My 9 Best and Easiest Travel Tips After 5 Years of Living Abroad
How to have the trip of a lifetime.
After living abroad and traveling across many different countries over the years, I’ve learned several powerful lessons that helped me make the most of my journeys.
While everyone is different, I’m confident these simple and powerful tips will massively boost your adventures—no matter who you are or where you go. These lessons will help you avoid paralyzing mistakes, enjoy your experience more, and ultimately have the trip of a lifetime.
Here’s how:
Pack Light
Recently, while spending a few days in Mykonos, the hotel manager told me a couple arrived with 8 pieces of luggage. They literally could not fit into their hotel room so they had to book another hotel.
Meanwhile, I only brought one backpack with a few clothes and a laptop.
So for an amazing trip, one of the best tips is to pack very light. (Probably lighter than you think.)
All you really need are a few pairs of clothes, some hygiene tools, and a few accessories (like your electronics if you plan to work). Don’t bring things “just in case”—chances are, you’ll never need them and, if you really did, you could buy them after you arrive for less than $5.
Unless you’re going to the middle of nowhere with no access to basic supplies (ex. the desert), you can just buy all your favorite brands once you get there.
This is so valuable because it gives you freedom. It massively reduces your stress. You can move place to place with ease. (Can you imagine two people dragging 8 pieces of luggage across Europe?) You're no longer tied down as much, which is kind of the point of travel in the first place.
“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to travel light. Dragging an enormous pack full of junk from place to place is the surest way to hamstring your flexibility and turn your travels into a ridiculous, grunting charade.”
— Rolf Potts
See “Less”
Often, people try to "bite off more than they can chew"—they give themselves two weeks to see five countries or try to see 10 cities in 30 days.
Several things will happen. One, they’ll be exhausted by the end. Two, there will be cities they wish they could spend more time in. Three, they’ll miss a lot of great things and fail to actually see and know what they visited. Ultimately, they’ll take a lot of photos, but they won’t really experience the place.
Instead, I encourage you to see “less.” What I mean is to go to fewer places. For example, if you only have two weeks, then do two countries at the most. (If you have one month, I would still advise two countries.)
By seeing “less,” you'll actually see more. You can explore hidden gems, not just the top five tourist attractions with long lines. You can get lost in the different neighborhoods. You can take your time and experience what the location is really like.
“The value of your travels does not hinge on how many stamps you have in your passport when you get home — and the slow, nuanced experience of a single country is always better than the hurried, superficial experience of forty countries.”
— Rolf Potts
Plan Less
If you go to Paris, it's helpful to know that you want to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, etc.
But I encourage you to avoid having every minute planned and to purposely add free time to your schedule so you can be spontaneous.
It’s great to see a bunch of things when you’re traveling. But many amazing experiences also happen when you improvise. Maybe the weather is nice and you feel like going to a park. Maybe there's a cool, impromptu event you discovered. Maybe you meet a local who wants to take you somewhere that wasn't on your original itinerary.
Let it happen. Have fun. And understand that travel is just as much about seeing things as it is an approach to life.
Plan Ahead
Some people book things as they need—they don't want to be constrained so they'll find accommodations after they arrive in a city.
But I highly advise against that, especially if you're running a business or doing remote work.
It’s far more stressful and it puts you in a tough position because you can only choose from the leftovers—the leftover accommodations, flights, buses, etc.
The best, highest-rated hotels, Airbnbs, etc. are often booked several months in advance (or more), especially during peak travel season or in popular destinations.
Remember, you're competing against everyone around the world. And if you want to stay for one month, all it takes is one person to book a weekend to completely block your trip.
Instead, book your accommodations, flights, etc. a few months in advance. That way, you can choose from the best options and rest easy knowing that your trip is taken care of.
Rest
Earlier, I gave the example of someone trying to see 10 cities in 30 days. Sure, it's fun and exciting, but it’s stressful to go 100 miles per hour every day.
I highly recommend, when traveling for a long time, to regularly have "off days."
During these days, don't sightsee, don't walk for five hours, etc. Instead, sleep in, relax at home, go to a movie theater, sit in a café, and do nothing. It’ll recharge you so you can feel your best while traveling.
Also, stretch. It will relieve the soreness that comes from being on your feet for eight hours a day.
Meet Locals, Not Just Expats
One of the best parts of traveling is meeting people. In fact, it's super easy to join expat groups because of the shared experiences.
But I recommend you also spend time away from these groups too.
Often in expat groups, they only hang out with other expats and the only locals they talk to are the women they date. Also, the locals who hang around these groups are sometimes a curious bunch—they only have expat friends too and they, quite often, date around in the circle. (It’s like watching a foreign version of Friends.)
Meet actual locals. Strike up conversations with random people. They’ll teach you things about their culture and lifestyle you’ll never see on a travel guide.
Be Respectful
It's funny: Many tourists hate on other tourists. But we are all tourists. So the key is that we are respectful and good guests in their country.
What does that entail?
Avoid boorish behavior. Learn a few words in the local language. Learn the local customs and traditions. (ex. Do they bow to show politeness? Are certain gestures from your own country rude to locals?) And for the love of God, don't block traffic or make everyone wait just because you want to take a selfie for InstaFace.
You'll avoid any problems (and unwanted attention) and ensure that your trip is a great one.
Arrive Early
In many countries, things change all the time for no reason and with no prior warning. You'll go to a train station and the whole platform is closed. Roads are closed. All the buses are on strike. (Vive la France! Vive la république!)
That's why I urge you to arrive extra early for your flight, bus, train, etc. (Worse case? You get there super early, get a coffee, and read a book.) There are zero benefits to waiting until the last minute.
Also, ideally, arrive at your location earlier in the day as opposed to later (if you have the option). When you arrive earlier, you have time to go to stores and pharmacies to buy essentials; but when it's late, everything might be closed.
Ignore The Noise
“You should go to ___. You have to see ___. You need to do ___.”
When you travel, you'll hear a lot of noise—whether from friends, family, travel guides, or online forums. People will tell you what you “need” to do and give you unsolicited advice.
Ignore the noise.
What do you want to see?
Don't let other people sway your opinion. Don’t feel like you “need” to see something to make other people happy. (You’ll never please everyone anyway.)
This is your trip. You're paying for it so you might as well make yourself happy. Listen to your heart, do what you want, and let go of outside pressure.
Bon voyage.
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