Planning for a travel is so much fun… sometimes i think it is more exciting than the travel itself. I have been on quite a few journeys and the below listed 36 points are the top in the list which i would want to share with you folks if you want to live each and every moment of your travel. Its a light read and a checklist you can refer to before you plan to travel to any new place. Trust me, these have always come handy to me.

1. Travel Light.

2. Roll your clothes. Make space.

3. Always pack a towel and toiletries

Yes, your hotel will provide you with it but what if it doesn’t suit you?

4. Plan and pack your clothes in the reverse order.

Ones to be worn in the first few days should be on top so that you don’t need to unpack whole bag.

5. Carry an extra (foldable duffle) bag inside 

Excess Shopping??  Use the extra bag to fit everything while returning.

6. Carry extra pair of clothes in your cabin luggage.

Extra pair is always useful if you spill coffee or food on your clothes or incase your luggage doesn’t reach the destination with you (Airlines can do that sometimes).

7. Carry 2 powerbanks. Always pack them in your cabin luggage.

While you are using one, other will get charged.

8. Carry Extra phone charger for backup.

Keep one in the hand luggage and the second one in your check-in luggage. Just in case if you lose one.

9. Always carry a First aid kit and medication as per your requirement

Don’t forget to carry your doctor’s prescription (if any)

10. Fragile Tag !!!

Always mark your luggage as Fragile so that the baggage handlers treat you luggage with care.

11. Carry some bubble wrap and a tape.

Incase you wish to bring back some tipsy memories in your checked in luggage.

12. Take photos of your baggage

This will help you report your lost luggage. Also, it helps the airline verify that it is your own luggage.

13. Carry Travel Pillow, Ear plugs and eye-mask.

Flights can be really long and catching up on your sleep to avoid being too jetlagged when you reach your destination – these three will be your travel buddies. Make sure it is in your cabin luggage.

14. Carry an empty water bottle

Empty your water bottle before security check and they will let you in. You can always fill it up later at the airport.

15. Back up your documents.

Scan your documents and save it in your phone and email. Keep at least 2 sets of physical copies of all your bookings and documents (one in your hand luggage and other in your check-in luggage)

16. Download Offline maps

You never know how good or bad the connectivity is. Offline maps will always help you find the route.

17. Mark your places on google maps

Always keep the places you want to visit and accommodation marked on your map.

18. Google translate is free

Download the app and save the language you want to use offline. Their image translation works very well too (Tried and Tested)

19. Don’t eat every meal at restaurants.

Find a supermarket and buy some local ingredients to cook a meal or ready to eat food to heat in the oven. Find places for good Cheap eats. This will save you some money.

20. Distribute your money at different places. Hide some emergency cash.

21. Keep a tab of your accounts everyday incase you are on a budget travel.

22. Keep your bank informed about your travel.

If you are going to use your debit/credit card, your bank needs to know or they might just block your card.

23. Don’t wear a money belt. It will make you look like a traveller.

24. Don’t use the back pocket.

A wallet in your back pocket is easy to steal than from your bag. Keep a dummy wallet if you want to mess with the pick-pocketer.

25. Research the destination you are travelling to thoroughly.

Read about the modes of transport, language, culture, do’s and don’ts, ettiquettes.

26. Don’t over plan.

Don’t cram your days with a lot of sightseeing. Keep some time to relax and absorb the vibes.

27. Politely ask if Upgrades are available.

When at airport or hotel, always ask if there is a free upgrade available. Make sure you dress up appropriately. At the most, they will say no.

28. Plan to visit Museums or tourist places during lunch hours for lesser crowd.

29. Try local cuisine.

Trying local cuisine will give you the flavour of the place and eating at non-touristy resaurants will make you feel like a part of the community.

30. Walk. A lot.

You only get to see and experience a new place by walking and sometimes getting a bit lost. You might stumble upon a hidden gem or a colourful alley or a beautiful street art. Only if you wander, wherever you can.

31. Buy a good pair of shoes and a lot of socks.

Make sure you use the shoes atleast for an entire week before your travel so that you are comfortable in them.

32. Wake up early when you travel.

Find out where you can get the best view of the sunrise. Every city has a vantage point to catch the sunrise. Also, perks of visiting at the wee hours – not everyone wakes up early.

33. Learn a basic words in the local language.

It is always nice to greet the locals in their language. Few words like Thank you, Welcome etc.

34. Share your itinerary with your family and friends.

Keep them informed about where will you be incase they want to contact you while you are not accessible on phone.

35. Consider jet lag.

Sleep in flight according to your destination time. Suppose you are covering 8-hour journey and landing at your destination at night, do not sleep on the flight. You have to any which ways go and sleep again.

36. Travel insurance is must.

Though Travel insurance is compulsory for international travel for visa purposes. I would recommend it for domestic too. You will regret not buying one when you have to pay a hefty amount under unfortunate circumstances.

This is just a shorter version of the exhaustive list. If you have any more travel tips you think are important, please add them in the comments below.