Photo by Boxed Water Is Better on Unsplash
The first step to becoming a renowned world traveler is having the right tools. I have compiled a list of 5 Travel Essentials You Shouldn't Be Without. (thank me later)
1. Tripcase-
Tripcase is a travel app that serves as a sort of virtual suitcase for all your reservations. I love this app because it is practical. Have you ever been waiting to check in somewhere and can’t find your confirmation number? You sit there digging through 50 million emails trying to find it? Yes I know you can sort and highlight emails but somehow mine always get lost or deleted etc etc….You get the picture. Well, Tripcase holds all your reservations for you. When you get your confirmation email you forward it to tripcase who keeps track of it. When you forward flight confirmations it even alerts you of flight delays etc. (the alert part needs some work. I get flight delay alerts but always after I already found out via other means.)
2. Award Wallet-
I have a subscription to Award Wallet because I need someone to keep up with all my frequent flyer and loyalty points info. Awardwallet is very useful. It helps keep track of all those member numbers as well as activity and expiration dates. When points are about to expire it will send you an alert.
3. Newsletters-
Access to the following newsletters has made me the traveler I am today.
THRIFTY TRAVELER, TRAVELZOO, SECRET FLYING, THE FLIGHT DEAL, and SHERMANS TRAVEL. Why would someone need access to all these newsletters? So you will know how to spot a deal. I scan these newsletters every day. I pick my travel locations because of these newsletters. When I see a flight to Tokyo for $500 I know that is a deal. Why do I know the flight is $500 because I read these newsletters! You can sign up for all these newsletters for free albeit I subscribe to the premium edition of Secret Travel.
4. Space Bags for Travel-
After trying a couple of different brands I prefer ZipLoc Space Bags. (no all space bags are not created EQUAL)These things are a must! I honestly did not know how much I needed these bags until I had to fit 14 days worth of clothing into one suitcase!
5. Guidebooks-
I have tried a couple of different guidebooks and I prefer Rick Steves guidebooks. His books are usually only good for locations in Europe. I have perused Lonely Planet and Frommer’s Guidebooks and I am not impressed. What I really want to see is a guidebook geared towards black and brown People. Maybe I will write one.
