If travel is back on the books for you this summer and it’s maybe been a while since you’ve been on a plane or traveled more than an hour away, you might have forgotten the important act of packing a suitcase in an organized manner — or even what it feels like to be away from your home.
Especially if you’re someone who tends to just throw things into your suitcase at the last minute without any rhyme or reason, there are actually a number of ways that will not only optimize your time while on vacation but keep you feeling happy and thriving while you’re away.
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Let’s take a look at six travel hacks you need to use during the summer months for your next trip away.
1. Packing cubes are not just a gimmick!
Were you someone who immediately jumped on buying packing cubes when they first came out, but haven’t really made use of them because they’re either buried in your closet or just seem a little too fussy? Well, if you’re traveling this summer and don’t make use of your packing cubes, you’re doing yourself a real disservice.
If you’re brand new to packing cubes, you can find them in any number of colors and sizes, and they usually come in a group pack of about four to six cubes. And essentially, you use them to keep things organized and compressed in your suitcase. You can use a cube for your pajamas and underwear and another cube for your shirts and pants and another for your footwear.
You’ll suddenly find yourself with all this extra room in your suitcase, and it’ll be really easy to find things once you get to your hotel or resort and need to unpack. Plus, if there’s a spill of some sort in your suitcase, a lot of packing cubes are waterproof and offer that extra layer of protection.
2. Do all the prechecks and sign-ins the night before your flight.
We all know that it can be a little annoying during those last few days leading up to a trip when your email is suddenly full of reminders from the airline, hotel, or booking app. The thing is, though, there is usually some vital information in some of those emails when it comes to doing a flight precheck that can save you time (and patience) while at the airport.
Specific airlines usually have some sort of precheck that you can do the night before your flight in order for both you and them to save time. If you’re traveling within the United States, you can sign up for TSA PreCheck, which grants you a smoother security screening process that requires no shoe or laptop removal. Sounds pretty great, right?
Also, depending on what country you’re traveling to, there are usually apps you can sign up for, like Global Traveler, that will make the trip through customs way more painless.
3. Pack a go-to case of beauty, pharmacy, and skin care items in your purse or carry-on.
This one is especially essential if you’re going on a long-haul flight, as you will seriously thank yourself for packing a little beauty, pharmacy, and skin care case in your purse or carry-on bag to have close by throughout your flight.
We’re not just talking about having a skin care mask handy. You can put your own little travel-sized toothbrush and toothpaste in there, which is essential for freshening up or getting in your oral health care before you go to sleep.
Items like Tylenol or Gravol could be essential for you, as they can come in incredibly handy if you start to feel sick while traveling. Deodorant and lip balm are a must-have as well.
4. Photocopy your passport, just in case.
Have you ever had one of those panicky nightmares where you’re traveling abroad and about to catch your flight home and you suddenly can’t seem to locate your passport? Yeah, those types of dreams or thoughts are classified as anxiety-inducing for good reason!
A hot tip that you might be unaware of is that it’s actually perfectly legal to photocopy your passport and keep a copy with you when traveling. In fact, the US Department of State recommends that travelers who are going abroad do exactly this, just in case their passport goes missing while they’re away.
We’re not saying that it would solve all your problems if you were to lose your passport while in Greece, but you could be in a lot better of a situation than without anything in your possession for international travel.
5. Use your points and sign up for loyalty programs to get all the perks.
If you’re someone who uses their credit card all the time out of ease but doesn’t keep up with the points you’re likely accumulating, it’s time to check on that before your next big trip. Most credit cards nowadays have some sort of points system in place where you collect points with every purchase that can be redeemed in a variety of ways.
You might be able to get gift vouchers and money off for airlines, hotels, rental cars, and more, as well as score some huge savings that you’ll be able to put toward something else on your bucket list.
Also, it never hurts to see if the hotel or resort you’re staying at has a loyalty program that you can sign up for. These programs are usually completely free to sign up for, and they can get you perks like free upgrades and meals, which always makes a trip away that much sweeter.
6. Arrive fresh and feeling good by packing your own snacks (that are easily digested!).
Do yourself a favor and set your watch to local time as soon as you get on the plane to give yourself a jump start on getting yourself in the correct time zone for your travels.
This will also help you in terms of planning out your meal and snack times when it comes to your flight and traveling. For those who tend to get a bit nauseous up in the air due to turbulence or even nerves, it’s important to pack some healthy snacks for the flight that won’t leave you feeling even worse.
Things like melon or banana or even a small turkey sandwich or sautéed veggies over white rice are more likely to keep you feeling full and nourished than a bag of chips and a chocolate bar. Plus, these kinds of foods are easily digestible, so they shouldn’t give you an issue while up in the air as you’re preparing for the first day of your trip away.
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