Your Travel Abroad Checklist – Travel Tips for the Newb

When you are planning a trip abroad, it can be a pretty big deal. It might be the first time you have ever left the country or the first time that it has happened in a while. So there are many different things to think about. From visas to passport issues, there are many things that need to be checked and then double checked. There are also many mistakes that people make when they travel. You don’t want to be the person making them, do you? So here are some tips for traveling abroad, so you don’t make some of the biggest travel mistakes.

Travel Abroad Checklist

Check Your Passports

If you haven’t used your passports in a while, then it is a good idea to check them, several months before you plan to travel. If by any chance your dog has chewed them or they have been misplaced, there will still be time to get new ones. They could have expired too. So best to check on them as soon as you know you will be traveling. It is also a good idea to get your passports in plenty of time if you need to renew them. If you’re getting your very first passport, then it can take even longer. So bear that in mind and plan accordingly.

Check Visas

Some countries are fine to just arrive in. All the immigration things can be dealt with at the border control in the country. Others will require you to fill in a document on the plane. For some countries, though, you will need to apply for a pre-clearance visa. So check what your destination requires. Countries like Turkey require you to have cash ready to hand over for your visa, for example, too. So there are a variety of different ways that countries do things. So check on what you need to do so that you’re all ready to enter the country.

Check Medication and Vaccinations

When you are going abroad, you are likely to encounter several different insects and species that you don’t have where you’re from. The sanitation might be quite different too, and you won’t be accustomed to how they do things. If you are going to different countries throughout Asia, like India or Indonesia, then things like malaria and insect bites and rife. So you might want to get some Malarone tablets online before you travel, for example. So the best thing to do is to do your research on your destination in plenty of time. Then if you need to get some medication or even a vaccination before you travel, you’ll have plenty of time.

Check Your Bank

While it is a good idea to have foreign currency with you when you travel abroad, you might not want to take all of it with you. So checking how your bank works when you’re abroad is a great idea. One of the first things to do is to let your bank know the dates when you will be away and which country (or countries) that you will be in. Then if you do need to take out more money, or use your card when you are abroad, you won’t be stuck if they don’t approve the transaction. The second thing that you need to check on is if there are any charges for using your bank card when you are abroad. If there are going to be significant charges on your card, then it could be worth looking for a credit card that doesn’t have any charges when used abroad. Or just take lots of cash with you.

Check Your Itinerary

One thing that can make your trip a little stressful is if you have an itinerary that is too packed full. It is a good idea to plan a few things that you want to do. But it is also a good idea to not make the schedule too full or strict on timings. You want to do make sure that you can take in some of the local gems that you might not know about until you actually get to you destination. Plus, some things on your schedule might really fascinate you, and you might want to spend more time on those things.

Check Travel Insurance

One of the things that you need to do as soon as you have booked flights is to get some travel insurance. It can help you a lot if the worse happens when you are away. You don’t want it to cost you a lot of money if a flight is canceled or you need hospital treatment, for example.