From taking the collective bus by mistake or carelesly paying over the odds, to say a comment considered culturally taboo because of our ignorance, and any tiny mistake, mistakes along the way and learning is what you need to become more skilful a traveler.
Having this last concept clear and explained, I would like you to benefit from the following list I have compiled, where I mention 30 tips to prepare yourself for your next travel, regardless of the country or region you visit.
30 Travel Tips
1- Travel alone at least once in your life.
Not that it's bad to have a company at your side, but there will be times when you'd rather walk alone, either to resolve a situation by yourself or just want to enjoy your own space for a while.
2- Do not forget to have extra copies of your important documents
If for any reason you lose your passport, having a copy of this document becomes a kind of life saver. And do not just take copies on paper, scan and store everything on your smartphone, laptop or on your USB drive.
3- Take an extra credit / debit card and emergency cash with you.
It never hurts to have a backup in case of a lost or stolen money. You do not want an accident of this type to occur and not been prepared to confront it.
4- Take a backpack with you
They are very efficient when you want to take excursions or short walks, and after that take only what is needed and leave the rest on your big backpack.
5- Sometimes it is good to walk with no fixed address
The ideal way to explore a city (or town) is to go aimlessly and discovering all on its own. Try not to wander into an area of risk to your safety, so ask local if you're not sure about the place you travel.
6- Do not be afraid to use a map
There are many backpackers who do not like the idea of using a map that makes them look like tourists, but if there is something worse than that, is to get lost due to the stubbornness of not wanting a map to locate yourself properly.
7- Consider working while traveling
Everyone decides whether to work or not when traveling, but it would be more sensible if you intend to keep on the road for quite a while. The options for making money are many, so take your time finding work that best conform to your personality.
8- Avoid fanny packs if possible
In my own opinion, I think walking with a fanny pack (in other countries is known as baby sling) is attracting the attention of thieves, which relate the image to wealthy tourists. Although there are some models that can be used inside your trousers, they are often uncomfortable after walking with them for a while.
9. Always carry a small (or maybe two) lock.
They are very useful in the hostels, that always have lockers to store your backpack. For convenience, chose the type of lock you can open by combinations of numbers and not keys.
10- Less is better when it comes to the backpack
People who has never traveled think they have to pack half of the closet in his luggage, but nothing is worse than that. What you load is what you'll use all the time that last your travel, and the last thing you want for your back and shoulders is suffer from excess of weight.
11- Divide the cash you have in your possession
Instead of putting everything in one place, divide and hide it in secret compartments in your bag, which are not visible to the eyes of the people.
12- When flying, book seats that are as close to the exit
This is so you can get out quickly of the plane and so you can get faster to the inmigration que. The same applies to travel by bus or boat carrying many passengers.
13- Learn the basics of the native language
Whether it's Russian, Japanese, Italian or the language it was, local people will appreciate the effort you make to speak their language, it doesn't matter if it is a bit or a lot.
14- Consider Couchsurfing.com
While hostels are one of the cheapest alternatives for lodging, with Cochsurfing the cost of accommodation is reduced to zero since you star in local houses.
15- Do not get used to always eat on the street
Even in very low-cost countries, over time you will see that if you eat too much in the street, your money is slowly running out. You save more if you cook your own food or if you eat at the home of strangers using the social network Meal Sharing.
16- Take pictures of your luggage before reaching the airport
If you lose your bag, it will be easier for the airline personnel to identify your backpack with a photo on your phone.
17. Patience becomes your best ally
During a travel it is easy to lose your temper or do anything hasty when things do not go your way, even about little things. In this kind of situations is the best time to be patience and know that whatever you do, everything will work as expected in the right time.
18- Buy a pen and notepad
Constantly you are going to run into all kinds of information you'll want to note, which will help you at the time or later. For me, it is more practical to write on paper to write down everything in the cellphone, although it will depend on each individual.
19. Respect the local culture
No doubt this has to be one of the most important tips to follow in the list. What may be strange for you, for others it is the opposite, and it is these small differences that you must respect if you want to be respected equally.
20- Do not leave without your travel insurance
It sounds contradictory to purchase a travel insurance and give it no use at all, but that would be ideal. If you had an accident and your medical expenses require heavy expenses, the insurance will be your shelter. Do not overlook the phrase "prevention is better than cure".
21- Take a tour of the local tourist office
The tourist office staff is fully aware of everything that happens in the city and its surroundings. They can help naming you the different events, celebrations and activities that occur throughout the year.
22. Have some malice
Most of the people you'll encounter have good intentions and are people we end up sharing a dinner or a beer in a bar. There are also those who take advantage of your good will, but I do not say this to distrust others, but to have some malice to distinguish the good from the bad.
23- Don't get hurt by spending more money for a little more comfort
When traveling as a backpacker, you think you have to pay as little as possible to save money, which is logical, but if it turns out that paying a little more can get you a comfort that you think are going to enjoy, have no compunction about incurring that expense. After all, that is the point, right? to enjoy!.
24- Save your photos on an external memory
Many make the careless to leave your photos in the camera memory without making a backup of these. Imagine your camera disappears and with it more than a thousand your travel photos; It is to die for. So take precautions and keep each of your photos on a USB memory. In my case, I use Dropbox, a free virtual space that can access an Internet connection.
25- Do not plan too much
Leave your trip to flow naturally without much planning overdo, because this will be less stressful than moving with a very rigid agenda.
26. Bring a small first aid kit
Get wit you, medication to help you combat the symptoms of dizziness, diarrhea, fever and headaches. Remember also have bandages, antibacterial cream, gauze bandages and sterilized for small cuts and scrapes.
27. Explore the central market of the destination you visit
This is one of the places where you will learn more about the culinary customs of a country, since the food is aimed to local tastes. Worth going if you plan to taste other than what you eat at home meals.
28. Take a coat, even if it is summer
Logically, you go with warm clothes if traveling in winter, but in summer we tend to believe it is not essential to wear a garment that shelters. However, there will be situations where it is otherwise, as when the air conditioning of bus is over cold or a overnight in mountainous regions.
29. Take advantage of frequent flyer programs
If you fly often with a particular airline or alliance of airlines (SkyTeam, OneWorld and Star Alliance are partnerships that currently exist), you'll earn miles and use them for free flights and other benefits such as discounts and awards of all kinds .
30- Get up early
Unless you are very tired because yesterday you were very active, it is advisable to get up early to have more time.
What did you think of the list of tips in this post? Do you think I left out any other tips? Let me know with a comment on the bottom, and feel free to share this post if you like.
No comments :
Post a Comment