Don’t Ruin Your Trip: My Top 6 Travel Tips

I have traveled countless times on group trips, and there is ALWAYS that one person. They aren’t happy, they’re not having a good time, and you can tell they would rather be at home (although on their social media, they’re having an “life-changing experience.”) It makes the rest of the group cringe, and everyone thanks their lucky stars that they’re not THAT Debbie Downer. Because it can sometimes be easy to get stressed out while traveling and self-sabotage your own experience, I have compiled a list of my top six travel tips that I’ve learned from myself and from watching others. Keep on scrolling.

Tip #1: Say yes.

Say yes to experiences. Unless that experience is going to get you into trouble or put you in an unsafe position, then why not? You didn’t travel to a new location just so you can sit in your hotel room on your phone or get plenty of sleep. Get the most out of your trip by doing the most you can. Cram in early morning acitivites, have a full itinerary for the day, and check out what there is to do at night. It’s important to take care of yourself so you don’t get sick, but you can sleep in the car or the plane! Be present in the moment and place that you’re in, make the most of it, and DON’T BE LAME.

A cloudy morning in Wellington, New Zealand. Although my friends and I had a flight at 9 a.m., we woke up early to be able to see the sunrise. Even though the morning was cloudy, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast and were glad we said ‘yes’ to the experience.

Tip #2: Don’t waste your time on things you can do at home.

If you’re going to travel to a whole new location, whether it be across the state or on the other side of the globe, why the heck would you want to do what you can do at home? I swear, nothing gets under my skin more than people on trips who want to eat at the same chain fast food restaurants, blackout every night, and basically do exactly what they do at home. While that might be a for-sure method of making sure you’re having a good time, you need to step out of your comfort zone a little. If you want to make the most out of your experience, you need to try new things, eat new foods, and avoid things that you can do in your hometown.

Not only does refusing to try new things inhibit your ability to understand the culture of a new place and make yourself a more well-rounded person, it’s also a huge waste of money. If I’m traveling to Europe, for example, imagine how much money I would waste buying a beer every single night (a brand of beer you could buy in the States, no doubt) and eating at the Burger King (yes, I’ve been with people who do this). Instead, I could have used that money to have an actual physical experience, try a native dish, or save up for another trip. The same goes for social media. You did not journey to a new place just so you can watch your friends’ lame snap stories from home or scroll through Twitter. Like I said in Tip #1, go out and fully immerse yourself in your experience.

While on a road trip to Zion National Park this summer, my friend and I packed all of our food from home into a cooler. Since we didn’t spend any money on food throughout our 9-day excursion, we were able to afford to go canyoneering in Utah. If we would have wasted our money on fast food (something we could do at home), we wouldn’t have been able to afford to have these extra experiences.

Tip #3: Don’t be a grumpy pants.

This may be my most important tip of all: do not, under any circumstances, be a grumpy pants. The biggest lesson I have learned from traveling is that you have to roll with the punches. Not everything is going to go your way: your friends might be mean to you, you might miss a flight, or an activity you were dying to do is closed that day. It doesn’t matter. Getting angry or putting yourself in a bad mood ruins even more of your trip than the original mishap did, and if you’re pouting, you’re ruining the trip for the rest of your group as well. Chances are, whatever went wrong is out of your control, so what is the point of freaking out about it? Also, the whole point of going on a trip is to have fun, right? So stop moping, put on a smile, and make the most out of whatever is thrown at you.

Another way to be a grumpy pants? Acting like you are too cool for everything. Don’t be that person who makes fun of others for taking pictures, rolls their eyes when someone is excited about seeing something, and is calling everyone “tourists.” (Like, hey, you’re a tourist too, and everyone can tell, so you might as well embrace it). People like this are clearly having no fun with their own lives, so if you do happen to find yourself on a trip with a grumpy pants, do your best to ignore them and don’t let their toxicity rub off on you. You traveled there for a reason, so live it up!

On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I found myself with the stomach-flu for more than half of the trip and with people who didn’t necessarily enjoy doing the same things as me. Instead of becoming a grumpy pants, I took matters into my own hands and walked around the city by myself, taking in the sights and making sure I still had an enjoyable experience.

Tip #4: Look confident and cute.

Another way to distract you from living it up when you’re abroad? Feeling insecure about how you look. While you don’t need to look like you’re off the runway every single day, especially if you’re doing outdoor activities, it helps to feel confident in your appearance. Find a few cute, comfortable (this is key) outfits with travel essentials that can mix and match and keep you feeling fresh throughout your trip. After all, you only regret the pictures that you didn’t take, and outfit-planning before your trip can ensure that you won’t miss a photo-op because you’re feeling insecure.

My travel buddy Krista and I (if you’re reading this Krista, hello) have traveled to 3 countries together, and we’re planning on 3 more this summer. When we go somewhere, we try to feel comfortable and confident in what we’re wearing each day, so we can focus on the fun and not fly-away hairs.

Tip #5: Don’t waste money on souvenirs.

One of my favorite sayings is, “Collect moments, not things,” and I definitely recomend following its guidance when traveling. When I was younger, I would love to waste my money on silly, tacky souvenirs that could honestly be purchased on Amazon from home. Now, I try to focus on spending my money on a few, meaningful souvenirs (I like knick-knacks and coffee mugs) that are unique and remind me of my experience. If you save money because you didn’t buy 17 t-shirts from every attraction, you’ll be able to afford a different physical experience and memory, which you’ll never grow out of or lose. In addition, I promise that you don’t need to get your third cousin twice removed a $20 souvenir from a place they didn’t even go. Maybe just stick to a simple postcard; I’m sure they will understand, and your bank account will thank you for it.

A staple souvenir I try to pick up when I travel is a postcard. They’re cheap, easy to find, and they are fun to display. This is my bulletin board in my room, which is decorated with postcards and photos I’ve collected. Photos themselves are another form of souvenir, and in the long run, they’ll mean more to you than a Mount Rushmore throw pillow.

Tip #6: Don’t overplan.

When you’re on a trip, it is incredibly important to keep an open mind and go with the flow. If you have every single minute of your vacation planned before you even step on the plane, you’re bound to be disapointed and miss out on activites you didn’t know existed. In addition, unless you are by yourself, your travel friends aren’t necessarily going to want to do every single thing you want to do. Save yourself from the drama and allow yourself to be flexible. Not overplanning helps prevent the grumpy-pants-syndrome, as discussed in Tip #3.

With that being said, you don’t want to underplan. Underplanning a trip can lead to hours wasted by walking around in confusion or debating what to go see. My advice, and what I do when on a group trip, is to each pick one or two things you absolutely MUST do when you’re there. Put everyone’s “must-do’s” on the schedule at some point, but leave the rest of the time open to activities you find along the way. Once you get to a place, you’ll find that locals have places to recomend to you, and you may stumble upon something you had no idea existed. If you have a minute-to-minute planned schedule, you don’t allow for flexibility to enjoy these hidden gems.

When I traveled to Stockholm this summer in a group for a faculty-led program, we planned a few “must-do’s” for every day, but otherwise went with the flow. This led us unexpected experiences such as ferry rides, dessert shops, and even a royal palace. This photo is of a place my friends and I discovered as we exited a subway tunnel. Since we didn’t overplan, we allowed ourselves to sit down by the water, talk, and take in this view .

Now that you’ve read my top six travel tips, GET OUT THERE AND SEE THE WORLD! So much is waiting out there for you, and it’s up to you to take the leap and explore it.