What's your golden travel rule?

[Hools]

Do you have a golden rule that you always apply to your travels? If so, what is it?

Pack a bag, then half it, and then half again...buy what you left behind if needed.

 

[jase05]

3. The cost of a taxi or private car to my hotel after a flight is part of the cost of travelling. I'm not going to spend bucks getting there and then wait an hour for the free hotel shuttle,

Absolutely concur

 

[Flyfrequently]

Pack a bag, then half it, and then half again...buy what you left behind if needed.

Welcome to AFF @Hools

 

[flyingfan]

Pack a bag, then half it, and then half again...buy what you left behind if needed.

That reminds me of someone else’s rule I read - pack only the absolute barest essentials of clothes you’ll think you need. Then halve that, and also take double the amount of money you think you need.

 

[TAK]

take a physical credit/debit card ( better if you take 2 or 3) , take your physical licence (and international licencse if req) and study jet lag

 

[Berlin]

I was born in Germany so the no worry thing will never work for me unfortunately. So I make the best out of that and plan everything to the last detail weeks or even months in advance which often helps with airfares and hotel prices, especially during busy seasons. Just imagine my pain when realising that in Mainland China, everyone tends to make booking in the last moment and airfares actually go DOWN over time- super scary for someone like me (but worth traveling China regardless imho).

BUT with all that planning- very importantly at the same time, be prepared for sudden interruptions/ delays/disasters and act in the moment if necessary. Travel insurance is absolutely mandatory and smart moves as already discussed, like no tight connections in airports you don’t know or are London Heathrow . An overnight hotel in between flights not booked on the same ticket. Ideally stay with a hotel chain where you have high status, they tend to look after you much better in moments of need (in my experience much more reliably than airlines tend to do).

So many other things to consider and many good points already made in this thread!

 

[CMA222]

take a physical credit/debit card ( better if you take 2 or 3) , take your physical licence (and international licencse if req) and study jet lag

and enough cash to convert when the credit/debit card is rejected or the eftpos system is down !

 

[ejb_nz]

If someone else is paying, Business Class or I'm not going.

If they won't pay for business class the trip isn't worth going on, join the meeting on Teams.

 

[DC3]

I have friends who'll join a queue even when they don't know what they're lining up for. Their reasoning is that if so many people are waiting it must be something good

 

[SBD]

I have lots of golden travel rules but here's one: use the overhead bin across the aisle, not the one above your head. This way you can better supervise your own luggage, make sure the zips stay closed, and you're more likely to notice any wandering hands fishing for devices, wallets, meds, and other valuables that aren't on my person. SBD

 

[stm1sydney]

1. Hand luggage only.
2. Eat the local food of the airline (eg, Asian airline, always choose the Asian meal, not the western meal).
3. Never arrive into SYDint before 9:00am.

 

[Forg]

I can't normally do the "hand luggage only" thing ... my most recent trip OS was June in the UK from Brighton up to north of Inverness, I don't think I could've gotten by (short of spending every 3rd day of my holiday washing) without a range of summer & (Sydney-spec) winter clothes!

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

If it's personal travel, stay at a decent non-chain hotel. Turning up at a Hilton or Marriott makes it feel like a business trip.

Don’t book layovers less than 2hr.

Because even if you make it, there's a good chance your luggage won't!

Never take the last flight of the day to a destination.

Except on golden triangle routes, I always take the last BNE-SYD because there's usually a J reward seat or upgrade available.

 

[AuSammy]

Wear your oldest undies and socks for the first plane sector and take spares in hand luggage; toss used ones in the bin after showering in the transit airport lounge.

To minimise size of luggage to cart around only pack for 8 days regardless of length of trip, plan a lightish travel day every seven days and research and record laundromats with good reviews closest to your accommodation before departure.

 

[bPeteb]

Check that I haven't left our passports in the room safe, again

 

[JohnM]

Mine: never use the room safe.

 

[anat0l]

Whether you're in Y, J or F, never forget the marvel and miracle of air travel. It is a privilege, not a right.


I try and maintain this thought at all times. The last thing I want is for travel to be stale, and air travel lets us find adventure around the world within hours or days, not weeks or months.

 

[bPeteb]

Mine: never use the room safe.

We haven't ever since the last time in Cambodia!

 

[NZflygirl]

I don't use hotel safes either. If I have anything valuable I always leave it in the suitcase with a padlock. I typically now don't get daily room service as I dislike the idea of someone rummaging through my stuff. I've had a few things go missing prior to using my suitcase as the safe. I try not to travel with any expensive items but sometimes there are trips I do.

I have a pack list as well so I always know what I've taken for that trip. The list is accessible in dropbox. I did also learn to take pics of luggage. Someone took off with my bag accidentally and checked it onto her next flight. Whilst it was easy to describe agents asked for other features and I couldn't remember what tags I had on it as I take different bags with various tags. I got it sorted, got my bag dropped from her flight and back to me.

The rest I think are more habits than golden rules.