Getting traveling right is tricky because there are so many moving pieces. You have to meet your personal needs while, at the same time, getting to your destination and temporarily setting up a new life for yourself. You can’t just explore however you want and hope for the best.
Unfortunately, many of us get into logistical nightmares when we travel. We like to think that we have everything under control, but in reality, we really don’t.
That’s where this post can help. It looks at how to make less of a mess of your travel plans. Here’s everything you need to know.
Stay Calm When The Proverbial Hits The Fan
Occasionally, things will go wrong when you travel, no matter how much you plan. For example, you could be overweight for your luggage or the airline could cancel your flight. Whatever it is, if it can happen, it usually will.
When events like these occur, stay calm and accept it as part of the travel experience. Try to improve the situation if you can, but don’t let it affect your peace of mind. Events like these are 100% inevitable, especially for frequent flyers.
If you’re worried about delays and cancellations, see if you can insure against it. These policies cover the costs of you missing your flights and other inconveniences.
Double-Check Your Documents
Next, you should spend some time double-checking your documents and ensuring you have everything you need to hand. Tickets, visas, and IDs are all important, depending on where you want to go.
You’d be surprised how many people forget about their travel documents. They get so excited about the upcoming trip that they skip the parts where they need to fill out forms. Often, you can still complete paperwork online or on the aircraft, but not always, so it is always worth checking the policies of the country you want to fly to.
Sometimes, you need to bring documents with you, like criminal record checks and other IDs, that are up-to-date. Again, you’ll want to source these with plenty of time to spare.
Use Tech Wisely
Using tech wisely is also an excellent policy when traveling. One handy piece of tech is an eSIM. A USA eSIM lets you access mobile data instantly, avoiding roaming fees and keeping you connected while traveling in the U.S.
However, you don’t want to rely on it 100% for everything, including your routes, travel plans, check-in documents, and flight timetables. When you go overseas, it’s not uncommon for the internet to go out or to be unable to get a signal.
Therefore, take backup atlases, print-outs, and schedules with you. Make sure you have paper versions of the information you need to make your travel itinerary a reality. Go back to the 1990s if you feel you need to and imagine the internet and GPS don’t even exist.
Expect The Unexpected
It sounds clichéd, but expecting the unexpected is also an excellent way for you to reduce the mess you make of your travel plans. The more you can build on things going wrong, the more likely you are to be able to get what you want from your travel itinerary.
For example, make sure you leave plenty of time between transportation changes. Ensure you book parking well in advance and that you have time to get to the terminal, check in, and do everything you need to do.
For example, if you’re flying from the northwest of the UK, you could explore Manchester Airport parking and see how long it takes for the bus shuttles to get to the airport. Then, you can use this information to know when you should travel and how long you should leave.
The same goes if you’re taking a train or a bus to the airport. Again, you’ll want to include a buffer period where, if something goes wrong, it doesn’t matter as much. You don’t want to put yourself in a situation where the official timetable gives you 15 minutes to spare, as the likelihood of missing your flight is high.
Budget Before You Go
Next, you’ll want to think about the financial side of your trip and perhaps budget before you go. Many novice travelers get into trouble when they spend too much on their adventures and only realize the damage they’ve done to their bank accounts when they arrive home.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to plan all your costs before you travel. Mapping these out will show you how much you’ll need to spend, giving you the opportunity to see whether you can afford it.
Start with the big ticket items, like flights and accommodation, and then work down the list. Food is usually the biggest unexpected expense, so you’ll want to seek options that reduce your costs and let you keep your budget healthy. For example, you might opt for self-catering instead of eating out every evening, or you could bring your food with you.
Try to include all the little items, too. For example, you’ll want to budget for things like bus fares, parking, souvenirs, excursions, tours, day trips, and museum entries.
When you have all these numbers, the true price of your trip should become clearer. You’ll have a better idea of what it’s going to cost and whether you can afford it.
Pack Smart
Making less of a mess of your travel plans also involves packing smart instead of heavy. Nothing’s worse than spending all your energy lugging heavy suitcases through airports.
Many people get around this by sticking to the checklist of things they need and only packing the essentials. They bring minimal clothes and a few gadgets (perhaps just their phones) to keep the weight down.
If you pack this way, you should find that you don’t even need to bring a full-size suitcase. You may be able to get everything you want into your hand luggage or a half-size travel bag.
If you think you need to bring “just in case” items with you, think carefully. Often, you don’t, and they just wind up taking up space and failing to offer you anything you need.
Create An Itinerary
Creating an itinerary is another way to prevent disasters while traveling. It ensures you know what you are doing every day so you don’t waste time and you have direction.
Make sure you jot down the key details, including times and locations, in an accessible place, like a diary on your phone. Then, plan your costs around these, looking at specific venues or places to stay and exploring the pricing.
Once you have an itinerary, you are less likely to overschedule or try to pack too much into the day. Make sure you use apps like Google Maps to plan travel times between destinations and check that you can get everything done.
Start Planning Early, But Don’t Be Too Rigid
Finally, you’ll want to start planning your travel adventures early, but you’ll also want to ensure that you aren’t too rigid. Nothing is worse than sticking to a timetable that’s set in stone because it turns travel from something organic to something formulaic.
You’ll want to book key items like the flights and hotel rooms in advance. But you’ll also want to retain an open mind about everything else to avoid the whole trip feeling artificial. Travel should have an element of mystery and adventure in it.
Sometimes, it’s these moments where you discover things about a location that other people would never find. For example, dedicating an entire Saturday morning to exploring a local market is something that can be exciting because it gives you a chance to talk to people about the area, what’s worth doing nearby, where you should go, and so on.
