Travel Tips to save you time, money and stress

Holiday season is fast approaching which means we’re all in a flap to escape the grey British skies in search of somewhere slightly, y’know, warmer?!  Take a look at our savvy travel tips to help you make the booking process as smooth as possible this year whilst saving some money, time and stress in the process.
 

1.  When looking for the cheapest flights, say NO to cookies...

Airlines have been cashing in for years simply by using tracking cookies.  Why?  Because if they see you’re browsing flight options they’ll increase the prices shown to panic you into buying before price levels increase again.  Shady, huh?!
 
There are a few ways to avoid this:

1. If using Chrome, clear your browsing data, making sure you select ‘Cookies and other site and plugin data’. The same can be done in Internet explorer by simply deleting websites from your history.
2. Use your mobile phone and ensure that it isn’t using your home Wi-Fi connection – again, making sure you delete any cookies before starting a new search.
3. Use Chrome’s ‘Incognito’ setting, closing and opening a new window for each search (since cookies are deleted upon termination of a page).

 

2.  Avoid flying on a Friday or Sunday if you can…

Airlines consider these the peak ‘leisure traveller’ days so avoid them if you can.  Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Saturday’s are commonly perceived at the cheapest days to travel.
 

3.  Use airline apps to save yourself a headache…

The world has gone app crazy and airline companies are no exception.  Download your airline’s travel app before travelling so that you can check in via your mobile.  You’ll also be able to use your mobile as a boarding pass (paperless travel, yes please!) and keep up to date on departure times, gate numbers and so on.  Apps mean all of the information you need in one place.
 

4.  Maximise suitcase space...

We compiled a list of our best packing tips a while back but to recap, try either rolling or vacuum packing your clothes to maximise space.  Packing lots of shoes too?  Stuff them with whatever you can since this will keep their shape and use up space that would otherwise go to waste. 
 

5.  Weigh your case before you travel to avoid paying extra...

This one is super obvious but it catches people out all the time!  There’s a simple hack for weighing your case without proper bag scales.  Simply stand on your floor scales and take a note of your weight.  Now stand on your scales again, this time holding your bag.  To get the weight of your bag…
 
Total weight (with bag) – Total weight (without bag) = Weight of bag
 

6.  Ensure your bag is lighter for the outbound journey...

Make sure your case weighs slightly less on the way to your destination so that you have some spare room for any gifts and goodies you buy whilst away.  Nine times out of ten your bag will weigh more on the return journey, even if you use up all your toiletries and leave towels behind!

 

7.  Get connected to hotel Wi-Fi, save maps on your mobile...

Of course we can travel around with a big tourist map but another convenient way to store a map is on your phone.  Before leaving your hotel in the morning, map out some routes on Google Maps, take a screen shot of each and use these instead.  You can stop off at cafés with Wi-Fi to update and add to them.

 

8.  Buy a travel charger pack...

Don’t get caught without phone battery by getting yourself a portable power bank.  You can get them for as little as a tenner and they’re perfect for long days out when you’ve been using your phone to navigate you around town.

 

9.  Shop around for the best foreign exchange rates…

Nowadays there are all sorts of companies offering money exchange.  Use websites like mytravelmoney.co.uk to get the best rate for your dosh. 
 

10.  Don’t get fleeced with currency converter apps...

Not sure if the guy on the market is charging local prices or inflated rip off tourist prices for his sunglasses?  Download a currency converter which can be used offline so that you can check the conversion price whilst out and about.
 

11.  Make space for lots of photos…

Don’t get caught out with too little storage space by making sure you have a big enough memory card for all of your snaps.  If you don’t fancy investing in a new memory card and have your phone handy for any extra pictures, you can back them up with Google Drive and clear space on your handset for those sunshine selfies.

Feel like we’ve missed a crucial tip? Leave a comment below, we’d love to add to this list!