Top Tips for Travellers

1. Get a universal adapter if you are going to more than one power zone.
   This saves space and hassles! It is well worth the initial expense.
2. Pack a multi-plug.
   With only one adapter your digital camera and cell-phone are both are sure to run flat at the same time! (Not to mention anything else electrical you managed to fit in your suitcase.)
3. Keep a travel diary.
   Otherwise you won’t remember what you did last week when writing postcards. A mini roll of Sellotape to stick in ticket stubs, etc. is useful too.
4. Take travel packs of tissues.
   Who wants to hand-wash hankies? And ladies, you’ll thank me when you are stuck in a grotty public toilet with no loo paper!
5. Buy international calling cards to phone home.
   Depending on the card, you can pay as little as 1-2c per minute. Some let you call from a cell-phone for a higher rate but are still cheaper than using the local exchange. Be warned: some don’t work outside the country you buy them in so ask when you’re making the sale.
6. Take a thermos if you object to paying NZ$9 for a coffee!
   Most B&Bs/hotels in the UK have an electric jug in the room. With plenty of public parks to sit down in, it will save you heaps in incidental spending at cafés. In Europe a travel jug would be useful because they don’t seem to feature in the rooms and the hotel bar will happily charge you for a cuppa.
7. Take a stretchy elastic clothes-line and Sunlight soap for your washing.
   Laundromats can be expensive and hard to come by if you are moving around a bit. Irons and boards are only available occasionally so make use of them when you can or bring a travel iron if you can’t stand crinkly clothes. (Better yet, only pack items that don’t need ironing!)
8. Learn the words of a NZ song.
   You never know when an item might be required! The haka and Po Karekareana have served us well. An alternative may be kiwi pins, badges, mini flags, poi… as gifts for people you meet. (All Blacks and Lord of the Rings are current points of knowledge about NZ too).
9. If you don’t speak the language, at least learn hello, please, and thank you.
   It is amazing how much difference in service it can make when added to a smile!
10. If you love it (and can afford it), buy it!
    You may never find one “just a little cheaper” and then you’ll regret not getting it the first time. We found it useful to decide beforehand what our “expensive” purchases would be. (It is much easier to resist “impulse buying” when you know that you are yet to buy the cuckoo clock you wanted.)
11. Use discount cards.
    If you are a student, get an International ID card…NOW! We’ve been told a NZ Heritage member card can also get you into English Heritage sites at a reduced rate or free. Hotel foyers often have maps or flyers that give discounts to local attractions. Multi-trip tickets can save quite a bit if you are in one place for a while (e.g. Oyster cards on the London Underground)
12. Consider accommodation alternatives.
    If you are keen on hostelling, consider whether it is worth an extra ₤10-15 for a B&B where you are given breakfast, have an ensuite bathroom to yourself and the bed is more than a foam mattress on a bunk.