Travel tips that won't leave you up sh*t creek without a paddle​​

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• Check your travel visa/s have been approved a couple of weeks before you fly. Michael's ETA visa to transit through Canada wasn't approved and we only realised the day before, and typically a new ETA visa application takes up to 3 days (or longer) to be approved so we got super lucky his new application went through super fast! No ETA = no boarding your flight. Also don't get scammed! Here are the official sites to apply for your Canadian ETA and American ESTA.
   

• Pay for the extra leg room seats for a long haul flight... they're worth their weight in gold. 
   

• Check the prices on the Business Class upgrades when choosing your seats for a flight or when checking in online. For some shorter flights it can actually be quite affordable (compared to the long haul flight costs). Having a Business Class ticket will get you access to the airline lounge where you can shower and have access to free food and drinks while you wait for your connecting flight or before you leave the airport. 
   

• Use a Travel Agent! Ours came to the rescue when Michael's visa wasn't approved (the day before we flew out) and we had absolutely no idea what to do or who to turn to. Ours gave us so many suggestions and was incredibly helpful. Shout out to Flight Centre for their help! 
   

• Buy your travel 'Airtag' from Temu if you're worried about losing your luggage. They're a fraction of the price of an Apple Airtag and do the same thing! You can browse them here. 
   

• Buy this bag! It's the perfect carry-on size, it's waterproof inside, water resistant on the outside, there's a compartment for your laptop, it's lightweight, comfortable to wear and has significant capacity for storing clothes. I bought it recently and will never look back!

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• Invest in travel insurance! It's worth it's weight in gold. You can get an annual policy which will cover you for all of your holidays throughout the year. This will even cover you for the local trips you take throughout the year like camping trips, weeks away at the coast etc. It's not just for those big international holidays.
   

• Invest in some quality, noise cancelling headphones. JBL do a great pair and they're super lightweight to travel around with. You'll be thanking yourself for them when you're sat beside a loud snorer or vocal baby on a long flight!
   

• Travel with a snuggly jumper (no matter what the climate is where you're travelling to). There's nothing worse than being on a flight with the blasting air-conditioning and numb fingers. AS Colour do the perfect snuggly jumper in my opinion. 
   

• Pack dissolvable electrolyte tablets in your carry-on luggage for your flight. They're great for keeping yourself hydrated between the minimal cups of water you'll get from the airline throughout your transit. Also take an empty water bottle through security to fill on the other side - this will mean you have a nice big bottle of water to get you through the flight rather than a cup here or there. 
   

• Book airport transfers. They're super easy to arrange through your Travel Consultant, if not - Discova Travel are a great company to use. It means after a long flight you can walk straight to your driver and be driven straight to your hotel. There's no mucking around finding a cab and trying not to get ripped off.