The Best Travel Hacks for the Discerning Traveller

by Christopher O'Keeffe May 17, 2025

Never Queue with the Masses
If you’re still lining up like a schoolchild at the airport, you’ve already failed. TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, Fast Track — whatever your country’s VIP escape hatch is, obtain it. Bonus points if the lounge staff greets you by name. Double if you don’t even look at the boarding gate until someone comes to get you.

The 10-Second Hotel Room Audit
Before unpacking so much as a sock, inspect your room like a discreet MI6 agent. Location of the outlets, the scent of the pillows (distressingly underrated), water pressure, minibar stock — and above all, Wi-Fi speed. If any of these disappoint, channel polite entitlement and request an upgrade. You’re not being difficult — you’re setting standards.

Pack Like a Sartorial Spy
Black merino for stealth, uncrushable linen for charm, and one pair of shoes that can survive both Michelin dining and a border skirmish. Always carry one sartorial wildcard: a velvet blazer, silk scarf, or weather-inappropriate sunglasses. These make people remember you — which is often useful, occasionally dangerous.

The One-Bag Rule
Not because it’s practical — though it is — but because appearing unencumbered is a power move. A Rimowa cabin case or a battered leather duffel says: “I have taste, money, and possibly diplomatic immunity.” Anything that rattles, wrinkles, or requires ironing doesn’t belong in your orbit.

Decoding the Concierge
A good concierge is your oracle, fixer, and co-conspirator. Speak to them as if you’re in the same secret society. Ask where they go for a quiet drink, not where they send tourists. Tip well — not extravagantly, but memorably. The goal is to have them remember your name when you return next year with a different surname.

Eat Once with the Locals, Once with the Legends
On every trip, eat something that makes your accountant nervous and your cardiologist furious. But also hunt down that tiny, unlit place with four tables and no English menu. One feeds the soul, the other feeds the story.

Master the Art of the Discreet Exit
Never say goodbye loudly. Slip away from parties, meetings, and even cities with elegance. Your absence should be noticed only moments after you’re gone, preferably as someone lifts their glass and says, “Where did they disappear to?”

Airport Lounges Are a Mindset
It’s not just free prosecco and sad buffet curry. It’s a sanctuary of smugness. Use the time to plot your next move, write two thank-you notes, or update your enemies list. Bonus: lounges are where hotel loyalty reps lurk. Make eye contact, smile like you own three resorts.

Language is Leverage
Learn a toast, an insult, and an apology in every local language. In that order. Nothing diffuses tension like being able to say “I didn’t mean to spill red wine on your wife’s dog” in fluent Portuguese.

Travel Often, But Never Desperately
The discerning traveller moves through the world with curiosity, not compulsion. When in doubt, pause. Let the world invite you in rather than barging through its doors.

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