I am absolutely amazed at the number of things I learned while travelling in Europe with Contiki back in 2011. I’m sure a lot of these are still relevant and can be used in many travel destinations.
Obvious Tips
• Try to keep up with your travel diary – It gets really hard to remember what you did 2 days ago after experiencing so many new things.
• Carry wipes – these are great to freshen up on the plane or in the airport, in case there isn’t any toilet paper, & possible bird poo incidents.
• Use hotel soap – and don’t forget to take the packaged ones with you. The next hotel might not have any & you can generally wash your underwear with soap.
• Pack light – I packed 5 pairs on underwear for my 6 weeks in Europe. Each night in the shower I would wash them & hang them to dry. Plus you never know how many clothes & souvenirs you might buy.
• Spending money – take some in cash, some on a travel card & have access to a credit card just in case.
Not so obvious
• Carry change to pay for restrooms – I was a little surprised by this but not annoyed. Be prepared to pay around £1 or €1 each time to use a public restroom (including service stations).
• Be prepared for NO PHOTOS – while viewing some beautiful things you may be reminded you are not allowed to take photos. I never asked for a reason. But wasn’t allowed to take photos in the Sistine Chapel, of the English Crown Jewels or Michelangelo’s David.
• Throw it or leave it – another way I managed to pack light was by packing items I was prepared to throw away. I was willing to throw out jeans, a jumper, thrift store handbag & shoes if I found suitable replacements. The only thing that did get replaced was my handbag.
BONUS
• Throw it or leave it– throw out or leave things at your last destination if you don’t need them. Leftover moisturiser, toothpaste, things that you have replaced.
• Take note of your photos – each night I went through the photos on my camera and wrote down what they were of. Chances are you won’t remember & may delete it when you can’t tell friends & family what it is.
