6 travel hacks every international student should know

International students become seasoned travellers after a few semesters abroad. Not only do they have to travel far and wide to reach their study abroad destination, they also often have to travel internally to their respective college towns.

That being said, international students could always learn a thing or two about travelling. These five travel hacks can save you money and time so you can get to your destination with minimal fuss.

Ask for a fragile label

Ask for a fragile label when you check in your luggage. Source: Shutterstock

Tired of receiving your luggage in a bad condition at your end destination? One of the best travel hacks is to ask for a fragile label, whether or not you have particularly “fragile” items in your bag.

Not only will your luggage be handled with extra care, it will also often arrive before others, saving you time at baggage claim.

Sign up for flight price alerts

Always scouring the web looking for the best flight deals? Save yourself the trouble by using the Skyscanner price alerts feature to track flight fares.

All you have to do is type in the destinations you want to travel to and you’ll receive get emails (or push notifications if you use the Skyscanner mobile app) alerting you when the price of a flight goes up or down.

You can also use this feature for multiple destinations which comes in handy when you want to plan a vacation.

Roll your clothes

Roll ’em, don’t fold ’em. Source: Shutterstock

International students know the struggle of trying to make everything fit in a suitcase, especially with weight restrictions.

Smart travellers know that one of the best travel hacks is to roll your clothes instead of folding them to fit more clothes in your suitcase.

Rolling your clothes tightly and organising them in rows takes up less space than a stack of folded clothes – plus, your garments are less likely to wrinkle.

Organise your travel bag

Keep your things organised when you travel. Source: Shutterstock

Do you often find yourself frantically searching through the mess in your bag to extract your passport or other documents at immigration?

Spare yourself the trouble by keeping your bag organised. Store your important documents and passport in a passport holder or folder, and use small pouches to organise other things like your makeup, toiletries, electronics and so on so you can easily access them when you need to.

Sign up for travel insurance

Travel insurance is one of those travel hacks that should never be overlooked. Even if the airline doesn’t include it in the airfare, you can sign up for travel insurance directly through the provider.

It gives you peace of mind when you are travelling – whether domestic or international – in case you get sick, lose your luggage, get your passport stolen, your flight is delayed, or experience any other unforeseen circumstances.

Always read the fine print and terms and conditions so you know exactly which plan you are signing up for and what you are entitled to if you ever need to claim your insurance.

Pack extra items in your carry-on

Ensure you pack your essentials in your carry-on. Source: Shutterstock

You don’t want to deal with the nightmare of arriving at your destination without luggage, but unfortunately, these things happen.

Sometimes, during transit or if your flight is delayed, your checked-in luggage won’t arrive on the same flight as you and you have to wait a few hours or even a few days to receive it.

In case this happens, keep extra clothes and essentials in your carry-on such as deodorant, a toothbrush, medicine and chargers so you can survive for a few days until your luggage comes.