As avid travelers, we have come across tons of travel hacks over the years that make traveling so much easier. Since we travel so often, we’ve learned these tips over time and now they are part of our normal travel routine. We also couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do 27 travel hacks with 27 Travels haha! We bet you haven’t heard of most of these before (maybe not any of them!) so keep on reading to see our favorite top 27 travel hacks!

Download Google Maps Offline

We use Google Maps for almost everything (as long as Google works in the country we are visiting) because we think it’s the best map for walking or driving navigation. One of our favorite features is that Google Maps has the option to download a certain map area offline so you can still access the map even if you don’t have wifi or cell phone service! It’s really helpful in places where you cell phone doesn’t work like traveling Internationally, or even just in places where there is limited service like National Parks. You can still even use the navigation features offline and all of you favorites and bookmarks for the map area will still be saved as well!

2. Favorite Places on Google Maps

Another reason why we love Google Maps is because you have the option to favorite or bookmark places. We typically favorite locations and then they appear on the map as a heart pin point. Usually before a trip we will favorite all of the places we want to visit like attractions, activities, Instagram photo spots, etc, as well as our hotel or accommodation, restaurants, and the airport. This is a great way to see how close things are to one another, and then see the best way to get from one place to another. Also like I said above, if you download your map offline your favorites will still be there!

3. Use Skyscanner to find Cheap Flights

One of our favorite websites to find cheap, affordable, and reliable flights in Skyscanner. Skyscanner is a travel booking website that puts all of the possible flights into one place. It sorts them by the cheapest option, the best option distance/time wise, and more. But our favorite feature on Skyscanner is their Explore option where you can type in where you want to leave from, and explore the cheapest flight options anywhere in the world! We have found such great deals on flights this way and to places we thought we would never get to visit! In our opinion, Skyscanner has always been reliable and we have never had a problem when booking flights through them.

4. Try to be Flexible/Travel Off-Season

One of our favorite tips for traveling affordably is to try and be flexible and/or travel off-season. If it is possible for you to travel on weekdays vs. weekends for example, you will likely get cheaper flights and accommodations since most people travel during the weekends. Also if you are traveling during holidays and school breaks, everything will tend to be more expensive. You will definitely find better and cheaper deals if you avoid traveling during those times. Also, if you can travel off-season, you will save money on your trip as well. Destinations have high seasons for tourism and low seasons, and if you travel during the low season, you will save money, things will be cheaper, and you will still get to experience the location! For example, Europe’s high season is in the Summer months of June-August, so if you are planning on visiting Europe then, your trip will tend to be more expensive than if you were to travel in the Fall or the Spring. Of course this isn’t always possible, but if you can try and do this during some/all of your vacations you will save a lot of money!

5. Reserve both the Window & Aisle Seat on the Plane

If you are traveling with 2 people, you can try and reserve the window & aisle seat and hope that no one sits in the middle. Most likely a solo traveler will not choose to sit in the middle seat if they can help it, if a window or an aisle is available they will likely choose that option. But if the plane is full and someone is assigned in the middle, it’s very easy to ask the passenger if they would like to switch because they likely want the window or aisle seat for themselves! The best part is that if no one sits in your row, then you have an entire plane roe to yourself!

6. Get a Local SIM Card

Getting a local SIM card will make it so your phone had cell phone service like data, texting, and making calls in whatever country you are visiting. This is super helpful if you work from your phone while traveling (like we do) or if you are ever in an emergency, you can call a local number. The SIM cards typically come with data packages like 3GB, 5GB, etc. and prices vary depending on what country you are in. This option will only work if your cell phone is unlocked — if you bought your iPhone from the Apple store then it is unlocked, but if you bought it through your cell phone provider (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) then you phone is probably not unlocked.

7. Use the App Airalo for an eSIM

What we like better than getting a local SIM card is using an eSIM! It’s the same thing as a SIM card where you can get local data and texting, but you don’t have to swap out the physical SIM card on your phone. To use an eSIM you just have to change some network settings on your own phone to make it work. Our favorite app for using an eSIM is called Airalo. It’s very easy to use and we have found that using an eSIM is much cheaper than getting a physical SIM card! Again, your phone has to be unlocked for this to work. Use our Airalo referral code SHANNA1678 for $3 off your first purchase!

8. Pack a Power Strip & Converter

If you travel with a lot of electronics, packing a power strip is a great way to make sure you always have a place to charge everything. That way if you are ever in an accommodation that doesn’t have a lot of outlets, you can still use and charge all of your electronics! Also if you travel Internationally a lot, it’s a good idea to buy an International converter/adapter. They are very cheap on Amazon and most of them work in multiple countries. You can also plug the power strip into the converter if you are traveling Internationally, that way you can charge everything you need to when you are abroad!

9. Try to Pack Carry-On Only

If you want to save money on baggage fees, packing carry-on only is a great way to do that. You will have to learn not to overpack, but once you go carry-on only you never go back haha! By packing only a carry-on suitcase, you don’t have to wait online at the airport to check a bag, and your bag is less likely to get lost in transit since it will be with you the whole time! Also if you are going to a bunch of different places at your destination, you will have less stuff to lug around.

10. Roll Your Clothes & Use Packing Cubes to Save Room in your Suitcase

No matter what kind of suitcase you use, there are a lot of ways to save room when packing. One trick that we use a lot is rolling our clothes to save room. By rolling your clothes they fit smaller and you can also see all of them next to each other in your suitcase. If you want to go one step further, you can use packing cubes in your suitcase. Packing cubes just makes your clothing inside your suitcase more organized and easier to maintain.

11. Download your Boarding Pass onto your Phone

When you check in online, most airlines will let you download your boarding pass onto your phone. If you have an iPhone, your boarding pass will be saved to your Apple Wallet, but also accessible through the airline app. By downloading your boarding pass onto your phone, you don’t have to check in at the airport, either at one of the kiosks or the desk, and you don’t have to worry about losing the flimsy paper boarding bass they give you!

12. Use the Mobile Passport Control App

The Mobile Passport app is used to electronically send in your USA customs form when arriving in the United States from an International destination. The line for Mobile Passport Control is usually much shorter than the general customs line so you can get out of the airport a lot faster. Not every airport accepts the MPC app so as of right now it cannot be used everywhere, but it’s a good idea to have on your phone in case you do want to use it.

13. Wear Your Bulkiest Items on the Plane

You might look like Joey from Friends when he wears all of Chandler’s clothes, but your suitcase will thank you! By wearing your thickest and bulkiest items of clothing on the plane, you will save room in your suitcase. So if you are traveling somewhere cold for example, you will want to wear your thickest coat, boots, sweater, scarf, etc. on the plane that way you have more room in your suitcase for additional items. This also works if you are packing items that don’t fold up very well like large hats or backpacks.

14. Use Google Translate’s Image Scanner

Most people have heard of Google Translate before, but the app has this cool feature where you can run your camera over anything in a foreign language and it will translate it for you! This works really well for menus, street signs, newspapers, or if you need to see the ingredients of a product. We use this all the time while traveling and it can be extremely helpful for navigating a foreign country.

15. Use the MyTSA App to check the Airport Security Line

Another app that can be super handy while traveling is the MyTSA app. You can type in any airport and it will give you the most up to date information on the wait time for the security line. This is really helpful if you are running late, or if the security line is extremely long for some reason, you can get to the airport with enough time to make your flight.

16. Pack Shampoo & Soap Bars

Shampoo, conditioner, and soap bars are great to pack if you are trying to bring less liquids when you travel. It’s the same product but in solid bar form instead of liquid, and they tend to last a lot longer. Certain airports are very strict with the amount of liquids you can bring, and in general liquids can be annoying to pack because there is a chance they will leak. With shampoo, conditioner, and soap bars, you will never have to worry about any of your product spilling and making a mess.

17. Fly with the same Airline to Earn Miles

If you fly often, it’s a good idea to try an be loyal to one airline to gain mileage. The more miles you have, the more perks you get, and if you keep flying the same airline over and over again, you will rack up those miles! Every airline has a miles/rewards program that is free to sign up, just do it for the airline that you like the ebst or fly the most often so you can start earning!

18. Get a Credit Card with Miles Rewards

Similar to the above tip, getting a credit card with miles rewards is another great way to earn miles. Most miles reward cards will give you a certain amount of miles for you everyday purchases, and they usually also have a sign-up bonus program where if you spend a certain amount of money in the first few months, you can get 50,000-100,000 miles as a one time reward! That amount of miles can be equivalent to a round trip flight, and all you did was use this card for purchases you were going to make anyway! We recommend doing your own research to see which mile rewards card is the best fit for you.

19. Make Sure you have a Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees

If you travel internationally a lot, it’s a good idea to get some sort of debit or credit card with no foreign transaction fees. Foreign transaction fees can add up when you are abroad, and there are a lot of cards that have none at all! Again, do you research to see which card is the right fit for you — but a tip is that most miles rewards cards usually have no foreign transaction fees since those cards are typically used by frequent travelers.

20. Download your Favorite Apps Offline

If you want to be able to use your favorite apps on the plane or abroad, then you want to make sure you download them offline before your trip. We always make sure to download our favorite Spotify playlists and podcasts offline and Netflix shoes or movies we want to watch. By downloading them offline, they will work when your phone is in airplane mode, or when you don’t have wifi or cell service. It’s also a good idea to make sure you have some games on your phone that work offline as well. To check if your favorite games work offline, put your phone on airplane mode and see if you can still play!

21. Use Happy Cow to find Vegan/Vegetarian Food

Since we are both plant-based, our favorite app/website to find vegan food while traveling is Happy Cow. Happy Cow is a not-for-profit website that lists vegan and vegetarian options at restaurants all over the world. We have used this app for years and it has worked in every single country we visited! Finding vegan food can be difficult when traveling, and this app makes it so much easier.

22. Get Local Currency at an ATM

Most people will go to their local bank before an international trip to get the local currency, but we think the best way is to get the local currency from an ATM when you arrive. Banks typically don’t give you the exact conversion rate because they can pocket the difference, by using a local ATM you will get close to the exact conversion rate and only have to pay a small ATM fee. If you have a choice between the currency of your destination at home or at the destination, always choose at the destination.

23. If You a Checking a Bag, Pack Essentials in your Carry-On

Whenever you check a bag, there is a risk your bag can get lost in transit. Even if it has never happened to you before, it’s possible and happens to a lot of people every day. If your bag does get lost, it usually will get back to you within a few days, but by then you won’t have any of your stuff. One way to avoid that, if by packing some essentials into your carry-on. We recommend packing your toothbrush and tooth past, extra underwear, socks, and one extra outfit. That way if you bag does get lost, you still have some important items on you to use in an emergency!

24. Keep All your Travel Plans in your Notes App or Google Docs

Our favorite place to keep our travel itinerary is in the Apple notes app! The Notes app is great because since it is synced with you iCloud, you can makes changes on your phone or your Macbook and it will sync across your devices. Your notes app will also work offline so you don’t need wifi or service to access it. Google Docs works very similarly, and if you are Team Android you might want to use this instead. Either app works for this and it’s really just about preference!

25. Use the Free Airport WiFi to call Rideshare

if you are not going to use a SIM card in your phone, a great way to still use Uber, Lyft, or other rideshares to get from the airport to your accommodation is by using the free airport WiFi. Almost all airports have free WiFi do you will just want to call the rideshare while you’re connected! That way if you prefer using Uber or Lyft but don’t have service, you can still call a ride. Also a lot of times local taxi’s at the airport will overcharge, and using Uber/Lyft is a great way to save some money.

26. Bring an Empty Water Bottle to Refill

Bringing an empty water bottle is a great way to make sure you are always hydrated! You obviously can’t bring a water bottle through airport security, but once you are through there are usually free water-fill-up stations around the airport. Also you will not have to buy plastic water bottles on your trip since you can keep filling up your refillable one. So you will be helping the planet as well as yourself!

27. Look Up Instagram Photo Spots Ahead of Time

If you want to find the best photo spots while your traveling, we recommend looking them up ahead of time! Many bloggers (including us) make blog posts about the best Instagram spots in certain destinations with the address and map location! If you look it up beforehand, you can even favorite it on Google Maps linked we mentioned in travel hack #2! You can never be too prepared, and having photo locations on hand makes things way less stressful.

For more information on our travel hacks discussed here, make sure you check out our 27 Travel hacks video on YouTube!

27 Travel Hacks (you probably haven't heard of)!

Download Google Maps Offline