10 Tips for Forgetful Person When Traveling

1. Make a Copy of Your Travel Documents and Store Them in a Safe Place

The first tip for a forgetful person when traveling is to make a copy of your passport, ID, and travel documents and store them in a safe place, such as your email, cloud, or a trusted friend. This can help you in case you lose or forget your original documents and need to prove your identity or get a replacement.

Losing your passport, ID, or travel documents can be a nightmare when you are traveling. You can face delays, fines, or even legal troubles. You can also miss your flights, trains, or buses. That’s why it’s important to have a backup of your documents in case something goes wrong.

You can make a copy of your documents by scanning them or taking photos of them. You can then store them in a safe place like your email, cloud service, or a trusted friend. Additionally, you can print them out and keep them in a separate place from your originals. This way, you can access them anytime and anywhere, and show them to the authorities or the embassy if needed.

2. Make a Detailed List of Your Carries

Because they are confident in their memory, many people do not write a list of things to bring with them, thinking “going out is nothing serious”. As a result, there are many cases of carrying missing items, or bringing them and leaving them in hotels, on trains, and getting lost.

To avoid this risk, you just need to spend a little time making a necessary list for the trip: belongings, gifts or items to buy, places to go (with prices and times), types of tickets (train tickets, sightseeing tickets), and money to spend. You can save the list on your mobile phone and save a copy online so you can easily read it on other devices.

3. Arrange Your Belongings Intelligently

Packing and organizing for a trip is fun and easy if you take the time to learn a few basic packing tips. To avoid having to remember too much, and also avoid confusion and omissions, minimize your trip luggage. When packing luggage, divide them into different groups and wrap them in smaller packages before placing them in the suitcase. For example, socks and towels come in a separate package, underwear in one package, charging cords, headphones, and spare batteries in one package, jewelry and accessories in one package, and all personal hygiene items in a toiletry bag.

When you arrive at the hotel, if you need something, just open the package, instead of unpacking the entire suitcase and spreading it all out in the middle of the room. Unused belongings are still in the suitcase, so when you move to your next destination you won’t have to rummage through your suitcase to check and try to remember if anything is left or not. You can easily buy small bags specialized for packing travel items online, with a variety of materials, with zippers, for only a few tens of dollars, and can be reused many times.

4. Save Your Hotel Information

This is a basic operation that you should do every time they come to a hotel. By saving the hotel’s address, phone number, chat account on social networks, and a photo of the hotel sign, you will easily tell the taxi driver or ask for directions when you need to find the hotel. In cases where you need hotel staff or owners’ help, you can call or send a text message to them.

Previously, most hotels had business cards to give to tourists. Now you just need to take a photo or save their fan page link on your phone to easily contact them.

5. Download City Maps and Travel Guides Onto Your Phone or Use Offline Maps

Another useful tip for forgetful person when traveling is to download city maps and travel guides onto your phone or use offline maps to navigate without an internet connection. This can help you find your way around and discover interesting places without relying on your memory or asking strangers.

Downloading city maps and travel guides can save you time and money, as well as provide you with valuable information and tips. You can find out about the best attractions, restaurants, museums, and more. You can also plan your itinerary and bookmark your favorite places. Some of these apps also have reviews, ratings, and photos from other travelers, which can help you make better decisions.

Using offline maps can also be a lifesaver when you are traveling. You can download the maps of the places you are visiting before you leave, or when you have WiFi access. Then, you can use them to navigate without using data or roaming charges. You can also search for nearby places, get directions, and see your location. Some of these apps also have voice guidance, which can be helpful if you are driving or walking.

6. Learn Some Common Phrases of the Local Language or Download a Translation App

One of the best tips for a forgetful person when traveling is to learn some common phrases of the local language or download a translation app to communicate with the locals. This can help you avoid misunderstandings and get directions or assistance if you get lost or forget something.

Learning a new language can also boost your memory and cognitive skills, as well as enrich your cultural experience. You don’t have to be fluent, but knowing how to say hello, thank you, please, and sorry can go a long way. You can also use flashcards, podcasts, or online courses to learn some basic words and phrases before you go.

If you are not confident in your language skills, you can always rely on a translation app to help you out. There are many apps that can translate text, speech, and even images in real-time. Some of them also work offline, which can be handy when you don’t have internet access. You can use these apps to ask for directions, order food, read signs, and more.

7. Set a Reminder and Take Notes on Your Phone

The reminder is just a secondary function of a cell phone, but it’s useful when you’re traveling because forgetting or getting confused is very common these days. Sometimes these mistakes cost you a lot of money when you have to change plane tickets, buy new train tickets, or tour tickets. Take advantage of your phone by scheduling all important activities on your trip: wake-up time, departure time, train check-in time, attraction entrance time or the start of a performance, and filming time. This is even more important when you travel in different time zones around the world. As for activities where you can comfortably take your time, just let your biological clock dictate.

8. Share Your Schedules

Before each trip, experienced travelers build a detailed itinerary that includes necessary information about airfare, train tickets, accommodations, opening and closing hours, ticket prices of attractions, and contact information for every place that you will come. To ensure this information is remembered and used effectively, you should share the schedule with every member of your group. Furthermore, you should send it to relatives at home, in case you need family support.

Be careful not to publicize your schedule on social networks, to avoid criminals taking advantage of your absence or tracking your activities.

9. Save Photos of Every Location

When arriving at a new tourist destination, even if you are prepared, you possibly cannot remember the route, the station location, or what the restaurant sign you want to try looks like. When entering large attractions, you may not be able to find the entrance gate, or remember the meeting place,… To support your brain, download photos of the places you are going, or take photos of the places you just went. Therefore, you can easily ask for directions when needed, and contact your companions when you can’t get online. This is truly one of the good tips for a forgetful person when traveling.

10. Always Carefully Check Every Time You Leave

Everyone sometimes forgets things when traveling. If there are important items such as passports, identification cards, or phones, you can get into big trouble just because of a moment of inattention. A small tip to reduce the risk of forgetting something is to always check it every time you leave.

Before getting off the plane, train, or taxi, look at all seats, floors, surrounding compartments, and ceiling drawers. Before leaving the hotel room, turn over the blankets and pillows to see if anything is missing, check under the bed under the chair, and look at the drawers in the room and bathroom. In public places such as park benches, toilets, restaurants, and cafes, just a few seconds of glancing around can help you avoid trouble due to forgetfulness. If traveling with many companions, remind the group to check their personal and shared belongings.

Final Thoughts and Tips

Traveling can be a wonderful experience, but it can also be challenging for the forgetful person. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead, organize your belongings, and use some tools and tricks to boost your memory. By following the 10 tips for forgetful person when traveling that we shared in this article, you can avoid common problems and enjoy your trip more. Remember to make a copy of your documents, save your hotel information, download maps and guides, learn some phrases, make a list, set reminders, share schedules, arrange belongings, save photos, and check every time you leave. These tips will help you stay on track, communicate better, discover new places, and create lasting memories. We hope you found this article helpful and informative. Happy travels!