While many of us travel to relax, it often comes with its share of stressful situations. Whether it relates to unexpected costs or unforeseen obstacles, it could hinder the memories of an otherwise awesome trip. Here are some travel hacks and tips that made my life easier.

1. Dodge fees for Wi-Fi at airports, cafes and restaurants by looking up their page on Foursquare or Yelp. You could often find the network passwords in the reviews or posts.

2. Avoid a horrific experience at an overseas barbershop or hair salon by keeping a detailed picture of a fresh haircut on your phone. Dealing with a new barber is generally risky enough, but when you’re in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, the chances are high that it’s not going to turn out the way you wanted it to. Don’t let your family and friends wonder why you’re wearing a hat in all the trip photos.

3. Escape being kicked off your flight by having proof of onward travel if flying on a one way ticket. When I was flying from Hong Kong to Tokyo, they actually didn’t let me board unless I showed the staff at the check in counter that I had an outbound flight booked out of Japan. I was forced to purchase a ticket on the spot, which was much more expensive than if I bought it in advance. This happened again when I was trying to fly to Bali! To prevent this from happening in the future, I learned that there are websites out there that can provide you with a copy of an imitation outbound airline ticket that can be used as evidence for onward travel in the eyes of check-in agents. Check out www.bestonwardticket.com for more information.

4. Get the most value out of travel reward miles by saving them for one way flights or last minute trips. For loyalty programs such as Aeroplan, the amount of points required for flights are the same no matter how late you book it. If you were to purchase a last minute flight with cash, it usually costs significantly more than when booking in advance. Another advantage of reward miles is that one way flights only require 50% of the points of a return ticket. If you purchase a ticket with cash, a one way ticket usually costs much more than half of a return ticket.

5. Prevent being left with unwanted currency or poor conversion rates by exchanging your money before departing from a country. I made the mistake of leaving Albania with a ton of cash leftover and I have yet to come across a currency exchange place that would take it.

6. Score free food, drinks and Wi-Fi by purchasing access to airport lounges. A number of airports have lounges that are open to the public for a fee. Sometimes these fees are just a tad more than what it would cost for a meal at the airport anyways, but you’ll get to enjoy it in a comfortable setting. For example, access to the lounge at the Tirana airport was only fifteen Euros and it was the only place with air conditioning!

7. Take your favourite drinks through airport security by freezing it. Although I personally have yet to try this, a friend I met in Europe said that he was successful in sidestepping the carry-on liquid restrictions. According to the TSA website, as long as it’s completely frozen at time of screening, it’s allowed. Here’s the exact excerpt:

Frozen liquid items are allowed through the checkpoint as long as they are frozen solid when presented for screening. If frozen liquid items are partially melted, slushy, or have any liquid at the bottom of the container, they must meet 3-1-1 liquids requirements.

If you decide to give this a try, let me know how it turns out!