Exploring the world is awesome. Different countries, cultures and cuisines waiting to be soaked up like a sponge. However, traveling can be tiring and often frustrating, especially if you’ve not planned ahead.

To help you savour your next trip even more, we’ve pulled together 9 of our best insider tips to make your travel journey easier. You’re welcome.

Take the most important things in your carry on

It sounds obvious, but take things that are valuable to you in your carry on: money, credit cards, jewelery, ID, important travel documents etc. Accidents do happen, things get lost - especially when travelling. It’s advisable to keep the things you need the most with you at all times.

Make extra copies of the documents that you’d need if you ever lost it - think passport, drivers’ licence, travel insurance etc. Remember and pack back up credit cards, too. It’s also a good idea to take pictures of your luggage in case it does get lost, that way it’s easy to show airlines, hotels etc. what it looks like and to prove that it’s yours.

Your hair straightener is not just for your hair

You can also use them to iron your clothes!

Buy small luggage

It’s human nature to fill an empty space. If you’ve got a massive suitcase for your next vacation, odds are you’ll fill it with a lot of things you don’t need. Buy a smaller case - you’ll take less with you and find that you didn’t really miss the things you didn’t pack. You’ll always take the essentials. Anything else is extra and probably won’t be used. A good benchmark is to take half of the clothes you think you’ll need.

It’s ok not to have a plan

Some of us like to plan every aspect of our vacation - obsessively. Maybe it’s because we don’t want to feel like we’ve wasted any moment of a trip that we’ve waited so long for. But it’s OK NOT to plan every moment. It’s exhilarating to wander around a new location and see where it takes you. There’s treasures to be found, and it can be a great adventure uncovering what the locality has to offer.  

Roll clothes instead of folding

When packing for your next adventure, roll your clothes instead of folding. Not only will it save lots of space, it means your clothes won’t get wrinkled either. Bonus!

Get in the right line!

Waiting in a long line at security or check-in can be boring and frustrating. The best tip we’ve heard to get through the line quicker is to queue behind business travelers. They are adept at traveling and usually in a rush to get somewhere, so are ready and prepared. You’ll get through the airport quicker than taking your place behind a family.

DIY curtain clips for a great sleep

If you’re staying in a hotel, use the clips on pants/trouser hangers to secure your curtains closed. It will prevent any extra light from getting in, and you are guaranteed to sleep better.

Take a comfort kit with you

Getting to your end destination is so fun, but traveling to get there can make you tired, cranky and frustrated. That’s why we always recommend taking a comfort kit with you on board a flight (especially long haul). Take an extra top as it’s easy to feel less than fresh on a flight due to the confined space, duration and temperature. An eye mask to block out light, earbuds to silence the sounds and a travel pillow. We recommend our over one million selling, revolutionary travel pillow that allows you get a proper rest when you travel. We also recommend our compression socks, they’ll offer support for your legs. Bonus - they’re also comfortable and look good!