You make lasting memories when travelling, regardless if you do it alone, with friends or family. It’s simply the best way to live life. If you’re not a seasoned traveller, planning could help you overcome travelling challenges and have a fantastic trip. So, if you’re a first-time traveller, dive into the following essentials to help you navigate your tour plans;
Visa and Passport
Second to none, these are the most crucial documents to have whether you’re travelling to a foreign country or another state. Essentially, you get your passport from the government and your visa from the country you wish to travel to.
Before choosing a destination, it’d be helpful to research its visa requirements to allow you enough time to apply for and collect your visa.
If you’re travelling to the USA, you may not need to apply for a visa depending on your country. Instead, consider submitting your ESTA details to know if you’re eligible for the visa-free entrance. You’ll be glad if you qualify because you won’t have to worry about a visa, expediting your touring plans.
When travelling, you must present your passport at the borders and airports to get into another country. Failure to do so could have you denied entry and your voyage plans stalled until you get your passport, which could take months.
Avoid these hassles by applying for your passport and visa, where applicable, months before your travelling date.
Note that processing travel documents tends to take time, and if you’re in a rush, you’ll have even more trouble getting your papers on time. Hence, ensure your travel documents are up-to-date so that if you need to, you can renew them way before you have to travel.
A Well-Researched Itinerary
Researching destination options is always a good idea to find out what works for you regarding activities, weather, routes and budget. Travelling on a whim can be good for you but not a good idea if you’re going overseas to countries with new cultures and lifestyles.
Looking into your destination has many benefits, whether you’re travelling for leisure, business or other reasons. For one, it helps you identify available hotels, their price range and proximity to leisure spots so you can conveniently pick a suitable one.
Suppose you want a hotel near attraction sites or one in an entertainment district. In that case, you can easily filter the areas’ hotels to your needs. To some degree, this holds your expectations of the hotel and allows you to familiarize yourself with the hotel’s zone ahead of time.
Additionally, research your travel destination to know what it offers regarding attraction sites, dining locations, outdoor activities and nighttime entertainment. Doing this will help you create a detailed itinerary that’ll help you get the most out of the destination, creating a beautiful experience.
Expecting a different climate will allow you to make the nitty-gritty arrangements for your itinerary. For example, you’re able to pack the appropriate clothing, shoes and sports gear and buy protective products like sunscreen for a safe trip.
Personal Effects
As a frequent traveller, you already know your travelling essentials such as money, an extra pair of sunglasses, electronics and so forth. If you’re a first-timer, you must know what’s appropriate to travel with and what’s not.
Unfortunately, tourists are magnets for thieves, and travelling with valuables like jewellery puts a target on your back. It’s therefore safe to only travel with essentials like your phone, clothes, shoes, credit cards and others that don’t pose a security risk for you.
If you must carry valuables, carry a few ones like a laptop and a few pieces of jewellery. Also, ensure you have a secure bag to store them or better yet, book a hotel with a safety deposit box for safekeeping.
Another thing to consider is money, preferably credit cards. Carrying cash can be risky because once it’s stolen, it’s gone forever, and you cannot get it back. Also, you never know how challenging locating a currency exchange office will be in the country.
Credit cards are your safest payment methods when overseas because they offer protection against fraud, and you can conveniently cancel or replace them wherever you are.
Bear in mind that some countries don’t accept certain credit cards. In such a case, consider withdrawing bits of cash from your ATM to have just enough money at any given point to pay your way through the trip readily.
If you’re an outdoorsy tourist, doing some homework on your preferred destination will help you determine what sports gear to pack. Suppose you already own some of these gears; you’ll know ahead of time to carry them rather than buy or rent them on your trip, saving you money.
Driver’s License
When you’re in a foreign country, you have two modes of transportation; a rental car or public transport. Public transportation can be a great way to experience the destination authentically. Still, it can be inconvenient to drive to secluded tourist locations and for an up and close experience.
Driving yourself in foreign countries is a fantastic way to explore the destination because you align with your schedule and interests. Interestingly, you can take as many detours as you like and spend as much time on your adventures without inconveniencing anyone.
With that said, it’d be wise to have your up-to-date driver’s license when travelling to enable you to rent and drive a car legally. Also, ensure your driver’s license won’t expire during your trip for a hassle-free experience.
Moreover, consider checking if your country’s driver’s license is acceptable in the country you’re going to. If not, there are steps you can take that’ll enable you to drive on foreign roads for a while.
For instance, you can present your IDP together with your DL or apply for the country’s driver’s license before your trip.
You may be eager to travel overseas, and that’s perfectly understandable. However, don’t let your anticipation prevent you from making the necessary travelling arrangements for a pleasant trip. Bear in mind that the above must-haves will help you streamline your travel plans by keeping you updated with your travelling and destination requirements.