To pause your regular routine, to shove your stuff inside a bag and to take those hasty steps out the front door may be easier said than done. There is a lot to take care of before you can actually be ready to travel abroad – away from the safety and comfort of your home. Not everyone is a get-up-and-go sort of a journeyer. There are numerous burdens of daily life, ranging from office work to home chores, which pin the modern individual down. To extricate yourself from such a taxing cycle of tasks requires strength and proper planning that becomes especially important if you are to travel overseas. From booking prolonged flights or voyages to rechecking insurance, there is a lot to tick mark off your list before you can actually reach your destination. However, worry not, as the following guide will help you in preparing for your first overseas trip and making it an instant success!
Turn to Social Media for Latest References
Instead of opting for the mainstream guidebooks, scroll through social media channels, especially Instagram, to get the best and the most comprehensive idea about your desired travel destination. Look up the profiles of seasoned travelers to see what they recommend about a place and whether they offer any useful tips regarding what to do and what not to do, where to go and where not to go. Their testimonials will matter a lot in the end, because they are based on firsthand experience and can guide you better practically. Check out a particular city’s hashtags to find popular attractions and hidden gems. Research around the travel community forums to see what kind of problems tourists usually face when traveling overseas and their proposed solutions. Read through the trendiest travelogues to best plan your itinerary.
See if your Documents are in Place
When you are traveling overseas, you have to be extra careful with your documentation. Read through the latest visa policies and requirements in regards to your target country, and make sure that you meet them properly. If you do not have a passport, then apply for one using the legal procedures, or renew an old one if you do possess it.
Decide on Travel Insurance
Your regular health insurance may not cover you when you go overseas. The alternative option is to apply for travel insurance. It is supposed to provide you with ready assistance in case of medical emergencies abroad. However, some factors may not be covered like doing high-risk activities in high-risk regions. So, be sure to read the insurance policies, especially the regular exclusions, in detail before purchasing it from a credible provider. You may add or adjust options for an extra fee, obviously.
Learn Some Handy Skills
This is not one of your local travels. You will be flying across the seas, to a completely different country, which is why you would come to need a basic to an advanced set of survival skills to make your journey hassle-free. Learn about on-spot first aid, which comes handy wherever you may be. Attend self-defense classes, especially if you are heading to high-risk regions. Familiarize yourself with the local tongue, at least on the surface level, by watching helpful tutorials online or ordering international channels from your cable provider, to get an idea about their culture.
Set Up Your Home Security
You are traveling overseas which means that you are going to be leaving your house unattended for some time. And, we all know how empty houses attract unnecessary trouble. Burglars are especially on the lookout for such delectable opportunities. Thus, it is highly important that you protect your house with the latest home security technology, like motion sensors or smart surveillance cameras. You can hire house sitters or go for professional monitoring services. This way you can stay calm on your overseas journey, and even watch the live video feed from afar.
Manage Money and Passport
Whatever country you may be visiting, you would need to secure your money and your passport. This is a fundamental point. First, familiarize yourself with the foreign currency and see whether you would need money right on arrival. In that case, look for airport ATMs to help you out and if there are not any, then carry about a $100 worth of your destinations’ currency on hand just in case. See that the credit cards you would be using overseas do not charge foreign transaction fees. Make at least two photocopies of your passport pages and credit cards, keeping one set on you and the other set with the relatives back home. Scan your documents and place them in a password protected cloud account that you can access any time you want.
Research for Packages
There are many travel packages, deals, and promotions online, which you can take advantage of. Unless you are going on business purposes, which restricts you to a single-tracked, pre-set itinerary. Such packages usually include sponsored visits to famous travel spots, stays in good quality hotels and the necessary delving in the local scene, etc. Just give it a try and if you find the one you like, go for it.
Pack Smartly
Make sure that the luggage that you take with you doesn’t become a burden on you. Pack lightly and smartly. A few pairs of shirts, dresses, shoes, and flip-flops. Adhere to the weight limits, carefully secure any breakables, and avoid the fancy stuff, like jewelry, etc. Don’t leave out the essentials like sunscreen, cell phone charger or power bank, toiletries, etc. Secure your bags with TSA approved luggage locks.
Ease Through the Long Flights
As you are going overseas, you will probably be jumping flights or taking a single one that is long haul enough to mess with your body’s natural rhythm. Be sure to take probiotics at least a week before flying to strengthen your gut bacteria. Other than that, ingesting essential vitamins will keep your immune system strong and prevent it from getting a hit by the recycled cabin air. Try not to stay seated for long hours on end, but move about the cabin to prevent your muscles from getting stiff. And most importantly, stay hydrated to ease through the flight.
Recoup and Begin your Adventure
Even with the best precautions, you will most probably get jetlag on your arrival at the destination. So, head over to your hotel, sleep to regain your energy and plan a relaxing activity for the day.
Thus, by following the aforementioned tips, you will be able to make the best of your overseas adventure.
Author Bio: Rimsha Ather
Rimsha Ather is a professional writer with an honors degree in English Literature and two years’ worth of practical experience in content creation, curation, and marketing. Her blogging interests range from technology to travel, with the latter gaining special attention from the readers. On the side, she is a metal-enthusiast, an occasional painter and a culinary freak with flavorsome stories up her sleeve. Twitter: @wildflowerdust | LinkedIn: Rimsha Ather | Medium: Rimsha Ather
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