Traveling is beautiful and whether you are going to do it for a long time or a short time it sounds super fun. But it also involves a lot of questions that surely, if it is your first time traveling outside of your country, you are going to raise a lot of questions.
Here you can find 15 recommendations for your first trip abroad.
14 Tips To Remember When Traveling Overseas
1- Use Air Miles
If you make a long distance journey, not a member of any frequent flyer program, consider the possibility of joining any of them. You can join any of the airline flyer programs but my experience was good with Wizz air airlines booking.
Earning miles will allow you to obtain benefits, such as cheaper prices in hotels or airlines and premium services.
Sometimes these programs – like certain credit cards – give the right to use airport VIP lounges, spaces with exclusive paid or free services, depending on the case.
2- Take Good Care of your Documents:
Except for some exceptions in which depending on your nationality and the country you are going to visit you can travel with your identity document, from now on your passport is everything. And when I say everything, believe me, it’s everything.
3- Check the validity of your passport:
As it is your first trip abroad, maybe your passport is fresh out of the oven, but it can also happen that you have taken it out some time ago and are about to release it.
If that is your case, take a good look at when it expires. Most countries require that the passport be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of entry to the site.
4- Bring copies of important papers:
Having a copy of your passport, for example, will help you avoid having to carry the original with you all the time and thus run less risk of losing it. I printed the most important thing and have a backup in your mail, on a hard disk or even on your cell phone just in case.
5- Get travel assistance:
Yes, I know, they are expensive and it is an expense that you did not have calculated but it is necessary. As anything happens to you while you are outside can be more expensive than assistance – there are exceptions, but it is better not to risk it.
6- You don’t want to take the entire wardrobe with you:
Whether you are going away for a long time or taking a short vacation, you don’t need to take everything you have with you. Think that nobody will carry your burden. Minimize as much as possible, pack the basics, and you’re done.
Think that whatever you are missing you will be able to get elsewhere, so if you forget something it is not so serious either.
7- Never put valuables in luggage:
It may sound obvious, but I have met more than one person whose trip was ruined because something was stolen from their suitcase or backpack.
Take care of your expensive things like money, documents, camera, laptops etc. Always carry them with you in your backpack or handbag.
8- Do not forget to check the requirements of each place:
Remember every country is different and has its own rules. For some countries you may need to process a visa in advance, like in many Asian countries. Others may be asked for certain vaccines such as Thailand, to give you two examples.
It is important that you are clear about everything you need before leaving so that you do not get surprises along the way. Take the time to find out and do not leave everything to the last minute, I know cases of people who had to change their flight (with all that that implies) because they left the paperwork for last.
9- Always carry a plug adapter:
it will be super useful for you and will get you out of trouble. Imagine that you arrive after hours of flight and to charge your cell phone you realize that the three-pin plug does not work.
You are not going to enjoy your first walk through the new city to buy something that allows you to use your phone.
10- Get organized with money:
There are those who prefer to travel with all their money in cash and change it upon arrival and also those who feel more comfortable using the card. What suits you depends on you.
Keep in mind that not everything can be paid for with plastic – in street markets, for example – and that they will charge you a commission every time you extract money.
If you are going to take the tickets, change a little at the airport for those first expenses and then go to an exchange office or bank.
11- Get informed, do your research, be prepared:
Before making my first trip to Europe – which had not been the first abroad, but alone – I spent the time reading, writing down and comparing things. I also take help from my notebook as it is full of information that helps me to know how to move from one place to another.
It also helped me to define what things interested me and what not.
Ideally, you should visit more than one website for each place and check: ● Official pages,
● Online guides,
● Read blogs from travelers who have already visited these places.
Be careful, being prepared does not mean that you have to tie yourself to the things you read, you can give free rein to freedom once you travel, but if going with some information will feel much more comfortable.
12- Make Good use of your cell Phone:
Smartphones are our allies when it comes to traveling. So, take advantage of smartphones and download useful applications. Offline maps like maps.me and a currency converter are the ones I use the most.
Surely you can find a lot more that serve you, so see that there are a thousand ideas around the web. Of course, you would not like to spend your entire travel budget by paying your cell phone bill, so don’t forget to disable mobile data.
13- Do not assume that everything works the same as in your Country:
There are many things that you can notice when you travel abroad. If at home you are used to drinking tap water, for example, you have to bear in mind that you cannot do the same everywhere.
Eating a salad may sound delicious, but you should also avoid raw vegetables from unknown places.
That a girl wearing mini shorts and a top may not be a big problem in your city, but if you go to India you will realize that it is better to avoid it. It is important that you know how each country you go to works to avoid bad times or troubles and, in addition, it is a way of respecting their culture.
14- Take precautions:
As you know there are some countries that require vaccines as a requirement for your entry. Purpose of doing this is to protect themselves.
Ideally, before visiting any place you should find out types of diseases and act accordingly.
