Travel Tips from Jen

* coming off 4 major cities in 7 days (London, Frankfurt, Paris, Boston) and currently sitting at the Munich airport, seemed appropriate to post this! *

Earlier this year, I was working a conference with a new friend. As the week went by, he started saying that I should publish my travel tips and started asking for my daily travel tips. I laughed at his suggestions. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized my extensive driving through cornfields of the Midwest, European holidays, work trailings, and now permanent move, as well as solo adventures may put me in a unique place to share a few things on travel. So, here's some of what I've been jotting down over the last few months! 

Travel tips:

Buy snacks and drinks from the local grocery. It's cheap, and you'll get to try some local foods! I also like to buy prepared foods for meals here to save $$. 

Non-buffet hotel breakfasts are a terrible deal. Don't pay extra for it. 

Buffet hotel breakfasts are a gold mine. Plan and eat a good breakfast. Get to-go drinks. Make sandwiches for lunch (pastry/bread + meat + cheese is all typically available). Wrap it well in a napkin and then a hotel shower cap for an easy Ziploc-esque package. Make trail mix for a snack (typically dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate by the oatmeal toppings. Mix it in a to-go cup for a perfect healthy snack for later). 

I always pack a thin drawstring bag. It leaves your hands free to navigate steps, hang on to your passport, and it provides the perfect storage for any food or trinkets you may buy along the way. 

I always carry a tiny foldable grocery bag. You are always charged for a bag in Europe, but also in many USA cities, so it's always helpful to have my own. Bonus points: it's waterproof to protect from any sudden downpours! 

International flights: always use the bathroom on the plane just before the final descent. This way you can dash straight to the customs line and be in front. Everyone else will use the bathroom as soon as they get off the plane, and if you are with them, you'll be stuck in an enormous customs line. Thanks to Beka for this tip- I promise it works and I use it on every international flight! 

Duty free: swing by the duty-free area to freshen up. Flying is dehydrating, so I always swipe on an eye serum, find an expensive face lotion, and utilize a nice hand lotion as well. It makes you feel more alive and is really refreshing. After long/gross flights, I like a spritz of perfume from duty free. Currently loving my 1000- euro eye creme and Chanel. 

Money: you can request foreign currency from your local bank. They usually need to ship it in, so allow enough time for that. But you'll typically get the best conversion price that way. 

If you don't have time/forget to take local currency from your bank, consider withdrawing money from a bank at your destination. It's cheaper than converting currency, even if you have to pay a banking withdrawal fee. If you are travelling in a group, I recommend one person withdraws a large sum and splits it out. 

Credit cards: if you plan to travel internationally, consider a credit card you can use in that region with no international fees. 

See what the area you're visiting does financially. For example, Scandinavia is almost entirely cashless, but Germany is still heavy cash. American Express is not often accepted internationally. I always carry my debit card as well in case my credit card doesn't work. 

Download offline maps of the city you are visiting. It makes the phone navigation more accurate and helps save battery. I often do this at the hotel the night before exploring a new city. 

I create a saved maps list of the places I want to visit in that city. This gives me a visual check of what's around where I am and makes sure I'm efficiently walking the city. 

Passport cases are adorable, but always need removed for airports. 

Please, don't wear a belt or jewelry through security and hold up the lines. 

Hotels: 

Always ask for a late checkout. Typically, the hotels have a certain number they can give, so ask the night before/morning off. 

Ask for tickets to local attractions. Many hotels may have a few discount passes or free tickets to the area attractions. I've gotten free/reduced admissions to museums, parks, and even kayaking! 

Ask for recommended local restaurants. Many hotels also have discounts with nearby restaurants. 

Most hotels will store your luggage for free both before check-in and after check-out. It's way simpler to check out a city without being encumbered with your luggage. 

If you forgot anything, you can always request it from the front desk (toothpaste, toothbrush, lotion, sewing kits, shaving kits, etc.). 

Trains> planes. In Europe, they are often similar prices, but the trains are more comfortable, and allow you much more freedom on luggage quantity and contents. 

Check out city cards in cities you visit. Most cards include the main attractions, some smaller ones you may not have known about, and often the public transit as well. It's not always the best option, but it is always worth looking into. 

In the USA: check Groupon for attractions. I've down many boat cruises for less than $20 due to Groupon. 

Packing: 

I’m a newly converted packing cube fan. If I had to rebuy, I'd buy the compression cubes though. 

Put a single shower cap over a single shoe (I get the free hotel shower caps for this). It protects the dirty part of your shoe and makes it easier to pack. 

Buy multi-use shoes i.e. can be good for walking, but also look dressy, etc. 

Rewards programs: 

Sign up for all of them! I prefer to stick with a primary brand, but I have accounts on multiple reward programs. They often have special offers that are good deals. Also, building seniority within a brand makes for perks like lounge access, contributing to future hotel stays, or even upgraded rooms/seats. 

Hotel/airport lounges: you can basically get a dinner out of hotel lounges in the evenings, stock up on free drinks through the day, and get a solid breakfast. Airport lounges: tons of free food. 

Europe: if you are solo travelling, consider hostels. They are way nicer than what you may think off in America. Many have communal kitchens so you can cook your own meals, and it's a great place to meet other travelers. I'm still in contact with a few friends I’ve met in hostels over the years! 

Pack shower shoes if you stay in a hostel. 

Delayed flights: airlines have so much crap behind the counter, you just need to ask! No guarantee you'll get it, but they often have blankets, freshen up kits (toothbrush, deodorant, etc.), water bottles and snacks they can give you. Also, sometimes they can direct you to the best quiet/comfortable places to sleep in an airport too! 

If at all possible, pair personal with the corporate travel. Ask if your employer is fine for you to take the same flight out a few days later. Alternatively, check if a nearby city flight option is cheaper, because most will support that as well.