1. Get a bum bag
One of the best ways to store and retrieve items when traveling. Think of all those tiny but useful items you could urgently need when traveling, like napkins, wet wipes, hand gel, room keys, sunscreen, sunglasses, wallet, and your passport. You guessed it, all these items can be at your disposal. Say goodbye to the annoying backpack that makes sweat starts trickling down your back in the sun and where tiny items always find their way to its bottom.
Imagine standing in a queue to enter some historical palace, and finally when your turn comes you remember that your wallet is somewhere in your backpack. You have to take it off open it and start investigating where it is. You panic maybe I forgot it in the restaurant I was at earlier, or maybe even worse, you dropped it in the buss. Not to mention all the tourists behind you in the queue waiting for you to find your wallet.
Another example is if you accidentally spilled some coffee on your shirt. Your wet wipes are just on your waist you can use them quickly to get yourself out of trouble.
Not to forget that thieves waiting to prey on tourists will have a much harder time stealing items that are just sitting on your waist in front of your eyes
2. Register for a free walking tour
It’s really nice to visit historical cities and look at buildings and monuments.
But you know what is much better?
It’s getting a certified expert to show you the city, and explain to you who built this monument, when, how, and why. Explaining to you how people used to live there and showing you this weird stone hidden behind the tree and telling you what it means. This stone you would have completely overlooked if you were alone without him. You will leave the city with a much deeper sense of understanding and will feel as if you were there living with those people. You would get more attached to the city because you have a story to tell.
How does a free walking tour work?
A free walking tour is usually a tour where an expert will walk you around the city, and tell you about historical events and monuments. At the end of the tour, you can tip the expert as you see fit. They are much cheaper and much more flexible than traditional walking tours.
3. Better early than sorry
You are in a foreign country, you don’t know what to expect from public transportation or traffic.
So if you plan on starting your day at 10 downtown and you need 20 min to be there just add 15min to it. You never know what might happen. Or if you might lose the way at some point.
4. Watch the weather
Always check the weather in the morning to know what to wear, or to see if you might need to bring with you that extra jacket/umbrella. This might save you the existential crisis of sitting in the wind cold and being unable to enjoy the view.
5. Get yourself a reliable phone and good internet
Phones and the internet have become an essential part of our lives. We use them to find directions (Maps), to search for information, or to get an answer to any question.
But we feel how important they have become when abroad. You might get lost inside of the city you are visiting and would need to open some maps application to find your way out. You might get so tired that you want to order a taxi to take you to your hotel. Or to call some entity in case of an emergency. So the last thing you want is for your phone batteries to die out or to lose connectivity when you need it the most
6. Get an idea of how much you’re willing to spend
Getting an idea of what is your budget before planning the vacation is always very important. It will avoid situations like running you are out of money before the end of the vacation. And it will allow you to take more informed decisions when some unexpected expenses pop up like a really interesting museum that has a considerable entrance fee. Should you take it? Or is it too much on the budget? If you took time to do your homework you would not be stressed and uncertain if you can add some additional cost to your trip
7. Get an insurance
Never travel abroad without travel insurance. You never know what might happen. And it’s always better to have safety measures in case of emergencies
8. Get as local as possible
If you know someone in the city you are visiting don’t be timidly asking them for tips on places to visit or restaurants where to dine. And if you have no one there, just google the city, read a bit about it and get some ideas on what to expect
9. Get yourself comfortable shoes
I can’t repeat this enough. Please make sure you get comfortable shoes when traveling abroad. There will probably be a lot of walking and the last thing you want is getting blisters because of your new uncomfortable shoes
10. Learn a few sentences of the language of the country you are visiting
