Because of budgetary constraints, many people worry about saving money when they travel. This makes sense because just about everyone has an idea of how much money they can and can’t spend on a vacation or some other travel plans. In many cases, travelers don’t think about saving time as much as they do about discount tickets and cheap airfare.
Time is the one commodity in life you can’t replace. Once time is wasted, it is gone. You can’t get it back. When you are vacationing or traveling, you want every minute to be spent on enjoying the experience. Use the following time‐saving travel hacks to make your next stay away from home more about enjoying the time you have, rather than suffering a time‐crunch that ruins your trip.
Skip the Lines at the Airport and US Entry Points
If you are returning to the United States and you are going through an entry point covered by the US Customs and Border Protection program, you can sign up as a pre‐approved, low‐risk traveler. Obviously, you need to travel frequently to earn this badge that can save you tons of time when entering the US.
Even if you don’t travel as frequently as a constant globetrotter, it makes sense to sign up for this program. In the future, whenever you need to reenter the United States, you are greeted with expedited lines that get you on your way as quickly as possible.
The TSA Precheck Program offers the same time‐saving feature for air travelers. A 5‐year membership costs just $85 as of 2018 and can save you valuable time when flying into or out of the United States.
Travel Off‐Peak and Out Of Season
Not only does this practice save money on accommodations, air travel, and car rental fees, but it can also keep you from waiting in lines. It puts you at your dream destination when there are the fewest fellow travelers, which means doing just about anything takes less time.
Call Ahead and Plan Ahead
You may want to arrange for a walking tour when you get where you’re going. Perhaps you will be renting a car, or you want to join a fishing cruise. Whatever it is you plan on doing once you get where you’re going, don’t wait until the last minute and hope that you can get the time slot you plan on.
You may have been told that it is easy to hail a cab or get a car where you are going because it is out of season. Don’t count on this. Plan ahead instead. Make all your travel reservations well in advance. Before heading to bed in the evening, ask your concierge or doorman for some advice concerning what you are going to do the next day. These people know the most about your accommodations and a lot about tourist activities.
You may feel that planning everything ahead of time takes the spontaneity out of a vacation. You can always enjoy a spur of the moment activity, but when you call ahead and plan ahead, you save valuable time (not to mention money) that means you are not rushing and hurrying during your entire trip.