Announcing your travel plans is like announcing that you are pregnant. With a real baby, not a food baby. All of a sudden anyone and everyone in your vicinity has just become an instant “expert” in that place that you are going to. Throwing unrequired and unrequested travel advice at you. Heaven help you if you don’t graciously accept their travel advice. No matter how horrific, misguided or down right wrong it is. So we spent a few days giggling over some truly bad advice we’ve received over the years and crowd sourced the best travel advice we’ve ever been given from our fellow travel bloggers, as well as a few of our own tips and tricks.

Always have the cash

I can still remember my first Euro trip. The first time I was going on a trip where I would be country hopping and having to deal with multiple currencies. On the morning of departure, my Dad handed me an envelope with a small amount of Euros. In small denominations. His advice to me – “Always have local currency on your before you arrive. You never know when all you’ll want is a diet coke or a cup of tea and that little man holding the stall airport doesn’t have change for you $100U note when all you’ve spent is $2.” Still to this day I arrive in a country with a small amount of local currency as a just in case.

Look Beyond the Lens

Suzie, from I Am But Wandering

When I first started travelling 11 years ago, I was told that it is really easy to get lost in your camera and forget to really be present in wherever you are. It took me a long time to realise that I was spending more time behind my phone and camera lens than I was experiencing a place. So now, I put down the camera and I’m prepared to miss that ‘perfect’ shot in order to fully experience those perfect moments. I don’t need to document everything I do to travel well. So, save the camera, honey. Enjoy the view.

Cancel out the all the noise

Alison from Alibcandid

Unlike a lot of folks, I actually love to fly, but until I got this tip, I could never sleep on airplanes. With all the sounds in an airplane cabin from people talking, to snoring, crying kids, and even the white noise of the flight, I couldn’t catch a wink. And then a friend gave me two tips. First, he introduced me to noise-canceling earbuds. Compact. Effective. I now own two pairs. One wired, one Bluetooth. His other tip? Keep a couple of lollies in your carry on. The mom with the crying kid will be just as relieved as you are when he’s quietly sucking on candy from a stranger!

The weightlessness of cash

Melanie from Adventures in Overland

Sage advice I received from an older traveller I met on a trip to Russia in 1989.  He was travelling very light – which was no mean feat when travelling in Russia in the middle of winter. I was super impressed and asked him how he does it. His response: Before you leave, put all your clothes in one pile, all your money in another. Then halve your clothes and double your money. You’re good to go!

Advice from a Balinese Hotel Receptionist – Download Grab Taxi

Sarah, Fit Travels

In 2015 as we were checking out of a hotel in a remote area of Bali’s Jimbaran Bay we were mentally preparing ourselves for the dreaded taxi haggle to get to our next destination. The sweet hotel receptionist decided to offer us some advice and suggested we download the Grab Taxi app. My mind was blown! Suddenly a $25 negotiated fare to Ubud became $9. Trips between Kuta and Seminyak were as little as $2.50. Not only were the costs reasonable, the level of service and vehicle types used are five star compared to the bluebird taxi fleet. For the past two years this valuable tip has saved us negotiation hassles, money and time!

Show Me The Right Road

Sam from Travelling Sam

My wife and I embarked on a real overland adventure, from the UK to Hong Kong by train. It was on this trip that we came across two Australians who completely overhauled how we approach travel. They came to our rescue (after we got lost) by introducing us to Maps.me.

Maps.me is a mapping app that works on your phone’s GPS. As it only uses GPS and not phone data, there are no data charges. You don’t even need to have phone signal for it to work. You also have route and search functions for locations and hotels.

Digital Copies of Your Most Important Documents

Campell, from Stingynomads

Email copies of your passport, visa and important documents and contacts to yourself. Even if you lose all your luggage you can access this from any computer. Make the subject easy to remember etc. documents/…. – My brother suggested this, more than a year later having medical insurance certificate, house deed, copies of old passports, visas etc. was very handy when I applied for a Schengen visa in Istanbul.

The Most Dangerous Thing You Can Do?

Jub, Tiki Touring Kiwi

Leave the Lego At Home

Janine, from Families Magazine

When travelling long distances with kids either on a plane, train or automobile always take their favourite toy and a NEW game or toy of some sort that they haven’t seen or used before. Even brand new colouring in pens or a new colouring in book… and stickers … as long as they haven’t ever seen it before it will be an interesting distraction for the beginning of the journey to allow you to settle other children in too. Oh, and NEVER give them Lego during the journey. Ever. Those pieces will get dropped, lost and will cause you more pain than standing on one at home ever has! Trust me on this!

Out of power?

Bec from Wyld Family

Leaving your charger behind can be so frustrating and if you are pressed for time in a new city finding a shop to get one may be out of the question. I asked the front desk at our hotel if they could help me and they had a couple behind the desk! We borrowed it until we got our bearings and was able to buy a new one! Never hurts to ask!

What’s the best travel advice you’ve ever heard?

Well there you are. A lovely selection of helpful travel bloggers giving you some great advice. Have you ever received an amazing, can’t live without travel tip? Or something truly horrendous? Let us know in the comments below.