Things To Do Before You Travel
So, as you may have guessed, I love traveling, and even with my fair amount of experience, I still make mistakes. I am the kind of traveler who likes to maximize my time, so when I don’t, well, things can get pretty chaotic. I can’t begin to tell you the horror stories or the uncomfortable and embarrassing moments I must endure due to inadequate and unorganized trips. Therefore, I’ve prepared this short list of things to do before you travel.
Be Smart, Do Your Research 🙂
It may sound like you’ll be doing homework, but to some, this is not the best way to start your vacation plans. But getting to know the country you’re about to visit will benefit you for the following reasons:
VISA Matter: Finding out whether you need to apply for a visa in advance or whether you can purchase it upon arrival can avoid any issues preventing you from getting into the country.
Local Transportation: So you’ve arrived, and as you walk out of the airport, what then, a taxi? Depending on the proximity of the Hotel, some of them will have a free shuttle that can take you straight to it (That’s more money for Mua!). Also, getting to know a country means utilizing public transportation. Not only do you get to sight-see for free when taking the bus, but you also get to hear that unique sound in its native tongue (the locals’ language and accents). Using the Metro or subway can be just as exciting, for example in south London they have small shops within the train station selling delicious treats you can get on the go.
“App” Your Way Around: Yes, you read that right; you may not think of this until after you’ve arrived at your destination, but I’ve found that some countries may have what I call “Local Apps.” Some countries won’t use the same applications you use at home either. If you want to read more about this, check out my upcoming blog, “App Your Way Around Thailand & a Few Others Countries”.
Ugh! Carry-On & Luggage Restrictions: I walked my happy wannabe-bougie self to the check-in counter when the Airline Rep said, ” Can you please place your carry-on on the scale?”. Right then and there, my jaw dropped, my hands started shaking, and my forehead got blessed with sweat drops as the numbers kept rising. Yes, I’m horrible at pretending that I am calm, LOL. But some airlines have luggage restrictions and carry-on weight limits that you’ll be glad to know beforehand. 😛
Weather Danger: Whether fashion is vital for you, you’d rather not wear your skimpy or barely-there-bro outfits at 10°C degree, LOL, and let me tell you, I’ve got some funny stories about this one. For the time I went to Barcelona thinking that I would be fine wearing my short dress and a jacket on a 12°C windy day… the chills were genuine that day. But on a serious note, some places aren’t always great to visit due to high probabilities of rain, storms, hurricanes, or tornadoes (no point intended, Puerto Rico). Also, weather equals activity availability; by this, I mean you are not going to Ski in 32°C weather outside.
Local Events, Entertainment, food, and drinks: this one is self-explanatory. If you are like me, I’m sure you’ll like to embrace new life experiences, which are just part of them. I suggest you dig deep because not all the local events are publicized outside their country, like when I visited Spain in October. I didn’t realize they had this massive celebration on their Hispanic Holiday, which I was lucky to not miss by spending that day on a spa appointment.
Be Picky; choose What Interests YOU The Most.
Whether you enjoy harmonically beautiful walls full of art by the greatest or strolls around the unique and intricate architecture in town, you’ll want to select which ones you are most interested in seeing first, depending on how much time you’ll spend there. You won’t be happy to know that at times, the places you’re most interested in, such as the Royal Palace in X-Place, may not be open until further notice, even when you spent money on the ticket. If you like shopping for culturally distinguished items or rare finds, some countries may have specialty markets you’ll be delighted to visit. Now if you are a first-timer sucker like I am, well, you’ll want to find things to do that you have never done before rather than doing the usual tour bus. Perhaps you’ll prefer to do one of your favorite hobbies, like exploring the coral reef and relaxing while scuba diving; the main thing is to do whatever fulfills you the most, especially if you are going to a familiar zip code that you’ve been to before.
Organize Your Activities & Chill-Out Days
Going on vacation can mean a lot of things to each of us. For some, it can merely be to party hardcore; for others, I can indulge and relax; for the daredevils, it might be to get their adrenaline-rush fix. For a few, it might be to explore, rediscover themselves and reconnect spiritually. Regardless of whatever floats your boat, organizing your vacation can allow you to see clearly how much you can do while there. Often, when people don’t plan and schedule the things they want to do, they’ll find themselves in uncomfortable situations. For example, they may find out at the last minute that their Hotel is one hour away from a play starting within the next 30 minutes. Another issue you may run into is overlapping activities or overbooking, which means you’ll waste unnecessary cash on shows or ventures you won’t attend.
To Budget Or Not To Budget (AKA #MoneyTalk)
Let’s get real. Unless you’re wealthy, money is vital in our society.
Think about it: why overspend on a thing or two when you can play smart and save a few bucks for the next trip or any unforeseen emergencies you may encounter while on your vacation. Whether you lost luggage or worse, it is always good to know how much your wallet can handle, even if something ugly happens unexpectedly.
Plan For The 1% Battery Emergency!
Let’s face it. Phones are like passports to the virtual world and are as important. Whatever you might be looking for or scrolling through (LOL), we rely on our electronics as we depend on air to live. Let out alone; finding yourself stuck in an airport for a 3-hour layover can get dull. An excellent way to prevent this type of high-blood pressure occurrence is by merely checking that all the devices are charging the night before, no seriously double-tap #zombieland punchline. Pro Tip: get one of the portable battery chargers; it is like carrying a battery to charge your battery, like the #Portable Charger Anker PowerCore 20100mAh.
Print Out Your Whereabouts 😛
We all care about the trees, and printing hard copies is old-fashioned. Still, sometimes, when you’re getting a visa-on-arrival, you may be required to provide your itinerary. Perhaps you lost your bag or carry-on with your passport and electronics, and in that case, I’m sure you’d appreciate having a way to prove your identity and itinerary. Sometimes, showing the taxi driver a document or reservation is easier, especially if your phone dies after your venture’s photoshoot section. Pro Tip: On a serious note, if you’re traveling alone, always let somebody know your whereabouts; you do NOT want to experience #127Hours.
Learn Key Phrases
Let’s say you’re going to Italy or France, which is always helpful, fun, and sometimes necessary to know a word or two in the country’s native tongue. Simple words like “thank you,” “bathroom,” or “help” can make the language barrier a lot easier to deal with in certain situations. Even when bargaining in the local markets, it would be good to learn to say “How much?” and possibly come up with numbers such as 5, 10, or 20.
Traveling can be the most exciting experience. Planning for it can make it even more significant. My best traveling experiences are when I’ve planned even the days I want to relax and go to the spa or chill by the pool. Granted, you do not have to go into that in detail. But at least having a decent layout of what you would like to do will do you just as well. I hope my list serves you well in all your future ventures, and I welcome you to join the flock here. I post blogs every Wednesday so you can tag along through every traveling subject or corner of this beautiful world.
