It had been a bad trip…fast and wild in some moments, slow and dirty in others, but on balance it looked like a bummer – Hunter S. Thompson, Hell’s Angels.
Hunter S Thompson is not the only one who ever had a bummer of a trip. We have all had that glitch in the travel matrix. Sartorial disasters. Food woes. Misplaced documents. Horror of lost checked-in baggage. Missed trains. And terrible hotel rooms. A few seasoned travellers who have visited more than 50 countries now have a definite travel dos and don’ts formulae. Learn from them to avoid another bummer of a trip.
Ed Templeton, Founder of Soul & Surf (Kerala & Sri Lanka)
• Make a zero-waste travel kit and keep it in your hand luggage.
• Water Bottles: Invest in a good metal water bottle. Drink the water before you go through security, and fill it up the other side. Most bars/restaurants are happy to do this now – and if they are a bit funny, just stump up and buy a coffee so they don’t think you are a freeloader.
• Coffee Cups: Buy a reusable coffee cup for flights and at your destination
• Straws/Cutlery: Carry along metal/bamboo straw and bamboo cutlery.
• Headphones: Bring your own headphones, the plane ones are awful, anyway. You can buy a splitter/converter to avoid the sound-only-coming-through-one-ear problem.
• Best ways to beat jet lag: Accustom your body to new sleep time before you leave. Adjust by one hour a day if you can. Sleep on plane according to new time zone – use an eye mask, pillow and ear plugs. Drink plenty of water and avoid caffeine and alcohol on flights. Exercise in sunlight as soon as you can after arrival. If you have to, take melatonin instead of sleeping pills to get to sleep when you get there or get home.
Vinay Bagri, Co-Founder & CEO, Niyo
• Keep copies of all documents saved in your Gmail. Provide access to a family member/friend, in case of any eventuality.
• Keep one set of clothes and essentials in your cabin luggage. Lost/misplaced checked-in luggage can be a nightmare.
• If you are travelling with children, give them an add-on card and some cash – just in case they miss a train, get lost. They should have enough money to make phone call, take a cab or buy train tickets to return to the hotel or reach the destination.
• On your phones, keep location on for all family members travelling together – you should know where the other one is.
• Buy luggage that has room for separate compartments so that you can segregate everyday and formal wear.
• If you travel a lot, buy the universal adapter (some work in more than 150 countries), power bank, spare chargers for phone, laptop, Apple watch for travel only. When you return, leave them in your travel bag so that next time, you do not have to check those boxes.
• If you travelling with family, say, a group of 4, stick to one checked-in bag each, otherwise it would be too much to carry and fit in a car/train.
Ankit Khurana, Chief Marketing Officer, IndiaLends
• Travel light, period. Plus, given the new trend of paid check-in baggage (when travelling coach), fitting everything you need in an international carry-on and a backpack can truly be a budgeting hack.
• Always opt for public transportation, when available.
• My hack to finding the most local dish is to observe (quite shamelessly, sometimes) and identify someone speaking the local language and ordering without asking for recommendations. I then ask our server to get me the same thing as the other person.
• Set aside at least 20% of your budget for miscellaneous expenses, which are essentially unforeseen. Try to leverage travel credit cards for their rewards and benefits as well as low forex markup to squeeze out every bit of value for your rupee.
Vidur Kapur, Director, O3+
• Always carry a universal adapter
• If you are vegetarian, have lots of broccoli as protein tends to get skipped as there’s a lot of consumption of carbs for vegetarians overseas.
• A super loaded breakfast is always a must-have.
• In countries where language is a barrier, Google translator is of a great help
• If you are new to travelling, carry comfort food that makes you feel at home.
• Pack one pair of formal shoes for night out, 1 multipurpose sneakers that you can wear at work out + casual daily strolls and 1 comfortable pair of slippers.
• Always activate your international roaming before departure or else you will end up paying a lot.
• Always find accommodation near the city centre.
• Divide money you intend to carry in 3 bags.
Seema Kundra, PR Consultant
• Plan well in advance, it will help you get good deals on airlines and hotels.
• Read and research about your destination: Weather conditions, hotel locations. Moving around, common scams, local customs and regulations.
• Book tickets and hotels which allow changes without hurting your pocket too much. It will give you breathing room during unforeseen events
• Take travel insurance, health insurance and rental car insurance (if you plan to rent a vehicle)
• Consider taking a travel credit card
• Always carry copies of your passport, tickets and all relevant documents. Keep your original documents and copies in separate bags.
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