Holidays should be extremely memorable, and you should always leave with the feeling that you got a lot out of your trip. No one likes sitting on the plane home thinking that they didn’t quite get the experience they were hoping for. After all, travelling costs money, so you always want to get value from your trip!
Speaking of which, I’ve got a huge guide full of travel advice you’ll wish you’d have known years ago. Some of these things are absolutely genius and will help you get so much more out of your trip. So, bear with me as I talk you through all the smart ways you can level up your next holiday, and leave with a massive smile on your face:
Invest In A Professional Camera
This is a piece of advice I used to scoff at whenever someone told it to me. Why on earth would I buy an expensive camera when I can just take photos on my phone? Phone cameras are so good these days they’re basically the same, right? Wrong. I bought a camera not that long ago, and the difference in my photos is quite phenomenal. If you think your iPhone has a good camera, then it pales in comparison to entry-level DSLRs. The crispness in every photo is incredible, the level of detail you get is mind-bending, and they’re so much better in dark light.
Why does this level up your next holiday? Because it means you can capture all your memories in much higher quality. You can take close up shots of nature, get massive landscape views into one frame, and take portrait photos that you’ll frame for years to come. Photos are part of every holiday experience as that catalogue your trip. If you travel a lot, then I would go as far to say this is essential for enhancing your experience. Even if you go on one family holiday per year, it’s still well worth it.
Do Something To Get Your Heart Pumping
There’s something about going on holiday that makes you feel a lot more confident and free. Perhaps it’s because you don’t know anyone and you know you’ll never see them again. Therefore, there’s never a real feeling of anxiety or nervousness – compared to your normal life. As a result, you sometimes feel more compelled to do things that you’d never ever dream of doing at home. For example, would you do a bungee jump at home? Absolutely not! However, it seems way more appealing when you’re on holiday in a sunny location with some friends/family.
This brings me to my piece of advice here; do something that gets your heart pumping. Seek out some activities on your next holiday that are proper adrenaline fuelled and a little bit scary. It may seem frightening, but it’s a great way of making your holiday as memorable as can be. What’s more, you can get cheap travel insurance these days that covers a lot of activities like this. So, you don’t have to worry about getting ripped off or something bad happening that costs lots of money. Sure, some of you may be scared by this idea, but that’s the point! Step out of your comfort zone on holiday, and I promise it will create memories that last forever.
Let Luck Decide Your Fate
Those of you that travel a lot will know there are two main types of holiday you take. Firstly, you have the typical holiday that requires months of planning. You sit down with whoever is attending the holiday, and you go through different locations, hotels, and so on. Then, you book the trip, and you wait until it’s time to go! Then, you have the impulse holidays. These are holidays that aren’t fully planned and kind of get organised in the blink of an eye. Often, these are the best holidays as you have even more freedom and you’ve just gone out on a limb and made an impulsive decision.
Well, if you like these types of holiday, then you will love an app called LuckyTrip. Now, this isn’t an advert for them, they haven’t sponsored me (unfortunately) I just happened to come across this app not long ago. Essentially, you set a budget, choose where you’re flying from, and what type of holiday you’re looking for. Then, it randomly chooses a place to go based on the things you set. It comes up with some great locations and provides a little list of things to do, places to stay, etc. It’s a great way to level up your next holiday because you create that element of random impulsiveness. Let luck decide your fate, and you could end up having the holiday of your lifetime.
Travel On Your Own/Don’t Travel On Your Own
At first glance, this piece of advice seems more confusing than Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Travel on your own/don’t travel on your own – what on earth does this mean. Basically, I have two different pieces of advice for two different types of traveller. Personally, I don’t think there’s a particular ‘winner’ out of solo travelling or travelling with others. Both have pros and cons, it really depends on what you’re doing and where you’re going.
However, my advice to ‘travel on your own’ is for anyone that’s only ever been travelling in groups. If you’ve never experienced solo travelling, then you’re missing out on so much. It’s great to be independent and not worry about other people all the time. You can make new friends and create memories that you sometimes can’t do with others.
Similarly, if you only ever travel on your own, then my advice is to avoid doing that on your next holiday! As a seasoned solo traveller, you’ve missed out on all the great things about travelling with other people. There’s the comradery and banter you have with friends – it’s brilliant. Essentially; travel on your own if you’ve never done it before, and travel with others if you’ve only ever travelled on your own – simple!
Download A Translate App
What’s the biggest obstacle in your way when you go on holiday? For me, it’s the language barrier. This is the main problem that sometimes stops you from doing certain things, simply because you can’t communicate. A lot of people speak English all over the world, so you can sometimes find people to translate for you. However, the majority of people in different countries will speak their native tongue and nothing else. So, how do you avoid this language barrier? You could try and learn the language, but this is obviously a tough and lengthy process. Instead, you can download one of the many translate apps on the market right now.
A translate app will basically take a foreign language and translate it into your native tongue. They do this by translating the text you write, but you can also speak into some apps these days as well. This is the best way to get good translations and help you communicate with others. There are also some apps that let you use your phone camera to display words, and then translates them for you. This is ideal when you’re staring at a menu in a completely different language to your own. Now, you have no language barrier to worry about, and you can enjoy your holiday a lot more.
Travel Outside Of Peak Times
In theory, you can pretty much travel all year round. Even if you’re studying in university, you can always afford a weekend away or maybe a cheeky day off here and there. If you work, then you’ve got holiday days to take, so you may as well take them whenever you like! Having said that, most people travel at the same periods every year. They go away during summer, Easter, and Christmas. There’s nothing wrong with this, but you can enjoy a better holiday if you travel outside of these peak times.
Why? Because you avoid the crowds, and the inflated prices! Everything costs more during July/August, so travel in May/June instead! Trying to go somewhere nice for a winter holiday? Then go away in November/January/February instead of in December. If you travel during the busiest months, then you end up paying double, sometimes even triple, what you’d pay during a quieter time. Not only that, but all the tourist locations will be packed, which can often ruin your trip. No one likes rowdy crowds, we’d rather have a peaceful time away! This is probably my best piece of advice for anyone travelling on a small budget. You can still get a fantastic experience, but for a fraction of the price.
Sure, you’ve probably gone on a few good holidays in your lifetime, maybe even some that were great. However, you will upgrade your next holiday from great to amazing if you use some of the advice in this piece. Trust me, everything I’ve mentioned will help you get more out of your holiday and leave you itching to travel again.
