TripHip - Travel Tips and Advice for Traveling on a Budget

Everyone has their preference of whether they think a window seat or an aisle seat is better. If you are allowed to choose, and especially if you are on a long-haul flight, consider this one important point:

On long-haul flights, people like to sleep. If you travel alone and you get a window seat, you'll have to wake up the people next to you in order to get to the bathroom, and they'll have to get up again when you come back.

Of course the majority of people don't mind doing this, as it is common courtesy. But you can save yourself the hassle by taking an aisle seat.

Also, if you need to use the loo and you're stuck in a window seat, and the people next to you have their laptops or dinner trays spread out, it will be a big hassle for them to arrange everything for you to get up to use the restroom. Like I said, most people exercise common courtesy on these long-haul flights. But sometimes you just want the freedom to get up and move around as you please. :)

If you're bringing a gift for someone in your luggage, it's a good idea NOT to wrap it, especially if it is going in your carry-on bag.

There is a good chance that a wrapped package will arouse curiosity as you go through security - especially if the x-ray shows that the gift is something electronic (like a camera, mp3 player, etc).

You're better off just wrapping the gift once you reach your destination, or even shipping them before you go.

If you spend more than 4 hours in flight, you may experience jet lag. Jet lag is the condition whereby your inner body clock is out of whack with the clock at your actual destination.

Your body is basically in limbo and needs time to adjust. You can facilitate the adjustment process by trying to acclimate to the schedule at your new location as quickly as possible. For instance, if you feel like you're ready to go to bed and it's only 2pm, do your best to stay awake until nightfall. Try to wake up when it's daylight.

If you are going "back in time" (that is, flying from east to west), try to do something active once you land. Go for a walk around your new locale.

If you are jumping "forward in time" (going from west to east), engage in calming, quiet activities that evening to try to get your body to rest. Don't sleep in, even if you're tempted to.

Above all, give yourself a few days for your body to adjust to your new time zone. If you can, don't plan any major appointments or meetings the day after you land.

Practical shoes are a must for any traveler, on many levels.

First, if you are flying, you will almost always need to take them off as you go through security. Keep this in mind, because you may spend awhile unlacing those thigh-high boots, if that's what you choose to wear on board!

Second, if you are on a long flight, you may want to give your feet a rest by taking your shoes off (assuming that your feet are not smelly). This is another point where it's helpful to have shoes that are easy to take on and off.

Third, you are likely to spend a lot of time walking on your trip. Therefore, choose shoes that are comfortable. It's best to choose shoes that are already worn in, so that you avoid blisters.

When booking a flight, you can almost always choose your meal at the same time. If you can't, log into the travel site or airline site and do it before you leave. Give them a call if you need to.

These days, airlines offer all kinds of meal choices, such as vegetarian, kosher, low calorie, etc. But these meals are usually not available if you just ask for it on the plane - you need to request and reserve the special meal in advance.

Another bonus to this is that usually the flight attendants will bring out these reserved meals in advance, so that they don't mix them up with the other meals. So you'll get your food before everyone else on the plane.

If you are going on a long-haul flight, like one that is more than 6 hours, you'll probably want to nap at some point. This is where neck pillows really come in handy.

Although cushy neck pillows are really comfy, they also take up loads of precious space in your luggage. If space it at a premium (which it is for most travelers), you might want to invest in an inflatable neck pillow. They are usually quite inexpensive, and they can be just as comfy as the cushy stuffed neck pillows.

All you need to do is blow air into it. When you're done, simply deflate the neck pillow and store it in your luggage.

If your travel dates are flexible at all, always try looking a few days before and a few days after both your departure and return date.

You'd be surprised at how much airline ticket prices can fluctuate from day to day. Sometimes you can find a much better deal just by flying a day earlier or later than you originally planned.

If you live apart from your family, sudden sickness or a death in the family can see you having to book a last-minute flight at top dollar.

Airlines do have a policy for compassionate flights. Phone the airline and explain the crisis. You will have to fax documents proving critical illness or death of a family member but airlines will generally offer exceptionally low prices in these circumstances. They will also allow a change of return date without incurring the usual fee.

Isn't that good to know, just in case.

It is generally advisable to book your plane ticket well in advance.

Some people say that if you wait until the last minute, you can snag some really great deals - but for most people, this is a myth, and it's not worth the risk if you really need or want to travel somewhere at a certain time.

Once you've settled on your route and your itinerary, if you find a plane ticket that matches your budget, then go for it! You have no real idea of when the ticket price will go up, so it's better to buy a ticket once you're happy with the price, rather than try to hold out for a cheaper ticket. If you wait too long, you may lose out on that cheap price.

Long-haul flights can feel like they take forever. You can break up the time a bit by getting up and walking around at least once an hour (or in between flight movies).

Stretch a bit if you can, so that you don't get cramped up.

Splashing water on your face helps too.