There are many important things to consider before leaving home, so to make it easier, I’ve broken them into three categories:
1.First-time travelers tips for planning
2.First-time travelers tips for packing time
3,First-time travelers tips for the actual trip
Hopefully, you’ll find something useful here, no matter where you are in your travel journey.
First-Time Travelers Tips for Planning
1.Invest in good equipment
If you are going to multiple places, a good backpack that fits you well and a good, comfortable pair of shoes will be your two most important investments before you leave home. If you’re going to splurge somewhere, splurge on these two essentials.
2.Purchase travel insurance
Look, no one wants to spend money on travel insurance for international travel. But do it anyway. Trust me on this one.
3. Plan your budget carefully
I highly recommend checking out my article on planning your travel budget, where I go into much greater detail, but a good rule of thumb is to plan your backpacking expenses as carefully as you can, then bring twice as much money as you’ll think you need.
4. Brush up on safety tips
No, you shouldn’t be afraid of exploring the world. But you should be smart about it while you’re traveling. Research safety tips for backpacking and traveling, and then stay aware of your surroundings and keep them front of mind during your trip. You can start exploring the safest places to travel right now and, as you feel more confident, keep moving to other destinations.
5. Talk to your bank
Your bank will flag your account if you start spending money in a foreign country with no warning, and trust me, you don’t want to find yourself in a foreign country with no access to your bank account. You also need to talk to your bank and credit card companies about foreign transaction fees. If they’re really high, consider opening an account at a bank such as Charles Schwab, where they charge no foreign transaction fees and reimburse all ATM fees monthly.
6. Consider camping, if possible, to save money
Depending on where you’re going, tent camping may be an option and a huge money saver. Of course, then you’ll have to pack a tent, but it may be worth the savings for you.
7. Do a work exchange program to stay longer
Doing a work exchange might be the cheaper and cooler way to immerse in a trip and it gives you the chance to stay longer at the place and have a unique cultural experience, working and living with locals. Worldpackers is a great platform to start volunteering as it offers a lot of different types of projects worldwide. Besides, they have a trained team to help you and your host have a fun and safe experience.
