5 Tips for Making the Most out of Travel

Travel is exciting for most people. It allows people to step out of their comfort zones and experience something they wouldn't be able to at home. Although traveling is one of the best ways to spend your time and money, it comes with its costs. Here, I have given you some of my best tips on how to make the most out of your travels and hopefully avoid some of the hassles.

Rent an apartment.

One of my biggest tips when traveling is to rent an apartment through a site like Airbnb. First off, it’s a lot cheaper than staying in a hotel, you can rent a nice, centrally located apartment or home for less than 100 US dollars. As well as the initial price being so cheap, food is also less expensive. Instead of eating out for every meal and buying the expensive hotel breakfasts, you can go grocery shopping in your location. This is a fun experience to see what foreign markets have to offer and it is a much cheaper option. Personally, I like to feel comfortable in where I’m staying and in apartments, I find this much easier. I don’t have to worry about playing my music or television too loud and I have a kitchen to pack with snacks.

Make a packing list.

Usually, when I’m packing for a long trip, I make a list even before I start packing. This helps me think of what I really need to bring. It helps me to see, in writing, that I’m bringing six pairs of sweatpants, that I don’t really need. When I actually start to lay out and pack, I edit my list to what I’m actually bringing. Once I’m done with the list, I type it up and print out a few copies. This makes for a much easier pack up when I’m getting ready to leave my destination and I don’t have to worry about forgetting anything.

Pack at least a week before.

It’s a huge hassle when you forget something on a trip, especially if you are in a place where people don’t speak your language and what you forgot was important. Instead, take your time by slowly laying out what you need to bring. If you pack at least a week ahead of time and make a list of what you packed, you have a chance to remember what you might’ve forgotten.

Pack lightly.

I love to bring things home from my travels for my friends, family, and myself. The trouble is sometimes what I want to bring home, I can’t fit in my suitcase. If you pack lightly, you have room for all that you want to bring home, and isn’t it more important to bring home memories from trips than to look cute in that shirt for all the foreigners that you will never see again or to get a few more likes on an Instagram post? Also, you never have to worry about getting overcharged for a too heavy suitcase, and at airports, there’s already a lot to worry about.

Learn about where you are traveling to.

When I went to Quito, Ecuador, I doubted that my small amount of rough beginners Spanish would help me in any way, but when I got there I was proven very wrong. In Ecuador, I found it helpful; I was able to barter with sellers in a local market and sometimes order my own food. Simple phrases helped me the most, you don't have to comprehensively understand a language and all of its odds and ends to get around in a foreign country. As well as getting familiar with the local language of the country you are visiting, I also suggest learning about some of the customs of the country, like how much to tip and polite manners. Start researching what you want to see and do before you leave. This helps you use your time most efficiently and do as much as you possibly can.