Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, but if you've ever dealt with booking flights, packing, going to the airport, getting on a plane, or any combination of those, you know that getting to your relaxation destination is actually the most stressful thing in the world.
Thankfully, there are so many little tricks that can take the blood, sweat, and tears out of your travel plans, and thirty of them are below!
No more hyperventilating in the airport bathroom. Get ready for your life to change.
Go Incognito When Booking Flights
via: LifeBuzz
When you're booking flights, be sure to clear your cookies or go "incognito" if you're using Google Chrome. Travel sites will often track your visits and can raise the prices on you just because you've visited their site before. How rude!Browse For Flights On Tuesdays
via: ZME Travel
Tuesday afternoons are when airlines post the best deals on flights. I'm not sure why, but it's a real thing. Take this hack, go forth, and book cheap flights, my child.Book Flights Way In Advance OR Last Minute
via: Cheap Air
Sometimes it's tough, but for the best deals on flights, it's best to book either super early (we're talking six months in advance) or really last minute. This is a great hack for both the uber-planners and uber-procrastinators out there.Book Two One-Way Flights
via: Pegi Pegi
It can be cheaper to book two one-way flights as opposed to one round trip. You can look through a bunch of different airlines and find individual flights at the times (and prices!) that work best for you.Fly In the Morning
via: Miriadna
Turbulence and storms usually occur in the afternoon, so if you like your flights smooth, it's best to fly early in the morning. It's not the most popular option, I know. But that'll help you on another level. Because early flights aren't as popular, they tend to be a little cheaper. Worth the 4 AM alarm if you ask me.Roll Your Clothes
via: Giphy
Roll your clothes up tightly to save space while packing. Here's a GIF in case you don't know how to roll your clothes. But if you don't, you might want to reexamine some things.Infinity Scarf Forever
via: Fashion Diva Design
Bring an infinity scarf on your trip! You can use it as a scarf, but it also works as a blanket, a shawl, a pillow, a snack sack... The possibilities are endless.Bring Jewelry In a Pill Box
via: Imgur
Keep track of your earrings and other jewelry on your trip by packing them in a pill box. Bonus: If you get that box with the days of the week on it, you can plan and sort your jewelry by the actual day you'll wear it!Pack Dark Clothes
via: Pinterest
When you're going on a trip, it's best to pack all dark clothes. Because you're dead inside. Just kidding. Dark clothes will most likely match, so you can create different outfits easily, and they hide dirt and stains better. This is key if you'll be without laundry services for the length of your trip.Stuff Socks Into Shoes
via: Odyssey
Preserve the shape of your shoes and save suitcase space by stuffing your socks into your shoes. I know. I'm brilliant. You're welcome.Put a Dryer Sheet In Your Suitcase
via: About a Mom
Put a dryer sheet in your suitcase to keep your clothes fresh and wearable! Don't let your stinky shoe stench seep its way into your t-shirts.Bring Baby Alcohol Bottles
via: Mini Shot Belt
Life-changer alert: Baby bottles of alcohol contain fewer than three ounces of liquid, meaning they can waltz easily through security. I KNOW. Spend zero dollars and get airport-buzzed.Pack Cords In Glasses Cases
via: Workshifting
As a spectacled person, I have approximately 2309572033246532 empty glasses cases lying around my house. You probably do too. If not, you can have one of mine. Use it to store all your cords when you're traveling!Put Shoes in Shower Caps
via: Flying the Nest
Pack shoes in shower caps to keep those dirty bottoms from getting all over your clothes. This is especially helpful if your vacation consists of a lot of muddy hikes.Use Saran Wrap To Avoid Spills
via: Flying the Nest
Follow these instructions to avoid getting lotion all over your laptop when you travel:- Unscrew bottle tops
- Put plastic wrap over tops of bottles
- Screw bottle tops back on
Stuff Money Into ChapStick Tubes
via: Matador Network
Pack cash and other super valuable things in ChapStick tubes or empty markers. Unsuspecting packages = less of a chance of theft.Use a Binder Clip For Your Headphones
via: Instagram
Bow to the binder clip god. They're perfect for keeping your headphones untangled. You can also use one to protect the head of your razor while traveling. You can also use them to clip a bunch of papers together. That's not a travel hack, that's just an extra little tidbit for you. ;)Pack a Power Strip
via: Linkedin
Power strips are long and relatively flat, meaning they're probably not a huge pain to pack. DO IT. Especially if you're traveling with a group, but also if you have visions of being the hero of your flight gate.Put the Heaviest Stuff at the Bottom of Your Bag
via: Giphy
This might seem like common sense to the experienced traveler, but it's very important to put your heaviest items in the bottom of your rolling suitcase so it doesn't tip over. It also helps it stay upright for the tiny dog that pulls your luggage through the airport.Scan Your IDs
via: The Travel Lady
It's a good rule of thumb to scan your passport, driver's license, and any other ID you're carrying with you on your trip. In case you lose it or it's stolen, you'll have a record of it. Email the pics to yourself too! If your phone gets lost, you'll be able to retrieve them using a computer or someone else's phone.Snap a Pic of Your Parking Spot
via: Book2Park
If you remember to snap a picture of your airport parking spot before you leave on your vacation, I promise you will hug yourself and kiss your own feet (if you're that flexible) when you get back home. It will just make your post-vacation trip home that much easier.Take a Photo of Your Luggage Being Checked In
via: USA Today
It's a good idea to take a photo of your luggage being checked in just in case it doesn't end up where it's supposed to. Then you can be that person who's like, "SEE? I HAVE PROOF YOU HAVE MY LUGGAGE, YOU FOOLS!" before waving your cape and disappearing in a puff of smoke.Mark Your Bag as Fragile
via: Matador Network
Ask for a "fragile" tag when you check your bag. This guarantees it'll be handled nicely, and since fragile bags go on top of the heap, they're often the first ones out on the baggage carousel.Bring an Empty Water Bottle
via: Nation Swell
Avoid paying seven dollars for a bottle of water at the airport by bringing your own empty bottle. You can't bring a full bottle through security — they'll confiscate it — but you can bring an empty bottle and fill it up at a water fountain.To the Left, To the Left!
via: Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
Always hit up the security checkpoint farthest to the left. Studies have shown that most people flock like sheep to the right-hand side. So go left. Save time. Be different.Stuff Everything In the Overhead
via: Daily Mail
Once you take out what you'll need for the actual flight (headphones, book, glasses case, etc.), put the rest of your stuff in the overhead bin. All of it, purse and everything. You won't need it, and that extra bit of leg room will make a bigger difference than you think.Make Your Smartphone a TV
via: MacGyverisms
If you're on a flight that doesn't have seat-back TVs, transform your smartphone into a TV using a plastic bag, the tray table latch, and a little scrappiness.Charge Your Phone Through the TV
via: Instagram
If you forget that pesky wall charger, never fear! TVs in airports and hotels very often have a USB port, and you can plug right into it! This way, you can still tweet when you're curled up in that hotel bed wide awake with jet lag watching a marathon of 90 Day Fiancé.Use Hangers To Keep Curtains Closed
Put Leftover Soap in Dirty Laundry Bag
via: Slate
Don't leave without stealing that leftover hotel soap! Stick it in whatever bag your dirty laundry is in. That will keep your sweaty shirts from stinking up the clean clothes that are left in your suitcase.