Ever thought of walking away from your daily work schedule, mails and meetings? Well, the thought of engrossing yourself in altogether new place and adventure is definitely tempting. And so if a trip abroad has been on your mind for way too many days or weeks, it’s time to take that plunge. But before you go taking on the world with your adventurous self there are a few things you must consider before planning an overseas trip to save you all the hassle and the extra time spent.
Get all your Documents ready- Passport and Visa
When traveling abroad it is most obviously the first thing, you must strike off the list. Do your homework based on all your essential documents such as Passport and Visa well before time. If you still have to apply for a passport make sure to do it at least four to six weeks in advance as such procedures take time. In addition, once you know where you are headed make sure to check the country’s rules and regulations as many countries have stricter rules, which can sometimes require a passport to have another six months of validity before it expires. It will only save your time and effort upon arrival. Also leave a copy of your documents with a friend or family as it can serve as a blessing in case you lose your documents abroad.
Map out all the important places in advance
A journey overseas can be long and tiring in and especially too long if you have layovers in between. And once you’re through with all the regulations at the airport you’ll certainly wish to head to the right place all at once and for that you’ll need to have your destinations mapped out in advance. And in a world and age of Smartphone getting that done isn’t very hard to achieve with apps that let you function offline i.e. without internet data. Yes! That is why planning your trip in advance can come in handy. And while you’re at it you can feed your phone with the addresses of places you’ll be visiting such as museums, attractions, restaurants etc.
Travel Warnings- Know the Place
It is of utmost importance that you must know the place where you will be staying for a few weeks maybe or even if it’s just a few days. Dig in to know if there is any kind of political unrest and make sure the place is safe and friendly for travelers. There could also be minor issues like transportation strikes in the place during your visiting period which won’t affect your trip otherwise but to save yourself from the frustration knowing about it well before will give you time to figure out other transportation mediums and routes.
Generate a Budget and follow it
If you’re going to stay in a place long enough or traveling further then you’ll need to come up with a robust budget and follow it as well so that you don’t end up running out of your resources half way through the trip. Also, managing your finances will let your trip to go about smoothly giving you a chance to freely enjoy yourself.
Learn key words/ phrases if there is a foreign language
Not surely the country you’re traveling to will have the same native language as yours and therefore getting yourself accustomed to a few key words and phrases of the language such as ‘Hello’, ‘How are you?’, ‘How much is this?’ and ‘Thank you’ can prove to be very useful. Also, it will send across a very respectful message to the community you’ll be staying with as it’s a wonderful way to pay respect. While you’re at it learn a few of the customs of the place so that you don’t feel completely out of place.
Stay Organized
When you’re traveling with a few weeks of time in your hand it is very likely that you will have a lot to do during your visit and there will be a new itinerary every day. But to avoid the clutter of brochures, booking receipts, train and flight schedules, tickets of all sorts it is extremely essential to go paperless and go digital. Yes! Another great benefit of gadgets called Smartphones that have million apps to help you complete your daily tasks. The app Tripit allows you to create a digital itinerary of your whole trip on your phone minimizing your pester of keeping all the stuff intact and not losing any of it. All you have to do is mail all your details such as confirmations and emails to Tripit and you shall have your ultimate itinerary for the whole trip.