Fifty Best-Ever Travel Tips

place. Especially when you're walking around in unfamiliar surroundings; take
only what you need for the day.

you're out and about.

3 If you travel overseas more than twice a year, save with
an annual travel insurance policy rather than buying for each individual
trip.

4 Renting a car? You might collect your vehicle in a dim and
dark undercover car park, without a hope of spotting unrecorded damage. As soon
as you hit daylight, stop and take a walk around your vehicle and head straight
back to the car hire depot if you see anything worrying.

5 European cities are dressier than those within our own
sea-girt shores, and especially for women. Scarves provide instant chic and they
fold to almost nothing. In France and Italy, women often dress their handbags
with an artfully knotted scarf. If it's fine wool or cashmere, carry it on the
aircraft for extra warmth.

6 When you check in to a hotel, reception staff will usually
block an amount against your debit or credit card as a deposit, and it can be
substantial. Your available credit is reduced and you might have problems when
you use your card later on. When you check in, find out how much is blocked and
make sure you use the same card when you settle your bill or it might take
longer to unblock the original deposit.

7 Finding a decent cup of coffee in an unfamiliar airport
can be a challenge. If in doubt, look for where airline staff are queuing.

the time zone at your destination. Don't flop into bed as soon as you hit your
hotel room. Rehydrate, eat and sleep by local time and if you arrive in the
morning, take a brisk walk in the sunshine to help reset your circadian
rhythms.

9 If you have any reason to believe that your hotel room
security might not be up to scratch, hang the "Do Not Disturb" tag on the door
when you leave the room.

10 Think outside the box and put some originality into your
travels. At the Taj Mahal, the hordes pile in through the main gate, but if you
turn right and walk down to the Yamuna River, a boatman will pole you to the far
bank, where the Taj casts its shimmering image across the water.

loses your bag, if a cruise operator doesn't deliver on its promises, document
their shortcomings. Take photos, get the facts in writing and take down names.
If you need to seek compensation, the process will be a whole lot easier if you
can back your case.

12 A plastic poncho is one of the most useful items for the
road warrior. For the cost of just a few dollars it'll keep you dry in a
torrent, it folds up to practically nothing and it weighs about as much as
butterfly wings.

13 Avoid the traveller's trots. Keep a small bottle of hand
sanitiser in your pocket and use it every time you sit down to eat.

14 Even though I might waddle out with a Danish pastry or
two tucked under my shirt, I never seem to get my money's worth from the hotel
breakfast buffet. Unless it's included in the price, walk outside and look for a
cafe breakfast - cheaper and a lot more fun.

15 Coming back to Australia with more than the $900
duty-free allowance? You can claim depreciation if you've used the
bargain-priced camera or laptop on your travels. Be sure to declare your excess
purchases or a starring role on Border Security might be the least of
your problems.

16 If you're going troppo and looking to save money, choose
your accommodation with care. An island resort or a similarly isolated location
offers no possibility of dining out, and chances are the price of meals at your
resort won't be low.

17 Hiring a motorcycle in Bali or Cambodia is heaps of fun
and chances are nobody will ask to see your licence, but don't do it
bare-headed. Even when the locals place a low priority on motorcycle safety, it
doesn't mean you should leave your brains behind.

18 If you travel with several devices that need to be
recharged regularly, throw in a double adaptor as well as an adaptor plug for
your destination and you have hassle-free multicharging.

19 Good travellers check their bags every time they're
loaded into a vehicle, at airports, hotels and railway stations. Mistakes happen
and so does mischief. Don't rely on your driver or porter to do this, lest you
part company with your bags forever.

20 The fun went out of economy class air travel along with
propellers — but why up the stress factor by jostling with the crowd that wants
to escape the aircraft ASAP? Even if you're one of the last to exit, you will
see your fellow travellers from the same flight at the luggage carousel.

21 If you want to be sure of a good night's sleep in a hotel
room, check that your alarm has not been set by a previous guest checking out in
the wee hours — housekeeping don't always reset the clock.

22 A GPS is a must when you drive overseas, but hirers
typically charge about $10 a day for this convenience. If you're hiring for 10
days or more, download the relevant maps for your own in-car device, buy a GPS
at your destination or purchase a GPS system for your smartphone or tablet from
Sygic (sygic.com), which gives you voice
directions without expensive 3G data downloads.

23 Kids in the Third World will often ask you for sweets or
pens, but neither will make a meaningful contribution to their education or oral
hygiene. If you want to help them to a better life, donate to a charity such as
World Vision (worldvision.com.au) or
better still sign up for ongoing support.

24 Sore, red eyes caused by low-humidity cabin air are one
of the by-products of long-distance air travel. As far as possible, you want to
avoid carrying liquids on aircraft but a simple remedy is the small, single-use
containers with just a few eye drops in each, available from chemist shops.

25 It's easy to get excited by the glittering world of
duty-free shopping when you're stuck in an airport terminal between flights, but
make sure you know the price of the same item back home before you lay down your
credit card. Airport shops are some of the world's most expensive real estate
and their wares are not necessarily a bargain.

26 When you drive on freeways in Europe, have at least two
credit cards as well as cash available when you pass through the toll booths.
You never can tell which is going to work.

27 In many parts of the world, it is rare to find a hotel
room with an electric kettle. If that early morning cuppa is vital to health and
happiness, the Korjo Water Boiler is a bare-bones element that you stick into a
cup to boil water, available from Kellys Basecamp in Dee Why, or via its website
(kellysbasecamp.com.au).

28 Food in major tourist areas is almost always overpriced
and disappointing. Get yourself out of the tourist zone and look for where the
locals are eating. Even in Venice you can eat well at a reasonable price if you
avoid the obvious beauty spots.

29 Arrive at your destination early in the morning at the
end of a long flight and you might find that your room won't be ready for
several hours. Any hotel will store your bag safely until your room becomes
available, but rather than traipsing around unwashed and tired, consider booking
a hotel with a pool, a spa or a business floor where you can relax, or try for a
flight that arrives later in the day.

30 Travelling somewhere hot with small children? Plan a
substantial chunk of downtime in the middle of the day. Fit activities into the
cooler hours of morning and evening, with several hours poolside as the meat in
the sandwich. Make them happy and you'll be happy, too.

31 If you purchase liquor from an airport duty-free outlet
before boarding your flight, get it sealed in a see-through, tamper-evident bag,
with the purchase docket attached. It might cost a dollar more but it will help
make sure you and your liquor do not part company at a secondary inspection
point.

32 Especially for the hotel-hopping traveller who is
unlikely to unpack properly, zip-lock plastic bags are a gift from the travel
gods, separating clean from less than, socks from smalls. Officeworks sells
jumbo size bags and they're cheap as chips.

33 Unfamiliar noises keep you awake? Quality ear plugs are
an essential for those whose sleep is less than sound. Useful on planes as
well.

34 For a modest fee, City Maps 2Go gives you access to
thousands of city and regional maps that you can download for use in offline
mode. It also locates your present position, lets you search for addresses and
locates ATMs, restaurants, points of interest and hotels. $1.99 for Apple
devices, free for Android.

35 Throw in a tube of superglue, so next time you can save a
flapping shoe sole, mend a suitcase handle or just do what I usually do and glue
your fingers together.

36 Expensive luggage might make you feel like a suave
traveller but it rapidly loses its shine after a few trips around the baggage
carousel. Light, robust, expandable and wheelable are the keywords for
luggage.

37 If you're depending on a wake-up call from the hotel
reception to catch an early flight, set your phone alarm as well — hotel staff
don't always get it right.

38 Those socks and underwear that you wash in the bathroom
sink dry a lot faster if you wring them out, lay them flat on a bath towel, roll
it up into a sausage and dance a jig on top.

39 While there are plenty of hotel booking websites that
promise huge discounts, be sure to check the price on the hotel's own website.
The room rate is often comparable and you're more likely to get a room upgrade
if you made your booking via the hotel's own website.

40 If you're flying with a young child, consider using its
car seat on board the aircraft. It's a safer option than carrying a child on
your lap, but you need to contact your airline in advance for approval. Another
lighter option is the Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES), a harness-type
child aviation safety restraint designed for children 10-20 kilograms. Available
from Australian online retailers.

41 Recent evidence questions the efficacy of compression
stockings for combating deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on long-distance airline
flights. Medical experts agree that the best strategy is to rise, walk and
stretch as often as possible, drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol. Window
seats give you less freedom to move.

42 You can't have too many labels on your check-in luggage.
Get bright ones in fluoro yellow or orange and you'll never have to wonder which
is your bag on the carousel.

43 Most airlines sell the exit row seats that are located
next to the aircraft's emergency exits for a modest surcharge, and the extra
stretch-room is a gift for the vertically enhanced traveller. Go to the
airline's website, or phone.

44 Keep your cool when you're walking around in hot places.
Soak a bandana or a small scarf in water and wrap it around your neck for
instant relief.

45 Want to make someone smile in a developing nation? The
instant, polaroid-style pictures from the Fuji Instax Mini camera are an instant
ice-breaker and more meaningful than the image on your digital camera's screen.
Available from B&H Photo, bhphotovideo.com.

46 Sarongs are the traveller's best friend, not only as
nightwear but also a standby beach towel, wrapped with a jumper to make a pillow
and modest covering for temple visits. As a thrifty person, I also use a sarong
as a protective wallet for my laptop.

47 In Europe, your coffee might cost less if you drink it
standing up, but don't make it a rule. When the surroundings are extra special,
you need to savour the experience at a cafe table and hang the expense.

48 A small, frameless daypack is a handy addition to your
luggage. Use it to store water bottles and maps on day trips, and it becomes a
spillover bag if you experience suitcase yawn caused by overenthusiastic
shopping.

49 Want to maintain your workout regime in minimum time and
no gym gear? Throw a skipping rope and a stretch band in your luggage and you've
got a gym to go.

50 If you're heading into the wilds on a camping trip or
even to the Third World, a head torch is your best friend after dark. They're
small, light and, best of all, they leave both your hands free to hold a cooking
pot or a book, or to fight off bears.