Travel: 15 Tips to Make Your Trips Hassle-Free

Whether it’s for business or pleasure, travel is a reality for many of us. It can be difficult, stressful, and expensive — but these 15 travel hacks may make your trips a bit easier, more enjoyable, and even cheaper.

Hack 1: Combine a Business Trip With Fun Time

Got a trip planned to another country or city for work (perhaps to scope out a business you’re thinking about buying)? Do yourself a favor and tack on a few extra days after the work is done so you can enjoy the sights. The airfare is already covered, so this is an affordable way to see somewhere new without taking a separate trip.

If you’ve got family, consider letting them tag along. Once you’re done with the business portion of the trip, you can enjoy the city you’re in together.

Hack 2: Pay for the Upgrade When Traveling by Train

This especially applies if you’re traveling through Europe, and it’s a hack I’ve been testing out myself (I now live in Italy). Train travel is common in Europe, but the economy cars tend to be crowded and loud. 

You’re better off paying for an upgrade to business or a quiet car, especially if you want to get some work done. And the difference in cost usually isn’t astronomical. There are fewer seats in these premium cars, you often get free snacks and drinks, and you’re more likely to be surrounded by people who also appreciate peace and quiet. 

Hack 3: Book Your Travel in Advance

Experts say you should book flights about 76 days before you plan to travel. Any later and you risk prices rising. I look a little earlier than that using comparison tools (more on those in a bit) and then watch prices to see if they drop.

Hack 4: Use Flight Comparison Tools To Save On Airfare

I’ve mastered the art of finding the best prices for airfare thanks to a few flight comparison tools.

Hopper, which is now a partner with Capital One, lets you search for flights based on price, travel duration, and airline. The tool will even tell you the likelihood of the price dropping. You can freeze the price for a fee, and if you book through the app, you’ll get rewards. You can also use Hopper to search for hotels and rental cars.

Another tool to look at is Kayak. With Kayak, you don’t even have to know where you’re going; set a budget and see where it’ll take you.

Hack 5: Use Miles To Upgrade Long-Haul Flights

I don’t know about you but I don’t sleep well on planes, especially on trips between the U.S. and Europe. I love flying Business or First class but I hate paying the high price tag.

Since discovering this hack, I’ve slept better and in more comfort, all while saving money.

I buy an Economy ticket and then put in an upgrade request, paid for using miles. I don’t always get it, and I have to wait until the last minute to know whether I will be upgraded, but it’s a great way to conserve miles (rather than buy the entire Business class ticket with miles) and enjoy an upgraded flight experience.

Hack 6: Take a Carry-on Rather Than a Checked Bag

Raise your hand if your luggage has ever been lost. I’m sure I’m not alone in that. Traveling without your luggage is a major trip disruptor, so I recommend mastering the art of packing light and taking only a carry-on.

Yes, this means you can’t bring 20 outfits, but trust me: you won’t even miss them. You’d be surprised at how much you can fit in a carry-on suitcase!

Hack 7: Fly Out of a Different City

I started doing this when I was using airline miles to pay for flights,  but it’s also a great way to add a new destination to your itinerary without planning a separate trip. 

Pick a city that, if possible, has a direct connection to your home airport. Book a couple of nights there and see as much as you can. A few years ago, I flew out of Vienna, a city I’d never considered visiting. I had such a fantastic time and ate so well that I now want to go back!

Hack 8: Plan to Wash Clothes for Long Trips

This will help with bringing a carry-on rather than a checked bag. If you’re traveling for several weeks, instead of bringing an outfit for every day, just bring enough clothing for about five days and plan to do laundry. My friends make fun of me because I never bring enough underwear for a trip, but they are easy to wash and dry quickly, so why use up valuable suitcase space?

Hack 9: Rent an Apartment or House

Renting a home while you’re traveling gives you a sense of what everyday life is like in a place, especially when you shop at the local grocery store and have your coffee at the shop around the corner. It can also be more affordable than a hotel room, especially if you’re traveling with several people.

Not only that, but you’ll also have a kitchen, which means you can cook (or at the very least, reheat leftovers) and cut down on dining-out costs. 

Hack 10: Use a Fee-Free Credit Card (With Rewards)

You may not be aware of it, but many debit and credit cards will charge you a foreign transaction fee if you make a purchase in another currency — and those charges can add up.

There are, however, cards that don’t charge these fees, so it’s worth reading the fine print to see if you have one.

Additionally, using a card that offers rewards means that every purchase you make on vacation will put money back in your pocket. You can redeem rewards for travel, cash back, and more.

Hack 11: Invest in Global Entry and TSA Precheck

I tell everyone this is the best $100 I’ve ever spent on travel. Getting through TSA Precheck is a huge time-saver compared to the regular TSA lines, and when you’re arriving back in the U.S. from other countries, you can avoid the long wait at customs if you have Global Entry.

Hack 12: Pack Necessities in Your Carry-on

If you ignored Hack 6 and decided to check a bag, this is a must: bring a change of clothes and anything you can’t live without in your carry-on. Take it from me: arriving after a 15-hour flight without clean clothes or a toothbrush is not the start to a relaxing vacation!

Hack 13: Be Strategic About Your Airline Seat

Everyone’s got a preference when it comes to seats on a plane. I used to love sitting next to the window to look out, but my bladder insists that I now sit on the aisle for quick access to the bathroom.

Pick your seat when booking a flight, but then check back closer to your departure to see if there are any rows where you could have an open seat next to you. This doesn’t always work, especially during peak seasons, but it’s worth a try.

Some airlines, like Ryanair, charge you to pick a seat. Sometimes the charge is as low as $1, so it may be worth it to pay for a seat without anyone around.

Hack 14: Amp Up Your Immunity Before Travel

Being in a tin can in the sky with a bunch of strangers with varying degrees of wellness can be a surefire guarantee you’ll end up sick in a few days. Since the pandemic, I’ve caught a virus on three different flights. 

To minimize the risk of illness, start boosting your immunity a few days before you travel. You can take vitamin C or an immunity booster in pill or powder form. Take enough supplements to get you through your trip, and continue taking them for a few days after you get back home.

Hack 15: Be Open to Serendipity

The more you allow for the unexpected while traveling, the better time you will have. Rather than filling up your itinerary with every must-see sight in a city, allow the day to unfold. Have a destination (the Louvre, for example) but be flexible about how and when you get there.

My favorite travel memories are those I could never have planned. And it’s usually the people I meet who make those memories stronger.

Travel can be challenging if you let it. But with a few carefully thought-out hacks like these, you can eliminate at least a little of the uncertainty and stress, and focus on having a fantastic time!

Need some travel destination ideas? Visit the Lifestyle section of the DealStream blog for articles featuring exciting locations such as Scotland, some of the best (and lesser known) cities in Italy, and the Amalfi Coast. Bon voyage!