By AccraEvents.GH
Are you planning an international trip for the upcoming holidays? Here is a comprehensive list of tips and necessities for the best possible travel experience.
Traveling to a new country is an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can also be intimidating, and quite frankly, stressful if you are not adequately prepared. Different cultures, languages and customs can be challenging for even the most experienced travelers, but becoming a savvy traveler is something that only comes with experience. The next best way to prepare yourself is by learning from others experiences and mistakes. To help ensure your international adventures are smooth and enjoyable, here's a comprehensive guide with essential travel tips when visiting a new country.
1. RESEARCH
Familiarize Yourself with Your Destination
Before embarking on any trip, thorough research on your destination is crucial. Consider factors like whether haggling is acceptable, tipping expectations, appropriate attire, local weather conditions, prevalent scams, and emergency protocols. Acquiring knowledge about the destination's history, etiquette, and traditions is essential for seamless integration and displaying respect to the locals. Utilize travel guides, online resources, and travel forums as valuable sources to gather this information and ensure a well-prepared and respectful travel experience.
Embrace the Local Culture
Before visiting a destination, familiarize yourself with its cultural norms, customs, and dress codes to avoid unintentional disrespect. Immersing yourself in the local culture enhances your travel experience. Open-mindedness and respect for traditions can lead to memorable encounters and meaningful connections. Embrace the local lifestyle by trying local foods, participating in cultural activities, learning basic phrases, and engaging with the community for a more enriching travel adventure.
Learn basic phrases
Acquiring basic phrases like pleasantries, thank you, and please can significantly enhance your relationships with locals. They appreciate it when travelers try to communicate in their language.
2. NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION
Verify Travel Requirements
Ensure your passport remains valid for at least six months beyond your planned return date, as certain countries have this requirement. Check the visa requirements for your destination to avoid complications, and apply for the necessary visas well in advance of your departure date.
Get vaccinated and insured
Before your trip, consult a travel clinic or your doctor to determine recommended vaccinations and health precautions recommended at your destination. Additionally, consider purchasing travel insurance that covers medical emergencies, trip cancellation, and lost luggage. This insurance provides essential security, preventing unforeseen medical expenses from depleting your savings or worse, thus ensuring peace of mind during your stay abroad.
3. PLAN
Make A List of Activities & Places
Start prepping for your trip well in advance so you meet all requirements and have a solid draft of trip activities. Utilize online resources and social media platforms to discover interesting places and unique experiences, including restaurants, tours, and historical sites. Embrace both popular and hidden tourist attractions - going off the beaten track is adventurous but the generic sights are known for a reason so don't shy away from those. Download the offline map of the attractions and cities you intend to visit to ensure accessibility even without service.
Be Flexible
Create a bucket list for each stop on your trip and pre-book some activities to avoid queues, but leave some days open for rest, unpredictable weather and spontaneity. This flexibility will afford you time to walk around and discover unexpected gems. I also recommend that you rent a car in if possible for increased flexibility, efficient time management, and easier movement.
Follow the Time Zone at your Destination
To minimize the impact of jet lag, especially in cases of significant time differences between your origin and destination, stay very hydrated during your flight and align your activities with the time zone of your destination during your trip. When flying, adjust your sleep schedule to match the destination's nighttime and stay awake during its daytime. This strategic approach helps reset your body clock and facilitates a smoother transition to the new time zone.
4. PACKING
Before your trip, create a checklist of essential items and refer to it while packing. Consider the destination's weather and cultural norms during your packing process to ensure appropriateness and respect.
Put Important Items In Your Carry-On
Important, essential and valuable items should always go in your carry-on (such as electronics, medications, cash, chargers, extra clothes, toiletries under 100ml, sanitizer, and valuable items like jewelry. Packing these in your carry-on can save time and money in case of delayed or lost luggage. Opt for key items and keep the carry-on light to avoid the strain of carrying a heavy bag.
Have copies of your important documents
Make photocopies of necessary documents like your passport; visa; driving license etc. and keep copies separate from the originals. Also store digital copies in a secure cloud storage service. Additionally, Always Carry Extra Passport Photos
5. MONEY
Before traveling, research the local currency and exchange rates. Carry a small amount of coins, cash or local currency upon arrival, and portions in different locations. You'll likely use credit cards, prepaid travel cards or local ATMs in urban cities so bring cards that don’t charge foreign transaction or ATM fees. Avoid exchanging money at airports, banks, or hotels, as they typically offer the most unfavorable rates in most countries.
Talk to your bank
Notify your bank before spending money in a foreign country to avoid account flags. Discuss foreign transaction fees with your bank and credit card companies; if the fees are excessive, explore opening an account at a bank that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees or ATM fees.
6. BUDGET
Your trip will surely cost more than you think but plan your budget carefully so you don't overspend on non-priorities. You can budget by category (food, housing, entertainment etc.), budget by timeframes (daily, weekly, monthly) or both. Be generous with estimates, adding 25% to account for unforeseen expenses. You can also bargain in certain places, allowing for extra funds at the end of the day for savings or additional positive experiences for yourself.
Investments
View certain items in your budget as investments. For instance, safer housing, car rentals, durable equipment, secure bags, weatherproof clothing and a comfortable pair of shoes for walking. don't overlook the importance of travel insurance, which proves invaluable in unforeseen circumstances.
Ways to Cut Expenses
Other ways to cut your travel expenses include traveling with others, seeking out free entertainment and tour options, such as walking tours or museums. If rental car costs are a concern, opt for local transport. It is typically the most economical choice since it is used by locals. Again, Save on communication expenses by getting a cheap prepaid SIM card in your destination country rather than paying mad prices for international roaming. Finally, avoid paying for goods and services near tourist sites, as they are often overpriced with mediocre quality and service.
Additional Money-Saving Tips
For the cheapest possible prices on bookings, travel during the off season, book months in advance, search for flight in the airlines native language and use a private browsing when searching for flights and hotels so your search history can't be tracked by websites. Students get great discounts in certain spaces so bring your valid Student ID along if you have one.
7. SAFETY
Familiarize yourself with your destination
Safety should be your top priority! Research your destination beforehand and note the local emergency numbers, the nearest embassy or consulate locations, your address and nearby landmarks. To improve the security of your space, dead-bolt your door, shut your windows and be vigilant of your surroundings in general.
Practice Standard Safety Precautions
Keep an eye on your personal belongings at all times and be careful who you trust. Embrace the adventure of exploring new places and meeting new people but use good judgment when interacting with strangers. Not everyone you encounter may have your best interests at heart, so maintain awareness, avoid drawing attention to yourself, refrain from following strangers, do not walk alone at odd hours and verify ride share drivers mention your name before getting in the car. Make new friends, but trust your instincts and practice sensible safety precautions.
Let Someone Else Know Your Travel Plans
Whether it's a short overnight trip or an extended international journey, share your itinerary with a few family members and close friends before departing. Check in regularly with your contacts at set intervals to give location and wellbeing updates. Avoid live location posts when blogging or vlogging: leave a location before broadcasting your adventures.
8. HEALTH
Vaccines, Medicines & First Aid
Ensure you have all recommended vaccines for your destination, as they are recommended for a reason. Also pack essential medicines like prescription drugs; OTC meds (painkillers, anti-diarrheal, laxatives, Benadryl, lozenges, treatments for flus & sore throats); and a basic first aid kit for emergencies (equipped with band-aids, antibacterial cream, disinfectants and ointments). You never know when you'll need these and if you'll have access when the time arises so better be safe than sorry. Also remember to split these medical supplies between 2 bags in case one gets compromised.
Take Care of Yourself
Indulge sensibly when in a new environment but be sensible and be cautious with the food and drinks you ingest. Watch out for allegens, uncooked food, unsanitary environments, food spots with slow traffic and other health red flags. Don't wait for another global pandemic before prioritizing safety precautions: Wash your hands before and after eating! Stay hydrated, get adequate rest, and maintain energy levels by incorporating at least one healthy meal option daily.
9. COMMUNICATION
Stay connected
In the digital age, maintaining connectivity is crucial while on the move. Access to power and the internet is essential for navigation, information, and communication services. Purchase a local SIM card or an international roaming plan (local SIM cards are significantly cheaper) and carry a power bank to ensure your gadgets stay charged. While staying connected is vital, exercise caution with public Wi-Fi. Don’t let the convenience of Internet access leave you vulnerable. Hackers can exploit insecure Wi-Fi to access personal information. Where wireless Internet service is needed, set up a virtual private network (VPN) for secure online access while traveling.
Ask The Locals
Locals are the best source of information at any destination, but exercise caution when asking for ideas and recommendations. Ensure your questions are specific to avoid appearing lost and to receive tailored suggestions that best match your preferences, and don’t get opinions from people who are paid to provide services. The most impartial opinions will come from those with no conflict of interest.
10. TIPS TO IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE
Embrace the unpredictability of travel, be open to the unexpected; stay calm and go with the flow when things go wrong. Be courteous, treat others as you would like to be treated, and recognize the benefits of kindness.
Live in the moment and fully experience the new culture. Wake up early to beat crowds and take advantage of your trip. You can be lazy when you get back home.
Opt for local experiences over commercial places and familiar chains (eg.Fast Food Chains and popular hotels etc). Eat local and interact with the locals.
Rely on reviews for housing but be cautious with TripAdvisor for activity and dining recommendations, as they may lack diversity. Their results come from popular websites that repeat the same attractions. Their reviews also tend to be skewed and easily manipulated.
Utilize hotel lobbies for amenities and trustworthy information. You may need to make a small purchase before using their services but it’s worth the comfort and safety.
If you need to cancel a hotel reservation, consider rescheduling before cancellation to navigate hotel policies effectively.
When flights get canceled, don’t queue to talk to an agent. Call the airline or use the app.
Ensure the temperature regulation for air and water works when you get to your room.
At the airport, lines with businessmen are more likely to move faster than lines with families
In conclusion, visiting a new country can be an incredible adventure filled with discovery, but it also demands thorough preparation and cultural sensitivity. By researching your destination, planning your trip, embracing the destination, being safe, respecting local customs, and staying informed, you can maximize the enjoyment of your travels while staying safe and considerate. With these travel tips in mind, you should be well-equipped for a successful international journey. If you think we forgot any useful tips and tricks, let us know otherwise have a FANTASTIC trip and check out our other articles for more engaging content.
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