Life hacks for tourists

If the biggest and brightest journey of your life – across the Internet, comfortably sprawled on the couch, if the main event of the weekend – going to the kitchen and boiling purchased dumplings, then do not read further. This article is for the active and dynamic, for those who like to turn even a trip to the subway into an exciting journey, and spend all their savings on equipment for climbing Everest.

What to do if savings are still not enough, and the soul is again torn into the distance? How to manage to fly to Rome and see everything over the weekend and get to the most significant events in the cultural world? We have ingenious life hacks for tourists – be sure to read and download to your gadget!

Parcel with pigeons

What to do if the budget for souvenirs was enough, but for sending them to friends and relatives – No? Or just do not want to spend decent amounts on international shipping services? For this case, there is a service gransjoy.com. What is the difference from regular mail: instead of couriers, here "work" travelers. They take your goods with them and take them to their destination if the routes match. In the same way, you can take the goods if you are going on a trip. And in return, ask for the service you need in a foreign city or country – overnight accommodation, for example, or advice on where to have fun in the evening.

The site works very simply: you need to register, then set the starting point and destination. The service will give you suitable options. It remains only to contact the passenger and agree with him on a mutually beneficial service. Since last year, this service has also been available in a mobile application. Of course, the method is quite risky, because no one will offer you compensation for losses under insurance in case of loss of the parcel – if "courier" for example, he decides not to transmit it and simply gets lost himself.

But the "reviews" section works on the site, users themselves create a "black list" swindlers and unreliable tourists. Trust, but verify: however, with the help of this service it is really possible to save not only money, but also time. After all, overseas shipments sometimes have to wait weeks. And thanks to this travel enthusiast service, you can get the coveted "Chicago Bulls" T-shirt. from the USA the very next day.

Flight for 20 euros, taxi for 10 bucks

Well, not really over 20. However, many airlines offer exactly this amount to a bonus account when registering via a link, filling out questionnaires, etc. In addition, there are additional rewards for the "Refer a Friend" campaign. Give a little – usually 1 euro. But if you are a coach of a football club, then you will quickly collect the necessary amount for a low-cost flight.

In approximately the same way, you can save on a taxi from the airport and in general around the city. Do not be too lazy before the trip to get acquainted with the current promotions of taxi services in the city where you intend to go. You will spend half an hour, but you will be able to freely and – main! – to move freely in comfort throughout the journey.

How to protect yourself without body armor: everything you need in one gadget

It is not necessary to repeat once again what a miracle your mobile gadget is and how much you can do in life with this flat little thing that weighs less than the bullseye depicted on the back. Make the most of your phone and internet services when you travel. How exactly? Simple actions will insure and help you out in difficult situations – verified by thousands of users.

• Rename all important contacts in the phone in Latin. If something happens to you while traveling abroad, it will be much easier for 911 employees to understand who to call and report trouble. It's a good idea to add appropriate notes in English – "mom", "dad", "boss";
• Upload scans of all important documents to the Google Drive app. If suddenly your wallet or bag is stolen, you can at least present copies of them. Sometimes this is crucial;
• if you are going to move around the city/country in a rented vehicle, then before you drive for the first time, take a picture of all the scratches, cracks, broken glass of the vehicle on your phone – in the presence of the owner of the vehicle. This will help avoid misunderstandings when returning the vehicle and extra costs for repairing damage that you did not cause;
• Be sure to download the application of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia to your phone. If in case of a threat you press the "SOS" button, then your GPS coordinates will automatically fly to the EMERCOM of Russia and to the phones of your friends;
• applications that will also be useful to you: MetrO – maps and fares of all metros in the world, maps.me – best free maps of the world, Rome2Rio – helps to plan a route taking into account different types of transport, calculates the duration and cost of travel. Google Maps – provides bus timetables around the world. Currency – shows the current exchange rate and orients in the local rates of many countries of the world, which helps not to overpay for the services of the same taxi, for example. google translate – will translate absolutely everything, from your voice to the labels on products in the supermarket. FourSquare – here you can find WI FI passwords for various organizations and institutions in the comments.

Police and crime

In a foreign city or in a foreign country, everyone can have misunderstandings with the law or with representatives of the criminal world. Especially if you do not speak the local dialect and are unfamiliar with cultural traditions and customs. Just in case, before the trip, you should stock up on a “letter of recommendation”; with your photo, as on documents, and a seal (even if fake).

The letter must be written in English, it must indicate how important, responsible and good a person you are. This will help to avoid conflicts in any disputable situation with both representatives of the law and crime. In any case, you will get a reprieve, and this is sometimes the most important thing.

Financial savings: relax without spending money, and even earn extra money

Lack of funds on the card – one of the main reasons why many travel lovers should, instead of meeting with sphinxes and pyramids, go to a meeting with weeding a garden in the country. You don't have to rob a bank or starve for six months to have your dream vacation. There are ways to fly to Thailand for only 1 euro and get to the carnival in Rio for free! Intrigued?

Live for free and even earn extra money

Accommodation – a huge expense in any trip. There is an effective way to save on accommodation and at the same time gain an extra day for sightseeing: plan your route so that you can move from city to city at night. You can sleep well on a train or a comfortable bus, there are showers at gas stations and train stations. An overnight stay like this doesn't cost anything. And you wake up in a new place, which you have the whole day to get to know.

Admittedly, during a night's sleep, a five-room luxury penthouse does not make any impression on you anyway. But with the money saved, you can see such beauties of the world that will remain in your memory for a lifetime.

The most frugal and thoughtful will use AirBnb to rent out their own accommodation during their trip to other travelers. Money can be transferred in any currency to the card, no matter where in the world you are. It has been proven that the proceeds are definitely enough to pay for an overnight stay in a more or less decent hostel or have dinner in a cafe.

By the way, about hostels! When traveling, people try to save money by choosing a multi-bed room in a hostel. And in vain! Everyone does this, and as a result, the 8- and 10-bed rooms are full. But 5- and 6-seater rooms are often empty. Pay a little more, but the chances of spending the night in silence, peace and loneliness are quite high.

Do not rush to immediately pay by card for the night. Ask the hosts if they are willing to provide you with a bed and a shower for a negotiable fee – for example, you clean the kitchen, do your shopping, or do the dishes. This is practiced, at the same time you can make friends with couchsurfers and other travelers, which is always valuable. At least you won't be bored in the evening!

You don't have to spend money on small souvenirs, postcards and guidebooks – they are provided free of charge in good hotels. Good – it's 4-5 stars. It is not necessary to settle in such an institution, you can just look for a consultation;

Well, if you, like Ostap Bender, from childhood dreamed of being at the carnival in Rio and finally here – an enchanting and unforgettable adventure awaits you, even if there is not a single centimo in your pocket, believe me! There are organizations that provide costumes for free, as long as you come out on their platform at the carnival. You won't have to think about lodging for the night, at least that night. And if you need to urgently recuperate, buy a hanging hammock from street vendors for two dollars. You can easily carry it in a rolled-up handbag. and tie between any supports at a distance of at least two meters.

Just cool chips

Do you like to travel by trains of the Russian Railway? Excellent! You are loved here too! When booking compartment berths, try to take 37 and 38. According to the layout of compartments in cars, there are only two places in this. That is, there will be only two of you if you are traveling as a couple, or you will only have one companion if you are traveling alone.

When traveling abroad, get up early – then you will enjoy all the sights in splendid isolation, without a noisy crowd of tourists and their escorts. But for provisions and other necessary purchases, on the contrary, go one hour before the store closes. In most Western countries, carts of perishable goods that expire in a few days are put out before closing. You can buy real delicacies 2-2.5 times cheaper than usual.

Don't know how to get rid of annoying pests on the streets of large cities? Learn the phrase "I'm here for work" in English and repeat it with a straight face. Helps!

And one more spicy, but, of course, useful life hack when traveling anywhere in the world: use free toilets whenever possible. As practice shows, inconspicuous everyday consumables on the road, like coffee, personal hygiene products, telephone costs, end up eating up most of the budget.

Save on "consumables" you can, free toilets – one of the methods. If there is a long queue for the free toilet room right next to the boarding terminal, do not be too lazy to walk a few tens of meters further. Toilets are everywhere, and in those that are far from cafes and waiting areas, there are fewer queues. Also, feel free to enjoy free snacks and drinks in transport, at airports and train stations. Thus, you can save a lot on the purchase of drinking water and breakfast – checked!

All about packing

Traveling light is the best – This is a fact, but in most cases it is impossible. If you have an unlimited limit on your plastic card or in every country in the world you have a residence with a fully stocked wardrobe, you can travel light, with a frivolous basket in your hands and on stilettos. If you are an ordinary tourist who has finally saved up for a long-awaited trip to the ruins of the Colosseum, it is important for you to take everything you need with you and at the same time pack it so that it is compact and not heavy. Is it possible?

Suitcase, bag or trunk?

Those who often travel by plane know that there are certain restrictions on hand luggage and on ordinary luggage. For ordinary luggage you always have to pay, and up to 20 kg the rates are the same, and over – other. Hand luggage can be carried into the aircraft cabin free of charge. But there are also restrictions not only on weight, but also on the contents of the bag.

Russian Airlines allows you to carry as hand luggage no more than 5 kg for economy class passengers and no more than 12 kg for business class and VIP passengers. Abroad, the restrictions are not so strict, there are airlines that do not care at all what volumes and weight will be in hand luggage – the main thing is that it fits in the compartment provided for this.

Do not forget that the container itself also has weight. The heavier the bag itself – the less you can take with you. In stores, there are bags and suitcases that are made exactly to the size of the cabins for hand luggage on airplanes. The big advantage of such a container is as follows:

• elastic and durable material;
• light weight;
• the presence of belts that allow you to tighten and compress the bag to the desired size.

An important point – It is better not to fold clothes in a pile, but to roll them up with rollers. This technique kills two birds with one stone: it fits more in the suitcase, and, in addition, things do not crumple.

What to take

We are not talking about documents and essential medicines (although there are also restrictions here and it is better to reckon with them if you do not want to get stuck in the office of the head of airport customs for a long time). Here the opinions of experienced travelers differ. Someone advises to collect everything and more, including a winter hat with mittens, a samovar and a small battery.

Others, on the contrary, recommend taking nothing but a change of underwear, a cosmetic bag and a wallet with a plastic card. Fans of shopping tours are advised to stock up only a minimum of old things, which, if necessary, would not be a pity to leave in a hotel room. After all, on a trip you will still buy new ones!

What exactly will your luggage include – depends on the purpose of your trip and cultural program. If you plan to only sunbathe and swim, then you will not need more than two bikinis, a pareo and a sundress to get admission to the cafe. To visit the sights, first of all, you need comfortable shoes. Do not forget that buying lost or damaged items abroad can significantly drain your budget and force you to end your vacation early.

Additional recommendations

As practice shows, a clerical binder or a regular – valuable and useful thing in travel. And not only him. Look for creative uses for familiar things that are always at hand. Here's what you can do with them:

1. Hide the razor blade and thus protect clothes from damage by accidental contact in the bag, and the – from dullness.
2. Fix the cords and cables of chargers and headphones.
3. Women's panty liners, which are ultra-thin, will also help out with wet shoes or intense sweating.
4. Food wrap can also be a great help in compact luggage packing. Firstly, it can be used to tighten textiles to reduce their outer dimensions. In addition, food film will protect bottles with cosmetics from leaking. To do this, simply remove the lid, put a piece of film on the neck and close the lid again on top.