Meet Lexie Alford. She has a life that many may envy because she’s the youngest person EVER to have visited all 196 countries on the globe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5IZ4ggnuOF/

Yeah, that’s right… she’s just 21 years old and holds the Guinness World Record holder for traveling.

So how’d she do that? Well, her family owns a travel agency, and by the time she turned 18, she had already visited 72 countries. She got to see the rest of the world by working as a travel consultant and by funding a few trips with sponsorships. She has a blog and is working on a book.

So, when she decides to share some of her tips for making travel easier and more fun, we should pay attention.

Scroll through these travel hacks from an expert who logs 200,000 to 250,000 miles in the air every year and make your next trip easier on your body and soul.

1. Obtain two passports for your country.

Having a couple of passports will come in handy if you have to obtain visas for more than one country on a single trip. Embassies in places that are hard to get into, like those in the Middle East and West Africa, will keep your passport for weeks while you wait for the visas. To get a duplicate, take your passport, travel plans and air tickets to the passport office. Show them how your plans will be derailed by having only one passport. You’ll get a spare to avoid these kinds of conflicts.

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2. Send an email to your destination hotel to ask how much taxi fare is from the airport.

Show the email to your driver if your fare looks too high. It’s common for taxi drivers to hike up prices illegally for foreigners.

If the driver argues with you, go in your hotel where you can get help.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

3. Maximize your carry-on allowance

If you find yourself over the weight limit at the counter, wear some of your clothes and pack a vinyl duffel or shopping bag to use for the rest of the overage. Then, you’ll be able to board.

Also, don’t get too chatty with the agents about what you’re carrying.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

4. Women should always carry a light-weight, long-sleeved, button down shirt.

This can be used as a jacket and for layering. If you’re wearing shorts, tie it around your waist to cover your thighs if you get uncomfortable with any attention you’re receiving.