13 brilliant travel hacks for your next holiday

BE PREPARED! Photo / Pexels

Rick Klau's excellent travel hack last month was so good it sparked a flurry of other truly clever hotel tips. But that was just a mere sample of the brilliance of the Internet at large.

I don't remember who posted this on Twitter a few years ago, but whoever you are: you have improved every night I've spent in a hotel since. pic.twitter.com/NpuuumqHV8

— Rick Klau (@rklau) October 4, 2019

Here's 13 more travel hacks you'll wonder how you ever did without.

1. I choose you!
"Best way to find out if there is anything worth seeing within a 1 mile radius around you is to use PokemonGo. Head for the Pokemon Centers."

via GIPHY

2. Think of the Mission
"If you stay in hotels a lot, collect all the extra soaps, shampoos, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc and donate them to your local men's and women's shelters."

via GIPHY

3. Learn the hustle
"When researching things to do for your next leisure travel. Include "location" tourism scam into your search. All tourist heavy areas will have their own scams. This should not dampen your excitement but heighten your knowledge so your holiday will be more enjoyable."

via GIPHY

4. Mistakes happen
"Always pack emergency clothes in your carry on when traveling. An airline losing your luggage is only a matter of time, even if it's never happened to you. It's far more disruptive to your trip than you can imagine."

via GIPHY

5. Have an after-holiday holiday
"If you're taking a trip, make sure you have a full day off at home before you have to get back to work."

via GIPHY

6. Stay hydrated
"When you go at the airport take an empty bottle with you. Most airports have water fountains so you can avoid paying for overpriced bottled water."

via GIPHY

7. No touching?
"If you're on holiday and find yourself in a overpriced souvenir shop... Be aware. Places may rig certain "expensive" items to fall apart, then forcing you to pay for damages. Learned this the hard way."

via GIPHY

8. Get a whiff
"Buy a small bottle of perfume you have never tried on before going for a holiday and use it for while you're there. At any point after, you get a sniff of it, it brings back those memories instantly."

via GIPHY

9. Do your future self a solid
"If you are travelling with a camera, take a photo of a piece of paper with your contact details. If you lose your camera they will be able to contact you when they view the photos."

via GIPHY

10. Beware the iron
"If you're staying in a hotel and need to iron your clothes, send the first few puffs of steam into a towel. It may have been a while since the last time the iron was used, and the steam holes may be filled with nasty brown mineral deposits which you don't want heat-blasted into your clothes."

via GIPHY

11. Just in case..
When flying, put a tag with your info inside your bag, not just outside. Any tag on the outside can come off. Also, when a bag gets lost, the airline will open it to try to determine who it belongs to.

via GIPHY

12. "Me time"
When traveling with a friend or family member, don't be afraid to suggest breaking off to each do your own things for a day. Going solo can be enjoyable (eat/go wherever want at your own pace), plus it reduces you being sick of each other by the end of the trip.

via GIPHY

13. Personal space
If you want people to leave you alone while you are traveling, wear a surgical mask. Note: It is illegal do this in some places, including Hong Kong. Make sure you check first.