6 Ways I Prepare to Travel Abroad
As someone who travels often, I pretty much have a routine together when it comes to preparing for traveling abroad. The travel movement, especially for Millennials, is moving forward full steam ahead, so there are a lot of new travelers who could benefit from some of these tips. Also, it never hurts to have a checklist of steps to help you out right? Here ya go:
1. Be anti-social.
This could help for a couple reasons. If you are traveling with a group of people, your privacy or down-times will be limited for the duration of the vacation. Spending time alone before a trip, will help you decompress from long work days, hectic schedules, and maybe even make you appreciate the time you’re going to spend with your fellow travelers on your trip. Being anti-social before a trip can also help you save money so that you can allocate those coins for your vacation. Many times, I travel alone, but I have such a packed itinerary that includes hopping on and off flights. For this reason, I enjoy sitting home on the couch in advance of the fun excursions.
2. Map out an itinerary.
No, this does not mean plan every detail and be the annoying person on the trip who everyone hates. It means to do a little research on where you’re going, and decide what the must-do activities are. You can simply plan which days it’d be best to do said activities. If you are admittedly an over-planner, that’s fine. Just make sure you plan some down time in your itinerary. This makes it so that you don't have to do much thinking or planning whilst on you trip. Beware, though...sometimes building an itinerary in a fun location can be a bit complicated.
3. Pack light.
You should always strive to be #TeamCarryon. This will save a lot of time and energy, as you will not have to lug around a suitcase, and you can avoid having to wait at baggage carrousels after your flights. Also, if you’re traveling with others, you could be wasting their time if you are waiting at the baggage carrousel. Need tips on packing light, check out the 6 Tips You Need to Pack a Carry On during the Winter and 7 Amazon Essentials for Every Frequent Traveler posts for a couple ways you could organize your bag a little better. Pro tip: As long as you have enough drawls, you’ll be okay.
Packing cubes are a god-send for #TeamCarryOn
4. Figure out airport transportation ahead of time.
If you are traveling to a place where a friend is going to pick you up, DO NOT wait until the day of (or day before, for that matter) to tell them. Give them ample notice, and send a reminder the day before. If you are traveling to a place where you will need to use public transportation, spend some time before the trip figuring out what would be the most efficient and cost-effective mode of transportation.
So annoying
5. Put travel notifications on your credit and debit cards.
For some banks, you don’t even have to call the numbers on the back of the cards. You can simply go online and put the travel notices on the cards. If you have layovers in countries other than your final destination, include those on the travel notices, just in case.
6. Set aside absolute necessities.
Do not wait until the last minute to think of everything you need to pack. Set aside items you will need as soon as you think of them. Put them in the bag you know you’re taking on the trip with you. Three things off the top of my mind are always:
What are some other ways you prepare for traveling abroad?
