Practical advice

Travel Tips

The little things we have learned, often the hard way, so you can travel smoother, sleep better, and worry less.

Making Bookings

Book flights on a Tuesday or Wednesday, prices tend to dip mid-week.
Use incognito mode when searching; some sites raise prices after repeated visits.
For hotels, check both the booking site and the hotel's own website, direct bookings often include perks like free breakfast or late checkout.
Always read the cancellation policy before confirming. Flexibility is worth a few extra pounds on longer trips.
Set price alerts on Google Flights or Skyscanner and be patient, the best fares appear when you are not in a hurry.

Ignore the top 5% and bottom 5% of reviews, they are usually outliers with an agenda.
Look for repeated complaints. One person mentioning noise might be unlucky; ten people mentioning it means thin walls.
Check the reviewer's history. Someone who only leaves glowing reviews for every hotel is not your best guide.
Pay attention to the date of the review. A perfect score from 2019 may not reflect a hotel that changed hands in 2023.
Photos from recent guests tell you more than the professional ones on the booking page.

Schiphol can be busy early in the morning. If your flight is before 9am, arrive at least two and a half hours early for Schengen departures, three hours for non-Schengen.
Use the Privium or Fast Track lanes if your ticket or airline status includes them, they save serious time at security.
Download the Schiphol app to track queue times in real time and adjust your arrival accordingly.
If you are transferring, follow the purple signs and do not stop for coffee until you clear passport control, the queues build quickly.
Consider the Eurostar from London if you are travelling light; Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol is only fifteen minutes by train if you need it later.

Roll, don't fold, it saves space and reduces wrinkles.
Pack a small day bag inside your main luggage for day trips and unexpected shopping.
Always carry a change of clothes and your essentials in your hand luggage. Bags go missing.
Use packing cubes. They sound unnecessary until you try them, and then you never go back.
Leave room. You will always bring home more than you left with.

Shift your sleep schedule by thirty minutes a day for three days before a long-haul flight.
Avoid heavy meals and alcohol on the plane, they disrupt sleep more than turbulence does.
Get outside as soon as you land. Natural light is the most powerful tool for resetting your body clock.
Short naps are fine on arrival day, but set an alarm. A three-hour nap becomes a full night's sleep if you are not careful.
Melatonin works for some and not for others. Test it at home before relying on it abroad.

Share your itinerary with someone at home, including accommodation details.
Email yourself copies of your passport, insurance, and vaccination records.
Use a spare wallet with a small amount of cash for daily use, and keep your main cards tucked away.
Trust your instincts. If a street, taxi, or deal feels wrong, walk away without hesitation.
Buy travel insurance the day you book the trip, not the week before you leave, it covers cancellations too.