Is your vacation or a few days of holidays right around the corner? It is an excellent possibility to go on a journey. To avoid nasty surprises you should plan everything very detailed. In this article we discuss the most important (in our opinion) points which should be envisaged.
Step 1. Plan the destination
That’s it, the first thing to be determined is the place you’d like to visit, which responds to your preferences and budget. What is to your liking: cultural sightseeings, shopping, lazy beach holiday, snowboarding, skiing? Think well, whether it will be in your country or abroad? If you travel with a company, you should discuss your joint plans and wishes in order that everyone will enjoy the journey.
Step 2. Book accommodation
The choice of accommodation is a very important thing. Some people reckon that comfortable conditions are the last thing you should think about, because after a long stroll all you want is to sleep. However, admit it, not only the bed is important, but also the district where the hotel is located, the atmosphere, the service and additional services. If you go traveling for 2-3 days, make the best use of your trip. Choose the best hotel offers on hotelfriend.com. And don’t forget to book accommodation in advance if you don’t want to run through the city in search of a shelter for the night.
Step 3. Book airline tickets
So you have chosen the destination, now it is time to think about airline tickets. Of course, it is better to do it in a good time. In a very good time. Today there are a lot of services and aggregators offering favourable prices for flights. Use such services as Google Flights, Skyscanner, Kayak and Momondo. With their help you save not only your budget, but also time. If you decided to fly by a low-cost airline, read cabin baggage rules and online registration terms very attentively.
Step 4. Plan a route of places you’d like to visit
One more task you’d better see in advance about is to plan a route of sightseeings and interesting places to visit. If you travel in another country, you will more than likely want to travel all over the cities – because there are so many new and unknown things in the world! Equip yourself with Google, travel blogs, comments on Tripadvisor and plan your route.
Step 5. Think about travel ways
This step results from the previous one. After your route has been mapped out, examine the ways of movement. If you plan to go by train between cities, buy tickets in advance – in this way you will be sure to get to the destination. For car drivers, who don’t want to use an own car, it is recommended to rent a car – this is an excellent way not to depend on public transport and group tours.
Step 6. Money question
Preparing for the travel be sure to have money not only on your credit card, but also in cash. You need small change to pay fare and to buy water or coffee. You should search for information about currency conversion fee in the country you are going to visit. Maybe it is better to change money at home.
Step 7. Buy travel insurance
Be sure to buy insurance for the travel time. Of course, may it never come in handy, but everything is possible: loss of luggage, sickness, act of terrorism, natural disaster. Keep yourself informed about insurance companies and choose the package fitting to your case. Believe, it doesn’t cost so much, but you will feel more reassured.
Step 8. Check your passport
Check your passport before the travel: whether an expiration date is still valid, whether there are empty pages. It is good if you plan your travel several month in advance, because if necessary you will manage to process all the documents in time.
Step 9. Make copies of the documents
Such an evident, but very important detail. Make copies of the passports, tickets, visas, driving license, credit cards; print hotel bookings, car hire vouchers. You can also create a folder on the smartphone or in the mail box to keep all the e-documents and scanned copies there.
Step 10. Make sure to be vaccinated
If you are planning to visit Asian and African countries, it is necessary to protect your immune system. For example, going to India you should get vaccinated against hepatitis A and typhoid; if you are going to Tanzania, protect yourself against yellow fever and African sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis). To do so you should visit an Infectious Disease Physician, who will give you necessary referrals for tests and medical advice.
And the last thing – don’t forget to enjoy yourself!
