TripHip - Travel Tips and Advice for Traveling on a Budget

Here's a tip that will help make more room in your luggage, especially if you have a lot of clothes:

If you go to Target or Walmart (or any store with a travel section), they sell these clear bags called "compression bags" that you can put clothes into. You then seal it and squeeze all the air of the bag, which compresses your clothes to a much smaller size. They say these bags can save you up to 75% of luggage space.

This is really handy, especially if you pick up a lot of souvenirs and need to make room for them in your luggage!

If you leave cosmetics or a camera memory chip behind, that's no big deal. You can buy practically anything along the way, or when you reach your final destination. However, if you're travellig on a budget, having to buy a new camera or a fishing pole can be a pain.

So, a week or so before you start packing for your trip, make a list of everything that you want to bring with, and everything you need to bring with.

As you put each item in your suitcase, check it off your list.

When it comes time to leave, and you find you've got too much stuff in your suitcases, such that you decide to leave some stuff behind, check your list and make a note of what you're leaving behind. In the stress of the moment you might forget, and when you get to your final destination and can't find something you're looking for, the list will remind you that you elected to leave it behind.

If you didn't put it on the list, it's not your fault if you forget it.... so make sure you start your list well in advance, before the stress of trip planning starts to get to you, so that you don't forget to put things on the list!

Then, make a list of all your suitcases, and when each one is put in your trunk or the backseat, check it off. Missing fishing poles? Forgot the stakes for the tent? These lists will remind you of what you need to bring.

If you plan on going out of town with children, packing can be nerve-racking. Some people just don’t know how to pack properly for children. There are some simple considerations when one packs for kids. You need to take into account the weather, the length of stay, how many people are traveling together, and what laundry facilities will be available. In addition, following a few simple rules will keep you ahead of the curve.

Kids are notoriously messy. For that reason, traveling with light colored clothes is a no-no. If you take stain-showing clothes, your children will look messy, probably even if you wash the clothes. In addition to packing darker colors, take along quick-clean wipes to clean spots while en route. Since you will probably pick up some t-shirts at various attractions, you may want to consider that for packing purposes.

A great tip whenever you go someplace where swimming will be involved is to pack double bathing suits for each kid. Kids often wear their bathing suits for the majority of tropical vacations, so having two is essential. You can wash and dry one while the child wears the other.

A great way to save space when packing for children is by deliberation. Consider the things you will and will not need. Items to avoid packing: baby bath tubs and beach towels. Hotels and cruises always provide towels, so bringing them is often unnecessary. Babies can be bathed in the sink with a clean towel placed under them to avoid germs, so bringing a bulky bath is silly. Definitely bring items such as diapers (so you are guaranteed to have the right brand), baby food and snacks, and children’s medicines (Tylenol, Baby Orajel). This will ensure minor health issues can be easily dealt with.

When you pack your luggage, you can often save space by taking things out of their original packaging.

For instance, if you are packing a bottle of contact solution into your checked luggage, take it out of the clunky box.

Anything in a box essentially takes up extra space. Likewise for anything you buy that has extraneous plastic packaging around it. It may not seem like much at first glance, but the space you save by taking things out of boxes and plastic packaging can save you a lot of room in the long run! Plus, your luggage will be a smidgeon lighter without the extra weight of boxes and plastic packaging.

For anyone who doesn't travel very often, you might find your seldom-used luggage gets a bit musty after sitting in the basement or closet all year long. You should probably store it someplace better if this happens, but when you're getting ready for a trip, it's kind of late.

So you can keep your clothes from also smelling musty when you get to your destination by laying scented fabric softener sheets between some of your clothes. Keeps everything fresh.

Make sure you know what the weight limit is for both your carry-on and checked luggage. If you're over the limit, you can get stuck with some pretty hefty fees from the airline. Therefore it's a good idea to weigh your luggage before you even leave your house. Pack a few days in advance and weigh your bags, so that you have plenty of time to take things out if you need to.

You may think you have got yourself a bargain flight, but check all the add-ons and small print before booking a 'bargain' flight.

Discount airlines will charge a booking fee, a fee for booking a specific seat (more for window and aisle seats), fees for check-in luggage, carry-on luggage, adding a pushchair or even taking along a wheelchair. Food and drinks are also costly, so add up ALL the fees before counting your savings.

When I travel, it's by car, and I have nothing more in mind than stopping at various historic sites, then spending the night in my hotel room reading a book. Because of this, I don't need a lot of fancy clothes.

I pack my underwear and a couple of pairs of shorts and a couple of pairs of shirts, and that's it. Then, when I get to each stop, I purchase a T-shirt as a souvenir. It fills out my wardrobe, and provides a memory of the trip for a long time to come.

If you plan to carry a heavy pack on your pack, test it out first to make sure you can handle the weight. Pack a few days in advance, put the bag on your back, and walk around - go up and down some stairs, and see how it feels. You may discover that you can't handle the load, and need to readjust your luggage.

It's way better to find this out a few days before you leave, rather than get stuck carrying around a super-heavy load on your trip!

Earplugs are a travel essential for anyone who is a light sleeper.

They are especially handy if you are staying in hostels, have noisy neighbors in the hotel room next to you, or if you are sharing a hotel room with a bunch of people.

If you've never worn earplugs before, you might want to "practice" wearing them before you leave on your trip, so that you know what it feels like. You'll also get an idea of just how much noise it will block out.

You can also wear earplugs on a plane, which is handy during overnight flights. However, be sure to take them off during take-off and landing, because your ears need to be able to equalize the pressure.

Earplugs are so small and lightweight that bringing them along is really worth it if you know you'll use them!