Photo via @calebjordanlee
Advice for traveling both near & far
There’s obviously nothing we love more than travel here at Knowmad and we’ve recently put our heads together to come up with ten of our favorite travel tips. Read on to take the glitches out of your next adventure.
Top 10 Travel Tips
Packing Tips
1. My number one carry on item is a scarf. Use it as a pillow, a blanket, or even to wrap fragile souvenirs on your way home.
2. I’ll never leave home without a water bottle. I fill it up in the airport in the States to take on my long international flight to avoid getting dehydrated. Once I’m in country, I prefer to buy the gallon water bottles and fill it up from those. Saves some on waste and is a lot cheaper!
3. Always pack a guidebook. It’s not only helpful, but as you explore each place it’s fun to jot down a few notes about the town in your book. That way you can look back on it like a travel journal and if you share your guidebook with a friend later on, they can learn from your notes.
4. Use stuff sacks when packing. This way your clothes stay compact, organized and easy to locate.
For more packing and travel tips take a look at our FAQs page and our past posts on Learning How to Layer or the Patagonia Pack List.
Travel Tech Tips
5. WordLens is a mobile App that uses your smartphone’s built-in camera to quickly scan and identify foreign text (such as that found on a sign or menu). It then translates and displays the words in your language and in real time. Recently acquired by Google we can expect this App to only get better with time.
6. Fly enough and you will start to realize not every airplane seat is created equal. Some seats may have more legroom than others. Some may have more seat width, a better window view, a power outlet, or limited ability to recline. SeatGuru has you covered. Just type in your flight number or aircraft type and see a map of the plane with information about each seat’s features and user reviews. Don’t end up in the seat with no window or armrest again!
7. Use Google Maps offline. For those traveling overseas who would like to use their phones GPS but are afraid of incurring outrageous data charges, there is a little secret you might not know about. Here’s how it works:
- Before you depart on your trip, open up the Google Maps App on your phone and zoom in on a part of a map that you want to save for offline browsing.
- Then, tap the search bar and type “OK Maps” and hit the search button. You should see a prompt to create a title for your offline map area.
- The next time you open Google Maps and there’s no signal available, you’ll be able to view and browse your saved map.
8. Forgot your charger at home? Well, you are in luck, because someone else probably forgot his or her charger at the hotel. Ask the front desk if they have the charger you are looking for in their lost & found, they have a larger stock pile of missing chargers that never get claimed than you think. They will usually let you borrow it during your stay and save you from buying a new one until you return home.
At The Airport tips
9. When going through immigration lines try to stand on the line next to the “Crew/VIP Line” even if it is a little longer. Once the crew is through, which is typically very quick, they tend call people over from the adjacent line and eventually open it completely.
10. When traveling on major holidays it is often easier to get picked up at departures rather than arrivals due to congestion.
Do you have any travel tips or Apps you swear by when you’re on the go? We’d love to hear what you would add to our Top 10 Travel Tips list!
Hasta Pronto, Knowmad Adventurers
Knowmad Adventures works closely with independent-minded travelers creating innovative trips to South America. Our specialists in Patagonia, Chile, Machu Picchu, Peru, Argentina, the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador and Antarctica are eager to collaborate and create a trip as unique and authentic as you are, and our experienced South American operations team guarantees you get an insider’s perspective, superior values, and a flawlessly operated trip.
