on Wotif.com. Oh, and as for the rolling vs. folding debate? Immaculate queen Marie Kondo has you covered.

carry-on luggage
Image: Dane Deaner / Unsplash

#2 Carry a power board

Say ‘au revoir’ to the days of wasting your precious holiday hours sitting around waiting to charge your phone, then your camera battery, then your e-reader. From airport boarding gates to hotel lobbies, there are plenty of places where power points are limited resources, so pack a small power board to charge all of your electronics at once. This also means you only need to invest in one adaptor. Bonus.


#3 Pack a pillow case

While a personal pillow case will appeal to any germaphobes, it can also be stuffed with soft things to create a makeshift pillow for napping on the go. Or you can use it to compress that puffer jacket for your suitcase. Or stuff it with your dirty laundry. Anything goes, really.

linens
Image: Sylvie Tittel / Unsplash

#4 Hydrate, baby

The number-one thing you should pack on any flight? Electrolyte tablets. “Humidity levels on planes sits as low as 12 percent (versus the comfortable 60 percent you’re probably used to), so amp up your hydration by popping electrolyte tablets into your water,” Bottoms up.


#5 A parting snap

‘Section G15’ will be hard to recall when your brain is swimming with delicious holiday memories. If you drive to the airport, take a reference photo of a sign in your parking area. Email it to yourself, too, on the off chance your phone goes astray.

parking garage
Image: Rokas Niparavičius / Unsplash

#6 Up your chances of extra room

Here’s a low-risk, high reward strategy for snagging some extra room on your flight: if you’re travelling as a duo, reserve the aisle and window seat. If the flight is not full, there’s a decent chance the seat between you might remain empty, but if someone does sit there, just ask if they wouldn’t mind switching to the window or aisle to be reunited with your buddy. If they’re wild and reckless middle seat-lovers, then you’re on your own. Good luck.

Though there is a case to be made for each spot on the plane – Wotif has the intel on how to make the most of the middle, window and aisle seat respectively.


#7 Offline orienteering

Google Maps is a given for savvy, world-worn travellers, but its offline mode is particularly useful for when the Wi-Fi is weak (or non-existent). Before you hit the pavement, zoom out to the area you’d like to save, type ‘OK maps’ into the search bar and hit enter to download everything on the screen.

Google Maps
Image: henry perks / Unsplash

#8 Make lunch matter

Long, lazy lunches make time stand still when you’re on holiday, and they can be friendlier on the budget, too. “Switch up your routine and make lunch your main meal of the day for cheaper choices. Hello, weekday lunch specials,” says Milligan. “You can even take a cheeky post-lunch afternoon nap.” I mean, it’s not like you have somewhere to be.

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#9 Pens. Lots of pens.

Pack a pen in every pocket of every bag before you go. You never know when you’ll need to fill in a departure form, give your email address to a new friend or just pass the time with a crossword at the train station.

coloured pens
Image: NeONBRAND / Unspash

#10 Batch cook before you go

There’s nothing worse than getting home from a trip, completely jet-lagged and out of sorts, to an empty fridge and an empty stomach. Avoid doing more damage to your wallet with expensive takeout and batch cook a veggie-packed meal to pop in the freezer before you depart. Think of it as a gift for future you.

Looking for your next trip? It’s time to Wotif it. Visit wotif.com

(Lead image: Ajay Murphy / Unsplash)

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