ADVICE: TRAVEL PREPARATION
11:27:00
"I always wonder why birds
choose to stay in the same place
when they can fly anywhere on earth
then I ask myself the same question"
Harun Yahya
I
love travelling. I wish I had so much money, that I would never have to
worry about a trip, but could just board a plane anytime I want. Sadly
this is not a case and all of my trips were only possible through a lot
of hard work, strict saving and last but not least careful planning
beforehand.
You´d
be suprised how much money you can save if you plan your trips and
organize things before you board the plane. Preparation truly is key and
there are a number of steps you should consider to not only save some
money, but also to lower the chances of a mental breakdown or a horrible
suprise, days before you leave.
Getting there
In
my opinion the earlier the better. Yeah sure we all have heard about
this incredible last minute deals, but have you ever really found one?
No, the only person who has is your best friend´s cousin´s boyfriend or
something delirous like that. Let´s be safe and book early. Also let´s
be safe and always compare ticket prices, my favourite pages for this
are Momondo and Skyscanner.
It´s always cheaper to book a flight and a
return ticket insted of four or five one way flights, so maybe choose
one airport as the start and finish point for your travels and go on
from there.
If
you have a very complicated route or you would like more safety than
just a ticket you bought online, I can recommend you to book your
travels in a sta office. They are a travel agency specializing in
backpacking trips and they have great offers especially for students.
What I would recommend is to get a general idea of the prices on the
internet and then tell them how much you would like to spend. It will be
a bit more expensive if you book it through an agency, but you will
have a contact person and some security.
Also
think about how much you are ready to go through just to save some
money. I have once spend 10 hours at the airport of Panama City and let
me tell you I would have spend any amount of money just to be done with
it after the first five.
The other kind of shots
Before
you are ready to eliminate the kind of shot we all very much like, it
is usually time for a far more expensive and way less fun kind of
treatment: visiting your doctor. Depending on where you want to go in
the world you may need anything from a simple vaccination to Malaria
medicine. Even if you are insured this can really cost you a good amount
of money, one haptitis shot for example is a whooping 75 Euros (and you
need two).
You
should call your insurance beforehand and talk with them about which
procedures they would pay for. Sometimes they only pay a limited amount
in one quarter, so maybe you can coordinate accordingly.
Make
your trip to the doctor early a lot of vaccinations need to be spread
out over a certain amount of time and sometimes you can not enter a
country without having the necessary vaccinations. You usually can check
your government´s page for foreign affairs to find out which kind of
medical treatment are mandatory.
Break a leg
If
you are as lucky as me and you come from a country where you never had
to pay for medical treatment, you may forget that this is not the case
everywhere (even though it really should, man who doesn´t want free
healthcare?!). Procedures can cost up to a thousand euros, so definetely
make sure you have a oversea health insurance. In Germany the
sta travel agency offers a great insurance, that is cheap and also
covers all kinds of sports as well. If you are as clumsy as me you might
as well want to get a liability insurance.
Traveling by words
Anticipation is wonderful. And you can also use the time before your flight that might seem endless, to inform you about your destination. You can go there months before your actual flight via guides, books or movies and get a first impression of the mentality and life. Travelblogs are great for a more personal opinion and special tipps. This is also a great way to keep you motivated for whatever shitty job you have to do to make the money for your trip. You can waste this money in a lot of ways, but something that is never a waste is investing in a good guide book. I and loads of others love the LonelyPlanet books, they are very detailed and usually very up to date. However life changes quickly so your preferred hostel may be already closed or the hip bar may have moved. But I just generally love to curl up with these books and dream myself over to where I hopefully will be soon. It is also very important to learn about local habits and ettiquette, in my opinion there is nothing worse than to be the uneducated white dude, who thinks his way is the only way to do things. Learn the most important phrases, be informed about absolute no gos and just generally get excited.
Be spontaneous
You might want to plan every last step to use each second of your trip, but what I think really makes or breaks a trip is having some extra time for new friends, new plans or even just an hour in a café reading a good book. Pick three or four sights that you absolutely want to see, but let everything else happen along the way. You will meet so many great people, get so many amazing tips and all the plans that seemed so wonderful in your bedroom at home, are not the best idea in a crowded street in India. Be sure to also take some time off in between, travelling and especially backpacking can be exhausting from time to time.
To have some security book a hostel for the first one or two nights. There is free Wifi in most hostels and you will definetely meet people there, so you can just go on from there when you know what your preferences and plans are. I always use Hostelworld the page is reliable and the reviews are always trustworthy.
All this paperwork!
Just like your vaccinations start your visa application (if needed) early. Check if your passport and I.D. are up to date and if you want to drive wherever you go apply for an international driver´s license.
You will also very likely need to change your bank account or apply for a credit cards. Visa is always a good choice, they usually work everywhere.
Before you fly scan your most important documents such as your passport, your insurance card and your vaccination cards and send them to you via mail. This way you always have them available if they are stolen.
Always have the number of your credit card company ready to be able to block it immediately if you loose it.
2 Kommentare
Sehr hilfreiche Tipps, danke dafür! Ich bin momentan auch dabei, den ganzen Papierkram für mein Auslandsjahr zu erledigen (neuer Reisepass, neues Konto, Führungszeugnis, Arztbesuche...) und da kam mir so einiges aus dem Post richtig bekannt vor. Zum Glück fallen bei mir immerhin die Impfungen weg, ein Visum ist schon teuer genug ;)
AntwortenLöschenLiebste Grüße an dich <3
Ich bin grad zum ersten Mal auf deinen Blog gestoßen und oh, dieser Eintrag hier macht mir so viel Fernweh. Kann den Sommer kaum erwarten. :)
AntwortenLöschenDen Tipp mit den Dokumenten als E-Mail schicken ist wahnsinnig gut! Kopien hab ich zwar auch immer gemacht, aber so ist ja noch sicherer :)
Liebe Grüße,
Amelie
Thanks so much for your lovely comments, constructive criticism and suggestions. I will try to answer all of you!