Very Easy Ways to Level Up Your Next Trip

If you go on social media, there’s always someone telling us how to have THE perfect trip or where you MUST go to experience a destination the BEST way. Or, my favorite, what a “real” traveler does and doesn’t do.

This post isn’t about that.

I’m not here to tell you to open ten different credit cards to book a free first class flight to the Maldives. And I unfortunately do not know how to take three different buses and outsmart a troll in Paris to find the most authentic croissants. Frankly, I’m not sure I fully know what constitutes an “authentic croissant in Paris”!

I do, however, have some experience when it comes to traveling. And I like to think I know a few very easy ways you can level up when it comes to planning your next trip. See below and let me know if you agree!

Easy Ways to Level Up Your Next Trip

The Basics: Booking and paying for your trip.
Next Level: ACTUALLY maximizing credit card points and benefits.

Chances are you’re booking your next trip on a credit card. And chances are when you were choosing your credit card, every company you looked at touted different points and benefits. And if you’re like me, you haven’t really thought about those points or benefits since.

If you can figure it out, though, both can go a long, long way to saving money and granting you access to events or places you never even knew you had. And I don’t mean in the seemingly convoluted ways points experts manage it!

The easiest thing to do is to check what benefits your credit card offers. Can you get discounts at certain places? Better yet – do you have the kind of credit card that has credits to certain restaurants or concerts or hotels? Will it reimburse you if you get TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry? And for a fun treat – can you get into airport lounges with your card? It’s worth checking in annually because benefits can always change, and you may be sitting on free credit that wasn’t even offered when you first opened your account!

Next, figure out how to maximize your points. Most companies let you combine credit card points into one rewards system, so check to see how many points your credit card gives you per purchase. And then see if the company offers better points per dollar on another card, and if it’s worth it to you to open up a second credit card.

For example, Card A may offer 5x per $1 on groceries and 1x per $1 on gas but Card B might offer 5x per $1 on gas and 1x per $1 on groceries. Use Card A for groceries and Card B for gas, and you’ll be able to ensure you get 5x per $1 every time. Then you can combine those points and apply them to your credit card company’s rewards!

The Basics: Taking pictures to remember your trip.
Next Level: Learning some basic photography rules to take better photos.

Phones make it so easy these days to take photos and videos to remember a trip! And who doesn’t love having visual memories of a special experience? Instead of just taking photos without any thought, though, take time to learn some basic photography rules for your next trip!

And I don’t mean you have to take some crazy intensive course or invest $$$ for a mirrorless camera. I’m talking about simple rules that a quick video can teach you. Here are some quick rules:

• Even lines – phone cameras have gridlines, so use them to make your photo even. Try to line up the bottom like with the horizon or one of the vertical lines with a building edge for more even photos.
• Lighting – lighting from the front always looks better than when something is backlit. 
• Composition – this takes a little practice but those gridlines help a lot! If you’re taking a photo of a specific subject, try lining it up so it’s right in the center of the two main vertical lines. Then try lining it up with one of those vertical lines. Play around and see what you like!
• Take food photos from overhead – If you want to photograph your meal, try taking a picture from directly overhead. I find that’s my favorite way of looking back at a beautiful dish!

You’re already going to take photos to remember your trip, why not take a few extra minutes to learn how to make them better? Though, I’ll admit, having a professional photographer travel with me has been a big perk!

The Basics: Using social media and websites for trip inspiration.
Next Level: Knowing how to do more thorough research (and who to ask!)

It’s so, so easy to log on and get a ton of inspiration for a certain destination. Numerous people are online to tell you where to find the perfect X or where to buy the must-have Y. And I won’t knock them – they’re great resources! But take time to do a bit more research, and you’ll find an even fuller idea of where to go. Read blogs from locals and see what they say. Maybe pick up a memoir or book set in your destination. Look for travelers who’ve recently been and see if they have any fresh tips they wish they’d known.

One of my favorite things to do? Once you arrive at your destination, strike up a conversation with a local or two and ask for some recommendations. Hotel front desk, tour guides, taxi drivers… you never know who could lead you to where!

The Basics: Packing a suitcase for your trip.
Next Level: Packing carry-on only.

I always try to pack as light as possible, even when checking a bag, but if I can swing it, I pack carry-on only. Trust me when I say you probably need a lot fewer outfits than you’re anticipating, and there are so many easy tricks to mix and match pieces for multiple looks in one trip. Packing lighter means traveling lighter! You’re not waiting in line at check-in or at the luggage carousel. And it’s a lot easier getting up stairs or walking on cobblestones if you just have a carry-on to worry about and not a full size, 50lb suitcase.

The Basics: Relying on whatever toiletries a hotel has.
Next Level: Bringing your own toiletries for better comfort.

Even the most basic hotel usually has soap and shampoo. And sure you can use whatever they have and generally be clean. But are you comfortable? Does your hair react well to the hotel shampoo? And what about the hotel soap? Is it super drying? If your hotel does come with lotion, is it good lotion or the thin kind that feels like you’ve slathered on nothing?

I always find taking the time to decant my preferred toiletries into smaller bottles for travel goes a long way in making me feel comfortable in my own skin even when the time zone, climate, and water quality changes.

The Basic: Trusting airports and hotels to keep track of your luggage.
Next Level: Investing in an Airtag or two.

I would say 99% of the time, you can trust airports, airlines, hotels, and storage lockers to watch your luggage. But there’s always that one time where a connection is too quick for luggage transfer or you have the same suitcase as someone else and they grab it off the carousel before you notice. And in those moments, having an Airtag in there gives you a greater peace of mind than trying to get an airline or hotel to retrace their steps!

The Basics: Folding and rolling clothes in your suitcase.
Next Level: Using packing cubes for organization.

I promise you, packing cubes are not a scam to get you to buy more stuff. Not only do they keep things organized in your suitcase, they keep things organized in your hotel room. And, my personal favorite, they can keep dirty clothes separate from clean clothes when traveling to different places.

The Basics: Knowing how to get through TSA.
Next Level: Knowing how to get through TSA quickly and efficiently.

Getting through the TSA is pretty basic. Depending on their rules (which, yes, seem to always be different depending on the day and airport), you get to the security gates. Show an agent your ID and ticket. Stand in line at the body and baggage scanners. Unpack your toiletries and electronics. Take off your jacket, shoes, and belt. Make sure your pockets are empty. Then you watch your items go through their scanner before going through the body scanner. If all goes smoothly, you’ll wait for your things, awkwardly gather them, get over to a table, and try to repack everything quickly.

The easiest thing to do is to have methods for making this as painless as possible. Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off. Keep your electronics and toiletries separate and at the top of your bag so you can just pull them out and put them back in with ease. Don’t even bother with a belt or putting things in your pockets!

And the next level to make going through TSA easier? Getting TSA Pre-check. It’s often a separate line and you don’t have to take off your shoes or empty your bag into a bin. More often than not, the time between showing an agent your ID and exiting towards the main airport area is less than five minutes.

The Basics: Making sure everyone in your group has meeting points.
Next Level: Everyone sharing their locations.

Remember in the olden days when there was no such thing as getting a travel SIM card or even finding wifi in a cafe? (Remember internet cafes?!) If someone went missing, you just had to hope they showed up at the hotel or airport eventually! Even nowadays, the most basic thing to do is to have everyone’s phone numbers in a group chat and to have designated meeting points should people split up and do something different.

To make things safer and to take away any guesswork, have everyone share their locations with each other. This will especially come in handy if anyone leaves their phone somewhere on accident or it gets stolen.

The Basics: Eating wherever and whatever you want on your trip. 
Next Level: Remembering to add in some fruits and veggies.

Listen, I’m all for indulging in the best restaurants and most delicious food on every trip. In fact, if someone made it a law that you must get gelato every day in Italy, I’d support that law wholeheartedly.

But, you know, add in some veggies once in a while. I promise it’ll make your bathroom breaks abroad a lot smoother and make sure your stomach doesn’t revolt by the end. Nothing is worse than having stomach issues three days into a trip because you’ve been eating the most decadent dishes for every meal!!

And no, I’m not saying replace a pizza lunch with a salad. I’m saying, maybe add a side salad to that pizza lunch. Or stop into a grocery store and get some carrots and broccoli to snack on in between. It really does go a long way!!

The Basics: Falling into bed right away after a day of sightseeing.
Next Level: Nightly stretching!

Am I showing my age at this point? Maybe when you’re young, you can walk 30,000 steps in flip-flops and then pass out and wake-up feeling fresh. But as you get older, I can assure you that parts of you you didn’t know existed can get twisted into a knot from just sitting in a chair wrong. Taking 5-10 minutes at the end of each day to just sit down on the floor of your hotel room and stretch out will do wonders.

And for an extra bonus, I travel with pinky balls for a massage. Think of them like mini foam rollers without needing to fit a foam roller into your suitcase. They’re one of my must-pack non-tech items, and they especially work wonders after a long flight when I roll them right between the shoulder blades.

The Basics: Having a detailed itinerary and plans B-Z.
Next Level: Relinquishing some control over your trip.

You know I love an itinerary and a list, and I am a big proponent of pre-planning your plans B-Z. But to truly level up your next trip, allow for spontaneity and relinquish some control! The days do not need to be planned down to the hour. Don’t be afraid of saying yes to a little adventure. As the kids say, go on a side quest!

I always say my favorite parts of travel are the commas, not necessarily the exclamation points. Those moments when you slow down, take time to chat with a stranger, and just… wander! They’re my favorite memories after 25 years of travel!

And there you have it – some very easy ways to level up your travel! Anything you’d add? Let me know below!