Travel Tips You Can Skip

The first time we went to Disneyland as a family of 5, my husband offhandedly said, “Wouldn’t it be nice to come home to a clean house?” I had heard all about that as I feverishly read travel tips: change your sheets, straighten up the house, and then it would be like extending the vacation when you came home. I then proceeded to to work myself into a frenzy trying vainly to achieve a picture perfect house while simultaneously packing for me and the kids, working part-time, and parenting 3 young kids. That was ridiculous, and when my husband realized what I was doing and why I was so stressed, he pointed out that if he’d really wanted that to happen, he should have taken care of it himself.

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There are a lot of travel hacks and trips that get promoted, and while some of them are awesome, they can actually become a burden. Here a few you can let go of if they’re not for you:

Coming Home to a Clean House

Well, of course that would be nice, but packing for a big trip can take time and create havoc at home. If you’ve come home to a pile of laundry on your couch for the last week, it won’t kill you to come home from a cruise to the same pile.

The Compromise

No one wants to come home and play the, “What’s that smell, and where is it coming from?” game. Run laundry for anything that is wet or that you used to wipe up milk. Take out the kitchen garbage.

Packing Cubes

I’ve got nothing against these. If you have them and like them, by all means use them. Some people swear by them, and if you feel like it would make travel easier, that’s great. However, you can travel just fine without them too. There are lots of effective ways you can pack. Here’s one.

Travel tips you don't need to follow:  You don't have to use travel cubes.
There are effecient ways to pack that don’t utilize travel cubes.

Dressing Up for the Flight

You need to be comfortable. That includes wearing clothes that don’t squish you in the middle when you sit, having layers you can easily adjust, and possibly compression socks if you need them. You may have to walk a long way either before or after your flight (Looking at you, Heathrow) so wear shoes you can comfortably walk in.

Only Packing in a Carry-On

This really became a thing when airlines started charging for checked bags. People also like the idea of not waiting at baggage claim or the risk of losing their luggage, so you will see this travel tip everywhere. However, packing only carry-on can be a huge pain. Some trips just demand more stuff. Additionally, you’re limited to tiny amounts of toiletries, and some items are banned altogether. And the worst part? You have to drag that bag all through the airport, through security, sometimes into the airport bathrooms with you, onto the plane, and then find space for it in the overhead bin. Then you have that whole rigamarole when you get off.

Checking bags may or may not be for you, but if you can do it for free or if the price isn’t prohibitive, it can really change your travel experience. I’m a huge fan of curbside bag check and then breezing through the airport with just my personal item. It’s kind of decadent. On a recent trip home from Europe we had free checked bags, so we ditched all the suitcases, even the ones that were technically carry-on size. I’m not sure we could have made it to our plane if we hadn’t.

Tip

Some airlines give a free checked bag, particularly for more expensive seats. Also look for loyalty programs or credit cards that give you the perk. On packed flights, some airlines will ask for volunteers to check their bags for free to preserve overhead bin space. They may even offer something like access to early boarding to sweeten the deal.

Caveat

Don’t pack anything you can’t afford to lose in your checked bag. This includes medications, travel documents, expensive electronics and jewelry, and important sentimental items. It’s always possible your bag could be lost or delayed. This is especially important at the beginning of your trip.

Travel tips you don't need to follow.
It was a lot easier without a carry-on.

The Perfect Travel Gadgets

I love travel gadgets, I have some, and they can be very convenient. However, you don’t have to have every travel gadget and the “perfect” one for a good trip. Which is better, the inflatable neck pillow, the memory foam one, the wraparound, or that new one that Instagrammer uses? If you’re going to sleep on an airplane you will probably be uncomfortable no matter what. Pick a pillow, don’t look back, and don’t feel you have to justify your choices to anyone. Functional stuff is good enough.

The Perfect Anything

The perfect capsule wardrobe, the perfect airplane refresher kit, the perfect child entertainment bag, the perfect suitcase, the perfect itinerary. By all means, be strategic about what you pack and how you travel. Just don’t break the bank, stress out, or take all the fun out of things by chasing down all the travel tips you’ve read. Your outfit can be mid and you can still have a fabulous day. You can pack your child a bag of toys they already have rather than buying a cute kit if you are trying to control expenses. Don’t think you have to buy or do everything “correctly,” in order to travel.

What do you think? Are there travel tips you swear by, or ones you ignore? Please be sure to scroll down to leave a question or comment below.

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2 Comments

  1. Shandale

    I tried cleaning the entire house before our trip once. I stayed up until almost 2am cleaning knowing we had to be at the airport by 5:30am. Never again! Now we just make sure the trash cans are empty and I leave little to no laundry. I don’t love lugging my carry-on through the airport but after 3 damaged checked suitcases, I do carry-on only.

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