It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time flying across the pond or you take the same flight to Brussels every other Thursday. Travel hacks, the tips and tricks we use to save time and money while upping our comfort and convenience, are always appreciated.

And when it comes to international travel, hacks are especially welcome. That’s because jet-setting to foreign lands can be a puzzle — and no, not one of their toddler puzzles with seven giant washable pieces. We’re talking about a 1,000-piece, jigsaw-cut Great Wall of China puzzle. Some of it has to do with the logistics of travelling so far away, and often at great lengths of time. Other challenges of international travel have to do with adapting to a different way of life, from making sure your phone charger will fit the outlet to relaying to your server that you’re lactose intolerant in a way she can understand it.

Don’t worry, we have hacks for a whole slew of international travel challenges.

International Travel Hacks for Flying & Airports 

When it comes to packing, flying and managing your time in airports, some travel hacks work just as well on a puddle jumper to Minneapolis as they do aboard a Boeing 747 to Bangkok.

These include rolling up clothes to create more room in your luggage, scouting out SeatGuru to find out which seats are really the best (e.g., those with hidden legroom, etc.), and bringing an empty water bottle or, better yet, a frozen bottle of water with you as you pass through TSA. Flash forward an hour or two, and you have a fresh bottle of water without having to hail a flight attendant or take your chances with the airplane lav tap water.¹

Here is an international travel hack to help ensure your luggage survives what can be a helter-skelter journey in terminals, tarmacs and baggage compartments dotted around the world: Mark your bag “fragile.” Create a label and lay it smack dab on the side of your duffel bag or suitcase. Not only will this signal to handlers that the bag should be handled carefully, but in many cases, bags with such a designation are placed atop an aircraft’s baggage compartment, meaning they’re the first ones rolling out in the baggage claim area. And you’re in an Uber or Lyft before you can say “Lichtenstein.”

Here is another hack with a nod to the fact that when you’re pricing international airfares, you’re probably putting in a bit more work than finding a 30-min. flight from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. With the increased sophistication of internet cookies and ad targeting these days, sometimes your robust search efforts can backfire and even betray you. No, seriously. When you’re searching for flights, you’re sharing that info with the very companies who are pricing the flights and serving you up specific rates. And rather than let them gain the upper hand and hike rates based on your personal search history, be sure you’re searching with a private browser, also known as going incognito depending on your browser. This will provide you the most objective pricing no matter where you’re pricing airfare.²

OK, one more international travel hack for those flying with kids. Travelling six, 10 or 14 hours can be an exhausting feat. Add small kids, and it can be downright brutal. Airlines are there to help with freebies for your kiddos. For example, Lufthansa offers puzzles and coloring books. So simply ask a flight attendant; you’ll never know what you’ll get (Pro tip: Never ask for this on Hawaiian Airlines, which offers your wee ones ukuleles. Or if you do ask, request some headphones, too. Or better yet, buy a round of drinks for everyone of legal age sitting close by.)³

International Travel Hacks for Lodging

Many hotels abroad, especially in areas that ebb and flow with the tourist seasons, invite bargaining. But you need to have a few chips in your pocket before you start trying to strike a deal. In order for this international travel hack to work, it’s best to book directly with the hotel (or whatever type of lodging you’re considering). That’s because the business isn’t already giving up a percentage of your rate to a third party, such as a hotel booking aggregator app or site. This goes for paying cash vs. credit card, too; by paying cash, the establishment doesn’t need to pay Visa or American Express a dime.

Second, be sure to leverage any loyalty you’ve earned with the hotel when bargaining for the best rate, room location or even parking or breakfast on the house. (Note: If you don’t have loyalty, but are staying three or more nights, use that to your advantage. You’ll likely be given more consideration than a guest who is one and done.) Now here is where the deals are really made: when it’s off peak season, and there are plenty of empty rooms to fill. If you’re not comfortable bargaining, simply tell the front desk staff your budget, and see if they can accommodate it.⁴

Once you’ve checked in, it’s all about relaxing and recharging after a long day of exploring your whole new world. If you’re in a hostel, you boost your chances of a smooth stay with ear plugs and shower shoes.

If you’re staying somewhere without snoring strangers and with your own bathroom, be sure to inquire about the tipping culture so you’re not over- or underpaying that bellhop who lugged your gargantuan bag up nine flights of stairs.

Regardless of where you’re staying, we’ve developed some tips to help you fake “the suite life.” And if you’re already staying in a suite and want to save a few bucks, just order the wiener schnitzel or Coxinha (fried chicken bits famous in Brazil) off the kids’ menu. We hear the portion size is often the exact same. Oh, that bathtub makes for a great BYOB cooler — and it’s much cheaper than the minibar.⁵

International Travel Hacks for Overcoming Language & Cultural Barriers

Do you have a favorite book penned for children or even young adults? What about a movie you’ve seen at least 20 times — and can recite the dialogue on demand? These are both great ideas for stretching your understanding of a foreign language before a big trip. If you know a book, and read it in a different language, you’ll start to pick up words, phrases and some of the rules (and exceptions) of this new tongue. Likewise, if you can turn on closed captioning in the language you’re seeking to bone up on — and know the movie script cold — you can also start to pick up on the language.⁶

Cool hack for international travel, right? Of course, that’s the long game. You also need some resources you can use on the fly. That’s where language learning and translation apps downloadable right to your phone come in. Two of the most popular are iTranslate, which can help you navigate between more than 100 languages of web or spoken content. Google Translate offers similar capabilities, even translating your hand-drawn characters or the photos you snap with your smart phone. (Fun fact: A free app, Google Translate helps users translate more than 100 billion words — every day.)⁷ A pen and pad can also be an effective tool for everything from asking for directions to ordering meals when you’re not a native speaker.

Of course, language is just one barrier you can encounter in a foreign destination. Everything from the rule of law to social norms and even etiquette are other potential hurdles. Sure, you can grab a travel guide from any bookshelf or even order it online. But a more bold and adventurous way to learn about these cultural differences is to observe them first hand. And this doesn’t happen in heavily trafficked tourist areas; this happens where the locals hang. So, when finding where to eat, observe art or even hike, try a resource such as Yelp, one’s that not touting the same handful of ideas for each international destination.

International Travel Hacks for Everyday Living

Travelling abroad isn’t cheap. You’re going to need money of some kind or another. And if you’re not careful, you could end up wasting money on various charges, some of which you’re not subject to when travelling domestically.

If you need cash, your easiest option is to simply use an ATM with the bank you normally bank with. Of course, that’s not always an option. But many U.S. banks, especially large national banking institutions such as Bank of America, partner with foreign banks. In this way, you can avoid an ATM fee but you’ll still get tagged with a foreign transaction fee of 3%.³

The optimal way to transact in foreign countries is to use a credit card that doesn’t charge this foreign transaction fee. (Be sure to tell the credit card company that you’re travelling abroad so your transactions aren’t flagged and blocked as a precaution.) And whatever you do, avoid any currency transactions in the airport, where exchange rates are always inflated — and not in your favor.⁸

Once you have some money in your pocket, you want to keep it safe, especially if you’re visiting cities know for pickpocketing, such as Barcelona and Prague. In addition to not taking out cash in public and keeping your valuables in a money belt, some security experts even recommend carrying a decoy or dummy wallet in an obvious location, such as a back pocket. We’ve even heard some travelers like to taunt would-be pickpockets with notes inside these otherwise empty wallets. Use your imagination.⁹

There is another pre-emptive step you should take before hitting the streets, beach or markets. Be sure to take a photo of your passport, photo ID, itinerary and other important documents. Then email them to yourself so that you can access the copies even if you were to lose your phone.¹⁰

That brings us to one of the most seemingly overcomplicated, oft-confusing aspects about traveling abroad: electrical conversion. In short, the outlets you plug your electric appliances, laptops, chargers and more into stateside are different than the ones you’ll encounter abroad. But don’t worry; we created a helpful guide to get you plugged in safe and sound whether you’re travelling to the Caribbean, Israel, Africa or New Zealand. And everywhere else, too.

International travel doesn’t have to be hard. Think of it more as a puzzle, in which more and more pieces are revealed to you each day. By using a few of these hacks, you’ll have that puzzle put together, super-glued and framed on the wall for all to admire in no time. Safe travels!

Related Articles

• 9 Tips for Planning Your International Solo Trip  
• Best International Travel Insurance  
• How to Simplify Travel in 5 Steps