Travel trouble-shooter Chris Elliot recently spoke to people who, although not vagabonders, travel a helluva lot for their work, and asked them what they have learnt from being on the road so frequently.

The reason I like the article is because it is practical advice. Some of it you might find pessimistic; I like to call it ‘keeping low expectations’. The article tells you what to watch out for and gives you some pointers on how to avoid certain issues, or how to make best of a problematic situation.

Here are a list of the tips (be sure to read the article full of anecdotes that explain the tips):

• Expect nothing.
• Be nice.
• Never pay cash.
• Travel light.
• Have a plan B.
• Be skeptical.
• Don’t trust a reservation.
• Enjoy the perks.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Keep a copy of your passport.

There is one I’d like to add:

Travel is full of surprises, go with the flow.