SOCIAL media is a great place for discovering hacks, but sometimes they don’t always work.
To save you the time and money, we have tried and tested some of the viral travel hacks that have popped up on our social media.
Whether it is grabbing an item you already have and using it for another purpose to save yourself some money or a specific product that can make travelling better, we know what works and doesn’t.
Tried and tested and would recommend
New toys for the journey
One of the best tips I’ve followed is to buy a couple of new toys and keep them out of sight until the plane journey, if you’re travelling with young kids.
Wiki sticks were recommended to me and went down a treat with my son.
Read more on travel inspo
You can mould them into different pieces of art, then pack them away for the next trip.
A small box of Lego works very well too, and you can even pick these up in duty free at most airports.
If you’re looking to save money, a kids’ magazine with several naff plastic toys on the front works equally well – they have often kept my child entertained for the journey and the whole trip.
CBeebies magazine, Lego magazine and Pokemon magazine have held attention for a particularly long time.
– Caroline McGuire, Head of Travel (Digital)
Snoozeband
Any hack that promises to improve sleep will pique my interest and the Snoozeband did not disappoint me.
Essentially, it makes using headphones much more comfortable, particularly when you are trying to catch some kip.
I’ve used my band on many overnight flights – and it’s pretty much the only way I can ensure I’ll get some shut eye.
It looks a little like a sweatband or running headband in that it’s made from elasticated material that wraps around the circumference of your head, over the ears.
Built into the band are two mini speakers that line up with your ears and connect to your device via Bluetooth.
They most definitely save you that horrible discomfort that you get with traditional earbuds or AirPods-style headphones, particularly if you are leaning on a surface trying to catch some Zs or even when on a pillow.
– Sophie Sweitochowski, Assistant Travel Editor
Have an iPad for holidays-only
We have an old iPad that my child is only allowed to use on holiday.
Before the trip, I download audiobooks and Netflix shows and he’s allowed to watch as much TV as he wants on the actual flight.
He also has some apps that he is allowed to use on the holiday.
A big favourite at the moment is Simply Draw, with video tutorials on how to draw different things.
– Caroline McGuire, Head of Travel (Digital)
Universal plug adaptors over single country ones
Plug adapters are a travel essential that often prove to be more frustrating than you’d think.
It’s difficult to remember which countries use which type, and even if you think you know, you can sometimes still end up packing the wrong one.
Some countries will catch you out, too.
For example, even though Switzerland is in Europe it doesn’t use the standard EU Type C plug – it uses the Type J instead.
So the easiest way I’ve found to get around all of this is by packing a universal travel adaptor.
One simple block with prongs that fold in and out depending on which plugs and sockets you’ll need to use – nice and easy.
I often leave one in my suitcase: readily prepared for the next trip, no thinking required.
– Jenna Stevens, Travel Reporter
Inflatable booster seats
Hiring a booster seat from a car rental company can be astronomically expensive, costing up to £15 a day.
But you can buy an inflatable booster seat by BubbleBum for under £40 and take it on multiple holidays for years.
You’ll make the money back in just one trip.
Plus it’s also helpful for if you take taxis to the airport or go on coach transfers.
– Caroline McGuire, Head of Travel (Digital)
Balloons to cover bottles
If travelling with liquids, my biggest worry is always, what if they leak?
But a while ago whilst carrying out my daily doom-scroll session, a video came up of a woman cutting the stem off of a balloon, just to be left with the bit that would have been the spherical part of the balloon.
She then stretched this over a bottle of fake tan.
I was sold, and sure enough on my next trip I tried it out and it worked.
A bag of 20 plus balloons will set you back a couple of quid, which is well worth it when you could be saving your suitcase from being an entire ooey-gooey mess.
– Cyann Fielding, Travel Reporter
TikTok underseat bag for budget flights
Ever since I had to fork out £65 in excess baggage fees at the Ryanair departures gate, I’ve made sure never to make that expensive mistake again.
I realised just before boarding that you can’t simply eyeball your travel backpack and hope for the best – especially since the eye-watering fee cost me more than my return flights to Dublin.
So when I saw the perfect underseat bag pop up on my TikTok For You Page – black, collapsible and barrel-shaped – I knew I had to grab it.
Since my purchase I’ve been able to stuff my new bag to the brim – and it still slides perfectly into the baggage sizer at the gate.
And at £11.99, this one-off purchase has saved an over-packer like me from endless extra luggage fees!
– Jenna Stevens, Travel Reporter
Ditching tours for Google Lens
A friend introduced me to the wondrous Google Lens a while back and it’s saved me hundreds on guided tours over the years.
Strolling around an unknown city and curious to know what a particular landmark is?
Snap it on your camera with Google Lens and it will be identified in a matter of seconds – and if you want to learn more about that monument’s story or historical significance, you can expand the description through use of Google’s integrated AI tools.
The Lens feature is built into the Google app, so it won’t take up an unnecessary storage on your phone.
It doesn’t just work on well known buildings either.
I often use it to identify unusual plants that I don’t recognise in tropical climates or even items of food and old artefacts in museums.
– Sophie Sweitochowski, Assistant Travel Editor
Packing cubes
If there is one thing I never do on holiday, I never check in a suitcase.
And trying all the hacks over the years, my failsafe?
The good old packing cube.
I’ve managed to cram in 10 days worth of clothes into just four packing cubes, which all fit into my hand luggage-size suitcases.
It also makes it so much easier finding my clothes, as everything is separated into tops, bottoms, jumpers and underwear.
You don’t need to spend too much on them either – certainly less than having to check in a suitcase, anyway.
– Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor
Solid shampoo and conditioner bars
If you’re anything like me, packing your liquids bag often feels like an impossible challenge of fitting a million make-up items into one tiny pouch.
And once you’ve got your mascara, concealer, foundation and perfume in there, suddenly there’s no more room for your actual shower essentials.
So instead of buying a large (and often more expensive than you’d hope) shampoo and conditioner abroad, I recommend packing a solid shampoo and conditioner bar.
These won’t affect your liquids allowance, which is especially great when you’re travelling with hand luggage only.
My personal favourites are from Lush – the Squeaky Green shampoo is packed with fragrant herbs and flowers, and the ‘Big’ conditioner leaves my hair beachy and shiny with a coconut oil and vanilla scent.
– Jenna Stevens, Travel Reporter
Free calculator currency converter
Trying to work out if that Moroccan souk bag is really a bargain? Not sure if that cheap glass of wine is really so cheap?
You don’t need any fancy currency converter apps.
Did you know that the iPhone calculator app can be used instead?
Simply click the button at the top right and change it from Basic to Convert.
And there we go – every currency you can think of at your fingertips, so you don’t end up paying £1,000 for that rug you thought was £100 instead…
– Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor
Tried and tested and wouldn’t recommend
Foot hammock
With an old knee injury, long haul flights in economy can be pretty unbearable.
So when everyone was raving about ‘foot hammocks’ which you can tie underneath the plane seat, I was intrigued.
The mini hammock is meant to raise your legs to a higher, more comfortable position to ease pressure on your knees and back.
However, I found it didn’t help at all, instead just making my feet slide together and feel even more crammed in.
My cheaper, easier hack?
Just put a small bag on the floor underneath the seat in front of you, and rest your feet on that instead. Voila.
– Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor
Mobile phone straps
A strap for your phone that hangs around your neck, allowing you to go hands free, sounds great. In reality, however, it falls short.
I don’t think you’ll ever feel fully secure parading one of your most valuable possessions around on display for the world to see, especially in city or festival environments.
The only thing standing between you and a thief is your neck.
And I’m not sure I’d fancy putting my neck on the line (quite literally).
The one time I did use a mobile strap, I found that I wasn’t able to wear it for long as my neck started to ache – and wearing it across the body, on one shoulder, defeats the purpose of having your phone easily accessible as I’d have to remove it from under my arm to use my device.
The one time I did find it useful was at a theme park, when on a roller coaster – although many places don’t allow this.
In general, though, a cross body bag is much more practical. You can carry a shed load more, too.
– Sophie Sweitochowski, Assistant Travel Editor
Elastic band phone strap
I love taking photos and videos on my phone when away, but in some spots I am stressed about losing it forever.
For example, let’s say you are on a boat tour and want to lean over the edge of the boat to take photos of the vibrant blue water.
The fear is that you’ll drop your phone in the sea, right?
Well, if you have an elastic band or hairband, you can loop this through the bottom of your phone case and pop it around your wrist for a makeshift wristband.
After seeing this on Instagram, I thought it was a great idea.
That was until the hairband snapped and my phone plummeted to the ground. Luckily, I wasn’t there.
– Cyann Fielding, Travel Reporter
Mini toiletries
So-called ‘travel-sized’ toiletries are not suitable for travel at all – unless you’re planning on only showering once on your holiday.
These often overpriced minis can set you back £3 to £5 per tiny bottle, or even more if you opt for the luxury brands.
I often find that I can only get one use out of mini shampoos and conditioners, especially when you have longer hair.
And when it comes to the mini spray deodorants, it soon seems like you’re only spraying air from these aerosols.
Other than the disappointing contents, these mini toiletries are also not the most sustainable option.
Plus it can save you both time and money to simply refill a set of reusable 100ml bottles each time you go away, rather than repeatedly fork out on minis.
It’s also worth checking the toiletries your hotel already provides ahead of time.
Most hotel bathrooms are stocked up with shampoo, conditioner and body wash as standard.
So once you’ve simply topped up your refillables with your holy grail products, you’re all set.
– Jenna Stevens, Travel Reporter
Paper to stop clothes creasing
When packing a suitcase, it is slightly heartbreaking to think the next time you open it you’ll see the clothes you meticulously packed, but now with loads of creases.
So you can imagine when I saw someone on social media saying that acid-free tissue paper helps to prevent clothes from creasing, I was thrilled.
You are meant to place a sheet between each folder layer of clothes and essentially, the paper acts as a buffer to stop creases.
Though, having now tried this a couple of times, it hasn’t worked for me.
In the future, I think I’ll stick to using the hotel iron…
– Cyann Fielding, Travel Reporter
Boarding the plane first
You know that announcement at the beginning of the flight that says families with young children can board first? Ignore it.
Unless you have masses of cabin suitcases and are worried about there being enough space on the plane, wait until the end of boarding to get onto the plane.
Because the last thing kids need is MORE time stuck in a seat.
I’d also add that if you’re child can possibly walk to the boarding gate, do away with the buggy and let them.
Because it will tire them out before the journey.
– Caroline McGuire, Head of Travel (Digital)
For more travel tips, here are The Sun’s Travel Editor’s top hacks for having the cheapest ever break with Hols From £9.50.
Plus, Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey has visited more than 100 cities – here are her nine ways to do it on the cheap from ‘alternative’ airports to cheap business hotels.