Preparation is key if you want to go on a trip that you remember for all the right reasons. Get this wrong, and you could end up heading home early and wasting a lot of money. There are lots of things to think about, which is probably what puts some people off going away for a long time, to a place far, far away.
So, wouldn’t it be lovely if someone created a blog post that included all the important things you need before going on a long trip? It sure would, so here you go, 8 things you need before going on a long trip.
Make sure you’re fit for travel before making any plans.
A MEDICAL CHECKUP
Don’t go away for a long time without getting a full medical check-up. This is important for different reasons. Firstly, it lets you know if you’re fit for travel. For all you know, you could have a problem that makes it unwise to go away for long periods. Secondly, it lets you see how many vaccinations you’ve had. Your doctor will have your medical records, and it can tell you if you were vaccinated against various diseases or not. This brings us nicely onto the next point.
VACCINATIONS
Naturally, different countries harbour different things in the air that can be passed around. There are many diseases out there that aren’t as well-controlled in some countries compared to your own. As a result, you can’t travel without getting the proper vaccinations. There are lots of different vaccinations to get before you travel, so have a look through them all before you fly.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
You can possibly get away with not having travel insurance if you’re going somewhere close to home for a couple of days. However, if you’re planning a long trip across the world, then it’s essential. You may not know this, but there are different types of travel insurance out there for you to choose from. Some cover different things than others, it’s up to you to seek out the best one you need. Regardless, just make sure you have a travel insurance policy before you leave, and that you’ve got all the necessary things with you to use it.
AN UP-TO-DATE PASSBOOK
It’s somewhat hilarious how many people spend ages planning a trip, only for it to fall through at the first hurdle when they realise their passport isn’t up-to-date. If your passport is no longer valid, then you won’t be able to get on any transport and move between any countries. So, way back in the beginning, when you first plan your trip, check the date on your passport. If it expires anytime during your trip, then apply for a new one. If not, then you’re good to go with one less thing on your mind.
Learn about the culture of your travel destinations.
SOME KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE YOU ARE GOING
I find that so many people go away without fully understanding where they’re going. I don’t mean that they get off the plane and are shocked because they thought they were going to the country Georgia and ended up in the American State of the same name. What I mean is they don’t learn about the culture they’re stepping into. In foreign countries, they do things differently to how you’d do them at home. The way they live their life could be very different to yours because of their culture. As a result, you can easily offend locals by doing certain things that they find highly wrong or offensive. So, brush up your cultural knowledge before you travel, and you can avoid making an enemy of everyone, everywhere.
MONEY
Simple heading, simple idea; you need money if you want to go on a long trip. The mistake some people make is miscalculating how much money they need for their trip. They think about the flights and accommodation, but fail to acknowledge spending money. Think about it, if you’re away for a few weeks, then you’ll need money for food, getting around, and maybe even washing your clothes. Now, for very long trips where you’re away for months on end, you should think about money in a different sense. Mainly; are there ways of earning money while you travel? See if you can get a little job on the side, and it helps fund your long trip.
SOME DECENT LANGUAGE
We’ve all had suitcases in the past that are a pain to haul around an airport. Likewise, we’ve had backpacks that hurt our shoulders and provide awful storage needs. When you’re travelling for a long time, you’re going to live out of your luggage. So, it needs to provide enough storage, while also being easy to carry around from place to place. Additionally, you also need to ensure it’s nice and secure – some suitcases come with combination locks, which is a great bonus.
Create a plan before you leave.
A PLAN
Finally, you shouldn’t go on a long trip unless you have a plan. Now, I’m all for a little bit of spontaneity here and there. It’s good to be spontaneous and make decisions out of the blue. Having said that, I don’t think you should spontaneously decide to go on a very long trip. There should at least be some sort of plan to follow. This allows you to have more structure on your travels and helps you avoid things like overspending or ending up much further from home than you anticipated. Your plan doesn’t have to be detailed, it can just list the countries you want to visit, and how long you aim to spend in each one. Likewise, if you’re only visiting one country, then your plan can detail what you aim to do while there. It can be a great way of ensuring you don’t forget to do things while away as well, meaning you miss out on nothing.
My counting skills put that as 8 things you need before going on a long trip. That’s hardly a massive number of things to remember. My advice would be to bookmark this page or maybe even print it out, so you have the list handy whenever you need it. Run through everything multiple times before you leave, guaranteeing you don’t forget a thing.
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This has been a collaborative post. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are not my own
