6 Must-Know Tips to Travel the World with Ease

The following is a guest post courtesy of Luke Miller. In it, he talks about what he considers to be the essential travel tips to ensure that you're getting the most out of every trip. He ranges from specific and practical to more lofty ideas concerning attitude.

6 Must-Know Tips to Travel the World with Ease

Travelling has an undeniable potential to be difficult. Don’t let it be. With these six travel tips, you’ll be on your way to an unforgettable experience of a lifetime – it’s much easier than you may think, and it's also got its health benefits believe it or note. 

Also, if you're into photography, check out some simple tricks to take better travel photos. Lastly, I've got you covered if you're looking for the best compression socks for travel. 

Travel Tip #1: Be Prepared to Haggle

It’s safe to say you’ll at least once run into a vendor, shop owner or even a taxi driver looking to get more money out of you than they should. And, depending on the nation, that number could be more like once a day. Be prepared to have to haggle your way around in certain areas – Southeast Asia, in particular, has quite the reputation for it, but it's by no means the anomaly.

Don’t be hesitant or nervous about it, as plenty of sellers and vendors expect it and actually want you to try your hand at negotiating. If you’re successful, you can bag yourself up to 50% off the original asking price, as echoed by TINZ. Stay calm, respectful and sensible and you’ll find it’s much easier than you perhaps first thought.

Travel Tip #2: Budget Yourself

Attempt to stick to a daily budget throughout your trip in order to avoid prematurely running out of money. A daily budget is almost necessary whilst travelling to clearly map out your expenditure and allocate certain amounts to certain things.

Consider the amount you’ll be spending on the necessities – accommodation, travel, food and the like – as well as accounting for the leisure you’re likely going to spend on. And, of course, prepare for some pesky unexpected fees by leaving a sensible amount spare. If you don’t use it, even better!

One way that you can budget is by considering whether round the world tickets can effectively save you money. You should definitely look into it.

Travel Tip #3: Pack Strategically

Be sure to bring all of the necessities you require on your trip. Be sensible with it, too – don’t overload yourself, especially if you don’t plan on being still for too long. Bring a few select outfits that are suitable for the climate you’re heading into, and make sure the clothing is comfortable and durable – you may have to sacrifice style to an extent. Also, don't forget about comfort, as you'll likely be taking some longer bus, train, and plane trips during your travels. 

Don’t feel the need to bring every gadget you own, as you’ll be putting yourself at a much higher risk of theft. It's not that theft is likely by any means, but avoiding risk just makes sense on the road. Stick to your phone and camera. After all, you shouldn’t distract yourself from your surroundings anyway. 

Travel Tip #4: Plan a Clear Itinerary

Don’t restrict yourself to an itinerary that’s too tight, but be sure to at least loosely plan your days so you’re not left missing important things or not knowing what to do with your time. By creating an itinerary for yourself you’ll be able to clearly see just how much time you have in each destination you visit, and can therefore go from there. The worst thing is to leave a destination and realize you missed something that might have been a highlight for you. On that note, be sure to check festivals and concerts for the cities you're visiting, as often you'll find something you might enjoy that's only going on for the days you're there. 

It's  especially important to plan an itinerary if you’ve got booked flights you can’t miss and important dates to work around. Say you’re working abroad or are meeting someone, you don’t lose track of time.

Travel Tip #5: Embrace the Culture

One of the ways to make travelling a whole lot easier for yourself is by embracing the culture. Don’t be afraid to dive in and experience your destination authentically, whether it be by chatting to locals, sampling the cuisine or visiting local places of importance, such as a temple in China or India’s undeniably impressive Taj Mahal.

If you embrace the culture instead of ignoring it or trying to work around it, you’ll find your time will be much more enjoyable. So long as you’re respectful and careful, you’ll be in for a very authentic experience.

Part of embracing the culture is also knowing some of the local language, which can actually be easier than you think!

Travel Tip #6: Don’t Hold Back!

Last but not least, don’t make it difficult for yourself by holding back and not doing the things you really want to do. Travelling is a time to be brave, courageous and daring – so go ahead and make the most of your time. Seize every opportunity and don’t restrict yourself, as this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Well, it doesn't need to be once-in-a-lifetime, but having that attitude ensures that you're making the most of every moment on the road! 

If you love writing about travel, check out the 10 best travel journals! 

Thanks for tuning into Luke's post. I think it's a nice, straightforward post that is helpful for beginners, but also a kind reminder for those who are more experiences. What did you guys think? Which tip did you think was the most helpful? Conversely, which tip do you thin could have been switched out for something else? What would you have added? As always, I'll find the time to respond to each and every comment, so feel free to write below, and I'll make sure that I write back.