10 Essential International Travel Tips for First-Time Travelers - Part 2 | Crossworld Holidays
Dive into valuable advice for first-time international travelers, covering topics like avoiding travel fatigue, prioritizing health and safety, packing tips, navigating airports, and staying connected while abroad. | Crossworld Holidays
10 Useful International Travel Tips for First-Time Travelers - Part 2
May 2024
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6. Avoid travel fatigue
As you start booking your first international trip, your excitement may get the better of you and you may want to go all out. How many cities can you fit in one trip? How much can you see each day? Do you want to go north to south, AND east to west? Take our advice: slow down and take your time.
TIPS TO OVERCOME TRAVEL FATIGUE
Give yourself time to recover from Jet lag: Recovering from a long-haul flight is challenging enough - but when you’re in a new timezone, you’re bound to be jet-lagged. Traveling across time zones can throw off your circadian rhythm, and it can take a while to adjust to your new schedule. Allow yourself enough time to recover and rest before moving on to the next destination.
Be prepared for cases of travel and motion sickness: Whether you are traveling by plane, car, or boat, you may be susceptible to suffering from motion sickness. Be sure to pack some travel sickness medication with you and allow yourself enough time to rest and get over it.
Make sure to schedule enough time for each destination: Prioritize quality over quantity. It is far more rewarding to thoroughly explore fewer locations at your own pace than to barely and frantically scratch the surface of a whole country. Many travelers are too ambitious, trying to squeeze whole countries into their itineraries. Then upon reflection, these travelers go home realizing that half of their time was spent traveling.
7. Prioritize your health & safety
While you shouldn't preoccupy yourself with things that could go wrong on your trip, being aware of your surroundings and taking precautions to keep yourself safe will go a long way in enjoying your new adventure.
SAFETY TIPS TO FOLLOW WHILE ABROAD
Protect your items from pickpockets and petty theft: A crossbody bag or fanny pack is by far the most effective way to deter pickpockets and store your phones and wallets safely. Never keep valuables in your back pocket or the outer pocket of a backpack! If you're really concerned, money belts you can wear under your clothes and theft-proof wallets are also good options.
Stay connected: Share your itinerary with friends and family members before you leave so they can keep track of your adventures. Include addresses and contact information for any accommodation. If you are from the US, you can register with the U.S. State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). That way, the local U.S. Embassy will know to get in touch with you in the case of a natural disaster, political unrest, or another emergency.
Consider purchasing travel insurance: Travel insurance should be a non-negotiable addition to your list of things to do before traveling internationally. From emergency evacuations to reimbursement for lost luggage, travel insurance can save you a lot of money in the unlikely event that something bad happens. Get yours and other travel goodies on GO’s nomad essentials page!
Use common sense: Ask locals and staff at your accommodation for insight on which areas to avoid, if any. Always try to travel with a buddy at night, and if you go out, don’t drink too much, especially if you are alone or without people you trust. If you use apps to meet new potential friends or dates, always meet in public places. Above all, always follow your gut if a person or situation gives you a bad feeling!
8. Pack appropriately
Packing appropriately can simplify your trip. Packing too much, too little, or simply setting off with a disorganized suitcase can all negatively affect your experience.
Here are some helpful tips to consider when it comes to packing:
Use packing cubes: Never, ever, underestimate how much packing cubes can improve your travels. They help with organization, are space savers, and can even keep your clothes neater. Packing cubes are relatively cheap and help you keep it together - both literally and figuratively - while traveling.
Travel light: While you should always make sure that you have something for warm weather, cold weather, and rain, remember not to go overboard. Having luggage that is too heavy can make getting around miserable (especially in older buildings with no elevators!). Concerned that you may run out of clean clothes? Use a laundry service, or better yet, treat yourself and buy some memorabilia in the form of clothes!
Keep your possessions safe: This goes without saying, however, there are many different ways you can go about keeping your possessions safe. You can use a lock on your rucksack or suitcase to deter baggage thieves. Bring your important possessions (electronics, jewelry, etc.) with you in your carry-on bag. If you’re at the hotel and you’re still not at ease, keep your possessions in your room safe. Hostels often have lockers but you will need to provide your own lock.
9. Read up on airport travel tips
Pre-departure and airport anxiety are very common among both rookie and seasoned travelers. There’s just something about being in a big, vast building, with hundreds of departure boards and people rushing around that can make you feel uneasy and flustered, especially when you’re flying internationally for the first time.
However, navigating the airport is a relatively straightforward process, especially when you break it down bit by bit. You find out which terminal you fly from, check-in, make it through security, and then you can enjoy your pre-departure coffee. Voilà!
Find out which terminal you’re departing from beforehand (some airports are big enough that the terminals are miles apart!)
Check-in online ahead of time if you are able to do so!
Download your favorite shows, movies, podcasts, etc to help pass the time.
Weigh your bags the day before to ensure that you're not over the limit.
10. Consider connectivity
While traveling can be eye-opening and liberating, it can get lonely at times, especially if you are someone who suffers from homesickness. But going abroad doesn’t mean that you have to go without speaking to your friends or family. There are many ways in which you can keep in contact with loved ones, whether you are calling them every day or just sharing pictures of your travels!
When keeping connectivity in mind, you should take into consideration:
International roaming vs local SIM: You’ll need to decide whether it makes more sense to use international roaming through your current plan or to buy a SIM card while abroad. You’ll need a phone that’s unlocked in order to use a prepaid SIM.
Availability of public wifi at destination: Using public wifi is a great way to save data. Major cities have wifi available all over, while other more remote destinations may have limited coverage.
Need for a VPN: Social media and communication apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and others may be blocked in some overseas countries (China, Turkey, and the UAE, to name a few), so be sure to look into whether you need a VPN to access them.
