19 "I Wish I Knew That Sooner" International Travel Tips That Saved Me So Much Money, Time, And Patience

Hey! I'm Spencer, and I recently traveled throughout several places in England, both solo and in a group. It was a truly incredible yet daunting experience, and I learned a lot more about international travel, so I wanted to share some of my best (and unspoken) tips with you here. Hopefully this will be helpful for your own future adventures, so feel free to take what you want and leave the rest. Enjoy!

In total, I spent 10 days in London, Oxford, and Birmingham and I also took a day trip to Bath. I studied abroad in London over a decade ago and visited again last year, so this trip allowed me to focus a little less on touristy experiences and more on the must-eat, see, and do items that most visitors probably don't even think about. Here are some things I learned along the way, including some I wish I'd known sooner.

1.For me, one of the most stressful parts about international travel is public transportation, so I always plug my destinations into sites like Trainline, Rome2Rio, or Citymapper because they break everything down like I'm an idiot. Basically, they explain which public transit to take, where to transfer, how many stops to ride for, and so on. For example, I was meeting a group in Birmingham to start my trip, but there are no flights there, so after landing at Heathrow I had to take the tube and transfer and then take a proper train outside of London. These sites showed me all the ways to get to my destination, including which routes would be faster and cheaper. A true miracle.

Spencer Althouse, Spencer Althouse / thetrainline.com

These sites are also available as free apps that you can download onto your phone, and if you're someone like me who always needs things planned ahead of time (or who's always nervous about potentially getting lost) then you'll find them to be a complete godsend.

Also, if you know you'll be traveling via trains or any other public transport where you'll need to purchase a seat ahead of time, make sure you do it as soon as possible. My train tickets would have cost $50 more if I'd bought them at the station the day off, rather than weeks in advance, so it definitely helps to plan things out.

2.When booking international travel, you should always search for flights in the airline’s original language because they may be MUCH cheaper (like, if you're booking through a Peruvian or Swedish airline, for example). The same goes for hotels too. I always change the language or country's domain for wherever my destination is so I can compare prices to the US versions. Sometimes they'll be cheaper and will have deals that are only available in those specific places, and other times I'll find better results in English, so it's always worth checking.

This tip is a little more tedious and involves some trial and error, but it could potentially save you hundreds of dollars. Most sites let you change languages at the top of their webpage, but you can also try to manually change the country's domain page yourself (for example, trivago.com would change to trivago.co.uk if you wanted to search specifically for hotels in the UK).

In the photo above, I booked identical fake flights at the same exact time via a Peruvian airline. I kept one incognito tab in English using USD, and I changed the country selection to Peru in the other tab. This particular booking was over $50 cheaper in English, and in the past I've seen it where it's more expensive in English, so it always pays to check.

3.One of my most frequently used apps while traveling abroad is a currency converter calculator. It's free and will probably save you so much money, especially if you're someone who likes to travel on a budget. It lets you set two currencies: your regular one + the one of the country you're traveling in (so for my trip I kept US dollars and added British pounds). All you have to do is type the price of whatever you want to purchase, and it'll automatically convert that amount into your normal currency, using the exact conversion rate as of that very second. You can also use the app even if you don't have Wi-Fi, so it's especially helpful if you're traveling while in airplane mode.

I've tried a few other conversion apps before, but I like this one because it also has a built-in calculator. That means it's especially helpful when traveling as a group because you can easily break down restaurant bills and figure out how much each person needs to pay or Venmo.

I also used this app when I visited Cadbury World in Birmingham. I bought all the chocolate bars we don't get in the US so I could do a taste-test and rank them. I ended up getting over 20 different bars, so I used this app while roaming the gift shop to make sure I didn't go over budget in US dollars. If you're someone who's always extra attentive about how much they spend while traveling (or if you just hate doing math), then I highly recommend it.

4.Similarly, if you're like me and suck at both directions and foreign languages, two other must-have apps are Google Maps and Google Translate. Both work in airplane mode, and I can't express how much of a lifesaver they are. For Google Maps, you can save pins of all the places you're going to visit (I used it for hotels, museums, restaurants, etc.), and then the app will show you a bird's-eye view of the city and which direction you need to travel in. For Google Translate, it'll use your phone's camera to automatically translate every word the lens sees, so it's especially perfect for restaurant menus and signs.

Spencer Althouse / Google Maps, Spencer Althouse

I obviously didn't need to use Google Translate on my trip through England, but I did use it nonstop on a trip to Paris over the summer, and my jaw genuinely dropped at how immediate and accurate the results were. I spent six months trying to learn French on Duolingo, but this translation app helped me so much more than I thought I'd need it.

Similarly, the Google Maps app prevented me from getting lost every time I left my hotel. It also helped me find a nearby park to run in while staying at The Randolph in Oxford, which made me feel like a local. Essentially, the app uses a satellite to pinpoint your exact location (again, even if you're in airplane mode!). I'd just add in each new location ahead of time, and whenever I opened the app it'd highlight where I was, where my destination was, and exactly which direction I needed to walk in to get there. I'm one of the most anxious people I know, and this app completely calmed my nerves while solo traveling, which I didn't think would be possible.

5.If you know you'll be spending multiple days in the same area, you should figure out the one thing you absolutely want to do and then do it as soon as possible. Some museums and shops are closed on random days or for holidays, and other tours or experiences can get canceled or postponed due to bad weather, so you don't want to save the best for last on your trip because something could happen that'll make you miss it entirely. This is especially true when traveling internationally because you never know how long it'll take you to get back to that particular country or city (~if~ you even do!).

Spencer Althouse

My friends and I took a day trip to Bath, and I just know we would have been absolutely miserable if it was too cold or rainy outside (especially since we had a walking tour set up). Bad weather is enough to make anyone want to cancel their original plans and replace them with something new, so if there's something you really have your eye on while abroad you should always do it immediately. Luckily the weather was good, and we walked around Bath until we discovered my now-favorite afternoon tea in England (at The Roseate Villa). I'll be dreaming about their homemade scones for a longggg time.

6.Similarly, I think the biggest mistake people make while traveling is spending time and money on what they think they're ~supposed~ to do, rather than prioritizing the things they're actually interested in. For example, a lot of tourists are convinced they need to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre or ride the London Eye, but both are pretty stressful, expensive, and lackluster experiences. I personally care less about sightseeing or overpriced tours, and I'll happily swap them for nice dinners and West End tickets. It may sound stupid, but recognizing that your vacation is YOUR vacation will save you soooo much time, money, and patience by the end of it.

Spencer Althouse

Nora Ephron's I Remember Nothing has completely changed the way I travel. In her collection of essays, she talks about the things she will (and will not) miss in life, one of them being "dinners with friends in cities where none of us lives." I always found this so poetic and sobering, especially since she was secretly battling a rare form of leukemia at the time and was quickly facing her own mortality. So, to honor Nora and to celebrate myself, I save my money to splurge on meals instead of overcrowded tourist traps that I'd otherwise feel obligated to visit.

In fact, my favorite night in London had nothing to do with old monuments or sightseeing. Instead, my friends and I got dressed up and ordered suuuuper strong martinis at DUKES (aka where Ian Fleming got the inspiration for James Bond's famous drink order). We then walked down the street to 45 Jermyn St. for dinner, got even more tipsy, and shared a bunch of plates. The lobster pasta was pure heaven, and I couldn't stop thinking about how fortunate I was to be sharing a great meal in a foreign country with friends. Experiences like this will always be more memorable and valuable to me than seeing any famous painting or statue.

7.Flights are getting so packed nowadays, and overhead storage is never guaranteed – especially on international flights – so one of the gate agents at Heathrow gave me a tip that I will always, always, always use. She said that to avoid being asked to check your carry-on during a full flight, you can (politely!) tell the gate agent that you're a nervous flyer and that you'd like to board early. Obviously only do this if you're actually an anxious flyer, like me, but as long as you're super nice and ask ahead of time they'll almost always say yes and let you pre-board. This way you'll be guaranteed overhead storage on the plane, and you won't need to wait an hour (or more!) for your carry-on bag to appear at the gate.

Airlines have unfortunately decided to cram as many seats as possible onto planes, which means they don't actually have enough overhead storage when flights are full. If you're not in an early boarding zone then you're pretty much screwed, and they'll often ask you to check your bag for free. Well, not anymore. I was able to pre-board all of my flights thanks to this tip from my new favorite gate agent.

8.Also, keep in mind that you can always ask a gate agent for a free upgrade or seat change (which will save you from paying an extra, like, $150 during check-in). As long as you're polite and smile and ask them how their day is going, the gate agent will be much more willing to accommodate you, pending availability. I'm not saying you're guaranteed a switch to business class, but so far every time I've asked they've happily changed my seat to an exit or front row with muchhhh more legroom, all for the price of zero dollars. You can also do this if you want to switch from a middle seat to an aisle or window, but just make sure you do it before boarding the plane – only the gate agents can get you a new ticket, not the flight attendants.

Spencer Althouse

Sometimes I think the key to life is to just play dumb (which isn't always a stretch for me). Basically, after saying hi and asking the gate agent how their day is going, I always say some version of, "I don't know how this works, but I've never flown in business class before, and I was just wondering if there's any possibility of a free upgrade." I'm not an outgoing person and normally hate talking to strangers, but I'll do just about anything for the chance to sit in luxury instead of in the back of a crammed flight.

The agents have always been more than happy to walk me through everything and turn their screens around to show me the flight's seating map, and together we figure out the best seating options that are available.

9.I'm definitely extra cautious while traveling, and Wi-Fi is never guaranteed while abroad, so I always save all my important documents (hotel bookings, flight info, museum tickets, and itineraries) as a PDF and airdrop it to my phone – this automatically uploads it to your "Books" app and will let you view everything in one place, even in airplane mode. No more fumbling through my recent folders for specific screenshots with confirmation numbers, and no more praying for free Wi-Fi and endlessly searching through my inbox for that one email I need.

The goal of a vacation is to relax, but I personally can't do that until I actually arrive at my destination. So, aside from having the PDF with all my documents (and printing out a physical copy, just in case [hey, maybe your phone will die or get stolen or something! You never know!), I also email everything to myself in a single thread. This way I won't have to search through my entire inbox for 10 separate emails of random bookings that were made days, weeks, or even months ago.

10.I also use the Notes app to keep all of my dates, phone numbers, and addresses in order. This is especially helpful if you're lost or in a country with a language barrier because you can simply point to the address of your destination in your Notes app, and then the driver or random pedestrian or whoever will know exactly what you need.

Nothing is worse than needing a specific piece of info ASAP but not being able to find it, so having a copy of everything in your Notes or Books app is truly next-level. Doing this has saved me from soooo many unnecessary headaches.

11.If you're always on the lookout for cheap flights but don't know where to start, just search the word "anywhere" on Google Flights, and keep the "flight dates" section blank. This will show you all the best prices for a bunch of random flights around the world in the near-distant future. Yes, you're sort of at the mercy of the Google Flights Gods with which dates they spit out, but if you have flexibility in your schedule then it can be a great resource.

You can also zoom in on the map, which will give you sooooo many more flight options and prices for wherever you want to travel. Just make sure you always use an incognito tab when booking flights or hotels.

I think this is super helpful for people who know they want to travel somewhere but don't necessarily have a destination in mind. I've used this method for solo travel in the past, but I also think it's really helpful for both budget and group travel. Like, maybe you have group of friends who all have different destinations in mind – using this "anywhere" method lets you see the cheapest options and dates, and it'll help you plan the best, most affordable trips possible.

12.And when it comes to booking those flights, you'll probably want to do that on November 28th, which is known as "Travel Tuesday." It's basically Black Friday but for travel deals. Yes, you'll obviously see huge sales on flights, but you'll also see massive discounts on things like hotels and cruises too.

Sarah Wainschel / BuzzFeed, Spencer Althouse

Hopper is a great app for discounted flights and hotels in general, but if you're ever booking a trip during the end of the year then I'd absolutely wait until November 28th. Last year, this specific day saw more flight deals than Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday combined, so, like, you'll definitely find something.

13.But if you want cheaper hotels and can't wait for Travel Tuesday, you should always book a stay through your go-to site's app. Most offer massive in-app discounts for particular rooms and hotels, which could be the difference between hundreds of dollars in savings. For example, when I traveled to London and Paris last year, Hotels.com had an extra 20% off for my rooms while booking in their app, but those discounts weren't available on their site.

A lot of these hotel and travel companies offer membership discounts simply for creating a free account. Others even include referral rewards, so if your friend or family member books a stay using your referral link then you'll both get extra discounts. Basically, there are a million ways to save, so always look at all of your options!

14.If you're overwhelmed and don't know how to start planning activities for your trip then I'd definitely check out each country or city's tourism site. For my trip throughout England, VisitBritain's page broke everything down by destination and experience, and I found a lot of cool things to do, see, and eat that I never would have thought to check out in the first place. For example, I personally think the best way to experience a new city's culture is through food, and this site told me that Birmingham was the culinary birthplace of balti, so I knew I had to visit one of their authentic restaurants. As a result, I had one of my favorite – and spiciest – meals in a longggg time.

Spencer Althouse

I love traveling because it gives me the opportunity to try new cuisines and dishes that I've never even heard of before, and balti was definitely that new experience for me on this trip. Only, like, three authentic balti restaurants are left in Birmingham (my friends and I went to Shababs, and their "table naan" was, in fact, the size of our entire table), so I felt like I got a taste of history.

If you don't know, balti is basically a curry that's cooked in a super thin, steel bowl (aka a balti bowl), and it's some of the most flavorful food you'll ever have. I'm someone who prides myself in being able to handle a LOT of spice, and I was able to hold my own, but the restaurant makes each dish as spicy as you want, so consider this your warning. Again, tourism sites can be so helpful when planning a vacation, but I feel like they're often overlooked, so don't count them out completely.

15.If you know you're going to use public transportation in a big city then one of the most helpful things you can do ahead of time is download a hi-res photo of its subway system onto your phone. I also save the pic in its own photo album, and this way I can immediately access it without having to scour through all my "recent" pics. This has definitely prevented me from missing my stop or getting on a train that was going in the opposite direction. Having this map was also especially helpful when one of my trains in London kicked everyone off due to a technical issue, and I could easily pull it up to find an alternate route.

Smartphones are a lifesaver while abroad, but if you're like me and travel in airplane mode because you don't want to pay for an international plan or roaming fees then you need to be clever. Pre-saving a hi-res pic of London's subway system to my phone made everything so convenient, and it kept me from going the wrong way so many times. I'm the kind of traveler who wants to know how many stops I have until I arrive at my destination, so being able to confirm with my handy map really calmed my nerves.

16.No matter how clean you think your shoes are, I promise that they're dirty and muddy and gross, and you've probably stepped in someone's dried-up puke or dog poop without even noticing. Because of this, I always travel with leftover grocery store bags so I can wrap my shoes in them before packing my suitcase. Everything is going to get crammed together in your carry-on, so this way your clothes will stay clean while traveling to your next destination.

Spencer Althouse

Also, in terms of saving space in your suitcase, you should never pack more than three pairs of shoes (and that includes the one you're wearing!). I stole this tip from Samantha Brown, who's hosted sooooo many shows on the Travel Channel for a reason. According to her, when you're packing you should always start with comfort first. This will help you figure out whether or not you really need your stylish-but-bulky shoes that, let's face it, you WANT to wear on vacation but never will.

Your first shoe should be designed for comfort because of how much walking you'll be doing, the second shoe is location-specific (so, like, if it's going to be snowing or raining a lot wherever you're going), and the third shoe should be a little nicer for evenings out. Flat shoes and sandals are always a bonus because they make for easy storage and barely take up any room. Just remember that the goal is to be practical!

17.In fact, the more you travel, the less you'll end up traveling with (hey, practice makes perfect!). But there are some things you should always pack no matter what. For me, I will never go on vacation without these three items: 1. an insulated water bottle, 2. a foldable umbrella that fits in my backpack, and 3. a lock. Everyone always underestimates how much walking they'll actually do on vacation, so having one of those reusable water bottles that keeps water cold for hoursssss at a time is honestly a lifesaver. The same goes for traveling with a compact umbrella – it's always better to be safe than sorry. And as for a lock, well, whether you're staying at a hotel or need to lock up your bags at a hostel, you just never know when it may come in handy.

Spencer Althouse

Insulated water bottles are obviously great at keeping cold liquids cold – I was so thankful I had one during my day trip to Bath – but if you're someone who likes to savor their morning coffee then I'd highly recommend filling one up before spending several hours at a museum or on a walking tour. This will keep it hot throughout your entire morning, instead of just the first 15 minutes.

As for the compact umbrella, I'd recommend getting one that also has a vent flap at the top (mine was, like, $18 on Amazon and has lasted over a year already). That flap makes them way more wind-resistant and will help prevent the umbrella from breaking or turning inside out.

18.If you need to withdraw money from an ATM, just remember that the further you are from an airport the better the exchange rate will be. There are some credit cards with zero international transaction fees now, but if you absolutely need to withdraw international currency then I'd do it near your hotel/hostel, rather than when you first land at the airport. Also, whether you're using an ATM or just purchasing something with a credit card, you should always pay in the currency of the country you're in. You'll get a much better conversion rate this way, and those savings will definitely add up by the end of your trip.

Spencer Althouse

Also, this may be obvious, but you should always let your credit card company know when you'll be traveling abroad (you can quickly do this over the phone or by logging into their site online). I spent a week in Paris last year, and my card randomly stopped working at a restaurant in quartier chinois. I thought it was flagged as fraud, but for some reason it just didn't work at ~that~ particular restaurant. They obviously wouldn't accept American dollars as payment (though you should always carry some with you, just in case!), but luckily I brought a debit card and could withdraw money from a nearby ATM. Basically, always be prepared with a backup...and then have a backup for your backup.

19.And finally, unless you're physically moving to another city or traveling with kids, you should never fly with luggage that's bigger than a carry-on. My personal rule is that if I can't comfortably lift the full suitcase above my head (i.e. to put it in the overhead bin on a plane) then I still have some unpacking to do. Convenience is key, and getting to and from your destination will always be the hardest, most stressful part of any trip, so just remember that not every city is built for easy and accessible travel, and you should pack accordingly.

Spencer Althouse

Do you really want to wheel a massive suitcase across the cobblestones of Rome while searching for your hotel? What about lugging it up and down the stairs of a subway station in Paris or New York City? I don't think so. Most international flights allow you one bookbag + one carry-on before having to check a bag, so sticking to this personal limit may save you a lot of time, money, and headaches. I was especially thankful for my light packing after landing from a redeye at Heathrow and then still having several hours of travel ahead of me. It also made traveling home and unpacking that much more convenient and easy. Your future self will thank you for the smaller suitcase and lighter packing, I promise.

That's it! If you have any other international travel tips that have worked for you, please feel free to share them in the comments. Thanks!