8 Smart Travel Tips
Every traveller has an essential travel tip or two that they’re happy to divulge to others. Use this list of the best of the perennial tips for smart travel to reduce waiting times, keep organised, ensure personal safety, and for making the most of your trip.
1. Choosing Accommodation
Accommodation is plays a central role in ensuring that your journey is comfortable and safe. Whether you’re visiting Japan, the USA, or Malaysia, hotels should be chosen carefully for a pleasant trip. Some travellers tends to discount the importance of quality accommodation when it’s a core element of any journey.
- Premises – clean, ideally luxurious, with appropriate facilities.
- Staff – professional and attentive.
- Location – if you’re on a business trip, then proximity to clients or local contacts is very important.
Whether it’s Doha hotels or hotels anywhere in the world, great accommodation means you’ll have an excellent basis for a productive and/or a very enjoyable trip.
2. Pre-Trip Preparation
It’s probably necessary to do some research for all trips.
- Check government advisory sites. No matter where you’re going, lots of government websites provide up to the hour information on the status of your destination.
- Research destinations. Purchase a guidebook or check online to familiarise yourself with your chosen destinations. This is a particularly good idea if you’re going to be in a country with strong local customs or need to plan out a detailed itinerary and work out what you want to do and see.
- Itinerary. If you’re going to be moving around, a brief itinerary for yourself and people back home is a good idea.
3. Harness Technology on the Move
There’s no need to leave behind modern comforts, even if you’re backpacking in the remote jungles of South America.
- Power adapters and plug. Make sure your phone, notebook, and other gadgets are powered up on the road. Choose universal power plugs that can be converted to conform with the power plugs in any country. Portable solar powered adapters are also available.
- Camera. Make sure your camera or phone camera has sufficient memory for holiday photos and videos.
- Music and DVDs. Fill up airport waiting times with an updated music collection on your player or bring a few DVDs on your notebook to pass idle time.
4. Having a Strategy for Staying Wired
As part of your pre-trip preparation, you might it useful to check how to stay wired while in the country/countries you’re visiting. While having a smartphone is probably the easiest way to staying connected all the time, global roaming can become very expensive so do check with your local provider before you activate. Consider getting a local mobile phone account if you’re staying for a significant period of time and will need to use your mobile.
5. Documents and ID
Along with a copy of your itinerary, leave copies of your passport, air tickets, emergency contacts, travel insurance policy, credit details, and other important documents and IDs with someone back home in case of emergency. No one wants to consider the possibility but doing this can save you a lot of time if you do lose documents overseas.
6. Organising Money
There are three main options for money when overseas:
- Credit/Debit Cards – convenient and widely accepted. Debit cards tend to be more secure since you can only use what you’ve already deposited into the account.
- ATM Cards – PLUS and Cirrus are two of the most well known interbank networks. If your bank belongs to the network, you’ll usually be able to use local ATMs that carry these logos although extra charges will apply.
- Cash. Carrying some local currency makes it convenient when paying for smaller purchases.
7. Safeguarding Your Things
If you’re carrying valuables, use your hotel safe. Carry money and important documents in an inconspicuous money belt close to your person. Secure your luggage with locks.
8. Staying Healthy on the Road
Make sure you have the appropriate immunisation shots before departure. If you take medication, check that you do have a sufficient prescription for the length of your journey. Keep fit and apply common sense when in unfamiliar areas.