An important component of conquering your nerves when it comes to departing for your first trip abroad is learning everything you need to know about your impending destination. These are our top tips for what to do to get familiar with your travel destination so you can travel with confidence!
Learn the language
When travelling, even making the smallest effort to communicate in the local language can go a long way, especially if it is your first time travelling alone. Remember; if you are in their country and can’t speak their language, that is your problem, not theirs.
Some useful phrases to learn are:
Hello
Sorry
Thank you
Goodbye
Bathroom/toilet
Exit (so you can find your way out of stations, airports etc)
As well as this, when communicating without the aide of being able to speak the language, having polite body language and smiling goes a long way. If you can’t speak the language, keeping your voice at a regular level and not yelling will make the interaction run much smoother.
There are many translation apps out there, so having one of these could help you in a long way, as well as creating a translation cheatsheet. We have included a link to the comprehensive and free Google Translate.
Google Translate for iPhone
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-translate/id414706506
Google Translate for Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.translate&hl=en
Research the weather of your destination
The issue of packing has been strongly debated many times and, of course, everyone has their own method. Essentially, packing effectively comes down to three things:
- Pack less overall, but pack smarter
- Pack more underwear
- Pack for comfort first
The idea of this is that you will never need as much stuff as you thought you did. You will rarely need more than 1 pair of shoes or more than one dressy outfit, you will soon become at peace with wearing something more than once, and you will always need more underwear and more socks than what you’d planned for.
Items that can have multiple uses are a must – a scarf can act as sun protection, for warmth, and even as a makeshift towel. An oversized hoodie can be used for warmth, as a pillow, or to cover your eyes when you’re trying to catch some sleep on the plane.
Check luggage allowances – You need to be aware that you will be carrying this bag at times, and airlines do have weight limits. If you’re taking multiple flights with different carriers, check ALL the weight limits of your flights so you don’t get caught out.
If you have a travel partner – It is a good idea to put an outfit in their bag and one of their outfits in yours, in case one of lost luggage – then at least you each have a fresh outfit to wear until you can sort something out.
For dirty clothes – Get some big ziplock bags so they don’t affect the clean clothes that are yet to be worn.
Some random but useful items to have in your luggage (not carry on) are superglue, a headlamp, and a swiss army knife. It is amazing how often these come in handy.
Get to know the local culture
When you go travelling for the first time, you are going to notice something; things are going to be different – and really, that’s kind of the whole point. You have chosen your first-time travel destination for a reason. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared, and there are even some things you will really want to prepare yourself for. The most important thing though; don’t let the potential for accidents prevent you from having a great time!
If you’re from a developed western country, you are probably pretty used to being able to drink water from the tap, finding toilet paper in almost every bathroom, and knowing what to expect from food and how your body will react to it. These are just some of the things that you will find could be different when you go travelling – and the only way to find out is to do your research.
Having an upset stomach and spending days in the bathroom, or, worse yet, bed or hospital can easily be prevented with a little bit of research. Even if these things do happen, thanks to the recommended items in your medicine pack, you will be able to overcome these situations quickly.
If the local laws seem harsh compared to the standards in your own country, you still need to obey them. You can’t expect preferential treatment just because you are a foreigner. In some countries, not covering your shoulders/legs, or even having dual nationality is forbidden.
To get prepared, reading a guidebook or websites online will pay dividends – the small tips and hints of advice can make a huge difference to your trip.