10 Heavenly Hacks for a First Time Travelers

“Once you’ve travelled abroad for the first time, all you want to do is pack your bags and travel again.”

You will only travel overseas for the first time once. It’s important to make that first trip the most exceptional one. The catch – how does a novice do what an expert does so naturally? It is a valid question, but thankfully one with some great answers and solutions.

Your first travel experience is often filled with questions, doubts, and ambivalence. It’s true. Some things can only be learnt with experience. For others, research and preparation can come to the rescue. So, while experience will teach you the hacks and tricks of travelling smartly, information can be your ultimate guide to feeling calm and in control to give you a travel experience that’s comfortable and safe.

While you may have your basics in place, you can never be too prepared. This article helps you keep stress at bay and fill you with all the anticipation and excitement that your first trip overseas warrants.

Maiden Overseas Voyages – Making the Travel Experience Count

We’re not leaving anything to chance here. Small and big, trivial and major, obvious and unthinkable, we ensure that we’ve set you up for the perfect travel experience possible. Ensure you have these boxes checked long before you leave the door.

• Location, location, location: Remember we told you that you could never forget your first overseas trip? If that’s the case, you want to make sure you have the perfect location for it. Whether it means getting some help from your friends, doing a little more research, or even pushing your travel back by a few weeks, make sure you have the best location of your preference. Most importantly, make sure it is the perfect location for your travel type – family, couple, friends, or even solo trip.
• Duration and timing: It may seem silly, but it is important. Knowing what time of the year you will travel and how long will help you plan what to pack and how much. It will also help you understand what you can experience and what travel conditions and restrictions may possibly be faced. For instance, if it is peak season, you may have to brace yourself to see the place packed to the brim. It will also help you plan expenses in some way. Remember that travelling in peak seasons is much more expensive than travelling off-season.
• Make Way for the Moolah: It’s a bummer that you can’t plan an overseas holiday without money. Whether it is a budget holiday or a luxury adventure, money is the key. Ensure you have as much as your travel and stay demand and then some more to spare. Another tip is to make sure you mix it up. Have some cash on hand, some traveller’s cheques, and ensure your cards are compatible and working.
• Doc check: Ensure all your documents are in place before you travel. Your passport should be valid, your visa stamped and ready, and you have all your health checks and certificates in place. Also, ensure that you have a list of handy numbers and contacts ready. This should definitely include the address of the consulate and other bodies. Your file can never be complete without photocopies of all your important documents, including identification details and driver’s licence. Never carry originals around with you while sightseeing unless absolutely necessary. Digital copies and photocopies will suffice. Check again for visa requirements, especially if it is issued on arrival.
• Stay insured: You never want the worst to happen to you, but life seldom works on wishful thinking. The best way to protect yourself and things dear to you is to insure yourself, your travels, and your luggage adequately.
• Be the Master planner: This is where the details matter. If you enjoy micromanagement, bring out your superpowers! The better planned and prepared you are, the more likely you are to be in control of your holiday. Needless to say, there will be surprises, and the location will dictate what it wants from you, but being on top of your game will come to your rescue. When planning, ensure you make allowances for travel time, a little recovery from jet lag and some buffer time to help those unplanned treats come your way!
• Research and reference: The finer details ensure that you have a much more uneventful trip. And we aren’t saying it’s a bad thing. A bad travel experience isn’t always about losing luggage or experiencing catastrophe. Experiencing hostile natives or sticking out for the wrong reasons is enough. Understand language preferences, rules, local etiquettes, shopping conventions, and general cultural norms to know what works and doesn’t. This will help you blend in and protect you from disappointment as well.
• Dig for Data: Understand your phone plans and try and make sure you have a working phone connection the moment you land. None of us can get by without decent wi-fi and connectivity. While most hotels and almost every bed and breakfast offer some connectivity, you want to be connected even when on the move. Imagine being able to facetime from the top of a mountain or just as you prepare to bungee jump. It’s tragic to let something as trivial as a phone connection come in the way.
• Breads and meds: There are different regulations about medications and food being allowed into different countries. First and foremost, you must ensure you have all the medication you need on your trip, including mandatory first aid. It is ideal to carry prescriptions with you, just in case. It’s hard enough explaining medical conditions to others. Worse still, if you have to do it in an alien language. While on medication, remember that some countries have specific inoculations that must be had before entry. Ensure you are suitably prepared.
• Learn the Laws: Know anyone who wants to get caught abroad? We’re still looking. It is important to understand rules, regulations, and customs local to the land. This includes dress, demeanour, and behaviour. Some countries are strict about travelling with the opposite gender in public. Others oppose displays of affection in public. Understand what works and won’t.

Conclusion

There you have it. The top 10 ways to make sure your travel experience stories are filled with miracles, rainbows, and treasures. If you can stay on top of your travel plans and have the details managed beforehand, you can sit back and let the moments unfold in greater control and luxury. There is no doubt that a first trip overseas is intimidating. But isn’t that true of any first experience? When it is something as fascinating as travelling the seas and visiting new lands, let nothing but anticipation grip you.

Don’t let small niggles get in your way of having fun. If you have these ten elements in place, you will have all that you need to travel safely. The ClearTrip app can help you with everything else that you need – all the way from suggestions, ideas, and the best deals and discounts. Who says that a first-time traveller is a novice? You can be seasoned in your wisdom and preparation. Trust us!

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