Mum always said that if you had a change of knickers and a toothbrush, you could go anywhere. It’s not bad advice either because neither takes up much room in your handbag and both come in handy if you end up crashing at a mates’ or if you find yourself doing the ‘walk of shame’!

Pretty sure that’s not what Mum intended and I’m not admitting to taking that walk but it was sage advice for all those impromptu road trips we took to Queenstown or Alexandra as teenagers, because they seemed like a good idea at the time.

Knickers and a toothbrush are great if you crashing on a friend’s couch after a night out, but if you are embarking on travel or your big OE here are a few handy travel tips that I try to stick to:

Pack a pen

Yep, sounds obvious but it’s first on the list because surprisingly it one thing many people forget, I know this by the number of times a fellow traveller has asked to borrow a pen! Pack a few – in your luggage, carry-on, handbag and with your travel documents to fill out arrival cards on the plane. Not just for those postcards you buy and never send.

Pack a scarf

Yes, even if you are heading somewhere hot! Scarves have a myriad of uses and take up very little room in your luggage. If you’re stuck in an airport late at night and want to lie down on the floor, a scarf will offer a barrier between you and whatever is on said floor. They’re great for temples and religious areas where it’s respectful to cover your hair. You can use them as a wrap, at the beach, as a sarong or even as a mask of sorts amongst crowds or in areas of high pollution.

If you can’t carry it, you don’t need it

You need to think about where you are going and what you can pick up cheaply while you are there. Pack light and roll, roll, roll your clothes. You fit more in and the clothes don’t crease as much.

I always do a bit of an op-shop before going anywhere, especially if you can fill a bag with tops and t-shirts for $5 because you can get rid of things along the way and it also leaves room for anything you buy.

How big does your bag need to be? Even if you are only taking carry-on luggage, remember that different planes have different-sized overhead lockers. What fits in one, won’t in another. Also, trundler bags are great but not on cobblestones or up-and-down fights of stairs.

Recharge your life

Pack a power board along with your travel adaptor so that you can plug the power board in and have four or five sockets to recharge phones, laptops and any other devices. A great tip, thanks Col!

Remember to buy an adaptor before leaving your home country because you can’t guarantee, for example, a European Airport will stock an adaptor for a New Zealand plug.

If you are going to be in one area for a few weeks or longer, invest in a local phone charger. They are pretty cheap and trust me, it’s money well spent. You can pick up a European charger for between €4-7 and it’s particularly handy for charging your phone on trains and buses.

Finding free WiFi

There are heaps of places these days that offer free WiFi. In my experience airports and public libraries seem to have the best connectivity, use these places if you need to spend serious time on social media, FaceTime the family back home or download a bit of Netflix to watch later.

Book direct

You can pick up great deals booking flights and accommodation online. The various booking sites for hotels are perfect places to filter and find your ideal accommodation but it also pays to then visit the hotel website where you might secure an even better price, free breakfast or discounted meal by booking direct.

I’ve found some of the best deals for train travel, particularly in the UK and Europe on the company’s website. Save yourself some money by signing up for the loyalty programs and get access to better deals.