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A group of fishermen made waves a few years back, after revealing that their secret weapon while out at sea is none other than condoms. Several news outlets reported that the Kenyans are relying on little latex sheaths to protect themselves. But not in the way you might expect. The fishermen said they put their cell phones in the condoms to keep them waterproof. If disaster strikes, they are able to call for help. It’s a lesser-known hack that could also be used by some travelers. And it's one of many apparently.
Someone recently asked, "What's the one travel hack you swear most people don't know about?" And netizens didn't disappoint. Travelers unpacked the secret tried-and-tested tricks that help save them time, money and stress. From using baby diapers to disguise their belongings at the beach to rubbing Tiger Balm under their nostrils as protection against stinky fellow plane passengers, some of the hacks might surprise you.
Bored Panda has put together a list of the top ones, for you to scroll through while you plan your next dream vacation. Don't forget to upvote your favorites, and let us know in the comments below if you have any genius travel hacks of your own.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Pre-download offline Google maps for the area you’re going to be in so you can still navigate, even if you don’t have cell service.
If you've been fortunate enough to venture to foreign lands, you'll know that things don't always go as planned. You could get lost, lose something, miss a bus, train or plane, or not know where to find the nearest bathroom... Traveling can be daring and daunting experience, especially if you're unprepared.
Thankfully, these netizens were willing to spill their secrets when it comes to making your travel adventures smoother, so you can save yourself some time, money and stress. As a bonus, we've gathered some extra tips from seasoned travelers and experts. You'll find them further down between the images.
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#2
I don’t know if this will count, but I’ve traveled with people who get extremely and overly annoyed about flight delays, hassles, hiccups, etc. Their responses and attitudes for me, are often worse than the situation.
My “hack” is that I go into the airport with the mindset that my only goal is to eventually arrive at my destination. In the meantime, it will be easier if I check my ego at the door until I get off the plane.
That means understanding that I am not important. My needs and desires are irrelevant. I am little more than a sheep or cattle being shuffled to and fro until I grab my bags and get off the plane at my destination. I paid for this and the airline and whatever s****y circumstances I’m exposed to do not require me to respond with aggravation.
Basically, just shut off your ego and let what happens, happen. Screaming, whining, and getting irate aren’t going to solve much at all.
#3
Walk 3 blocks away from the tourist attraction for lunch. Food will be 3 times better, at 1/3 the price.
The team at Lonely Planet are experts when it comes to traveling. That's what the site is about after all... They recently put together their favorite hacks in an extensive post and these are the ones that stood out for us:
Don't throw away your near-empty products, advised Lonely Planet's Destination Editor for Northeast Asia, Selena Takigawa Hoy. "If I have anything at the end of its life – such as cosmetics or undershirts – I like to bring it with me, use it up and replace it on the trip," the frequent flyer revealed. "I get a practical souvenir that's a bit more special than what I can get at home, and it doesn't take up any more space in my luggage."
#4
Ear plugs. I can’t tell you how many people complain about noise and that it ruined their vacation, etc, etc. I wear them nightly b/c my husband snores, and I take them everywhere. Long flight? Noisy hotel? Irritating music at the beach? Cheap ear plugs are in all my toiletry bags.
JayhawkJoey 1 week ago
I live by this. I've also had to use both earplugs AND noise canceling headphones in some situations, but what can you do?
#5
Take a picture of all important documents such as passports, insurance, driver's license. If you don't have cloud storage, send it to yourself in an email!
Hippopotamuses 1 week ago
This is probably the best advice on this post. If you go to a city without consular representation, this is a godsend.
Destination Editor for Western USA and Canada, Melissa Yeager had similar advice. She says she packs beauty samples when she's about to jet off. "I have a drawer where I stockpile all the free samples of skincare, shampoo and makeup I receive. When I’m packing, I throw some of the samples in my toiletry bag in place of my normal larger bottles," said Yeager.
She adds that she gets to revel in the small joy of sampling a new product while also staying under the carry-on liquid regulations. "On one girls' trip, we all brought our unused samples and traded them around," Yeager revealed. "We all enjoyed testing new things but then had a little extra space in our carry-ons when we returned."
#6
Stash a few different sized ziplocks in your suitcase. Dirty hotel remotes? Stick it in a ziplock. Soiled clothes and no way to wash? Keeps them separated and smells contained. Shells from the beach. Trash bag. Snack holder. Purse organizer. Barf bag. Ice pack. Coin holder. Leak prevention for liquids. Keep a change of clothes rolled up tight in your backpack. Keeps sand off an e-reader at the beach. Endless possibilities.
#7
In a foreign country, grab a hotel business card to show locals/taxi if you need directions or a ride.
The team also shared how they use AI and technology to make traveling easier. "Recently, I've been using Chat GPT to organize my itinerary," revealed Photo Editor, Katelyn Perry. "I enter in all the locations I want to visit, experiences, recommendations from my LP Guidebooks, from friends, etc, and ask it to order them in a way that makes sense for slow-paced travel."
#8
If you're traveling with a partner share your clothes between suitcases, then if one goes missing you can still manage for a few days while you track it down.
#9
Study stoicism. Sometimes you're going to miss your bus, other times the bus might leave without you due to no fault of your own. Sometimes the restaurant you try will be bad and still expensive, and other times the one you walked a mile to find won't even be open. Either way, you can get upset or anxious in those situations and ruin your day/week/whole trip, or you can just accept it's part of the experience and figure out how to proceed from there.
Another Lonely Planet staff member said he uses one of the tips on this list... And that's making Google Maps offline before he heads out. "I always download maps of the cities or regions I'm visiting, typically while on the flight or at the airport before departure," Craig Zapatka shared.
Ann Douglas Lott revealed that Google Maps can organize your screenshots into a map. "Give the app access to your camera roll, and it will identify places you’ve screenshotted that you want to visit and organize them into a map, which you can then review and approve," they suggested.
#10
Everyone learns local language words for hello, goodbye, thank you, please. But one that always makes people happy:
Delicious.
#11
Pack a power strip with an appropriate adapter for wherever you’re going. Not every place has enough outlets to charge your devices. This is particularly handy if traveling with a group.
#12
This is going to be controversial. If you have the poor misfortune of sitting next to someone that reeks of body odour, a little bit of tiger balm around your nostrils will mask every smell around you. Use small quantities and reapply as required.
This worked great when I had to sit next to someone through an 8 hour flight. Every time they laughed their whole body would shake and release what can only be described as sewer.
Upstaged75 1 week ago
One time I was on a shuttle bus at Disney World - at the end of the day which had been super hot. 😫 I know that not everyone around the world uses deodorant, and I try not to judge....but let me just say I was never happier to have cherry Chapstick in my purse. My friend and I both smothered that stuff around our nostrils to survive the trip back to our hotel. That bus smelled like the worst BO from 5 different continents mixed together. Not sure why the heck we thought DW in August was a good idea!
#13
If you’re lost, go to a hotel for directions, not a gas station.
Hotel employees are so knowledgeable, and often have access to maps and google and can help you with directions, where to eat, etc.
Hippopotamuses 1 week ago (edited)
Hotels also have 'social' knowledge. Coming from a country where people are multi-coloured, and it doesn't mean anything in the street (cultural issues aside), hotel staff can't tell you where 'not' to go if you're white or coloured.
#14
Get some compression stockings for city trips where you walk a lot. Don't be afraid that those are only for old people and get some that are made for exercising like running.
Your feet will hurt much less and will recover faster.
I can recommend this brand.
There are also cheap versions on Amazon, but those feel just like tight socks and even hurt my feet.
murmelinpaiva 1 week ago
If compression socks hurt your feet, you can get compression leg sleeves (ankle to knee), available on Amazon. I wear them every day and get a lot of compliments on the sporty designs.
#15
-I’ve seen someone use an AirTag for their suitcase, just in case it gets stolen. Also too, take a photo of your luggage just in case the airlines lose it, which has happened to me before.
-make a paper copy of your passport and pack that too, in case your passport gets stolen.
-If you struggle with packing, make + keep a default list of items you’d normally pack so you don’t forget anything.
-If you have multiple bags/suitcases, bungee cords are an easy and compact way to bundle bags on top a wheeled suitcase.
-Zip up your suitcase and keep it closed if you’re not actively using items. I had a terrifying spider crawl out of my suitcase once bc I used to just keep it open.
-obtain foreign currency before you travel, at a legitimate foreign currency exchange.
I’ve Seen Things 1 week ago
After being reunited with a suitcase that was missing internationally for two months (we knew exactly where it was as it had a Tile and an AirTag in it, but couldn’t get through to the people at the airport to go and get it). The delivery people who brought it to our house actually said that we would have gotten it in a few days if we had a piece of paper with the next hotel/location and what dates we were there. He said they would have just sent it to the next hotel, but there was no identification in the bag until the report eventually made its way to the missing bag staff. Now we put an email address and the next couple of stops with dates in it, along with the AirTag and Tile.
#16
ESIMs are a time-saver—skip the hassle of getting a physical sim, and you can connect as soon as you land if you set it up ahead of time.
Also, not sure if this is a travel hack, but I always do a deep clean of my house and put fresh, pressed sheets on my bed before I leave. That way, when I get back, all I have to do is throw my clothes in the laundry and not stress about cleaning. It’s such a nice way to come home to a clean space!
The Majestic Opossum 4 days ago (edited)
Yes! My husband thinks I'm nuts for deep cleaning before we leave, but it is so nice to come home to. I also use this tip I found years ago: I order groceries to be delivered when we get home so we have fresh food and one less chore waiting for us!
#17
When checking out of your hotel, before they charge your credit card for the full price, use some or all of your local currency/pocket change towards paying the bill. Saves you bringing home foreign currency and avoid currency conversion charges.
Uncle Panda 1 week ago
I put all my leftover foreign currency in a drawer and it looks like I'm an international man of mystery.
#18
Carry more than one debit card. If one gets eaten by an ATM and you have no way of getting in touch with the operators, you've still got another one.
Carry more than one credit card just in case fraudulent charges show up on one while you're traveling and you need to cancel it.
I've had both situations happen to me. Having multiple cards saved me a lot of time and hassle.
#19
Learned this from reddit, but have a “mistakes” fund. Give yourself say 100$-500$ (depending on the trip) where your mistakes cost will go to, for example a missed train ride, or flight change fee, tourist scams, etc. It will help you not get one bad thing ruin the whole trip, especially if you are traveling with a travel partner or group.
Mimi M 1 week ago (edited)
I always calculate an (approximately) 25% 'No Benefit Expense' (NBE) cost into each trip. So somewhere along the line some snafu is going to cost around 25% of the total trip cost. Doesn't always happen, but it's good to be mentally prepared. Kind of like including an 'over-run, mishaps and unexpected costs' amount into building projects. It's the travel equivalent of this.
#20
Packing cubes.
Whenever I mention them, the recipient seems to say “yeah, I use those!“. But I don’t see anybody else actually using them.
Upstaged75 1 week ago
I use them every time I travel. They're amazing. You put your clothes in them and they compress when you zip it up. Makes for extra room in your luggage and helps prevent wrinkles. All my coworkers have them as well.
#21
ALWAYS carry on anything you can't afford to lose, both monetarily and sentimentally!!
Upstaged75 1 week ago (edited)
Or health-wise too! Never check your prescriptions in your luggage - keep them with you.
#22
If you’re staying in place with a kitchen and plan to be cooking a lot, I get one of those Monday-Friday pill organizers and fill them with cooking spices and put them in my luggage.
Mimi M 1 week ago (edited)
I have one of those, and pack with anti-nausea, anti-diarrhea, tylenol, ibuprophen, antibiotics, anti-parasitics, sleep-meds, one or two extra strength painkillers in case of emergency, some baking soda, allergy pills - am I at more than seven? (I label each compartment and in some of them I have to double up). I wrap a rubber band around it lengthwise and it's my lil drugstore away from home.
#23
If you’re alone at the beach and want to swim, put your belongings in a sealed diaper. Very few will gamble.
Upstaged75 1 week ago
What if you don't have kids with you? People are going to think it's weird that you're carrying around a dirty diaper.
#24
I keep a journal while I travel as I usually forget the details.
#25
I’m sure plenty of people know this “hack” but I’ve surprised my friends quite a few times with this knowledge: I had a friend who was trying to go to Ireland somewhat short notice and the flights were crazy expensive. I told him to look into London and then fly to Ireland from there. He saved $300 on the flight to London and a flight to Ireland was £19.
This works for a lot of places in Europe as well. I’ve flown into London for trips to Ireland, Spain, Italy, France… etc.
Hippopotamuses 1 week ago (edited)
This works most of the time. But on a flight from Auckland NZ to LA, then Chicago, then on to Rochester NY, I somehow wound up transiting through North Carolina. Saved a lot of money for my employer, but was confusing for me.
#26
AirTags in every luggage you have whether checked or carry on. They helped us finding a suitcase Air France lost, and was sitting in the terminal in Paris for a few days. Hi you guys lost my suitcase. Ok we’ll have to find it. It’s in terminal 2E, in the blah blah building. How do you know? AirTag. Hi, Bucharest, when is my luggage arriving? We have to look for it. It’s in the logistics building. How do you know? AirTag. Can you tell which part of the building? Yes, closer to the car rental agencies. Great. Hours later found.
I’ve Seen Things 1 week ago
Mine was in the lost property storage next to Victoria Secret in terminal C for two months 😂 We sent two emails a week with its location and made contact via social media annd eventually got it back.
#27
I take a travel pillow, remove the pillow, and refill it with socks/undies/bathing suit/pjs. More space in your carry on!
Bonus points; I pack all my old stuff that I need to throw out anyway, and throw it out after I wear it. (My husband hates this hack).
#28
Never buy your flight thru a bucket shop or second vendor i.e. expedia. If you have a flight canceled or delayed you will have to go thru them to get a refund which will never happen.
You can look at the schedules and prices online, but always buy directly with the carrier and have no shame about asking for the same price online. If it's $50 more, worth it.
Hippopotamuses 1 week ago
Definitely. The more vendors you go through, the more complicated problems become.
#29
You’re allowed to empty your pockets before you get to the belt with the bins!
Shaggy 1 week ago (edited)
This, When you are waiting in line, put your wallet, keys, shades, watch, phone and whatever you know you will need to put in a separate bin, in your cary on. That way things go faster for you and you will not potentially loose something in the mix. Also, Get dressed away from the d**n exit chute. The amount of people that just sit there putting their self together, holding up the line amazes me. I really don't need to see the some dude/woman putting his belt/shoes back on holding up the entire line.
#30
Use a prepaid Mastercard! I don’t know if they are available worldwide but I’m from the uk and I used a revolut card whilst travelling the world. I would load it with £250 at a time on the app so if it got stolen or copied that was the most I could possibly lose and it isn’t connected to my main bank account so no issues with major cancellations etc. it also works in almost any currency as a payment card and you can get money out of ATMs. Plus the exchange rates are great. It was literally the best when travelling, cannot recommend it enough.
#31
Look up a hotel’s number based on their booking.com listing and contact them directly either with a phone call or on WhatsApp and ask for their price, cash and credit card, and often times, it’s cheaper.
#32
Noise cancelling headphones on planes, etc.
#33
Cans of shaving cream can be bulky to pack. So, I leave the shaving cream at home and use conditioner at the hotel in place of the shaving cream to shave. Works great.
#34
Bring homemade sandwiches/snacks on the plane with you. Airport food is very $$.
The Majestic Opossum 4 days ago (edited)
I stick to shelf stable snacks and pack enough for the whole trip. One of my friends packed an entire suitcase with snacks for our trip overseas. I thought she was nuts, until those midday munchies hit after traveling for 18 hours! Plus, she packed a little thing of the ready to eat Mac n cheese - a little taste of home in a foreign land can be very comforting. Just no fresh fruits or veggies - they're prohibited many places overseas, and even domestically, they can easily squish and are messy to eat/throw away. Plus, nobody wants to find that peach they forgot about after a week of it sitting in a suitcase 🤢
#35
Hotel lobbies are perfect for any type of pit stops and other needs. Nobody really cares if you hang out there, toilets are free. If you need a charger or have lost yours - ask for one at the reception - 80% of the time, they have a massive drawer with a full selection.
#36
You can bring frozen water through TSA…don’t buy some s****y $9 12 oz Aquafina. Freeze a liter of essentia before you leave, drink whatever turns to liquid before you hit security.
scubaninja24:
Or any empty drinking container. I always travel with an empty water bottle.
#37
In addition to a travel adapter, bringing a power bar with your native outlet can save you from fighting for outlets in hotel rooms with your travel companions. Also good for airports where plugs are scarce.
#38
* Picture of all 4 corners of your car, showing it, and where you parked it at the airport.
* Lookup local emergency numbers for my destination, ie 911, 999, 112, so if you need it you can just dial it and not have to Google.
* I actually take the documents thing one step further and leave a photo copy of my passport with a friend or relative so that in a real emergency where my phone gets stolen and everything and I can't get to cloud storage, etc. I can call from the hotel and have them fax it or something.
* Learn basic greetings (hello, good morning, good afternoon, thank you, please, etc) in the local language.
* Walk the block of the hotel on Google Street View to get a rough reference of what's around and where.
* Blend in, don't look like a tourist.
* Look up where the local embassies are, if there is one.
* Don't overpack.
#39
When I am going to another country I enroll in the State Department's STEP program.
This notifies the corresponding US Embassy that you will be in that country. That way, if there are emergencies, unrest, etc they can contact you. You can also put family members in your profile so that they can be contacted as well. It's free.
#40
Merino wool underpants, socks and t-shirts.
Two, maybe three of each and I can travel forever. They wash in a bathroom sink and will be dry by the morning.
Saves a ton of space vs packing 6 of each for a weeklong trip, allowing use of carryon only - which is the goal.
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What do you think ?
Jo Firth 1 week ago
Take it from an 'old' person: always (always) take paper copies of your flight bookings, accommodation, etc because - and I know this is hard for younger people to believe - technology fails. It's not happened to me, but I've read nightmare stories from travel bloggers about not having proof of bookings because they couldn't get into their phone. I think it is particularly relevant if you make bookings via third parties. That's another tip: book directly with airlines/hotels, etc. Go online and find out what prices Expedia, Booking.com are offering and then contact the hotel directly for a price match (they know what these third parties are doing). Every time they will give you the cheaper price. EVERY TIME. And there is less chance that your booking will disappear into thin air. Thank you for attending my TED talk.
Captain Kakapo 1 week ago
take it from modern IT person - always take paper copies of all that can be paper copied :)
Load More Replies... The Majestic Opossum 4 days ago (edited)
I didn't see these so I'll add mine: I take an extra day when I get home for any trip. It's a must for jet lag, but it's also nice to have a "buffer day" to unpack, relax, or in case your vacation gets extended due to cancelled flights etc. I have a carry on bag in my closet already packed with travel size toiletries, eye mask, ear plugs, slippers, bottle opener, lighter (one of those weird things that always comes in handy), and extra medication. One less thing to think about when packing! When I fly I always wear my bulkiest (and easiest to remove) shoes, my jacket (A leather motorcycle jacket is versatile, water proof, and has tons of pockets!) and a thin blanket scarf (doubles as an accessory and a blanket on cold flights). A leather hip bag instead of a purse. It's durable, convenient, and I don't look like a "tourist" as much. Take a small bar of soap with you, has come in handy many times. Travel detergent & dryer sheets. Last but not least, a little tin of Vaseline, can be used as a chapstick, skin salve for cuts or burns, and to help protect blistered feet, among many other things.
The Majestic Opossum 4 days ago
And as a reader, I always have a physical book with me. Just in case my Kindle runs out of battery or gets damaged or lost, I still have a book to read!
Load More Replies...
Cheese 1 week ago
Don't buy those travel-sized products. Use empty or drain out expired bottles under 3.4 ounces and fill it up with product from your home. Also, you can clean out old travel deodorant containers, lip balm containers, or glue sticks with rubbing alcohol, cut off a chunk of your deodorant, melt it in the microwave, and fill up your container.
Jo Firth 1 week ago
Take it from an 'old' person: always (always) take paper copies of your flight bookings, accommodation, etc because - and I know this is hard for younger people to believe - technology fails. It's not happened to me, but I've read nightmare stories from travel bloggers about not having proof of bookings because they couldn't get into their phone. I think it is particularly relevant if you make bookings via third parties. That's another tip: book directly with airlines/hotels, etc. Go online and find out what prices Expedia, Booking.com are offering and then contact the hotel directly for a price match (they know what these third parties are doing). Every time they will give you the cheaper price. EVERY TIME. And there is less chance that your booking will disappear into thin air. Thank you for attending my TED talk.
Captain Kakapo 1 week ago
take it from modern IT person - always take paper copies of all that can be paper copied :)
Load More Replies... The Majestic Opossum 4 days ago (edited)
I didn't see these so I'll add mine: I take an extra day when I get home for any trip. It's a must for jet lag, but it's also nice to have a "buffer day" to unpack, relax, or in case your vacation gets extended due to cancelled flights etc. I have a carry on bag in my closet already packed with travel size toiletries, eye mask, ear plugs, slippers, bottle opener, lighter (one of those weird things that always comes in handy), and extra medication. One less thing to think about when packing! When I fly I always wear my bulkiest (and easiest to remove) shoes, my jacket (A leather motorcycle jacket is versatile, water proof, and has tons of pockets!) and a thin blanket scarf (doubles as an accessory and a blanket on cold flights). A leather hip bag instead of a purse. It's durable, convenient, and I don't look like a "tourist" as much. Take a small bar of soap with you, has come in handy many times. Travel detergent & dryer sheets. Last but not least, a little tin of Vaseline, can be used as a chapstick, skin salve for cuts or burns, and to help protect blistered feet, among many other things.
The Majestic Opossum 4 days ago
And as a reader, I always have a physical book with me. Just in case my Kindle runs out of battery or gets damaged or lost, I still have a book to read!
Load More Replies... Cheese 1 week ago
Don't buy those travel-sized products. Use empty or drain out expired bottles under 3.4 ounces and fill it up with product from your home. Also, you can clean out old travel deodorant containers, lip balm containers, or glue sticks with rubbing alcohol, cut off a chunk of your deodorant, melt it in the microwave, and fill up your container.
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