Whether you are a frequent or occasional traveler or if you are just starting with an adventure beyond borders, we offer you some tips that can make things a little easier for you. Some will seem obvious to you, but others, not obvious, you must pay attention to them. We hope they’re useful to you.
1. Attention with the suitcase
This is basic advice, although we often ignore it. Don’t travel with excess luggage. Pack what you consider necessary, but forget about carrying items that you may not even use. Carefully choose pieces of clothing that allow combinations with each other, opt for suitable footwear.
Put everything in the suitcase neatly and try to take up as little space as possible. Some simple tricks will help you in the task. Before leaving home, a check can you identify the luggage correctly and fast. If you travel by plane, you could find suitcases identical to yours on the conveyor belts.
2. Check the passport
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Make sure in advance that you have the documentation in order. For example, that your passport is valid. In many countries, they require that it be valid for more than six months, something that could be a major setback when it comes to renewing it if it is a time of year with high demand.
Take a photo of the passport and save it on your mobile and in the cloud, with a password, of course, so that, in case of theft or loss, you can access it from any device. To reinforce security, use a bag attached to the body to store it.
3. Check if you need a visa
Even if you have traveled to your destination before, check if you need a visa, as it could have changed their immigration policy. Do it early. While in some countries allow visa application electronically, in other you have to go to consulates or embassies, and procedures can be prolonged for weeks.
It is important to take into account any detail. Countries like China, for example, are especially demanding of visa photography requirements.
4. Notify the bank of your trip
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As a preventive measure, you should inform your bank or the issuer of your credit card that you plan to travel abroad. You will avoid the unpleasant surprise of being a victim of fraud.
Both will also notify you if the operations are charged abroad. If so, look for alternative formulas or travel with enough cash. If you need to change currency, find out where the operation will be most advantageous and, in any case, avoid the airport, since higher rates usually apply.
In an exotic country, you will have to change the currency on-site and you will have to spend the currency before crossing the border again.
5. Find out about health system abroad
Do not risk traveling if you are sick or if you have a disease that cannot be controlled properly abroad. In any case, find out in advance about the destination health system and where you can go in case of need.
If you have health insurance, make sure it covers expenses in the country and if so, what kind of incidents. In many countries, healthcare is expensive and in others, poor. Insurance that covers all the guarantees, in addition to saving your trip, can save your budget.
6. Check previous health alerts
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Some countries have very restrictive health policies so that the suspicion of having a disease can prevent you from entering, especially when there are epidemic outbreaks, as long as you cannot prove that you are well.
This situation is especially complicated if you intend to travel after being in an area with a health alert. In this case, prepare to respond to a real interrogation before crossing the border.
7. Get necessary vaccines
Find out in advance the risk of contracting diseases at the destination and the recommended vaccines. In certain countries, to issue your entry visa, an international vaccination certificate is required. Online you can find specific recommendations by country, together with an interactive map with the necessary vaccines and antimalarials.
8. Find out about food
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Food can be delicious, but at the same time, it can be very expensive. Find out where to eat well before making the trip to save time when you are at your destination. You can read bloggers who are the main topic of interest is food, like Bashar Ibrahim. There, you can read the best info about food.
9. Find out about customs
Protected by cultural or religious customs, some countries can end up punishing certain attitudes even by law. To avoid awkward problems or situations, do some basic research. Think that there are countries in which you should not kiss in public, others in which you cannot dress in camouflage clothing or others in which it is not possible to dance or drink alcohol.
10. Identify your medications
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Traveling with certain medications requires additional care, as each state has its limits of entry. Travel with the original packaging, together with the recipe, making sure that both names match. Some tourists have been involved in problems for the possession of drugs considered illegal.
Do not assume that you will find common medicines abroad as easily as back home. They may be cheaper, infinitely more expensive, or simply do not exist. Just in case, prepare your own first aid kit.
11. Check the weather forecasts
It is not a minor matter. The day before the trip, check the weather forecasts. Do not rely exclusively on historical data. The weather could change at the last minute and force you to unpack and pack all over again.
12. Use air miles
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If you make a long-distance journey and you are not a member of any frequent flyer program, consider the possibility of joining any of them. Earning miles will allow you to obtain benefits, such as cheaper prices in hotels or airlines and premium services.
Sometimes these programs give you the right to use airport VIP lounges.
Conclusion:
Do not be lazy to prepare in detail for your journey. The better you do it, the fewer things can go wrong, and the more you will enjoy and take advantage of everything you can at your destination.
