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Travel Tips
Travel Tips
But I want to help speed up the process and help you avoid my mistakes (and I often
make a lot of them), so I put together this giant list of my best travel tips that cover
everything under the sun to help you reach your full travel ninja potential.
I’ve learned these tips over the last sixteen years being a nomad.
These tips for traveling will have you saving money, sleeping better, getting off the
beaten path more, meeting locals, and just being a better traveler.
So, without further ado, here are the best 61 travel tips in the world:
Make sure it’s a lightweight, quick-drying towel since regular towels are too bulky
and heavy (and they take a long time to dry). Dry Fox travel towels are my favorite
(use the code “nomadicmatt” for 15% off your purchase)!
2. Use a small backpack/suitcase.
By purchasing a small backpack (I like something around 35/45 liters), you will be
forced to pack light and avoid carrying too much stuff. Humans have a natural
tendency to want to fill space. Even if you pack light initially but have lots of extra
room in your bag, you’ll end up going “well, I guess I can take more” and fill that
space. You’ll regret it later as you’ll be carrying around a bunch of stuff you don’t
need as well as more weight on your shoulders.
My favorite bag is the Flash Pack from REI. Other companies offering high-quality
bags are Osprey, Nomatic, and MEC (for Canadians).
This article has more tips on finding the best travel backpack for your needs.
The same rule applies to suitcases. Don’t take a huge suitcase because they are a pain
in the butt to lug around, especially if you’re traveling long term (short term, not so
much). I like Level 8 suitcases. They are durable, quite spacious, nicely designed, and
well-priced (luggage can be pretty damn expensive). Plus, they have a TSA lock built
into the zipper. You can click here to learn more and buy one.
I also recommend packing cubes, which are essential if you’re going to be living out
of a backpack for a few weeks (or months), or you just want to keep your suitcase
better organized. They come in a variety of sizes, allowing you to store items big and
small. They’re great for making it easy to find everything in your backpack or
suitcase.
3. Pack light.
Write down a list of essentials, cut it in half, and then only pack that! Plus, since you
bought a small backpack like I said above, you won’t have much room for extra stuff
anyways! Take half the clothes you think you will need…you won’t need as much as
you think. It’s OK to wear the same t-shirt a few days in a row.
I love Unbound Merino, as their travel clothing can be worn daily for weeks without
getting smelly. They are super light and they look sylish too. I really love the material,
they’re comfortable, they hardly ever need a wash, and they last forever!
5. Stay in hostels.
They are cheap, organize events, you’ll meet a lot of people, and they are just tons of
fun! Plus, hostel bars sell cheap beer. Hostelworld is the best hostel-accommodation
site out there, with the largest inventory, best search interface, and highest
availability. I use it for all my hostel bookings.
Here’s a list of all my best hostels around the world. If you’re planning on
backpacking Europe, it’s worth getting HostelPass, a card that gives you up to 20%
off hostels throughout Europe. It’s a great way to save money, and they’re constantly
adding new hostels too. I’ve always wanted something like this and so I’m glad it
finally exists. Use code NOMADICMATT for 25% off.
To use this method, find out how much it is to go directly to your destination. Then,
look at prices to nearby airports. If the difference is more than $150 USD, I look to
see how much it is to get from the second airport to my primary destination.
My favorite flight search engine is Skyscanner. This is my go-to website for finding
cheap flights. It searches a lot of different airlines, including many of the budget
carriers that larger sites miss.
You’ll learn a lot about yourself and how to become independent. It’s a cliché, but it’s
true. Traveling solo taught me how to fend for myself, talk to people, and handle
unfamiliar situations with ease. It’s made me comfortable with myself, helped me
learn about what I’m capable of, and allowed me to be super selfish and do whatever I
want! It can take some getting used to if you’ve never done it before but do it at least
once. Make yourself uncomfortable and surprise yourself. You’ll learn valuable life
skills when you push yourself!
And while free walking tours are great, sometimes it’s worth it to take a paid walking
tour if you’d like to dig deeper into a particular aspect of the destination. Walks is one
of my favorite paid walking tour companies, offering in-depth history and cultural
tours in cities around the world (especially Europe). Its small-group tours also tend to
offer exclusive behind-the-scenes access you can’t get elsewhere.
For fellow foodies, Devour Food Tours has all kinds of amazing food tours around
Europe.
14. Ask hostel staff for information — even when you aren’t staying there.
Hostel staff deal with budget travelers all day, every day. They know exactly where to
go for cheap meals and attractions. They also tend to be locals so they know the city
very well. Ask them for all sorts of information. Even if you aren’t staying in one, just
pop in and ask for help. They’ll usually give it.
Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) – The BEST for upcoming US flight deals.
The Flight Deal – Great for global flight deals.
Holiday Pirates – The best for European flight deals.
Secret Flying – A great site for flight deals from around the world.