8 Travel Hacks From Professional Travelers!

Packing your bags again? In my experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer, Flight Attendant and Tour Guide, I've learned a few travel hacks that I must share with all of you! These tips will change your life!

We wrote up a full article on Maps.me found here. Basically, Maps.me allows you to view your location on the map without having a cellular data connection. With this app, you can download the maps ahead of time and use your GPS to triangulate your position and get routing info from place to place. With this app, you never have to worry about getting lost! When it comes to travel hacks, having the right apps in your pocket can make your life much easier!

This is one of those things that will make you happier than you ever thought it would. Fork up the money and invest in this because the peace of mind is worth it. Your soaps won’t leak or explode all over your suitcase, despite how rough your luggage is handled. But my favorite characteristic about them is the way my soap squirts out of the bottle and into my hand, with such a precise squirt that inspire flower and heart designs; I suddenly become an artist with every shower!

Menstrual cups have existed since the 1930’s , yet its breakthrough into the feminine hygiene industry is much more recent. The Diva Cup empowers women to connect with their bodies and menstrual cycles like never before. Perfect for travel, its easy care and use make for a better period experience. Ladies can wear the Diva Cup for up to 12 hours without leaks or worry. Ladies, you will never need to buy tampons again! And guys, go tell your ladies about this! This rubber device is efficient, comfortable and re-usable. This is my favorite on-the-go item because of the way that it has improved the entire traveling female experience! When it comes to travel hacks, comfort and convenience count!

Instead of purchasing a postcard and stamp, consider the Postagram app. Take a photo of wherever you are, type in the receiver address, connect your credit card and off your card goes. No need to find a mailbox either! Thanks to this app, my grandparents are much happier!

For those inconvenient and often times non-working hotel outlets, every traveler needs their own 6 foot long extension chord. A flight attendant hack, this is a sturdy and compact extension chord that can handle up to three power chords, and it rolls up nicely without getting tangled up with other belongings. Many of my flight attendant friends don’t leave home with out one of these.

Flight Track alerts and notifies when gate changes or delays occur, you can see when a plane has taken off and landed. It has saved me from walking to a gate in a different terminal, and in some cases has alerted me to a delay before my airline did. There is a free version as well.

Rome2rio is a cool app and website that will give you leverage when it comes to traveling. It will tell you all the options (Lyft, Uber, Public Transportation, Walking, Biking) to get from one point to another. It will tell you the cheapest and easiest way to get somewhere. Without a doubt, Rome2rio is one of those apps that make traveling a breeze.

These may not be much of a thought right now, but you’re going to be happy when you’re aimlessly wandering through a strange city, hangry for food, or when you’re stuck on the tarmac because you’re flight is delayed. I like Kind bars because of their nutritional value. Granola bars can’t replace a hot meal, but they can certainly provide you with enough protein so that you don’t become weak. Store your granola bars in a plastic container or Ziploc bag so that their flavors aren’t contaminated! By the way, you do have an emergency travel kit, don’t you?