A Beginners Guide For New Travelers
Are you finally getting to that bucket list of yours that you have been putting off for a while? Traveling for the first time or for the first time in a while can be exciting but also a stressful experience. But don’t worry you aren’t the only one that feels this way. Lucky for you, a little knowledge can go a long way.
Here are a few useful tips I have learned along the way of traveling.
Step 1: Day Dream
Sounds funny right? But all amazing trips start with a dream or a bucket list. Ask yourself where is one place I’ve been dying to go and make a list of all those places.
Step 2: Decide when to travel
One of the best travel tips for beginners I have is to travel during the off-season. Travel during peak season can be stressful and when you are a new traveler or haven’t traveled in a while, I suggest avoiding stressful situations. Traveling to a new place is stressful enough.
Being flexible with travel dates can save you a lot. And I mean A LOT of money. In addition, you get to enjoy awesome location typically packed with tourists when it is less crowded.
Unfortunately, not everyone has flexible schedules. You may have a long weekend off for a holiday, a one week vacation, or lucky you, 2 weeks. If you have to travel during a busy season, be realistic and research flights and dates.
Step 3: Start off somewhere easy
One of the most exciting things about planning a trip is choosing your destination. However, make sure you have a strategy to narrow down your choices.
Look at the list you made earlier and see which one would be the easiest one to start off with. Look for the hidden gems that many people may not choose over popular spots like Italy, France, England, or other hot spots.
Step 4: Set a budget
Doing your research will get you a long way.
Research your total costs; airfare, transportation, hotel costs, costs of restaurant, excursions, and more. After you do this, add a daily amount for spending money. You should always have extra spending money because no matter how prepared you are you must expect the unexpected (we will talk more about this on tip #8).
Setting a budget will give you a rough estimate on how much you need to plan for plus more. If you are working with a limited budget, I suggest look for smaller destinations that fit with the amount of money you are able to spend.
I suggest not coming back home from a vacation with a massive pile of credit card debt. I’m speaking from experience. Hopefully by following these steps you’ll save up what you need and won’t have to worry about credit card debt. You are already reading this blog so you must be planning ahead… right?
Step 5: Pack light
If you aren’t sure you need it, you don't.
I’ll admit, this is one thing I am terrible at.
I am a person who loves clothes and fashion so I used to always overpack. But overtime, the large checked bags ended up being more of a struggle than we needed. With that said, only pack what you need and try to plan your outfits ahead of time.Save room in your suitcase for souvenirs or clothing you buy along the way.
Go carry on over a checked bag every time. Luggage gets lost all the time! And if you aren’t prepared and you didn’t pack clothes in your carry on, you will probably be wearing the same clothes you wore on the plane for a while. Carrying on vs. checking a bag can also save you money. Pack a capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is clothing that can all be mixed and matched together. This will save you a lot of space in your bag.
Be realistic with what you pack. If you love the dress but already have two others packed you don’t need it or swap it for one of the other dresses. Worst case scenario you can always buy what you need with the extra spending money you budgeted for (see how that worked).
Step 6: Arrive early
Always arrive early to the airports. Airports suck. Cancellations and weather delays happen all the time.
This just happened to me 4 weeks ago. My sister and I were traveling to Turks and Caicos to meet our grandparents and aunt on the island. We arrived to the Columbus airport early and thank goodness we did! Our flight was delayed FIVE hours and we were’t going to make our connecting flight. So we went up to the United Airlines desk for someone to help and all the flights for the rest of the week were booked going to Turks and Caicos!
Thankfully we were right next to the Delta Desk and they had just two spots left on the plane that left in 45 minutes. If we wouldn't have arrived early we wouldn't have been able to make our flights or let alone go on our vacation at all. Long story short arrive early and always expect the unexpected.
Step 7: Be prepared
Isn't this what this whole blog is for? Preparing yourself? Yes but what I mean here is to double check everything you have planned this far.
Airfare is paid for (Check)
Hotels are reserved? (Check)
Transportation or rental cars are planned and payed for (Check)
Extra spending money just in case? (Check)
Bags are packed “lightly” (Check)
Passports and identification are in hand and up to date? (Check)
Sounds like you’re ready to go right? Maybe and maybe not.
Step 8: But also... prepare for the unexpected
Again, budget extra cash. You never know what is going to happen. You or someone you are traveling with may get sick and you may need to buy medicine or go to the hospital.
Prepare for weather delays. Changes in weather can result in flight delays, cancel planned excursions you had for that day, and more. Having a back up plan can always be helpful.
Travel Insurance: travel insurance can be a great idea! It protects you from a range of things like covering medical emergencies to flight cancellations. That trip from four weeks ago that I told you about, yeah we didn’t have flight insurance and we did not get a full refund for our United flight and still had to pay for the flights on Delta which weren’t cheap. So, if you have a strict budget for your trip and you don’t have much wiggle room in your price range for things such as these, I would suggest getting travel insurance to save yourself and your bank account the struggle.
Step 9: Don't be scared
If I didn’t have bad things happen to me from previous trips I would not be able to write this post. We learn from mistakes and experiences. It’s what makes us better and more experienced travelers.
“Fear is the brains way of saying that there is something important for you to overcome.” - Rachel Huber
Fear is a great thing. Fear stops many people from achieving things they dream of, but it also persuades others to chase them. If millions of people can travel to new destinations every day, you can too.
Step 10: You don't always have to stick to the plan
Things happen along the way. You are adventuring and finding new things. If you completely change your itinerary for the day because you found something else that interests you way more that’s okay!
You may have a 5-star dinner reservation at this one restaurant but a local tells you about this authentic restaurant right around the corner. Go for the authentic restaurant every time. You discover the most this way.
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