Anything you want to do requires a certain amount of skill. Fortunately, all skills can be learned, practiced, and improved. When I took a recent poll on my Instagram Stories, I gave a list of four article ideas, and this one came out on top by quite a majority. Apparently, everyone wants the skills to travel well! Here are the top seven that I use in my travels everywhere I go.

Fake It Till You Make It

This is number 1 on the list for a reason: It can save your life. When you look like you know what you’re doing and where you’re going, you don’t look like a target. Look at your map or ask for directions inside your hotel or a cafe, so that when you go outside, you have an idea of where to go and don’t need to look at your phone or a paper map—or worse, look like you’re lost or unsure of yourself. Even if you have no idea where you’re going, act like you do. 

Related: The 10 Best Travel Safety Tips from Around the World

Read a Map

Yes, you need to be able to read a paper map. Phones are great, map apps are super helpful, but the skill of reading a real map and the ability to find your way even when your phone dies is essential for every traveler. Google doesn’t know everything, and sometimes Apple Maps do not exist on the ground (ahem, Curaçao). At some point in your travels, you’ll need to go into Magellan mode and be able to read a map!

Need a tutorial, or just a refresher? How to Read a Map

Drive a Super Basic Vehicle

Do as I say, not as I do: Learn how to drive a stick shift. And also take it from our experiences: Have the ability to drive a car with no backup camera, no “Park,” and no power windows, locks, etc. Seriously, those cars exist! And they’re the type that are usually available on islands, but also elsewhere. It’s for the safety of you and those around you! Be able to drive a car without the “help” of modern conveniences and technology. 

Or avoid it altogether: The Best Cities in the World to Visit without a Rental Car

Stretch Your Wardrobe

Maybe you like to have options, but travel enough and you’ll quickly realize you do not, in fact, need three wardrobe options for every day of your trip! You can still have options, though. Mix and match, accessories, and capsule collections are all ways to change up your look without breaking your back (or checking a bag). Even the most fashionable travelers learn how to economize their wardrobe for trips of any length and occasion!

Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Travel Wardrobe

Do Sink Laundry

This one goes along with the tip above, but it warrants its own entry. The ability to do your own laundry on travel, whether in the sink, the shower, or spot cleaning on the go, is a skill travelers either have, or learn in real time. Sure, you can send your clothes to the hotel laundry service, but sometimes you don’t have time for that, you need what you need when you need it. My husband is way better at this than I am, but it’s something I’m working on! 

Bonus tip: Moisture-wicking fabrics are best for this!

Keep reading: My Top 10 Packing Hacks

See the Bright Side (even in the jet lag)

If you can’t see the humor or the sunny side of a given situation when you’re exhausted, frustrated, and unable to communicate with the people around you, that’s rough. But when you stay that way, you’re just making yourself miserable. It’s a relief to be able to laugh at yourself, and once you get through a rough patch, you could look back at it as a funny memory. You don’t have to be Pollyanna, but you do need to be able to see the bright side, especially when you think you don’t want to. 

More here: The Top 9 Habits of Successful Travelers 

Listen to Your Intuition

This one is last because people typically remember the last thing they hear or read in a list. Your intuition is your best safety mechanism. Learn to listen to your gut. If something feels “off” or not quite as it should, listen to that. This is not the same as paranoia, it’s intuition. It’s common to have lost your ability to hear your intuition, but you can re-learn. Just listen. Consciously make an effort to check in with your intuition. Call it a “gut check.” When travelers are out in the world, they stay safe because they know how to listen to their intuition.

Read next: Confessions of a Solo Female Traveler

Want more? Check out all your traveling essentials on my Travel Tips Page!

Love this post? Pin it for later!