5 Things to Consider Before You Travel

After many months of scrimping and saving enough money to hit the road of your backpacking adventure, the urge to just get up and leave is understandably strong.  However, if you do not stop and take a moment to consider certain important things before you travel, you may run into some nasty surprises on the road.

Therefore, to help you get off to a smooth start on your long-term trip around the globe, here are 5 things that everybody should consider before heading off in the wide blue yonder:

1) Do You Have The Appropriate Travel Visas For Your Destination?

When you’ve spent your entire life making short trips around your own country, or to other countries in the developed world, it can be tempting to think that you can just jump on a plane and go to any place in the world.  However, the globe is a very complex place, with a myriad of rules and regulations that must be followed, and fees that must be paid.  Neglecting to get proper travel visas and claiming ignorance when things go wrong won’t help you when you get denied boarding for your expensive RTW flight. As a result, check your visa status online at ixpvisas.com or a similar site before you get on the plane and avoid this common but costly headache.

2) Are All Your Vaccinations In Order?

While this may not stop you from boarding a plane (though it might to certain parts of the world; again, check before you go), not pursuing these before you take off could end up having even more dire consequences than failing to get some paperwork done.  Not getting vaccinations for illnesses for common diseases in the developing world, such as Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A/B can lead to severe health problems later on, not to mention a ruined vacation.  Go to a travel clinic near your home, tell the doctor where you are travelling, and get jabbed for all the infections that they cover.

3) Do You Have A Place To Stay Lined Up On Your First Night?

This is more of a matter of comfort, but you don’t want to be stuck looking for a vacant room in the middle of the night.  It’s no fun, trust me.  Go on a hostel booking website or Agoda and check yourself in for at least two nights, while you beat jetlag and regain your bearings.

4) Do You Know What To Do If You Get Robbed?

Know how to react and get out of these situations with only a few replaceable belongings missing.  You can’t replace your life if things go south, so don’t try to stand up to your assailant, just give them whatever they ask for.  Split up your assets and lock up vital belongings in a locker or a safe back at the hostel, so if this happens to you, you can escape without any serious disruptions to your trip.

5) Don’t Forget To Breathe

You may have many worries concerning your trip, or you may feel like seeing every site in the destinations you are about to visit.  If you are like this, just stop and observe what is happening around you in this moment.  The smells, the sounds, the sights.  This act alone will reboot your mind, allowing you to enjoy your destination the way you originally intended!

These are just a few tips to help you get off to an excellent start on your backpacking trip.  Above all else, trust your intuition.  If something feels right, it is usually worth exploring more!