Brent and Michael's Secret Travel Hacks, Part 25!

Get those damn museum bracelets off, shop at Costco as a non-member, earn a high return on *safe* investments, get a better bidet, cancel those auto-renews for good, and always get a cheap massage.

On the banks of Travel Hack River!

One more edition of our unusual travel hacks!

For other travel hack columns, go to Part Thirteen and Part Fourteen and Part Fifteen and Part Sixteen and Part Seventeen and Part Eighteen and Part Nineteen and Part Twenty and Part Twenty-One and Part Twenty-Two and Part Twenty-Three and Part Twenty-Four.

Here are our latest hacks:

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In a previous column, I debated the pros and cons of sleeper cars on trains — and how it can be a good travel hack when your transportation costs include the cost of one night’s lodging.

Don’t forget ferries! Some ferry routes with boats that include reasonably priced accommodations are:

• Mainland Europe to Ireland or England.

• Athens to various Greek Islands.

• South Korea to Japan.

• Various Northern European routes, including Sweden, Lithuania, Germany, and Poland.

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You know how it can be almost impossible to remove the reinforced plastic wrist-bands from museums, concerts, and the like?

The key to easily removing it is to flip the band over on your wrist. The adhesive strip connecting the two sides of the band will immediately become visible. Then simply peel the two sides apart!

h/t Lori Grant

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When booking lodging online, always experiment with different lengths of the stay, even if your schedule is fixed.

Almost everyone knows that online lodging platforms often give you discounts for “longer” stays: a modest discount for a week or more, and a more substantial discount for a month or more (usually at least 28 days). Even if you’re only staying six or twenty-six days, it can sometimes be cheaper to book the place for the entire “week” or “month” — and then simply leave early.

But most people don’t know that many cities charge hefty taxes for “short-term” stays, which are usually defined as either 30 or 90 days. So if you’re staying for 28 days or 86 days, be sure to experiment with 31-day or 91-day stays, and you might be rewarded with a substantial discount!

h/t Sylvia Johe Diamant at Eat, Walk, Learn.