The 7 Best Travel Hacks to Save Time and Money

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Earplugs. A good pair has saved my sleep and sanity many times!"

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

Travel Motto: "Don't be boring."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle (when the first class private suite isn't available)."

E-mail her at [email protected].

See recent posts by Caroline Morse Teel

If you’ve ever gone to bed the night before an early flight and thought to yourself, “I’ll pack in the morning,” this story is for you. Make the boring parts of travel (like packing and organizing) easier by following these travel hacks for lazy people.

Don’t Unpack Your Suitcase

The things you need only while you’re traveling should stay in your suitcase when you’re at home. I leave my neck pillow, adapter, and other travel-only items in my suitcase at all times—it saves storage space, and I don’t have to rummage around for them when it’s time for my next trip.

As a bonus, this trick means that I have fewer things to unpack when I return home—perfect for those feeling lazy after an awesome adventure.

Get TSA Pre-Check

Who wants to deal with the hassle of taking off shoes and digging out liquids at airport security? Not lazy travelers. If you have TSA Pre-Check you can save time and aggravation by keeping your shoes on and your liquids in your bag.

Be Last On, Last Off the Plane

If you don’t need overhead space, being the last one to board a plane and the last one to get off is an excellent lazy travel hack. You can relax at the gate, charging your phone or sending last-minute emails while everyone else stands in line and elbows each other. When it’s time to get off the plane, you can chill in your seat while other flyers stand in the aisle for twenty minutes trying to deplane. Of course, only attempt this if you’re in a window seat, otherwise, you might be delaying people that really need to get out of the plane.

Save a General Packing List

Use our Ultimate Packing List or create a note on your phone next time you’re packing that lists everything you’re bringing. You may have to swap out a swimsuit for a business suit, but the standard essentials (toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.) will stay the same, and you can see at a glance what you need to bring.

Use a Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus

You’ll see Hop-On, Hop-Off tour buses in most cities around the world, and they’re a great way to orient yourself in a new destination. Buying a pass might be worth it since you can use them outside of the standard tour when you’re feeling too lazy for public transit or too cheap for a taxi—if you’re heading somewhere near one of the bus stops, hop aboard instead of walking. You’ll save cab fare and your feet.

Book an All-Inclusive Resort

Some may call all-inclusive resorts “lazy,” but others call them “relaxing.” If the idea of laying on a beach and having unlimited food and drinks brought to you sounds more appealing than appalling, then go ahead and book yourself an all-inclusive for your next vacation. You won’t have to worry about researching where you eat, figuring out how to get places, or organizing activities on your own—the resort will do it all for you.

Buy a City Pass

Most major cities offer some type of city pass for visitors, which usually includes museum admissions, public transportation access, and entrance to popular tourist attractions. These passes not only save you money but also time and planning—you won’t have to figure out how to buy tickets on your own or waste time standing in line.

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

You Might Also Like:

• The 11 Best Tour Group Travel Tour Companies for 2025
• The Best Places to Retire in 2025
• The 7 Most Affordable Transatlantic Carriers
• What to Pack for the Caribbean: 35 Essentials
• The Best Travel Gift Ideas for Men

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.