Traveling to a new country can be both an exciting, and frightening adventure. However, you can rid yourself of the scary parts just as long as you make yourself properly prepared beforehand. There are many different activities you can do to ensure that you have the best trip possible.
If you are traveling with children, a backpack or other bag packed with new and interesting toys and activities is a good idea. Make sure that these are things they are not normally allowed to play with, or special things for trips only. It will give them something to look forward to and they will be entertained longer.
Plan clothing for your trip so that everything can be worn together. This reduces the need to pack individual “outfits” and allows you to plan for the number of days you’ll be traveling. If all of your clothes match, you don’t have to worry about which are clean when you’re doing laundry.
Make sure you understand all the laws of the destination you are traveling to. Some laws may seem very odd to you, however in that region, that is the way it is. Disobeying laws in a certain area can cause some extreme consequences and you may get more of a punishment than you are prepared for.
Consider attaching small bells to your carry-on bag. If you are worried that someone might steal or tamper with your luggage during a flight, attach bells to it. Inexpensive, Christmas jingle bells will do nicely. The noise is likely to deter criminals. If not, the noise will draw your attention.
Avoid wearing loud or particularly noticeable clothing when traveling. Try your best to blend in with your surroundings. Avoid wearing unusual clothing or acting in a way that marks you as a tourist. Pickpockets and con artists are often on the lookout for tourists. Looking too much like one could make you a victim.
Taking time to travel to new areas while on the way to an intended travel destination can help one find new places to stay at for the next time they want to take a trip. Side trips can often yield new and exciting places for one to explore either on their trip or to book a separate trip to experience fully.
As you make your travel arrangements, consider using the bidding features that are available on several websites to secure your hotel accommodations. You can bid on hotel rooms at drastically reduced prices, but you don’t know which hotel you are staying at until they charge your credit card. You can often get at least 50 percent off the regular rate of the room using this method.
When traveling by plane, it is best to know the limits the individual airline places on luggage. Try to pack light and be sure your baggage meets the limits set by their airline. Also, keep in mind that some airlines charge for checked luggage after the first piece. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to packing.
Before leaving your house to travel, the last thing you should do before you go anywhere is to use the bathroom. This will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to go away on a trip. Most importantly, going to the bathroom before leaving, will mean that you won’t have to go for a while, which will prevent an uncomfortable situation where you can’t find a bathroom.
Be very careful of sending text messages while traveling. While roaming charges within your home country are becoming less common, do not make the mistake of assuming your ‘unlimited texting’ plan is valid abroad and check with your phone company. Many travelers have come home from vacation to find an unexpectedly large phone bill waiting for them due to overseas usage fees.
Allow time in your travel plans for diversion. When you are planning events and activities during your trip, separate some of these plans with an hour or two gap in between. This allows for extra time at an event or the opportunity to explore some of the local scenery that you might not see otherwise.
On a long road trip get to bed early and start out very early. By leaving in the early morning hours before dawn, you can almost always guarantee that your children will sleep for a good portion of the beginning drive allowing you to be well on your way before any major disruptions may begin.
While traveling, when you are in a crowd of people, you do not want your valuables to be noticed by others. Take a re-usable coffee cup with a lid, place your valuables inside of the coffee cup and “sip” on your coffee from time to time. This way your valuables are stored in such a manner, that most people will assume this is your beverage. Keep the coffee cup in your hands at all times.
Be sure to take some form of entertainment for the kids. Consider a portable DVD player and some headphones or a laptop computer that is loaded with games and movies to keep them happy during the flight. You will be glad that you have found a way to keep them entertained while you travel to your destination.
It can be difficult to eat healhty while traveling. Skip the roadside restaurants, but instead bring your own food. Pack your cooler with fruits and vegetables, crackers, yogurt, granola bars and cheese. These things are easy to pack, and easy to eat while on the road. Don’t forget the water, it will help you stay hydrated as you drive.
All of these things are great in preparing yourself to go traveling to that exciting new country that you’ve always wanted to visit. Making sure you are prepared can take out all of the uncertainty that might make you nervous about being in a whole new place so you can simply enjoy your trip to the fullest.
