Travelling the world is one of the most exciting, liberating things you can do. The best way to enjoy the freedom that travelling brings, is to prepare beforehand. By doing so, you leave nothing to chance, and can focus on enjoying your trip, knowing everything is in-hand.
Below, I have listed my top five ways of ensuring your travelling to goes to plan, so read on and make sure you’re ready for your next big adventure.
Before you book anything, make sure you have read plenty of reviews about your desired destinations, hotels and attractions. The opinions of other travellers are often the most valuable (and honest) which is why sites like TripAdvisor are so useful – and important. Read lots of reviews, seek out the opinions of travel bloggers and vloggers. If you’ve got friends, relatives or colleagues who’ve visited the destination, make sure you ask their opinion too.
Take the time to do your own research into your destination of choice. The more research you do, the more familiar you will be with the country’s culture, customs and traditions – and the less you will have to pick up when you get there.
Whether you spend some time on Google, or go into a local travel agent branch and speak to one of their experts, it’s best to be clued-up on your desired destination:
Some of the things I’d recommend you research are:
- Any visa requirements for the country
- The currency, and the amount of money you may need
- Any landmarks and excursions you may want to see – and whether you need to pre-book
- The type of weather at the time of year you want to visit
- Any transport you may need to arrange
A brilliant way of familiarising yourself with your desired destination is to check out a virtual tour, like this tour of Machu Picchu by Journey Latin America. Virtual tours allow you to get a 360-degree insight into key attractions from the comfort of your own living room. Through these, you’ll know exactly what to expect, and have a clear image of where you’re going, which will remove any uncertainty. Virtual tours are also perfect if you’re weighing up a few different destinations, as you can see which most takes your fancy!
Photo credit: Lonely Planet
If you’re a free spirit, you may not want to plan every second of your travelling experience, but giving yourself a loose itinerary will make sure your travels run smoothly.
Before you set off, book a couple of excursions or daytrips, so you know you’ll get to see your key landmarks, and that some days will be more structured. If you’re travelling or moving around, it’s best to book your first night’s stay, so you can arrive and settle into your new environment before you start exploring.
Wherever you’re going, communication is key – whether it’s with the local people, or your friends and family back home.
If you have time, it’s useful to learn a few conversational basics so you can communicate with the local people during your day-to-day interactions.
To make sure you can communicate with your loved ones back home, make sure you always have your phone charged, and take a spare power bank with you in case of emergencies. As long as your phone is always charged, you’ll be able to handle anything that’s thrown at you!
