Important Travel Tips for Successful and Unforgettable Trips
Traveling is fun. There’s no doubt to that! However, that is only when you know what you are doing. First of all, you have to keep in mind that people’s purpose of traveling differs individually. The purpose is very important because if you want to travel somewhere outside the country, then you must have the right documentation along with you. On top of this, you should have the right information regarding your traveling destination, accommodations, budget, activities, and other details that will make your trip successful.
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Traveling to a foreign destination can be a great deal of fun and it can be very difficult to plan for as well. Since you might have limited knowledge about a specific location, we are going to help you with all the basic things you must know before embarking on long distance trips. In this page, you will learn important tips and trick to know before, during, and after your trip to make it a lot more fun and unforgettable.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR YOUR TRIP
When planning for something, making a list of things to do before your trip would be beneficial. It’s best to create a checklist for your travel preparation. It’s important to check all things to make your trip fun and hassle-free. Here are things you may want to take into account before your trip.
Having all the important travel documents with you, of course, should be on top priority. It’s necessary particularly if you’re traveling abroad.
Make sure to scan and print all your documents and it would also be a good idea to have electronic copies of them, so in case you lose them, you know you can access them online and reprint them. These documents might include your visa, passports, identification cards, hotel accommodations, employment certificates, driving license, and other related documents.
When we are in another place, especially in a place that uses a different currency, we tend to be careless with our spending. Make sure you have enough money for your whole trip. If you want to get the cheapest flights possible, make sure to look at airline promos and plan of booking your airfare early on. It is also a good idea to plan how long you are going to stay in a specific place, that way, you can easily have an idea on how much you should spend while there.
It is also best to have a credit card that works internationally so if ever you get short on money, you know that you can survive until you get back home. Another tip you’ll be glad you know is that airport money exchange booths normally charge higher fees compared to those outside the airport, so if possible, avoid exchanging currency there. If you need money from the airport to get to your hotel, it is best to simply withdraw money from an ATM first, and then find a money exchange booth in town.
Banks do everything to protect their clients from theft. But if you are not careful, this may also lead to a big problem. When they detect transactions in a new country, they may think your card is used fraudulently and block it.
Once you inform your bank that you are flying to a specific location, they add a record to the account and you’ll be free to use your card there. This stops your “abnormal” spending arrangements from generating a block on the credit card.
If necessary, get vaccinated. Some countries have acquired diseases that you don’t want to get. While you may be immune to the diseases in your country, your body is not well-attuned with the countries.
Do research on which travel vaccinations you need for a specific country of destination and then schedule a doctor’s appointment approximately 4 to 6 weeks before your trip. Normally, vaccinations take about 4 weeks to take effects on the body. However, if you have failed to plan earlier, it’s still worth seeing an expert.
While a lot of people may look at it as a pointless expense, the idea of travel insurance is important especially for frequent travelers. It’s especially appropriate if you are planning to go to different countries where conditions might not be as steady and different from where you live. In these situations, you are able to get travel insurance as an additional protection for your international trips.
Insurance is aimed to give you a peace of mind. It’s there to help you when, hopefully not, something goes wrong. This is very important especially because medical costs abroad can be very outrageous. There are some risks or accidents that may cover your expenses. Most insurance companies offer coverage for unexpected medical emergencies or sickness, last-minute flight cancellation, stolen luggage, missed flights, and other unforeseen events that may ruin your trip.
You have many choices in terms of choosing the right bag for travel. Depending on the length of stay, your preference, and needs, here are the two most common types of traveling bag you can choose from:
What you bring and not bring can make or break your trip. Before you go on the trip, it’s important to know what you may need to make your trip easier for you.
These essentials add security and comfort to your trip. These travel essentials are available in different variety, so it would be a good idea to categorize them into 'must-haves' and 'good-to-haves' and make sure to prioritize the first group mentioned. It now depends on you how you are going to weight them. Below are some basic essentials you must consider bringing on your trip:
These are only basic things you need to keep in mind before your trip, there are definitely more you have to be aware of, but for now, keep this information to make your trip easier.
DURING THE TRIP
Safety Travel Tips
Traveling to both domestic and international destinations is exciting but can also dangerous when not done with caution. If you’re planning to explore several places that are not very familiar to you, then it’s best to apply safety measure all the time. Fun, exciting adventures aren’t just the main focus of traveling, you must also be wary of your safety. Below are some pointers you need to consider on your trip:
Traveling to new places, especially those party locations like Thailand, means meaning a lot of people, and that likely includes partying and drinking. However, hangovers are not the only thing you have to be concerned for. Drinking too much may lead to black outs or alcohol poisoning. On top of this, you must keep in mind that alcohol clouds your decision making and thoughts severely and makes bad decisions right. Always watch your consumption of alcohol and keep yourself at its normal states.
One of the safest ways to travel is to travel with someone so you can look after each other. Realistically, however, this is not possible for everyone since some people prefer to travel alone. So, how can you make sure you can get help when needed? Well, we cannot suggest trusting everyone you meet along your trip, but it would still be great to build a friendship with people you meet along the way. Of course, don’t fully trust them right away. It would also be smart to always keep your friends and family back home updated where you are, what you will do, and who are you with.
Before choosing a specific destination, you should confirm first whether it is safe to go there or not. Is there any war going on the place at the moment? Is it recommended to spend some time on the street at night? Know what you should be cautious about when at the place of destination. You might also want to check the crime rate at a certain place. We know you cannot judge a place on numbers, but it’s still a good idea to be aware of it.
Another thing you have to be aware of when traveling is theft. Make sure to leave your jewelry at home, avoid carrying too much cash and if possible; just bring enough amount of money and a credit card. Putting on too much jewelry and showing off your money calls for a pickpocket. In case things get stolen from you, make sure to make a police report immediately. If your credit card gets stolen, call your bank so that they can immediately disable its future transactions.
Planning Your Itinerary
Many people ignore the importance of travel planning. A trip that is well-planned makes you the most of your trip. You can easily stick to your schedule, on top of that, you can have more time to do what you need to do, see what you need to see, and eat what you need to eat. However, still many people travel with imprecise plans and without having an idea. Many people think that travel planning is difficult and time-consuming and the best way to travel is to travel spontaneously.
Although this can be true to some extent, sometimes traveling with no plan can ruin your trip. Even hardcore travelers may experience a bit of anxiety or stress when they go to new cities they are not familiar of. Aside from knowing what to do, it also helps you to budget your trip better.
So, to make this job easier for you, four simple steps to plan your tour or itinerary without asking help from a tour guide.
Step 1: Research on Your Potential Travel Destination
Open your computer browser and type in the name of the place you want to go. There are several useful websites that will help you plan your trip easier. They also offer tips for you to make the most of your experience. You can also ask people you know who have been there already in order to get a reliable recommendation. Your research must include activities, ways to get around, and other recommendations.
Step 2: Plan Your Activities
Now that you did research on your travel destination, you surely have an idea of activities to do there by now. Depending on your length of stay and how eventful your trip you want to be, you can add as many activities as you want. A tip when choosing daily activities is to make sure that your places of interests are located to one another, this will not only save you time but also transport expenses. A great way to create an itinerary is to write them on a piece of paper.
Step 3: Find Suitable Accommodation
The best accommodation is the one that is centrally located on where fun things take place or one that is close to train or bus station where you can easily get to your places of interests. There are third party websites that can help you book your accommodation, these include AirBnb.com, Agoda.com, and Booking.com. No matter how much your budget is, you will surely get to find a place suitable for your needs, necessity, and financial capacity.
Step 4: Calculate Your Budget
One of the most common concerns of travelers is their fear that their budget goes beyond their capacity. However, with proper planning, this could travel with peace of mind knowing that you have enough money to fund your adventure. What you have to do is sketch out a budget and adjust your activities, choice accommodations, and food selections according to your fund. Know the ticket fares from a place to another, the entrance fee to certain attractions, and book a hotel that you think can fit your money without compromising comfort and convenience. But of course, make sure to have extra money for emergencies. It doesn’t matter if you’re in cheap Asian city like Bangkok or more expensive one like Paris.
More Tips for Creating Itinerary
If you truly want to fit in every activity, excursion, and meal that you have included in your itinerary, but it also means you are getting only 4 or fewer hours of sleep a night without time for any more adjustment, you need to reconsider your schedule.
Squeezing in everything you want to do into a unified schedule, especially if you are going to different cities or countries, which can be really challenging. You can make this easier by knowing which item to prioritize. Do research on how long a specific activity may take and how long it will take for you in order to get there. It’s also helpful to see if there are any local holidays concurring with your trip that can affect transport schedules, business opening hours, along with other things.
Just for the reason that you have everything planned out, does not mean you need to follow your itinerary strictly. Your trip is going to be a lot more satisfying if you give yourself a room to be flexible. So you did not make it to this place you want to go on your first day. That is no big deal. Perhaps you came across a nice art museum that was not on your original place. Or maybe you missed your afternoon reservations at the swank restaurant you made a reservation for weeks ago. Maybe you met someone who made a recommendation that is too tempting to take down. The point is your itinerary is there to guide you, but it doesn’t mean your trip is going to fail.
There are many mobile apps that will help you make your trip easier. Some of the most useful apps include weather alert, flight cancellation and delay alerts, map, traffic navigation, and hotel booking apps. This will make your life on the road a lot stress-free.
With the arrival of the Internet, travel research, booking your flights, and making hotel reservations are now at your fingertips. Guidebooks are exceptional resources while traveling, but they rapidly become out-of-date while the internet, on the other hand, is always updated with fresher and more precise information. There are several user-generated and travel forum websites that are updated by locals and travelers once new restaurants, bars, hotels, or attractions open up or shut down even. There are now booking websites that depend on the reviews of other travelers. With all the available online, planning your travel has now become easier than ever.
AFTER YOUR TRIP
You have certainly had the time of your life. Met some of the most interesting people, did some extreme games you never thought you would do, see amazing places you thought you’d only see on post cards, and learn more things about yourself. Now, however, with your adventure drawing end, it is time to go back to the everyday reality of adulthood. All of a sudden, the credit card requires to be paid off and you need to use your alarm clock again, get to deal with that 9 to 5 job, and just go back where you left off.
But now you are back in the comforts of your own home, back to spend time with your friends and loved ones… you have undoubtedly missed these things while you were away from home. And yet for some weird reason, you feel like you don’t belong there anymore. It is pretty understandable to feel a bit lethargic, anxious, and downhearted. Like most travelers who have come home from a long and amazing trip, you are suffering from the post-travel blues. But how do you get over this and try to move on from those amazing evenings in Santorini, spending a whole week lying on the beaches of Malaga Spain, exploring the wonders of Hanoi, shopping at busy streets of Singapore, experiencing the paradise life in Bahamas, or having a road trip from Atlanta to Miami? No matter where you went, as long as you had fun and time of your life, it would not be easy to get over it. However, there are some tips you may want to follow to help you get back on track…
What do you think of taking up courses at university or reapplying for a job you enjoy a lot? You can actually you can begin your search even while you’re still traveling especially getting Wi-Fi no matter where you are in the world has become an easy endeavor. Today, many companies allow Skype interviews, so, do not feel disheartened if your application closes while you’re still on the road.
You met cool, interesting people on the road, you had some of the best time with them and you wish you could continue your friendship, however, that’s not very realistic. Luckily, you still have friends back home whom you have stronger relationships with, and you returning back home should call for a celebration! Remind them that you’re going back home, ask them to pick you up at the airport and set up a meeting with them. Seeing them again will make you feel that you can still have fun even you’re back home.
Money is massively connected to the post-travel blues, particularly if you have just gotten back from a long-term travel that cleared up your bank account. We come home feeling like we are back from zero and we think of all the money we spent on the trip. The best way is for you to save money again and maybe if you have enough funds, you can go back on the road again.
There is no doubt that traveling is one of most exciting experiences in life, however, there are definitely advantages to being at home. Being able to experience a lot of unbelievable things during your trips, it is sometimes difficult to stay captivated with where you live, however, in order to beat the post-travel blues it is essential for you to find the little joys of being at home.
It might be coming back to spend time with your pets, sleeping in your own bed, tasting your mom’s cooking, ordering your favorite coffee at the local coffee shop, or seeing your friends in person. Try to find the heartening and delightfully familiar things about being back home, and enjoy them.
By following these simple remedies, we hope that you’ll be able to get through your post-travel blues and prepare yourself for your next holiday or just go back to your life back home. keep in mind that getting back home doesn’t mean you are going to stop living an adventurous life, you can still live a life of adventure, just know your passion and follow it, and remember that passion can be anywhere else, may it be abroad or your hometown.