How to travel in comfort, style while being safe and frugal

I love traveling. I love meeting new people, trying new food, exploring new countries and shopping. People ask me all the time, “How do you pack so much clothes and where do you buy it?”

After years of dragging suitcases around that felt like they had two bodies in them, I decided that I had to pack smarter.

Here are a few travel tips that I came up with to make travelling easier:

Extra plug: If you’re travelling with your daughter you will appreciate this. It’s an extension plug that I use in the hotel bathroom (see picture). That way there’s no fighting over who gets to plug in their curling wand, straightening iron or hair dryer. There’s room for all electronics. Speaking of things that plug in, sort out the electronics before you go. You don’t need to bring a hairdryer on any trip. Every hotel room comes with one. If you’re travelling with your daughter, you both don’t need to bring a straightening iron. Just bring one and share.

Make up mirror: It’s easy to see that women did not design hotel rooms because most times the lighting is horrible and there’s no place to put on makeup unless you want to stand in the bathroom while your husband is showering. It would be great if the desks in hotel rooms came with makeup mirrors so you could put on your eyeliner without looking like Alice Cooper. So, I carry a small, compact mirror that lights up and has a magnifying side. It only costs about $10 Canadian and I’ve had it for years. It’s worth the investment.

Clothes: I know. You pack your suitcase to the brim, and you don’t wear half of it. You also have no room to pack any new clothes you bought. Here’s how to pack – bring enough underwear for each day of travel (unless you’re staying somewhere that has a laundry service – most places will charge you a fortune for laundry. Cruise ships charge up to $4 American to wash one pair of underwear and $3.50 for one pair of socks). Wear a beige bra and bring a black one. You don’t need seven bras. I don’t bring socks if I’m going somewhere hot but I will bring a pair for each day if I’m going somewhere cold.

You don’t need to wear something new everyday. Learn to use accessories. A colourful scarf can change an outfit. It can be wrapped around a dress like a shawl or tied around your neck when you wear a T-shirt. It’s always a good idea to bring a coat with a hood. It always rains.

If you’re going for seven days, you only need two pairs of shorts. A good pair of jean shorts can go with anything. Then a neutral pair like white or beige can match anything. Two – three T-shirts is perfect. You’re going to buy souvenir T-shirts and shop anyway. I wear a plain T-shirt when I travel and bring two with me in my suitcase.

Jeans are very heavy and add weight to your suitcase. I brink one pair and take one pair of cropped jeans (either blue or white) with me. You don’t need five pairs of jeans! There’s nothing wrong with wearing the same pair of jeans everyday. I have a pair of cropped jeans that are reversable. I bought them in Barcelona They are plain jean on one side and when I turn them inside out, they are printed jean on the other. It’s like having two pairs of pants with me.

Sundresses are great no matter where you’re travelling. They are versatile and good for day or night. I buy most of mine at Old Navy or Zara. I bought three sundresses online for $40 at Old Navy! Instore also offers great deals. They really do have the best sundresses. I wear them in the daytime doing tours or to the beach with sneakers and a jean jacket. Then I wear the same dress at night with a scarf and heels.

Shoes take up a lot of space and are also heavy in your suitcase. You’re not going to wear all the shoes you bring. I wear sneakers when I travel. You need comfortable shoes. I also wear them everyday doing tours. You can’t do tours in flip flops or heals. I bring one pair of flip flops for the beach days. One pair of neutral (beige) and one pair of good dancing heals if we’re going on a cruise. Other than that, you don’t need seven pairs of shoes.

Passports are the one item thieves look for. They even go missing from your hotel rooms. Photocopy your passport (the page with the picture and ID numbers). Keep a copy in your suitcase and one at home with someone. That way if it gets taken you can still travel.

Jewelry is also an item that brings thieves around. Don’t bring a lot of expensive jewelry with you. You would be surprised how thieves will target you. In New Orleans we were warned at our hotel about jewelry thieves who walk up to you smiling with their arms out saying “welcome.” Then when you hug them, they are undoing your necklace. As soon as we left our hotel this happened. Luckily, I wasn’t wearing anything expensive and I put my hand over the necklace I was wearing. If you are travelling with expensive jewelry, take a picture of it just in case it does go missing then you can show the police what it looked like.

Pickpockets are everywhere. Especially in Europe. You will see signs everywhere. Make sure you have a good cross body travel purse. I bought one at the Travel Bug for $65. It is worth the investment because thieves will try to cut the strap on your purse. This one can’t be cut. It is also quite common in Europe to have a person on a moped or motorcycle drive by and grab your purse out of your hand. There are thousands of motorcyclists in Europe! There are also thousands of scams. We were warned in Spain about the ‘crying child’ scam. This happens when you see a small child crying by themselves and you stop and ask if they are ok. Within seconds an adult will attack you saying you did something to the child, and you have to pay them, or they will call the police. 

Also, waiters in restaurants are also in on the scams. If you put your purse over the back of your chair, the waiter will keep you distracted with ‘daily specials’ while someone behind you is taking your wallet or your purse. Phones are a big-ticket item. If you lay them on your table the waiter will place the menu over the phone and when he takes the menu back, he also has your phone. So be aware.

Take an extra credit card with you but hide it in the hotel safe in your room or in your suitcase. That way if you do get pickpocketed you still have a credit card. I’ve had my identity stolen three times while travelling (Once at Graceland – I think Elvis stole that one). The clerk at the checkout will double swipe your card or take a photo of it with their phone and by the time you leave the store, you’ve bought an $8000 car in Las Vegas. Shortly after, your credit card company will see the unusual purchases and cancels the card. I never let go of my card. If I’m at a restaurant and the waiter asks for the card, I tell them to bring the machine to me or I’ll go to it, but you’re not getting my card.

Getting around is easy in most countries. England is the easiest country in the world to travel in because of their tube system and buses. If they say the tube will be there at 4:04. It will be there at 4:04. I use Google maps to get around when I travel. It is much easier than trying to lay maps out on a restaurant table and keeps you from looking like a tourist. Also take the time to research where you’re going. I always buy the Hop On – Hop Off bus passes especially in Europe. They are so convenient. They take you to all the top tourist destinations and in the nighttime when we are tired, we’ll stay on and do the whole route from start to finish just to see it all again.

Taxi drivers are your friends. They know everything about everyone and everywhere to go. Tip good and they’ll tell you state secrets. They are a wealth of knowledge and love to chat. I will ask them for suggestions on everything from where to eat, what shows to see and where are the best tourist stops.

Food is the number one money grab when you travel. I want to experience the local cuisine, but I don’t want to pay $200 a night for it on top of breakfast and lunch. I look for hotels that offer a free breakfast and have it as a brunch to save money. Or, I look for a McDonalds. Don’t be afraid of McDonalds for breakfast or lunch. Their coffee is good, and you can’t go wrong with an egg McMuffin, especially when you consider the British pound is about $1.80 Canadian and the Euro is about $1.50. So, your $10 breakfast is now $18 in London and $15 in Spain! Imagine what it would cost in a local restaurant who is tourist gouging and expects a tip?

Phone bills are also a huge expense to come home to. I turn off my cellular and use free wi-fi at restaurants and my hotel (I don’t book hotels that don’t offer free wi-fi). My internet package offers a small amount of phone minutes and texts anyway if I do need them, but I stay on wi-fi. After all, you’re on vacation, turn the phone off. I post a picture every day, but not just to show off my great vacation. It’s also a security measure. By posting a picture you’re letting your family know where you are, what you were wearing and what you’re doing. That way if they haven’t heard from you or there’s an earthquake or some other disaster they can easily track where you were last seen. Morbid I know, but effective.

Make friends. Not everyone is a bad person who is out to get you. We have met some great friends on cruises, all-inclusives and other vacations. I’ll talk to just about anyone, especially if I see another Canadian or Newfoundlander. Plus, it’s nice to know someone in case you do need a friend. Say hi to the person at the next table. Especially if they are a tourist too. Life’s about meeting people. Don’t miss out on the opportunity.

Save money by buying tickets to shows, the Hop on- Hop off bus and other tours on-line. Most places offer discounts if you by online. It can be a substantial savings if you’re travelling with kids.

Getting through airports can be mind boggling at times. I wear leggings and sneakers, and no jewelry when I travel that way I don’t have to dress and undress in a line up with some strange man I’ve never met before. I also keep an eye out for business travelers. They travel light and get through security easily. Avoid families especially those with small kids. They’re dragging bags of stuff and trying to help toddlers take on and off their shoes. It can cost you an extra half hour in a security line if you get behind two families on their way to Disneyland. I carry an empty water bottle in my bag when I travel and fill it up at water stations, so I don’t have to pay the $5 for the 50-cent bottle of water inside the security gates.

Last tip: The one thing that helps me the most when I travel is being respectful. People who work in hotels, restaurants, airports and stores are not your servants. They work hard and try to do the best they can to make your vacation a wonderful experience. So, treat them with respect. Most of them live on tips. For example, waitresses in casinos don’t get paid, they only receive their tips and some casinos charge them a monthly fee to work there. That’s right, they pay to work there! Think about that the next time you’re in Las Vegas and a waitress who’s been on her feet for ten hours is a little slow bringing you back a free beer at your slot machine.

Remember, it costs nothing to be kind and you are representing your country when you travel. Don’t make it harder for the rest of us Canadians. We would like to keep our ‘nice’ status.

Bon Voyage!