“Bathrooms By Baggage Claim”: 10 Lesser-Known But Useful Travel Hacks

It never hurts to get some travel advice, but the internet is littered with tips so common sense as to not be useful at all. So it can be quite useful to get in touch with people who have actually seen and done enough for proper ideas.
Someone asked “What’s your best obscure travel hack?” and people shared their tips and tricks. We also got in touch with seasoned traveler Victoria from Bridges and Balloons and she was kind enough to share some of her experiences with us. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites, and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

More info: Bridgesandballoons.com | Instagram

10 PHOTOS

#1

If you're not sure of the neighborhood you're booking your hotel or rental stay in, go to Google Street View and "walk around" in the neighborhood. You can see if it looks pleasant, has nearby cafes or local grocery stores, etc etc.

#2

One of my favorite obscure travel hacks is to use Google Maps offline. Before my trip, I download the maps of the areas I’ll be visiting. This way, I can navigate, find attractions, and even search for restaurants without needing an internet connection. It’s especially useful in places with spotty Wi-Fi or when I want to save on data usage. Plus, it saves a ton of stress and helps me feel more confident exploring new places.

#3

Always carry a sarong with you when traveling. It’s an all-in-one lightweight tool. You can use it as clothes, a raincoat, a rope, a bandage, a beach towel/picnic rug, a bag or a blanket.

Pictolic got in touch with seasoned traveler Victoria from Bridges and Balloons to hear more about her experiences and ideas. Firstly, we wanted to hear what advice she would give her younger self.

“When I was younger, I seemed to think time was endless and I’d return to the places I loved. As it is, I still haven’t made it back to some of them. The lesson from this is to make sure you see the things you want to see wherever you go and savor every moment. You don’t know if you’ll ever be back there. That said, I don’t believe in “ticking off all the must-sees” and doing things because that’s what you think you should. Everyone’s “must-sees” are different, so do what you like rather than what you think you should.”

#4

If you have to cancel a hotel less than 24 hours in advance, call and tell them you need to bump the reservation back a week. Then call the next day and cancel it penalty-free because it’s 6 days before the reservation.

#5

If flying between the US and Canada, ALWAYS look at buying separate one-way tickets in each direction. More often than not, you'll save $100+ due to their strange exchange rate and tax calculations. It doesn't work on every single route but is always worth a check, and I've been amazed how often it's been much cheaper.

We were curious to hear her thoughts on saving money versus paying a premium for convenience. “I value time over money and will often pay extra for convenience or comfort. But that’s a luxury and a privilege. When I was younger, I didn’t always have that option, and to be honest, some of those adventures were the most memorable. For example, I once traveled 48 hours on a bus to go whale watching in Patagonia. If I’d had the money, I’d have certainly flown, but the effort made it extra special. When you have a choice, it’s hard to pick the days-long bus trip!”

#6

Use the bathrooms by the baggage claim. They’re always clean and empty.

#7

Most flights won't give you a refund on basic tickets. Upgrade them to a higher class ticket then cancel for a full refund.

EDIT: I've done this with United/JetBlue I can't speak for other airlines

#8

There's a London night bus which goes to Heathrow and back. I say this one in particular because it's quite a long route. If you arrive late in the evening and need somewhere to just exist, you can ride it back and forth and sightsee or snooze a little. I discovered this when I arrived via bus from France in the middle of the night but my next bus up to Edinburgh didn't leave for like 6 hours. Seemed pointless to get a hotel room.

https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/n9/

Changi Airport in Singapore has something similar, but it's an actual tour bus you can take for free during a layover.

“I’ve always been a complete geek when it comes to planning. I love to do my research and make a rough list/itinerary of everything I want to do. But I’m not a slave to that plan. In a way, it’s a backup in case we don’t find things naturally while there. I much prefer to find things spontaneously, but sometimes, without that research and list of back-ups, you find yourself in tourist traps or crappy restaurants (and that’s my travel nightmare!).”

#9

If you’re flying internationally into the US and are a US citizen, do the mobile passport option if the airport has it. It’s an app and takes 30 seconds to do. It’s just as fast as global entry. I’ve passed 100s of people waiting at passport control.

#10

I always create a Google map list and save items to populate my map. It makes it easy to plan out your days and see what sites/restaurants/attractions you are near in a new city.