Top Tips for Vacation Planning

Is it just me or is vacation planning stressful sometimes? After experiencing a few stressful vacations in the past due to improper planning, I went ahead to compile a few useful tips to make my next getaway even better. In fact, my most recent vacation with friends took place in Seattle and this past experience has taught me so much about how to stay organized during vacation. If you're ever planning a vacation with your friends, family, or solo, here are a few top travel tips I would recommend to ensure that your next vacation will be a memorable and stress-free experience.

Lyft and Uber are your best friends.
As a shameless couponer and frequent discount code user, I save a ton of money on mobile apps and online checkouts all thanks to discount codes! Type "Uber discount codes" or "Lyft discount codes" into Google and you'd be surprised with just how many potential discount codes pop up. Additionally, I use both Facebook and Instagram to search up any discount codes that may be released during promotions or holiday sales. With just one discount code, I was able to save $50 on transportation fees for both my friends and I!

*Download Lyft with my referral code "MICHELLE90127".
*Download Uber with my referral code "michelles30341ue".

HotelTonight guarantees affordable hotel room deals, especially when booked last-minute.
The more you use HotelTonight, the more deals you score! There are three levels you can reach on the HotelTonight mobile app and I'm currently at Level 2. This specific level provides us with awesome discounts that new Level 1 users are not able to access. For example, a hotel that originally charged us $150 per night at Level 1 offered us a room at $108 per night as soon as we reached Level 2.

*Use discount code "MICHSUN" to receive $25 off your next HotelTonight booking.

Before your trip, bookmark places you want to visit on Yelp or compile an organized list of "to-dos" on a (shared) Google Doc.
A couple of days before our Seattle trip, we made a list of restaurants and tourist hot spots that we potentially wanted to check out. By preparing ahead of time, you avoid wasting away your vacation looking for a place to eat last-minute when you could have taken care of that business just a couple of days earlier. In addition to booking places we wanted to visit on Yelp, we also organized our list based on location (Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle, etc.) to make our Lyft/Uber trips more convenient.

Invest in a convenient and maneuverable suitcase.
A good travel bag will go along way when you are always on-the-go! Recently, I assigned Raden's A22 Carry as my primary suitcase and absolutely love its sleek matte design and 360 degree maneuverability. Carrying multiple bags throughout the airport, my Raden A22 was able to easily glide across the floor and made carrying my extra bags way less troublesome. I always add my heaviest backpack or purse on top of my Raden A22 since it carries the extra weight so easily. For added security, this bag comes with a TSA-approved numerical lock. Additionally, this luggage comes with a USB port to charge your devices. With all of these amazing features, this luggage is definitely a winner in my book! This specific luggage comes in SO many cute colors, but I decided to select matte black for a timeless and classic look. Purchase the A22 Carry here.

Always charge your devices overnight or bring an external battery charger.
Ain't nobody want to wake up to 10% battery life on your phone or camera when you're about to adventure around a new city. Do yourself a favor by investing in an external portable battery charger for your phone as well as charging your camera's battery overnight. On vacation, we tend to stay out longer than we plan to at times - sometimes, this may take a negative toll on the battery life of our devices.

I've been using my Jackery Bar Premium 6000 mAh External Portable Battery Charger for over 1.5 years now and it still works great! It lasts approximately three full battery charges and keeps my phone full of life when I'm constantly out of the house/hotel. Purchase my favorite external battery charger here.

Traveling or dining with friends? Add your friends on Venmo.
Goodbye to complicated IOUs and hello to Venmo! I've used Venmo for years now and absolutely love its convenient design and purpose. Venmo is a mobile app that sends/receives money to/from your friends and provides an effortless transaction that decreases everybody's stress levels during vacation. Assign one person to cover the entire dinner bill to avoid complicated numerical calculations, then have the rest of the party Venmo their respective dues to the payer. Splitting the bill has never been easier.

With these tips, I hope that your next vacation will be more organized than ever! Stay tuned for my future Seattle Travel Diary post that will consist of delicious Seattle restaurants, tourist hot spots, and more!

[Outfit Details]
Hat: Charming Charlie
Kimono: TheElephantPants
Necklace: Charming Charlie
Romper: TOBI
Heels: Shop IPPO

[Photography]
Ryan Chua from @ryanbyryanchua

Much Love,