Are you going abroad for the first time? Is it an international trip or local migration to some other part of your country? Do you plan to spend a considerable amount of time there? or you just have a day or two? If any of these is true, there are certain things you need to put in place to make your journey hitch-free and as enjoyable as possible.
Traveling is always a stressful activity, not just because it may cause significant physical stress but also because traveling to a new place puts you in a position where you will have to think more about the normal things you normally do without doing many calculations. What is even worse is if you are a first-time traveler, that is, you are going to the place for the first time.
International travel is not only fun, but it also offers you an opportunity to see entirely different cultures, people, and languages. The distance is usually longer except when it involves countries that share a common border. International travels give you a sense of change, to kill the boredom of seeing the same things over and over again all through your entire life. However, there are some problems that may make international travels become a nightmare as long as you are still there
Problems encountered by first-time travelers
First-time travelers commonly encounter some general problems and these include the following;
- Getting lost
- Losing travel documents
- Losing your bag
- Unexpected charges
- Forgetting something back home, etc
If you have ever had first-time travel without anybody accompanying you, you will easily agree to one or more of the above problems. Some people view these experiences as adventurous but they often make your travel experience less interesting than it could have been.
Many of the time, these problems can be avoided or boycotted if you have the necessary knowledge of how to prepare for travels and especially first-time journeys. This lack of adequate knowledge and preparation often makes first-time travelers make the following mistakes.
Common mistake first-time travelers make
- Overpacking
- Underpacking
- Not learning about their destination well enough
- Not planning for what and how to eat
- Not paying attention to intimate domestic activities like cooking, bathing, etc
The list is endless of common mistakes first-time travelers make is endless, but I will just stop here in this post. But no matter how big these problems may seem, like I mentioned earlier there are some guides that will help you avoid these problems. Here is the ultimate travel guide for first-time travelers. This travel guide will help you in the process of getting ready for your travel, from planning the trip to knowing what to add to the luggage and what not to.
The Ultimate Guide For First-time Travelers
Here are seven travel tips you should pay special attention to as a first-time traveler:
- Plan ahead of time
- Prepare for the ride
- Get health insurance
- Pack your toiletries and domestic stuff
- Keep a pair of flip-flops
- Don’t forget to carry a credit/debit card
- Get your vaccination certificate (New)
Plan ahead of time
Planning ahead of time is important for every trip but for first-time travelers, it is even more important for obvious reasons. This means you are going to have to begin planning for your trip way before the day comes. This will save you from last-minute issues. Although regardless of how well you plan, not everything will still go your way, it is always great to have a plan you are working with.
Where do you wish to go? Is it a popular tourist destination? If it is, I would recommend you purchase your air tickets at least a month prior. The same goes for hotel bookings or wherever you’re staying. It will save you a considerable amount of money, which you can use somewhere else.
Prepare for the ride
Preparing for the ride means you are putting things in place to prevent discomfort while on the plane. Not everyone enjoys a plane ride. No matter how great a company you have on the airplane, the time spent on flights is usually quite boring. Putting this aside, for how long can you talk with your flight partner? This is a flight that may sometimes take up to 10 to 24 hours. A few ways to prepare to handle boredom during your ride may include getting a book you like with you and reading it on the way or downloading a seasonal movie that you can watch throughout the journey.
Another important thing you should prepare for is motion sickness. This usually occurs because of the constant movement of the fluid within your ears and can be experienced as too much sleep, loss of balance, vomiting, headache, etc. To prevent this, you can take your iPad or any media-supported device you own, and etymotic earplugs along with you whenever you are traveling. And whenever you feel like taking a break from talking with your friends, you can simply watch a movie or listen to music. You can call this your “me time”.
Get health insurance
One thing that everyone forgets when traveling abroad is getting health insurance done. While it may not seem mandatory, it is important to your safety. You should get health insurance because you cannot predict what may affect your health the next minute. It could be a minor accident with a few small injuries? Without insurance, rushing to a hospital when this previously unpredictable situation arose may cost you a lot from your already planned budget. Having a health insurance card will save you in all such situations and keep you on the safer side. Hence, it is highly recommended.
Pack your toiletries and domestic stuff
Many people rely on the toiletries provided by hotels to their guests. I will burst the bubble here. The toiletries given by the hotels are usually low-quality products and they may not be comfortable or safe for your use. You don’t want to risk that, do you?
In the account of a close acquaintance, when she used the shampoo and the liquid soap provided by her hotel, her hair and skin became very dry after about a week or so. This was when she realized the importance of always packing your own toiletries with you.
Keep a pair of flip-flops
They say “Little things matter” but as little as a pair of flip-flops may be, they can make a big difference in your travel experience but it is one essential thing most people usually forget. Can you move about in those high uncomfortable heels all day? Of course, you or anybody else cannot do so without ending up with aching feet.
You should therefore ensure that you have a pair of flip-flops in your luggage. Whether you plan to go to a beach or visit the nearby supermarket in the middle of the night, you can simply wear your flip-flops and get moving comfortably. That’s how simple it should be, right?
Don’t forget to carry a credit/debit card
Carrying a lot of cash is not safe. Also, many countries have policies that allow only a certain amount of cash in and out of the country. Having your credit or debit card with you will not only guarantee the safety of your money, but it will also allow you to purchase what you need without stress even in countries that restrict large cash in-flow or out-flow.
In those restrictive countries, carrying more cash than the set limit can get you in trouble at the airport. To avoid this, it is best you carry your credit or debit card along with you. Since they are secured with a pin code, they won’t cause you much damage in case they get lost.
Get your vaccination certificate (New)
In this era of COVID-19 and its associated restrictive consequences, it is important that you get vaccinated and have your vaccination certificate. You should also check the vaccination requirements of your destination country for your own country, so that you know exactly if you are supposed to be on quarantine on arrival, regardless of whether you are vaccinated or not. Failure to do this may lead to embarrassments, delays, and missing out on important scheduled events you planned to be present for.
Final words
Apart from the seven tips mentioned above, you should also ensure to pack your clothes according to the weather of your planned destination. In fact, you should plan for every possible weather condition because it can sometimes be misleading. Even weather forecasting may not be exactly as predicted. The weather is even more deceptive if you are visiting a coastal area.
Be rest assured that these few travel tips should help make your trip comfortable. I wish you the best and have a safe and enjoyable trip! Don’t forget to drop your comments below. Thank you.
Are you going abroad for the first time? Is it an international trip or local migration to some other part of your country? Do you plan to spend a considerable amount of time there? or you just have a day or two? If any of these is true, there are certain things you need to put in place to make your journey hitch-free and as enjoyable as possible.
Traveling is always a stressful activity, not just because it may cause significant physical stress but also because traveling to a new place puts you in a position where you will have to think more about the normal things you normally do without doing many calculations. What is even worse is if you are a first-time traveler, that is, you are going to the place for the first time.
International travel is not only fun, but it also offers you an opportunity to see entirely different cultures, people, and languages. The distance is usually longer except when it involves countries that share a common border. International travels give you a sense of change, to kill the boredom of seeing the same things over and over again all through your entire life. However, there are some problems that may make international travels become a nightmare as long as you are still there
Problems encountered by first-time travelers
First-time travelers commonly encounter some general problems and these include the following;
- Getting lost
- Losing travel documents
- Losing your bag
- Unexpected charges
- Forgetting something back home, etc
If you have ever had first-time travel without anybody accompanying you, you will easily agree to one or more of the above problems. Some people view these experiences as adventurous but they often make your travel experience less interesting than it could have been.
Many of the time, these problems can be avoided or boycotted if you have the necessary knowledge of how to prepare for travels and especially first-time journeys. This lack of adequate knowledge and preparation often makes first-time travelers make the following mistakes.
Common mistake first-time travelers make
- Overpacking
- Underpacking
- Not learning about their destination well enough
- Not planning for what and how to eat
- Not paying attention to intimate domestic activities like cooking, bathing, etc
The list is endless of common mistakes first-time travelers make is endless, but I will just stop here in this post. But no matter how big these problems may seem, like I mentioned earlier there are some guides that will help you avoid these problems. Here is the ultimate travel guide for first-time travelers. This travel guide will help you in the process of getting ready for your travel, from planning the trip to knowing what to add to the luggage and what not to.
The Ultimate Guide For First-time Travelers
Here are seven travel tips you should pay special attention to as a first-time traveler:
- Plan ahead of time
- Prepare for the ride
- Get health insurance
- Pack your toiletries and domestic stuff
- Keep a pair of flip-flops
- Don’t forget to carry a credit/debit card
- Get your vaccination certificate (New)
Plan ahead of time
Planning ahead of time is important for every trip but for first-time travelers, it is even more important for obvious reasons. This means you are going to have to begin planning for your trip way before the day comes. This will save you from last-minute issues. Although regardless of how well you plan, not everything will still go your way, it is always great to have a plan you are working with.
Where do you wish to go? Is it a popular tourist destination? If it is, I would recommend you purchase your air tickets at least a month prior. The same goes for hotel bookings or wherever you’re staying. It will save you a considerable amount of money, which you can use somewhere else.
Prepare for the ride
Preparing for the ride means you are putting things in place to prevent discomfort while on the plane. Not everyone enjoys a plane ride. No matter how great a company you have on the airplane, the time spent on flights is usually quite boring. Putting this aside, for how long can you talk with your flight partner? This is a flight that may sometimes take up to 10 to 24 hours. A few ways to prepare to handle boredom during your ride may include getting a book you like with you and reading it on the way or downloading a seasonal movie that you can watch throughout the journey.
Another important thing you should prepare for is motion sickness. This usually occurs because of the constant movement of the fluid within your ears and can be experienced as too much sleep, loss of balance, vomiting, headache, etc. To prevent this, you can take your iPad or any media-supported device you own, and etymotic earplugs along with you whenever you are traveling. And whenever you feel like taking a break from talking with your friends, you can simply watch a movie or listen to music. You can call this your “me time”.
Get health insurance
One thing that everyone forgets when traveling abroad is getting health insurance done. While it may not seem mandatory, it is important to your safety. You should get health insurance because you cannot predict what may affect your health the next minute. It could be a minor accident with a few small injuries? Without insurance, rushing to a hospital when this previously unpredictable situation arose may cost you a lot from your already planned budget. Having a health insurance card will save you in all such situations and keep you on the safer side. Hence, it is highly recommended.
Pack your toiletries and domestic stuff
Many people rely on the toiletries provided by hotels to their guests. I will burst the bubble here. The toiletries given by the hotels are usually low-quality products and they may not be comfortable or safe for your use. You don’t want to risk that, do you?
In the account of a close acquaintance, when she used the shampoo and the liquid soap provided by her hotel, her hair and skin became very dry after about a week or so. This was when she realized the importance of always packing your own toiletries with you.
Keep a pair of flip-flops
They say “Little things matter” but as little as a pair of flip-flops may be, they can make a big difference in your travel experience but it is one essential thing most people usually forget. Can you move about in those high uncomfortable heels all day? Of course, you or anybody else cannot do so without ending up with aching feet.
You should therefore ensure that you have a pair of flip-flops in your luggage. Whether you plan to go to a beach or visit the nearby supermarket in the middle of the night, you can simply wear your flip-flops and get moving comfortably. That’s how simple it should be, right?
Don’t forget to carry a credit/debit card
Carrying a lot of cash is not safe. Also, many countries have policies that allow only a certain amount of cash in and out of the country. Having your credit or debit card with you will not only guarantee the safety of your money, but it will also allow you to purchase what you need without stress even in countries that restrict large cash in-flow or out-flow.
In those restrictive countries, carrying more cash than the set limit can get you in trouble at the airport. To avoid this, it is best you carry your credit or debit card along with you. Since they are secured with a pin code, they won’t cause you much damage in case they get lost.
Get your vaccination certificate (New)
In this era of COVID-19 and its associated restrictive consequences, it is important that you get vaccinated and have your vaccination certificate. You should also check the vaccination requirements of your destination country for your own country, so that you know exactly if you are supposed to be on quarantine on arrival, regardless of whether you are vaccinated or not. Failure to do this may lead to embarrassments, delays, and missing out on important scheduled events you planned to be present for.
Final words
Apart from the seven tips mentioned above, you should also ensure to pack your clothes according to the weather of your planned destination. In fact, you should plan for every possible weather condition because it can sometimes be misleading. Even weather forecasting may not be exactly as predicted. The weather is even more deceptive if you are visiting a coastal area.
Be rest assured that these few travel tips should help make your trip comfortable. I wish you the best and have a safe and enjoyable trip! Don’t forget to drop your comments below. Thank you.
