That trickle doesn’t stop when you arrive at your destination; think of cell phone charges, bank fees, and housekeeping tips, to name a few. To avoid spending more than you have to, check out these 10 travel money mistakes to avoid.

1. Forgetting to Let Your Bank Know You’ll Be Traveling

Forgetting to call your bank before traveling abroad is a common error that even frequent international travelers make; it slips your mind until the plane touches down, and by then, it’s often too late. These days banks have almost zero lag time in noticing a debit or credit card being used abroad, so you will get shut down on pretty much your first swipe in a foreign country.

As banks have gotten more sophisticated about tracking card use locations, this can even be important for domestic travel, and most banks recommend that you let them know about those closer-to-home trips as well. Fraud detectors can be tripped if you’re suddenly using your card across the country, making more or different purchases than you usually do, or charging unexpectedly large amounts (such as a weeklong hotel stay).

Note that this applies to debit cards as well as credit cards. Most banks have a way for you to easily set a travel notification online. If your card has EMV chip technology, you may not need to notify your bank about travel—check with your credit card company if you’re unsure. 

2. Overlooking Bank and ATM Fees

While traveling internationally, each time you get cash, you will likely incur a fee of some kind. These can vary greatly depending on whether a large bank runs the ATM, if the bank is on your card’s network, and more. Remember that fees can change from year to year, so it’s worth checking before every trip. Try to plan ahead and pull out as much cash as you’ll need at once (if you can store it somewhere safe) so that you’re not hit with multiple fees. 

3. Failing to Make a Plan for Getting to Your Hotel From the Airport

That first taxi ride from the airport may be your most financially vulnerable moment of any trip—the time when you have no idea how far it is, what a fair price is for the ride, whether you have lower-cost alternatives such as a train or bus, or even whether your hotel has a free shuttle. It’s best to figure all of this out before your trip; when you arrive, you are tired, often without much cash, and carrying a ton of luggage. You don’t want to be fumbling around trying to figure all this out on the airport curb.

4. Forgetting to Add an International Roaming Plan for Your Phone

How much could a few texts, a bit of mapping, a few email checks, and a batch of social media updates cost per day? Plenty, it turns out—so be sure to purchase an international roaming plan that will cover you while you’re away. 

5. Forgetting to Research the Local Exchange Rate

Especially in the first several hours at your destination, having done a little research on the local exchange rate against your home currency can make a huge difference. Often, it takes a couple of days really to get a handle on how much things cost, but this can take even longer if you are traveling in an area where prices may not be so fixed as they are at home. Memorizing the exchange rate so you can do the math quickly in your head will help considerably. 

It can be helpful to make a note on your phone of common dollar amounts to quickly reference. For example, USD 1 = CAD 1.43, USD 5 = CAD 1.43. 

6. Bringing Traveler’s Checks

Barely anyone accepts them anymore, they’re not cheap, you have to invest a fair amount of time in obtaining and purchasing them, and credit cards give you a far better rate of exchange in most parts of the world. Skip ’em.

7. Assuming You Know How Much to Tip

Tipping customs vary immensely from place to place, and not knowing what’s appropriate can be both awkward and expensive.

Tipping practices can also vary from industry to industry as well; in Brazil, for example, a 10 percent tip is customary in a restaurant, but it might already be included, so you will want to check the bill. On a taxi ride, you just round up to the nearest one (or five if you are feeling generous) for most rides (so for a 13 reais taxi ride, you give 14 or 15 reais).

8. Tipping Your Housekeeper Only at the End of Your Stay

Many travelers will leave it until the end of a trip to tip the housekeepers (usually by leaving some cash on top of the bed); this can backfire. On any given stay, you might have a different housekeeper from one day to the next, and to be the fairest and to get the best treatment, it’s best to leave something each day. 

9. Leaving Your Valuables Unsecured

Shoving your wallet in your back pocket or your purse over your shoulder is such a natural and almost automatic action that almost all of us will do this at some point in our travels. It’s also the easiest way to get pickpocketed or ripped off, as these spots are both obvious to thieves and difficult to protect.

This doesn’t apply only to your wallet; you will want to secure anything that someone could grab quickly. On a recent trip to Rio, we got on a train to the legendary Maracana stadium for a game featuring the local futbol favorite Flamengo. It was rush hour, and the train was insanely packed; despite living for more than a decade in New York City and having taken countless trips around the world, I had never experienced anything like it. If there was ever an environment ripe for pickpocketing and unseen thefts, this was it. I had a backpack with sweatshirts and a camera inside,  so I looked around at how the locals were dealing with it and noticed that everyone had their backpacks and bags in front of them.

A button on your back pocket or an across-the-body bag instead of an over-the-shoulder purse can also help here; adding just a little bit of difficulty is often enough to inspire thieves to look for other victims.

10. Using Public Wi-Fi for Financial Transactions

You’ll want to avoid checking bank balances, making online payments, or entering financially sensitive passwords of any kind while using public internet or Wi-Fi networks. Occasionally, it’s unavoidable, and the number of hotel Wi-Fi systems with keystroke loggers installed by sophisticated hackers is extremely low—but it’s always a risk.

Note also that a hack doesn’t have to be an inside job—that is, a hotel employee or system installer—but can also be a fellow lodger who has hacked into the minimally protected (if at all) hotel Wi-Fi network.

Hopefully, by keeping your money on your mind just a little, these tips will help you keep your money in your bank account as well.

The post 10 Travel Money Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Additional reporting by Megan Johnson

1. Check for information about destination and layover airports.

You’re probably familiar with your home airport, but layover and destination airports can be disorienting. The Trippie app can help with airport maps, including amenities available in each terminal. This can save you time when finding food or toiletries during a tight connection. The app also has information about airport Wi-Fi options, which can eliminate the hassle of figuring out which of a dozen available networks are legit.

2. Put a few Ziploc bags in your luggage.

Zip-top bags can be helpful in countless ways when traveling (for liquids when going through airport security, to stow snacks, to keep your phone dry), so I always stow a few in the pockets of all my travel luggage. I leave them in between trips and then replenish the stash as needed.

3. Have a dedicated set of “air travel clothes.”

Having a favorite set of clothes to wear on planes can make the minutes before you leave for your flight easier and guarantee comfort at the airport and in flight. Your air travel clothes should be comfortable but presentable, neither too warm nor too thin ,and somewhat durable. Once you have chosen your air travel clothes, make sure they are clean and at the top of your packing list a couple of days before you travel.

4. Wear more clothes if your luggage is overweight or close to it.

When packing, if you suspect your luggage might be close to your airline’s weight limit (a small luggage scale can help you figure this out), put a jacket, sweatshirt, or other heavy item of clothing in a front pocket or right at the top of your bag. If the airline calls out your bag overweight at check-in, you can open it, pull out the garment, and put it on. (This tip also works on the way home from a trip if a few extra souvenirs weigh down your suitcase.)

5. Pack stuff you will need within easy reach.

This applies to your carry-on, your “personal item,” in which you might carry your ID, boarding pass, and other critical items, as well as your checked luggage. Pack stuff you will need first or frequently in easily accessible locations to avoid the misery of digging through your bag because of dozens of fellow travelers.

6. Take a photo of your parking spot.

Snap a picture of your parking spot before heading to the terminal, including signage identifying your location (level, aisle, etc.). At some airports the garage or terminal number is not obvious on the signage (this is the case in Philadelphia), so you may need to remember which garage you were in.

7. Put in-flight essentials all in one small bag.

Put everything you’ll need during the flight into a single small bag — earbuds, e-reader/book, a snack, etc. — so you can just grab it and stick it in the seatback pocket before you stow the rest of your stuff in the overhead bin or under the seat. (Note that if your in-flight necessities include liquids like antibacterial hand gel, you may have to transfer them into the small bag after you get through security.)

8. Pack an empty water bottle in your carry-on.

To avoid paying huge mark-ups for bottled water at the airport, bring your own empty bottle (which will go through security just fine) and fill up at a water fountain after the checkpoint.

9. Check in next to the first/business class line.

As check-in becomes more automated, with most economy check-ins taking place at kiosks, standing in big lines is becoming less common. Still, some travelers swear by the tactic of using the check-in option closest to the first- and business-class counters, where agents will sometimes help economy travelers if no one is at their counter.

10. Use a jacket to carry on more stuff.

One photographer I know wears a vest with a half-dozen large pockets designed for lenses, which he fills with his stuff. When he gets on the plane, he folds the vest and puts it in the overhead bin next to his carry-on bag.

11. Wear a belt with a plastic buckle.

Some security agents will let you leave your belt on if it is not made of metal; a belt with a plastic buckle might save you the trouble of taking off your belt and having your clothes half falling off.

12. Bring a portable phone charger.

A portable phone charger can be a lifesaver if you can’t find an open outlet at the airport. You can also use it in flight when your phone is likely in airplane mode and therefore does not use much power. This can be a great way to ensure you have a charge when you land.

13. Bring a multi-plug adapter.

Especially if you are traveling with family or a group, bring an adapter that can turn one outlet into multiple ones so more people can plug in. Even if you arrive at the gate and all the outlets are in use, often a fellow traveler will share one with you if you have such an adapter.

14. Go to the left at security.

Apparently most humans are biased toward their dominant hand, so the fact that the majority of people are right-handed causes most people to select the security lane on the right when faced with a choice. Zig when they zag by checking out the lanes to your left. 

15. Stow your stuff while going through the security line.

Don’t wait until you get to the front of the line to take your phone, keys, loose change, and other stuff that security agents don’t like out of your pockets; take care of it while winding through the inevitable security line.

16. Find an empty gate during layovers or delays.

If you have a few hours to kill, opt for a more peaceful and comfortable experience by finding an empty gate where you can have seating, power outlets, Wi-Fi signals, and brain space to yourself. Just be careful not to be too far away when announcements affecting your flight might kick in.

17. Sneak your stuff into a shopping bag.

If you’re having trouble adhering to the “one carry-on and one personal item” rule, some devious travel hackers suggest asking for a shopping bag at an airport store and putting your extra stuff in it. Gate agents will think it’s just some things you purchased, which they may not count against your carry-on allowance. This may backfire, though, as some airlines are extremely strict on the number of bags you can bring, shopping bags included. 

18. Be careful when wearing headphones at the gate.

Listening to music, streaming a podcast, or watching a movie on your mobile device helps pass the time at the gate but also puts you at risk of missing important gate announcements. Be careful when tuning out the noise so that you don’t also tune out the signal.

Do you have any cool or innovative airport hacks that we missed? Add them in the comments below. Until then, see you at the gate!

19. Use Airline Apps for Real-Time Updates

To ensure you are up-to-date to any flight changes, including connections, download the app for the airline you are flying. You’ll get gate changes, time changes, and any important information as they change. 

20. Sign Up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

The easiest way to skip long security lines and long customs lines when you are on your way home is to sign up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry (for fliers who often travel internationally). You won’t have to take your shoes off with TSA PreCheck or take your computer out; the lines usually are shorter (though as more people sign up, they can be long). Global Entry cuts your time waiting in customs on the way home way down. 

21. Wear Compression Socks for Long Flights.

Reduce swelling by buying a pair of compression socks. They will improve your circulation and help you stay comfortable when you have a long-haul flight. 

22. Download Entertainment Before You Leave Home.

You don’t want to spend your entire time at the airport trying to download a movie or tv show for your flight, the Wi-Fi is unreliable with a slow bandwidth, so download anything you’ll want to watch before you head to the airport. 

23. Use Google Translate for Foreign Airports

While several foreign airports have signs in English and their native language, many do not. Give yourself a leg up by downloading a translation app like Google Translate to make navigating the airport a breeze upon arrival.

The post 23 Best Airport Hacks appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Winter Travel Tips for Flying

Always Fly Direct

The worst winter travel problems frequently occur at connecting airports. If your first outbound flight is canceled and you end up returning to your own home from your local airport, that’s not too bad; if you are stuck in your vacation hotel hoping to get a flight home, that’s a bit worse. But when you’re stuck in a connecting airport in Texas calling hotels and praying for a place to stay, you’re in what I would call your worst-case scenario.

For this reason, you should fly nonstop whenever possible. To find nonstop flights, do all your initial flight searches with the “Nonstop Flights Only” button checked on your favorite booking engine. If you also use search options like “Show Nearby Airports” and “My Dates Are Flexible,” you’ll have a very good sense of how best to get from Point A to B without any Point C for connection.

Beware of Layover Times

If you absolutely must fly with a connection, watch your layover times carefully. If a weather delay causes you to miss your connection, you might be out of luck; the airline is not necessarily obligated to find you a seat on the next flight, and often cannot logistically do so if flights are full or unavailable. If you have a really tight connection time and your flight is running late, tell a flight attendant who may be able to make arrangements to hold your next flight, or at least get you off your first flight quickly.

Watch Out for Bad Weather

Check the weather at your connecting cities as well as at your departure and destination airports. You’ll want to know what the weather is like for the departure and arrival airports (particularly if we’re traveling on vacation), but for the same reasons stated above you’ll want to know what is going on at your connecting airport as well. If the weather looks threatening, contact your airline to see if it can reroute you; it may be in its best interest to do so, and save you a lot of grief. Your chances of getting on a different flight will be greatly enhanced if you’ve already done the research yourself to determine which alternate flights might work best. Don’t count on a gate agent to know about or search the schedules of other airlines.

Connect Through a Warm-Weather Destination

Try to book your connection through a southern city where weather shouldn’t be an issue. There are no guarantees here, as northern airports tend to be better equipped to deal with winter conditions, and a snowstorm can almost wholly shut down an airport that more often suffers from too much sun. However, your odds are better in places that rarely see ice or snow.

Book an Early Morning Flight

Choose a morning flight. For two reasons: First, you are far less likely to have your flight affected by problems at other airports. Second, if your flight is canceled or badly delayed, your options for alternate flights are greatly increased, improving your odds for getting on a different flight by the end of the day.

Route Through Smaller Airports

Consider alternative airports. Very often the problem is not solely weather, but also the overall volume of passengers and flights. In places like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Houston, second-tier airports aren’t too far out of town and are tied into the transportation grid.

Prep for Airport Security Ahead of Time

Get ahead of the game at security. Before you even get in line, put all your gear and spare coins into a pocket of your carry-on bag. With so much valuable stuff getting dumped into plastic bins all day, every day, it’s inevitable that stuff gets left behind, dropped, damaged, broken, or even stolen. If you take 15 seconds to stow everything, you’ll make the time up twice over on either side of the security gate, and won’t risk losing cell phones, wallets, keys, and other essentials. Find more airport security tips in our TSA Frequently Asked Questions guide.

Save the Gift Wrapping for Your Destination

The annual holiday travel rule: Don’t wrap gifts—security will have to rip them open. With the TSA searching checked bags as well as carry-ons, this applies to all of your luggage; not just what you bring onto the plane with you. Consider shipping your gifts ahead of time or wrapping them once you get to your destination. Our complete guide on flying with gifts will help you navigate any holiday packing issue. 

Avoid Peak Travel Dates

Finally, avoid peak travel dates as best you can, particularly holiday weekends. Find out the ideal (and not do ideal) dates to book holiday flights in our handy guide.

Winter Travel Tips for Driving

Stock an Emergency Kit

Put some extra clothing and emergency items into your vehicle; these will come in handy if you break down in cold weather. Assemble a basic kit including a pair of gloves, weather-resistant pants and/or coat, maybe an old pair of boots, a blanket, jumper cables, a flashlight with some extra batteries, and a windshield scraper (and maybe a de-icer), and you should be in good shape. You might also toss a few nutrition bars in as well; things that won’t spoil, are packed with calories, and can bail you out in a pinch.

Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter Weather

Make sure your car is checked over for winter weather readiness. In particular, you or a mechanic should inspect your tires before the first big winter storm.

Prioritize Visibility 

Once your vehicle is inspected and equipped, follow this advice I heard a while back from a Montana snowplow driver: “See and be seen. Keep your headlights and taillights clean, especially in stormy weather. Keep windows clean and make sure defrosters work well. If snow has built up on your vehicle overnight or after a break from driving, clear it away so it doesn’t blow off and obscure your windows.”

Drive Slow

Slow down. The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends slowing down by about 50 percent in bad weather. Also leave extra space between you and the car in front of you in case of slippery roads.

Watch Out for Icy Conditions

Remember that not all stretches of road are created alike. For example, many recently built small bridges and overpasses have been designed to blend into the surroundings, with a gradual or nonexistent change in elevation. These bridges nonetheless remain susceptible to icing over much more rapidly than regular blacktop. Look out and look ahead for these short stretches of road when temperatures approach or drop below freezing. If you don’t know the ropes of driving on icy surfaces, here’s how to drive on black ice.

Skip the Cruise Control

Some features of modern automobiles may actually serve you poorly in bad conditions. In some SUVs and four-wheel-drive vehicles, for example, you may have better traction when the vehicle is under way, but the four-wheel drive won’t help you stop any faster. Also, skip the cruise control; your cruise control feature may accelerate when you least want it to, such as when you are climbing an icy bridge.

Keep Cat Litter On Hand

Some safety experts recommend putting a bag of kitty litter in the trunk, both for added ballast to offer better traction, and to put under the wheels if you need to get yourself out of a slippery spot.

Stay Safe If Stranded

If you’re stranded and have to stay in your car, you can run the engine for heat, but make sure the exhaust pipe is not obstructed by snow or mud. If you prefer not to have the engine running the whole time, close the windows to keep heat in, and run the car for 10 minutes every hour, cracking open a front window when you do so.

Park Indoors When Possible

If you are parking at your hotel or near attractions in bad weather, opt for a spot in an indoor parking garage when available.

The post 18 Winter Travel Tips for Flights and Road Trips appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Among all your options, there are some things you don’t need to do, or even should not do, when renting a car. Below are 10 of them.

Prepaying for Gasoline

Prepaid gasoline charges appeal to the desire for simplicity while traveling, and also to concerns about being late for flights, as every few minutes added to the trip to the airport create more risk for arriving too late to board. As airport security has added considerable time to this process, rental companies have come up with new options for car refueling, and are giving them the hard sell at the rental desk.

Unless you are completely sure you will return the tank empty, or you have a pre-dawn flight that would make it worth the money not to have to refuel yourself, don’t fall for this one. Even the option where the company charges you only for fuel you actually use is tipped aggressively in the rental agency’s favor because the cost of having them refuel your car is almost always higher than the cost of doing it yourself.

To beat the rap on this one, don’t make the next mistake:

Failing to Check on Your Way Out for a Place to Refuel on Your Way Back

The best time to find a place to refuel your vehicle is immediately after you pick it up. As you are driving away from the airport or rental agency, take note of the local gas stations, and make a plan to return to the most easily accessible or best-priced of them at the end of your rental. The neighborhoods around airports can be confusing and unfamiliar, so you don’t want to be driving in circles looking for a gas station as your flight time approaches. Figure this out on your way out, when you are not pressed for time.

Purchasing Insurance, Reason No. 1: Your Own Auto Insurance Covers You

Before accepting this one at face value, it should be emphasized that auto insurance policies can vary considerably, so you will want to check with your own insurer directly. If you have the minimum legally permissible coverage, it may not include coverage for rental cars—whereas if you have what companies call “full coverage,” it almost certainly does, at least in your home country. Call or email your insurer to find out.

In general, the rule of thumb is that the coverage you have for your main vehicle extends to your rental vehicle, because the rental is considered a replacement vehicle under the policy. So if you have comprehensive coverage on your own car, your policy would also give you comprehensive coverage for the rental vehicle.

Most policies will cover you even if the rental car is a “better” or more valuable car than your own car, so you don’t have to worry if you get an upgrade or rent a much better car than the one you insure at home.

Note, however, that an accident in a rental car will typically raise your rates if you have to make a claim on your own insurance policy.

Purchasing Insurance, Reason No. 2: Your Credit Card Covers the Rest

Anything your own car insurance does not cover, it is likely that your credit card will. In some cases the credit card coverage is as good as or better than your auto insurance; in others it is intended to be secondary insurance to help cover anything your auto insurance does not.

Of course, you will need to pay for your car rental using that card; just having a qualifying credit card does not give you any protection.

Ignoring One Possible Caveat: “Loss of Use” Insurance

When a rental car is damaged, “loss of use” charges are applied to cover the potential revenue lost when the vehicle is off the road for repairs. This is typically charged in the amount of a day’s rental for that vehicle, and most auto insurance companies do not cover this fee. Many credit cards do, however; American Express, MasterCard, and Visa all offer “loss of use” coverage with rentals paid for with some of their cards. Check the terms and conditions in advance to make sure.

Ignoring Potential Offers for Upgrades

In the past, I’ve recommended reserving a low-priced car and then inquiring about upgrades at the rental desk. This works best at busy times when the garage is running low on its cheapest vehicles, and may offer you free or very affordable upgrades to a larger car class due to inventory management issues.

In most cases, the desk agent has considerable discretion in setting upgrade rates, so if he or she asks if you are interested in a larger car, respond that it depends on the price; you might find yourself in a bigger and better car at minimal additional cost.

Failing to Check for AAA, AARP, Reward Programs, or Other Discounts

Many membership programs establish relationships with car rental companies as a member perk. These include travel organizations like AAA, airline frequent flyer programs, age-specific organizations like the AARP, and even some sports- or hobby-focused groups. Rental car discounts are typically listed on the organization’s website; you are already paying membership dues, so have a look before booking, and you could find a great deal.

Making Too Cursory an Inspection Upon Departure

When you pick up your car, check it inside and out for anything that could potentially be considered damage before you drive away. Look for scratches, scuffs, loose parts, and working power windows and mirrors.

Keep an eye out for problems both small and big; the tendency is to take a quick walk around the car looking for scratches and blemishes, thinking that big problems would have already been noticed, but this is not always the case. I once rented a car with a loose back bumper that the car rental company had not noticed previously. If I hadn’t caught this before we left the garage and an inspector had seen it later, I would have been held completely responsible.

Your best protection here: Take photos or a video of a slow walk around the car, and “kick the tires,” so to speak.

Leaving Final Inspection to Chance

Recently, the procedure of returning cars has come to resemble checking out of a hotel, where you leave your keycard on the night table and head out the lobby door with only a wave to the front desk. Car rental returns have taken on a similar feel; as often as not, you follow signs to the back of a row of recently returned cars, take out your stuff, leave the key in the car, and walk away without speaking to anyone directly.

If it feels unsettling just to leave the car without an agent checking it over, it should; the most serious complaints about car rental companies in recent years have been disputes over damage claims. If no attendant is present at dropoff (and sometimes even when there is), the dispute later becomes your word against theirs.

Again, your best protection here is to take photos or a video of a slow walk around the car.

Crossing International Borders

Most U.S. car rental agreements do not allow you to drive the car across international borders. Additionally, your U.S. car insurance rarely covers international car rentals, so you will likely want to purchase insurance from the rental company at the time of rental.

Credit card companies may help here, as most do offer coverage in many international destinations.

Outside the U.S., policies on border crossing vary by destination and car rental agency. In some cases driving into another country is permitted if you give advance notice and/or pay an extra fee.

If you do drive across international borders without authorization and you have a problem, the protections of your rental contract, insurance, and other sources may be negated.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

The post 10 Things Not to Do When Renting a Car appeared first on SmarterTravel.

From navigating natural disasters to avoiding dangerous situations, these aren’t just clever shortcuts—they’re survival skills for the savvy traveler. Whether you’re backpacking through remote regions or staying at five-star hotels, these life-saving travel hacks could mean the difference between a close call and a catastrophe.

Display Vital Health Information on Your Phone

Certain smartphone apps let you display essential health information (such as severe allergies or medical conditions) right on your lock screen so doctors and first responders can see them even without your password or fingerprint. This is particularly useful for solo travelers who don’t have a companion to advocate for them. Such apps include the Health app on your iPhone and the Medical ID app for Android.

Stow Money in Your Shoe

One ageless and deeply analog tactic for getting out of a jam is to keep a $100 bill (or the local equivalent) in your shoe. If you’re pickpocketed, robbed, or lose your wallet, having an emergency cash stash can pay for your transportation to the police station or back to your hotel, where you can sort everything out. 

It’s best if the money is in the local currency, so when you first arrive in a new country, take a bill from your initial ATM withdrawal and stash it somewhere safe.

Split up Your Valuables

If you’re traveling with a friend, don’t have one person carry all the critical stuff such as passports, credit cards, cash, and hotel keys. If one person loses or is robbed of their backpack or purse, you don’t want to lose everything.

If you’re traveling alone, request two hotel keys, and put one in your wallet or purse and the other in your pocket or money belt. Split up cash and credit cards in a similar fashion, with some easily accessible and some hidden in a money belt or your hotel safe. This way, if you are robbed, you can hand over what appears to be everything you have and will hopefully be allowed to go safely on your way without being left without empty-handed.

Save Emergency Numbers in Your Contacts

While 911 is the emergency number in the U.S., it won’t work in many other countries. To help travelers find the correct phone number in other destinations, the U.S. State Department has a handy PDF list of emergency numbers by country. Note that many have different numbers for ambulance, fire, and police, so save all of them individually in your contacts.

In some situations, calling the emergency number might not be appropriate, so it’s also worth looking up and saving the non-emergency numbers of local law enforcement and your home country’s nearest embassy. U.S. citizens may also want to sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so the embassy can contact you in case of an emergency.

If you have an iPhone, there is an automated way to call the local emergency number. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the emergency sliders appear and the countdown on Emergency SOS ends, then release the buttons.

Alternatively, you can enable your iPhone to call emergency services when you rapidly press the side button five times in a row. To turn this feature on, go to Settings, Emergency SOS, and then turn on “Call with 5 Presses”.

Stay Between the Third and Sixth Floors

You probably choose your hotel room for its amenities or views, but you should also consider your safety. Don’t accept a room on the ground floor if you can avoid it. We recommend staying between the third and sixth floors, as these rooms are high enough to deter break-ins but low enough for fire engine ladders to reach.

Don’t Let Your Gas Tank Get Low

Keeping an eye on your gas tank will help you avoid running out of gas or having to fuel up in a questionable area. This is particularly important if you’re traveling in harsh environments such as deserts, remote areas, or extremely cold parts of the world, where being stranded without gas could quickly become life-threatening.

Use Caution When Drinking

Being in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language or know the local laws makes you vulnerable; don’t compound this by drinking to excess. Watch your drink being poured, don’t let it out of your sight, and don’t have more than one or two, especially if you’re traveling alone.

Be Willing to Spend When You Feel Unsafe

Everyone wants to save a few bucks when they travel, but it’s not worth your life. If you’re unsure of your surroundings or facing a long walk back to your hotel at night, don’t hesitate to spend extra money on a cab ride to get yourself to safety. The same goes for an Airbnb whose host makes you uncomfortable or a motel that’s in a worse neighborhood than you expected. Don’t stick around if your safety is at risk.

Follow Your Taxi or Carshare Route on a Mapping App

Keeping an eye on the route when you get into a rideshare can help you avoid getting lost or ending up in a sketchy area. If you sense trouble, call your emergency numbers and get out of the car if possible, preferably in a populated area where someone can help.

Have Your First Night’s Lodging Set

Over the years, I have pulled into towns with no plan for lodging; sometimes it went well, sometimes not so well. I can tell you that wandering around in an unfamiliar city with all your bags is not that fun—and could make you a target for thieves. Even if it’s expensive, have your first night’s stay nailed down whenever possible.

Manage Your Allergies

If you have any life-threatening allergies, make sure you learn how to say and spell the name of that item in the local language. You’ll also want to advertise your allergy somehow, perhaps by wearing a medical bracelet or carrying a food allergy card such as those from Select Wisely.

Update Friends and Family

It’s never been easier to keep friends and family updated on your location, and having someone at home know where you are supposed to be can be very useful in an emergency. Send quick texts or emails home noting the city, hotel, or attraction you are visiting so folks know where to find you if something happens.

The post 12 Life-Saving Travel Hacks for Your Next Trip appeared first on SmarterTravel.

But these days, when everything flight-related has a price tag, you’ll pay $99 for an “upgrade” to the front section of coach, just for the right to get off the plane more quickly (although in some cases, it does also buy you an inch or two of extra legroom). Many factors have created the present “zero upgrade” environment—like the airlines’ love of fees and surcharges, computerized seat assignments (which make it much easier to know where everyone is well before flight time), very full flights, and increased competition for upgrades due to the degraded state of flying coach.

But you don’t necessarily have to give up just because your chances of getting an upgrade have gone down. Check out the tactics below to learn how to get upgraded to first class for free. But first, let’s realize that, for many domestic flights…

First Class Isn’t What It Used to Be

Don’t get me wrong—when I am filing past the first few rows of seats on my way to the back of the plane, those big leather seats with folks already drinking wine in them have a strong allure. But those seats come with a cost, whether in cash or in miles, and on shorter domestic flights you don’t get all that much more than the folks in coach—wider seats, a little more legroom, free drinks, and the chance to board a little earlier.

That said, some airlines have upped the ante in their first-class cabins on longer domestic routes. American Airlines offers lie-flat seats in first class on some transcontinental routes, while Hawaiian Airlines has lie-flat options on its first-class service to Hawaii. On these types of domestic flights, an upgrade is definitely worth trying for.

The same goes for longer international flights. Much more critically than better food and drinks, first- and business-class seats in most international aircraft convert into beds that are pretty darn comfortable. On a flight back from Tokyo in first class a few years ago, I was actually disappointed when we began our final descent; when is the last time that happened in coach?

Why It’s So Hard to Get a Free Upgrade

David Rowell, who writes The Travel Insider, notes that “it is enormously harder to get upgrades these days than it used to be. Well, correction, it is harder to get undeserved upgrades these days. The procedure for getting upgrades that one is entitled to has become almost 100 percent automatic and hands-off, and with all flights being full in both cabins, there isn’t much ‘wiggle room’ for people to exploit.”

And it is not just a combination of luck and automation that will shut you out of upgrades—at some airlines, it may be a matter of policy. “Most airlines state, in no uncertain terms, that their policies prohibit arbitrary upgrading, both at check-in and onboard,” says Randy Petersen of InsideFlyer. “It’s a firm rule, with no room for negotiation or interpretation.” Petersen agrees about the root cause: “This becomes understandable when you consider that upgrading is now often done electronically, rather than by queuing up at the check-in counter.”

These electronically issued upgrades are doled out by a number of metrics, whether to the highest-ranking elite flyer, or the person who purchased an upgrade-eligible coach fare, or the person who cashed in her miles.

We commonly think of just two to five main classes on airplanes, including first, business, and economy, plus the recent emergence of premium and basic economy. But the fact is that economy class can have numerous sub-classes, as outlined in this Points Guy article—and each of these class levels carries eligibility (or lack thereof) for various amenities, including upgrades. The very lowest levels of economy class will rarely be prompted to upgrade, or even eligible to upgrade.

That said, since stories and rumors of free upgrades persist, here are some tactics to get you into that privileged group that seems to snag upgrades—or at least says they do.

How to Get Upgraded to First Class: 14 Tactics to Try

These tricks and ground rules are worth keeping in mind as you try to land that elusive free upgrade.

Be a seriously loyal customer.

If you fly a lot on the same airline, your upgrade options soar. High-mile/point travelers are the first eligible and first chosen for most upgrades, so even though airline experts have been bemoaning the devaluing of airline miles for years, if you are a high-mileage and high-dollar flyer, you will see significantly increased upgrade offers, often at no cost. 

Elite status is the best way to get a seat upgrade, but that means flying (and spending) more. So, if you fly a lot, this is the best option for upgrades. 

Elite Statuses for Major US Airlines

Here’s a breakdown of the elite statuses offered by major US airlines with free upgrades:

American Airlines

• AAdvantage Platinum: Group 1 boarding, lounge access, and complimentary upgrades.
• AAdvantage Platinum Pro: Enhanced lounge access, free upgrades, and priority baggage handling.  
• AAdvantage Executive Platinum: Highest tier with even more perks, including international upgrades and Admirals Club membership.

Delta Air Lines

• Gold Medallion: Group 1 boarding, lounge access, and complimentary upgrades.
• Platinum Medallion: Enhanced lounge access, free upgrades, and priority baggage handling.
• Diamond Medallion: Highest tier with even more perks, including international upgrades and Delta Sky Club membership.  

United Airlines

• Premier Gold: Group 1 boarding, lounge access, and complimentary upgrades.
• Premier Platinum: Enhanced lounge access, free upgrades, and priority baggage handling.
• Premier 1K: Highest tier with even more perks, including international upgrades and United Club membership.  

Southwest Airlines

• A-List Preferred: Group 1 boarding, lounge access, and complimentary upgrades.

Alaska Airlines

• MVP Gold: Group 1 boarding, lounge access, and complimentary upgrades.
• MVP Gold 75K: Enhanced lounge access, free upgrades, and priority baggage handling.

International flights are a bit trickier regarding upgrades, but some international airlines do offer them, especially if they are part of an alliance with a domestic airline. 

For instance, British Airways is part of OneWorld (same as American), but many perks may be unavailable on the BA flight if you book through American. While there may not be a British Airways flight upgrade trick that will magically get you an upgrade, there are things you can do, similar to the major US airlines we mentioned. Avios, their points program, may get you an upgrade, as will their executive club. 

Other international airlines that have rewards programs that can snag you an upgrade are: 
Emirates Skywards– Known for its luxurious cabins and excellent service, Skywards offers upgrade options.
Etihad Guest: Offers upgrade options, including using Etihad Guest Miles.
ANA Mileage Club: Offers upgrade options, including using Mileage Club miles.

Get an airline credit card.

Using an airline credit card allows you to rack up miles, including sign-up bonuses, to apply toward upgrades.
Credit cards with upgrades include:

United MileagePlus Explorer Card– Offers bonus miles earning rate on United purchases and can be used to earn MileagePlus miles for upgrades.

British Airways Visa Signature Credit Card– Offers a bonus miles earning rate on British Airways purchases and can be used to earn Avios points for upgrades.

American Airlines AAdvantage Aviator Red Card- Offers a bonus miles earning rate on American Airlines purchases and can be used to earn AAdvantage miles for upgrades.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card– Offers a bonus miles earning rate on Delta purchases and can be used to earn SkyMiles for upgrades.

Emirates Skywards Credit Card– Offers bonus miles earning rate on Emirates purchases and can be used to earn Skywards miles for upgrades.

Dress neatly.

Dressing well is not the ticket to ride some hope it is, but even so, you are not getting an escort to the front of the plane if you are wearing cargo shorts, a tank top, and flip-flops. Most people don’t even want to sit next to you in this case, let alone upgrade you.

Check in online at the earliest possible time.

Online check-in is available beginning 24 hours before your flight, and the early bird has the best chance of nabbing an upgrade—though you’ll usually have to pay for it. As the minutes pass and more travelers check in, some of those folks will be looking and paying for upgrades, and once those seats are gone, they’re gone.

Be on time, and have good timing.

Showing up late to request an upgrade when an agent is just trying to get everyone in the air isn’t going to work. Do agents the courtesy of making your request with plenty of time to spare before the flight, and when no one else is competing for their attention.

Ask politely and directly.

Randy Petersen recommends something as simple as “If you are upgrading passengers on this flight, I would like to be considered.” Inserting the word “please” won’t hurt you either.

Be reasonable.

Being overly demanding or demeaning just inspires agents to pick someone else to upgrade if the opportunity arises. And don’t waste everyone’s time and goodwill if you know you are a poor candidate. If you are traveling with your whole family, have a pet lobster in a cage as your carry-on, or purchased an extremely low-fare ticket, you probably don’t want to spend your energy demanding upgrades.

If the flight is relatively empty, your chances are slim.

Even though seats in business class may also be empty, the airlines don’t usually upgrade people for no reason. If the flight is full, your chances are better. Airlines carefully plan how much they oversell flights, and their inventory departments are not upset if people need to be upgraded to accommodate everybody on the flight. Therefore, airlines are sometimes forced to upgrade people on a full flight. In this scenario, if you have a good story, you may be lucky—solo travelers who are willing to be reseated to accommodate families have the best odds. Remember, of course, that business or first class may already be full from pre-booked elite-level upgrades.  

Granted, the rule always has exceptions, and this is no different. It may also be that if you are on a flight with few people, you can easily get an upgrade. One lucky passenger was alone on a transatlantic flight and could sit anywhere but first class. 

Volunteer to give up your seat if the flight is oversold.

Whenever airlines overbook flights and need folks to give up a seat, you have the most leverage for getting concessions and upgrades from the airline. Most of us have been in airports listening to increasingly urgent announcements looking for volunteers to give up their seats; in that situation, you can go up to the gate, set your conditions and then let the airline decide if it can meet those conditions.

You might say, “I can volunteer to give up my seat for X hundred dollars in flight credit or an upgrade on my replacement flight, as long as I still get there by Y o’clock.” This may not work on the first round of volunteer requests, but when the gate agents come up on departure time and still need empty seats, they can often deliver quite a bit.

If you have been inconvenienced by the airline, don’t hesitate to ask for an upgrade.

Again, airlines don’t generally upgrade people for no reason, but if they have caused you a problem, that may be reason enough.

If your itinerary is botched or implodes for some reason, particularly if it affects only you and no one else (such that the airline is not trying to accommodate lots of folks in the same situation), your case for an upgrade on a subsequent flight becomes more compelling. The airline is not obligated to upgrade you, but if this happens, pleasantly but firmly let the gate agents know that if an upgraded seat is available on your rebooked flight, you would greatly appreciate getting that seat.

If you have been extremely inconvenienced—maybe you were sent back to your hotel a couple of times, or you slept on the airport floor all night—let the gate folks know, as they may have some sympathy for you.

Ask your travel agent.

My travel agent has a relationship with certain airlines that lets her book her customers into preferred seats that are not released to everyone (usually toward the front of the plane, in exit rows, and the like). She can also see upgrade availability fairly quickly, and many agents can add comments to your reservation that increase your chances of being chosen for an upgrade. Ask about these the next time you talk to your travel agent.

Watch for business-class sales.

Most leisure travelers ignore advertised business-class fare sales entirely. I have occasionally seen transatlantic business-class sale fares for around $1,100 at a time when it costs that much to fly coach. This will take some persistence and sleuthing, but you can sometimes fly in the front of the plane for less than the folks crammed into the back of the plane.

Look for two-for-one sales.

If you are traveling with family or a companion, a two-for-one sale on first- or business-class fares could cut the cost of upgrading in two. At current coach prices, these could result in a wash concerning price, if certainly not concerning pleasure.

Buy an extra seat.

One interesting tactic to find yourself some breathing room offered by Petersen might appeal to folks traveling on very cheap sale fares: buy two coach tickets. Say you find one of these $100 round-trip fares to Florida or the like; the airlines that offer these usually make up the difference in fees for checked bags, movies, food, and other extras. However, if you don’t need headphones or to check a second bag, you can skip all those charges and get yourself a heap of legroom for $50—less than the cost of most premium seats.

If you use this tactic, it will be vital for you to check in your second seat, as well as present the boarding pass at the gate—otherwise, your seat could be given to a standby passenger.

In all honesty, your chance of falling into one of these free upgrades is slimmer all the time—even Rowell has stopped trying entirely. That doesn’t mean you have to; if you have had a recent experience with surprise or unpaid upgrades, let us know in the comments below.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

The post First Class for Free: How to Get an Airline Upgrade appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Don’t Forget About Alternate Airports

Many major cities have more than one good-sized airport, but by searching only on a specific one, you won’t see potentially better fares to other nearby gateways. A couple of classic U.S. examples are Newark vs. JFK vs. LaGuardia, or Long Beach vs. LAX; overseas a good example is Gatwick vs. Heathrow in London.

To get these airports into the mix, choose the “All Airports” option shown on many airline and flight booking sites that includes a city code instead of an airport code. So when traveling to or from New York, sites like Expedia allow you to use NYC instead of JFK or EWR, and will return fares from all area airports. In Los Angeles, the code for all airports is QLA (instead of the more limited LAX).

In the case of densely populated areas, you can sometimes fly into an entirely different city altogether. For example, San Diego is about a two-hour drive from Los Angeles (depending on traffic, of course); that makes it a somewhat reasonable alternative to Los Angeles, especially if your trip takes you to areas south of L.A. like Newport Beach, San Clemente, and the like. Similarly, Chicago and Milwaukee are about 90 miles apart, and Tampa and Orlando are separated by about 85 miles.

If your booking site does not allow this (for example, CheapFlights.com seems to accept NYC, but not QLA), or you’re not sure what your other options are, another way to discover nearby airports is to do a search on Kayak and use their filter options to include nearby airports with available routes. You can also consult this cool chart from Johnny Jet that lists nearby airports in the U.S. by miles from your departure or destination airport.

Don’t Forget to Try Searching on an Incognito Browser

It’s long been suspected that airlines and booking engines may show higher fares on routes that you have previously searched. If you are researching an upcoming trip from Chicago to Paris, for example, and have checked airfares on the route frequently in recent days or weeks, the site “knows” you really want these fares, and “guesses” that you might be willing to pay a bit more for them.

So, do flight prices go up the more you look at them? I have not been able to duplicate this myself, and the SmarterTravel team hasn’t found any evidence that airlines raise fares if you’ve previously searched for a given itinerary. A recent study found that fares do differ on occasion, but you’re actually more likely to see lower fares if you’re logged into a given booking site rather than searching on a browser with no previous history of researching that route.

Because of this uncertainty, it’s worth trying your search both ways—on your normal browser (preferably while logged into your favorite booking site) and on an incognito browser where your searches aren’t tracked.

Don’t Book on Days When Prices Are Higher

Unless you are booking travel for work, it is obviously most convenient to shop for and purchase airfares over the weekend, when you have more free time. However, Airfarewatchdog reports that many airlines release sales early in the week, making Tuesday and Wednesday a good time to catch low fares. FareCompare narrows it down even further, reporting that the best time to book U.S. domestic flights is Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern.

This varies somewhat for international flights, as might be expected with airlines based in a variety of countries with different fare updating patterns, so you will want to be a bit more vigilant for international fares. I recommend checking prices throughout the week or signing up for fare alerts from Airfarewatchdog.

Keep in mind, too, that prices for last-minute flights are almost always higher than those booked further in advance. You’re typically better off booking at least six weeks before a U.S. domestic flight, and even further in advance for international itineraries.

Don’t Fly on Friday or Sunday

Airlines tend to jack up airfares for Friday and Sunday flights for the simple reason that these are the most likely days leisure travelers and vacationers are going to travel. The number of travelers also gets pushed up on Fridays by business travelers racing home, so this can be a particularly pricey day. Mondays can also be pricey thanks to their popularity with business travelers.

The cheapest days to fly tend to be Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with Thursdays and Saturdays costing a little more. That means that if your departure or return flight falls on a Monday, Friday, or Sunday, you’re likely paying more than you need to. It may take some creative use of your vacation time—such as a trip that runs Tuesday to Tuesday rather than Sunday to Sunday—but what you lose in flexibility you more than make up for in savings.

Don’t Forget to Shop Around

Like a lot of us, over the years I have accumulated some booking engine loyalties, but they’re not strong enough to keep me from checking fares on multiple sites, especially as I get closer to making the actual booking. There are some great search engines out there that allow you to compare flight prices on multiple sites at once. But relying on any one of them alone would be a mistake. Each site employs slightly different search algorithms, and as a result can sometimes return different prices—and flight times and combinations as well, which certainly adds value.

A good starting point is our list of The Best Flight Search Sites for Booking Cheap Airfare. To make this easier and semi-automated, you may want to set up multiple email alerts, too. It can take significant time to check a whole heap of sites every day, but if you sign up for fare alerts, you’ll be notified when a price goes down.

And unless you’re aiming for elite status on a specific airline—which generally requires a minimum of 25,000 air miles flown per calendar year, as well as a minimum amount spent—it doesn’t make a lot of sense to base your purchasing decisions around loyalty to an airline or its frequent-flyer program. Shop around on all of the major online travel agencies (OTAs) and directly with the low-cost carriers (like Southwest) whose best fares are nowhere to be found on OTAs.

Don’t Book a Too-Tight Connection

Fifty minutes might seem like long enough to get from one gate to another on a domestic flight, but what happens if your first flight is delayed by half an hour? On international flights, have you allowed enough time to go through customs, reclaim your bags, and wait through another security line—even if your first flight doesn’t arrive on time?

Avoid booking domestic connections that are less than an hour, particularly if you know your connecting airport is large and has terminals spread out, or if you’re flying different legs on separate carriers that may not share gate areas and/or terminals. On international flights, allow at least two hours.

Don’t Ignore Other Costs, Both Human and Financial

Sometimes the money you save on a cheaper airfare is absorbed almost instantly by other expenses you incur. Make sure you check to see if the rates you’re excited about include all taxes and fees, including baggage fees for checked or even carry-on bags. For example, a $200 round-trip flight on American will cost you $240 if you check a bag. That same $200 flight on Southwest will cost you … $200.

Consider other sneaky travel expenses as well: the need to stay in an airport hotel for a really early flight, seat selection fees on a discount airline, or gas and tolls to a more distant airport. Other potential costs might include an extra day in a kennel for your pet or more expensive airport meals on the road when saving by booking connections.

You may also want to check whether one airline has better entertainment options, seatback screens vs. overhead (or none), a better seat layout, more legroom, or better meal service. Price aside, these are all factors that can make a big difference in how pleasant—or miserable—your flight might be.

A good friend recently booked his family on a very early flight out of San Antonio, and at around 7:00 a.m. posted a photo on Twitter of his bleary-eyed teenage daughter dragging herself through the airport. The caption: “Thank you to my daughter for getting up at 3:30 a.m. so we could save $30 on airfare.” Ouch.

4 Quick Bonus Flight Booking Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t book a trip to the wrong airport. Make sure you know your airport codes; you don’t want to end up in South Dakota when you meant to go to Hawaii (it’s possible).
• Don’t dismiss the travel agent option—especially if you’ve got complicated, multi-stop flights. If you’ve got an agent you love and who loves you, you’ll quickly see the perks pile up.
• Don’t ignore any follow-up emails or calls from your travel provider. Be sure to update your spam filters to ensure these messages don’t end up in the trash folder. Otherwise, you might miss flight time changes or other important notifications.
• Don’t confuse direct and nonstop flights. A nonstop flight is exactly what it sounds like, while a direct flight may include a few stops along the way to drop off and pick up passengers. You may want to pay the extra fare to get the nonstop (read: faster) trip.

One Mistake That Could Work In Your Favor

We all make mistakes, and this applies to major airlines as well. Every so often, carriers accidentally publish fares much lower than the actual intended cost of the flight. If you can snag these ‘mistake fares’ while they’re still live, you could score an incredible deal. Rather than staying glued to the screen in hopes of coming across a mistake airfare by chance, there are multiple services that will send you automated emails when these fares are published. Check out our guide on How to Score Premium Airfare Deals to learn how to stay on top of the best fares for your flight.

Traveling? Aim for a Carry-On That Does MORE

Three words: lightweight, durable, & multi-functional. The Bigger Carry-On from Away makes traveling that much easier, especially with its removable, TSA-approved battery for your electronics.

This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. Heather Greenwood Davis, Sarah Pascarella, Josh Roberts, Sarah Schlichter, and Margaret Leahy also contributed to this story. Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The post 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Booking a Flight appeared first on SmarterTravel.

If you’ve ever tried to navigate in a place where your phone has weak or no celluar service, you probably wished you could take advantage of offline phone GPS. Fortunately, you can: GPS signals are raining down around us at all times, and your phone can connect to them without any real reliance on your cellular company, impact on your data plan, or dependence on the phone mode you are in. These signals are free for all of us to use, so long as we have the right apps and a device with which to connect.

In fact, you can even use an older, retired phone as a GPS unit, so long as the apps will still run on the operating system. Then, once you get back to civilization, your regular smartphone will still be fully charged and ready to go.

How Accurate Is My Phone GPS Without Data?

Most of the apps I have used measure GPS coordinates to tenths of a second, which is accurate within four to 11 meters, depending on where on the planet you are plotting (accuracy improves as you move toward the poles).

If that isn’t close enough, technology is in development that will make some phones accurate to within 10 centimeters.

You Don’t Have to Be Offline to Use a Phone as GPS

Many of the most popular uses for GPS are for folks who are off the grid without access to Wi-Fi or cellular connections, but the technology’s usefulness is not limited to the backcountry by any means. First, we all know that cell coverage is hardly ubiquitous even in developed areas; heck, my kid’s central New Jersey soccer practice field shows “no service” so often that some parents drive a mile down the road during practice to connect.

Another benefit is preserving battery life; GPS uses are particularly beneficial when you are doing things in areas where cellular service is available but poor, which causes your phone to burn up battery life trying to connect. Using offline phone GPS can also help you conserve data. This is useful when traveling abroad, where data plans are often costly and limited.

Finally, many location-based apps gobble up data voraciously. Your phone’s GPS tracking allows you to use them in offline mode, incurring no data penalty so long as you preload maps and information while connected to Wi-Fi.

Certainly, your cellphone can do more without a cell connection than you might think; here are five of the best.

Track Your Flight in Real Time

Let’s start with my favorite way to use phone GPS without data: to track the flight I’m on in real time. There are a few apps that do this, but I use Flyover Country, created by University of Minnesota researchers and funded by the National Science Foundation.

The app offers options to view road maps, terrain maps, and satellite maps, including information on geology, underwater core samples, mammal and dinosaur fossils, and landscape features for various destinations as you pass over them in flight.

To use the app you need to input and preload all the data along the route while still on a Wi-Fi or cell connection. Then, once you go into airplane mode, all that information is available as you fly, along with your ground speed and altitude.

You’ll need a window seat for this to work well; in fact, on some flights I have found that I had to have the phone almost against the window to obtain and hold a reliable GPS signal.

Go Backcountry Hiking

Smartphones are becoming go-to tools for many hardcore backcountry travelers, who can spend days or even months out of range of cellular signals. Many find phones more space- and weight-efficient than dedicated GPS units, particularly since phones can take photos, too.

This excellent how-to guide makes a compelling case for a smartphone as your go-to GPS tool. It includes some very good battery life management tips, noting that some phones can last five to 10 days without a charge with careful use.

A few of the best backcountry navigation apps include Gaia GPS, AllTrails, iPhiGeNie, and ViewRanger.

Track Your Fitness

A booming number of fitness applications work with offline GPS, including MapMyRide, Strava, MapMyRun, Runkeeper, and MapMyFitness. For most of these, using your phone GPS without data will allow you to track your run, walk, hike, or other outing offline. While you need a connection to take advantage of some of the apps’ features, using them on GPS-only mode preserves on battery life and data usage, which can be a helpful upside when you are tracking long bike rides or runs.

Fitness Armband for Your Phone

The most quintessential time to save data and money is during your workout, complete with a robust armband of course.

Note Your Exact Location

There are all kinds of ways this can be useful, such as saving your spot in an airport parking lot or sharing your location with someone else to facilitate a meetup. I know folks who have used GPS coordinates on their phones to mark and/or share things like trailheads, campsites, turn-offs for dirt roads, fishing spots, waterfalls, and abandoned ruins.

The free My GPS Coordinates app (available for iOS and Android) has functions to email or text your coordinates directly from the main screen, and even shows the accuracy of the GPS signal (it tracks my office desk within 16 to 33 feet depending on signal access).

To share locations you obviously need connectivity, but you can log them using GPS and then share or recall them later.

Use Mapping Apps Offline

Finally, there are heaps of full-featured offline mapping applications, including the ubiquitous Google Maps and Apple Maps. Many of these are unfortunately somewhat limited when it comes to GPS-only navigation; Google Maps, for example, allows you to pre-download a 50-square-kilometer map for temporary offline use, which will help in some situations but isn’t much use on a longer road trip. To find alternatives, see 10 Best GPS App and Navigation App Options for Android and The 5 Best Offline GPS Apps for iPhone.

Cell Phone Car Mount

Make navigation a little safer with a car mount stand, adaptable to almost all smartphone sizes.

Ed Hewitt is a seasoned globetrotter who brings you a biweekly glimpse into the latest travel news, views, and trends—and how they could affect your travel plans.

The post No Signal? 5 Ways to Use Your Phone GPS Without Data appeared first on SmarterTravel.

For example, whether there’s a pandemic or a natural disaster out of your control, trip cancellation insurance doesn’t cover cancellation under every possible circumstance: To qualify for those, you must purchase a “cancel for any reason” add-on.

If there’s ever a time to read the fine print, purchasing travel insurance is it. Don’t take my word for any of the following, or the word of the person selling you the policy, or the sales page of the insurance company’s website—read the contract for yourself. It will be an enlightening experience.

The old adage “you get what you pay for” tends to apply here. Less expensive insurance packages typically include less comprehensive coverage.

Below are 18 things travel insurance coverage usually doesn’t include. For purposes of clarity, most apply to the highest tiers offered by most insurance companies; that is, most of these travel insurance exclusions apply to even the most comprehensive policies. In some cases you can purchase special add-ons to cover these exclusions. Ask when purchasing.

Health Crises (Like Pandemics) That Begin Before You Purchase

As with natural disasters, trip insurance may generally cover losses due to global health emergencies, but you must make the purchase before the crisis is a “known event.” The date from which the event is “known” varies depending on the insurance company; for example in 2020 with COVID-19 it was largely January 21 through 27. Most travel insurance policies won’t cover cancellation due to fear of a pandemic, so if you want to use insurance to protect your payments—particularly nonrefundable airfares—make sure it’s a “cancel for any reason” policy.

With nonrefundable air tickets, your recourse is either to rely on the airline’s generosity (some do waive fees in times of emergency) or buying cancel-for-any-reason insurance. Most policies exclude “foreseeable” contingencies, or existing threats like already-known pandemics.

Losses Due to Pre-Existing Conditions

Travel insurance coverage does not extend to most pre-existing medical conditions, and the definition of “pre-existing” often depends on the timing of when you are diagnosed and when you purchase your travel insurance—with a so-called “look-back period” that is usually 60, 90, or 180 days prior to the day you purchase your insurance.

In short, your travel insurance does not cover losses due to conditions for which there were either symptoms or treatment during the look-back period. You will be covered for losses due to so-called “stable” conditions for which no change in treatment or symptoms has occurred.

Say you’ve had arthritis for several years, with no major flare-ups or medication changes in the past six months. In this case you would likely be covered if you had an intense, debilitating flare-up during your trip. But if you had been having trouble with the condition in the months leading up to your vacation, your trip insurance would be unlikely to cover any losses related to your arthritis unless you purchased a specific add-on.

Natural Disasters That Begin Before You Purchase Insurance

Trip insurance generally covers losses due to hurricanes or tropical storms, but you must make the purchase before the storm is named. Similar conditions typically apply to other natural disasters; if you buy a policy after a volcano starts erupting, for example, you won’t be covered for any losses related to that volcano’s activity.

Dental Care

Routine dental care is not included in travel insurance coverage, although dental trauma may be under some circumstances. One policy I reviewed provides coverage only for damage to “sound natural teeth,” for example.

Losses Due to Mental or Emotional Disorders

Most travel insurance policies do not cover claims involving psychiatric or emotional disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression. (In rare cases policies may cover these conditions if hospitalization is required.)

Travel for Medical Procedures

Most trip insurance will not cover issues that arise for those traveling specifically to get medical treatment (such as procedures available overseas that are not available or are too expensive at home).

Pregnancy and Childbirth

If you are pregnant and give birth while traveling, your travel insurance coverage generally will not include childbirth expenses. You might, however, have coverage for complications associated with pregnancy or childbirth. This is one to check carefully in advance if you’re planning to travel while pregnant.

Risky Activities and Sports

Active travelers, take note: Many travel insurance policies exclude losses due to adventure sports such as bungee jumping, backcountry skiing, snowboarding, rafting, caving, sky diving, scuba diving … you get the idea. Some policies take this even further, applying exemptions for any sports involving bodily contact. (That means your kid’s football tournament might not be covered.) If you’re planning an active vacation, carefully check the terms of your policy before committing.

Some of Your Favorite Stuff

Baggage delay, damage, and loss policies don’t cover everything in your bags. Common travel insurance exclusions include glasses, hearing aids, dental bridges, tickets, passports, keys, cash, and cell phones. In some cases these items are covered but only up to a certain dollar limit, so if you have multiple expensive electronic items (such as a laptop, a tablet, and a cell phone), you might not have enough coverage to pay for the loss of all such items.

Bad Weather

Travel insurance tends not to cover weather that limits your activities on a trip. For example, you’re covered if the weather is bad enough to delay or cancel your flight, but not if it pours during a jungle hike. And unless you bought a “cancel for any reason” rider, you can’t call off your beach vacation just because the forecast calls for rain and clouds.

Flights Purchased with Miles

Most policies do not cover flights purchased with miles or points. They may cover associated fees if you decide to cancel or change an award fare, however.

Security Delays or Overbooked Flights

According to travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth, your policy typically won’t protect you if you miss a flight due to long airport security lines, or if you’re bumped from an overbooked flight and miss a subsequent connection or cruise departure.

Lost Reservations or Double-Booked Accommodations

It’s also important to note that travel insurance coverage doesn’t include certain lodging snafus. A lost hotel reservation will have to be taken up with the company or travel agent that lost it. And if you find someone else in the vacation rental you reserved, you’ll have to take it up with the site through which you booked.

Accommodations That Aren’t as Expected

An accommodation that’s a lot less desirable when you arrive than it looked to be online generally isn’t covered by travel insurance. Researching accommodations on review sites like Tripadvisor falls on you. The exception is if your hotel or vacation rental is uninhabitable due to a natural disaster, structural damage, or the like.

Ticket Scams

If you find your event or sightseeing excursion ticket turns out to be fake, typical travel insurance won’t cover you, says Squaremouth. Make sure you’re using a trusted ticket or tour outlet.

Last-Minute Changes

If your cruise line or tour operator makes a last-minute itinerary or excursion change, travel insurance typically won’t cover any travel issues caused by it, unless it involves complete curtailment. You can try contacting the operator responsible for the changes about compensation.

Anything for Which You Lack Documentation

If you don’t have a solid paper trail for all causes and costs involved in your claim, your chances of reimbursement plummet. Keep records like your wallet depends on it.

Anything NOT in the List of Covered Items

Travel insurance works largely by inclusion of items specifically noted to be covered, and anything not mentioned is likely not covered. If you have a concern that you don’t see listed in the fine print, contact the travel insurance company to see if you can purchase an appropriate add-on.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. Ed Perkins contributed to this story.

The post Travel Insurance Coverage: 18 Things Your Policy Won’t Cover appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Mexico is a vast country, with heaps of beautiful and interesting places to see, and some 28 million Americans safely travel there each year. To help you plan your own trip, I’ve gathered some of the safest places to visit in Mexico, complete with information on why you should go and where to stay.

The Safest Places in Mexico

Keep in mind that incidents can happen even in the safest places in Mexico, and destinations that don’t appear on this list could still be great spots for a vacation. No matter where you go while traveling abroad, you’ll want to follow common-sense rules such as drinking only in moderation, getting a cab instead of wandering around after dark, and leaving your valuables at home.

Mexico City

Despite a longstanding reputation as a dangerous city to visit, Mexico City only has an advisory to exercise increased caution, and for good reason; the downtown core in particular is considered quite safe, and the city has numerous attractions for visitors—including street art, colorful markets, and more than 150 museums.

Where to Stay: The small, beautifully decorated Nima Local House Hotel is one of the best luxury hotel options in the city. For a more affordable option, consider the Chillout Flat Bed & Breakfast, which earns plaudits for friendly service and homemade granola.

Nima Local House

Chillout Flat B&B

Tulum

As Playa del Carmen has been the site of some troubling violence in the past, the coastal town of Tulum to the south may be a safer alternative. It is also less touristy than other resort towns on the Yucatan Peninsula, offering well-preserved ruins of the former Mayan city walls and other historic structures right in town. The State Department has explicitly stated there are no restrictions on travel to Tulum or to Chichen Itza, the magnificent archaeological site just an hour up the road.

Where to Stay: Guests appreciate the clean, comfortable rooms and fast Wi-Fi at the centrally located Posada Luna del Sur.

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Huatulco

A beach town located in Oaxaca to the southwest of Puerto Escondido, Huatulco offers tons of water activities such as snorkeling and scuba diving, some nearby surf spots, and tours of coffee farms to boot. Huatulco is considered one of the safest places in Mexico.

Where to Stay: For an indulgent resort experience you can’t do much better than Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa, where amenities include multiple swimming pools and tennis courts, yoga classes, watersports, and nine restaurants.

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Merida and Valladolid

Gerardo Tanaka Pacheco, Senior Account Executive for MSL Group, the public relations firm for VisitMexico.com, recommends these two towns as great alternatives to other nearby tourist hot spots. “A lot of people go to Playa del Carmen and Tulum, but on the Yucatan Peninsula there are these two beautiful colonial cities that are so welcoming, colorful, and full of traditions that travelers won’t regret visiting them,” he says.

Merida is a walking-friendly town that is connected to Chichen Itza by a toll road, which is considered the safest way to travel in Mexico if you are driving. The Mayan influence remains strong here, and the area has its own style of cuisine that diverges considerably from what you will find in other parts of Mexico.

Midway between Merida and Cancun is Valladolid, a colorful and friendly city that’s within easy driving distance of several beautiful cenotes.

Where to Stay: In Merida, consider snagging a poolside room at the Luz En Yucatan. In Valladolid, you can’t go wrong at the centrally located Hotel Posada San Juan.

Luz En Yucatan

Hotel Posada San Juan

Bacalar

Pacheco says that Bacalar, also on the Yucatan Peninsula, is “an amazing place, kind of unknown and definitely uncrowded. This is one of my favorite secrets spots in Mexico; the lagoon there is unbelievable.”

Called the Lake of Seven Colors, the lagoon stretches for 42 kilometers and is fed by underground rivers. Like Todos Santos mentioned below, Bacalar holds the official designation as a “Pueblo Magico,” or Magical Town, due in large part to the lagoon. In addition to being one of the safest places in Mexico, Bacalar is also very affordable.

Where to Stay: At the Bacalar Lagoon Resort, you can get a view of the lake right from your cabana.

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Campeche

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the western coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Campeche is a walled Spanish colonial city that has been superbly restored. The walled center is somewhat of a museum piece, but the life of the town surrounding it might even be the main attraction. There are also significant Mayan ruins in the state of Campeche, of which the city is the capital; these aren’t as well known as the famous ruins to the east, and as such they’re less crowded.

Where to Stay: Try for a balcony room or suite at the modestly priced Hotel Socaire.

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Queretaro

Queretaro’s streets are a wondrous mix of old and very old, as grid-like Spanish streets connect to the pre-Hispanic winding lanes from the time of the Otomi. From rock climbing and art galleries to architecture sightseeing, there is a ton to do in this central Mexican city.

Where to Stay: La Casa del Atrio, across from the Museo de Arte, is both popular and affordable.

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Todos Santos

This surf town in Baja California Sur features world-class waves and lots of natural beauty—and it’s just far enough north of touristy Cabo San Lucas to offer respite from the crowds. Todos Santos is slowly becoming more popular, but its stone streets and uncrowded beaches have earned it the official Pueblo Magico designation.

Where to Stay: La Poza Boutique Hotel & Spa has a fantastic oceanfront location at very reasonable rates.

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The post The 8 Safest Places in Mexico for Travelers appeared first on SmarterTravel.