With the chaos around travel in the news, airports are set to get much busier. So with flyers wanting to make the holiday experience as seamless as possible, shortcuts are always welcome! And where to find them? No place other than TikTok! Infact, when leading airline Icelandair dug a little deeper on the platform, it found that videos tagged with #travelhacks have reach over one billion (1.3B) views collectively!
Icelandair has conducted a mini study on TikTok’s travel videos to find the most popular hacks and trends on the platform right now. And secondly, they have spoken to travel expert James Chapman from The Travel Counsellor to answer if they are actually worth doing or debunk them!
Here are TikTok’s THREE most popular travel hacks
- Using the Google translate app to scan signs and menus – A super handy way to quickly translate foreign signs and menus when travelling to a country where English is rarely used.
Credit: @itsgnochgnoch https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTRUpHaNQ/
Expert analysis from James: “The Google translate app is a huge life saver for people like me who just can’t seem to grasp other languages. I always try to learn some local words when I go to a new country, but always seem to struggle to remember them and feel like it’s impossible to learn everything. Thankfully, Google translate takes all the stress away. I have used it numerous times to read menus, get directions and I love the voice recording on the app, which will translate what you say in English to the chosen language. I would recommend everyone having this app on their phone when they go abroad to a country that speaks a different language.”
- Flight tracking for loved ones’ journeys – iPhone flight tracker hack (only for Apple) allows you to easily see where friends/family are on their journey.
Credit: @lostlikelou/ https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLtwD1g5/
Expert analysis from James: “Overall this flight tracking hack is perfect for pre-booked transfers and people who are picking you up from the airport, so they can avoid expensive parking and know when you will be arriving.
- Pack an extension lead instead of dozen adaptors – A simple and clever way to plug in multiple electronic devices without needing to take several plug adapters.
Credit: @liv.brooke.xx https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTRyRXHNy/
Expert analysis from James: “This is a brilliant hack. I always take an extension lead with me whenever I go on holiday abroad. The best thing is we all have them at home and with one adapter, it makes 4 charger points in one. This makes life so much easier and saves any issue over who gets to charge their phone first when you get back to the room after a day in the sun.
