Travelling abroad can be fun, for most people it may even be a dream come true. But, like most things in life, if you don’t prepare for it well, your dream vacation or relocation might become a nightmare.
Before we get into the article and the tips, let us debunk a popular myth. Going ‘Abroad’ is not limited to going to America. As long as you are going to a foreign country, you are going abroad. Even if you are going to South Africa from Nigeria; it is going abroad.
Now that we have that out of the way, there are certain crucial steps that must be put in place to ensure that your trip abroad does not go downhill. This article will help you with tips for traveling abroad first time, and if this is not your first time, it’s never a waste to relearn.
Here’s a travelling abroad checklist we have specially designed to help you get it right. Think of it as a “before you travel checklist”.
1. Research about the country you intend to Visit.
Don’t think because you are not going for tourism, this does not matter. Take out time to learn about this country you intend to travel to. Find out what kind of food they eat there, what kind of weather. It is important for you to learn about the weather there because it will determine whether or not you need new clothes for the trip. Cold weather would mean you need to get heavier clothes to keep you warm, and hot weather would mean you need lighter clothes.
And then of course, if you are allergic to certain foods or you tend to be picky with food. You should research on what kind of food they eat there. And gear up for it if you feel you might not like it. It will also make things easier if you researched on the country’s culture; this way you will be better informed on what is acceptable or not acceptable there.
2. Build a budget or consult the one you are currently living on.
This is one of the first things to do. It is also one of the most important. Your should determine whether you can even afford to travel at that time. It will also determine whether you will be living the luxury life or the pauper life in the country you want to travel to. If you see that you can afford to travel. Go on to find out what the cost of living is in the country you wish to visit.
Travelling abroad goes beyond hopping on a plane, visiting exotic locations and taking Instagram pictures. You will need to feed and house yourself. So find out how much the necessities in that place cost. Necessities in this place means: feeding, accommodation, transportation and maybe even entertainment (which is often one of the reasons to travel abroad). It will even be best if you researched on hotels and found one to make reservations. And if you will be staying for a really long time, try to find out how much rent in an apartment would cost. You can ask a friend or family member living there. You can also Google it.
Read Also: US Visa Application: Basic Requirements and Guide
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Get your passport and make a back up copy
It is always best to start applying for your passports months ahead of when you intend to travel. This is even more important if you need visas from foreign embassies for the trip, because such visa applications tend to take time to be processed and approved.
After getting your passport, you should also make as much copies of it as you deem necessary. This will come in really handy is you happen to lose your passport to theft or fire or spoilage. You can take the copies with you or leave some at home with a trusted friend or family member for safe keeping.
If you already have a passport, be sure to check its expiration date. If it is due to expire within three to six months after you travel you would be denied entry by most countries. To avoid unnecessary hassles at the airport or anywhere at all, be sure to renew it.
Read Also: How to Get Legitimate Entry Visa into Canada in 5 Ways
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Get Your Visa Ready
The procedure you will follow to get your visa depends on the country you are seeking entry to. You should however know that getting a visa is almost always a cumbersome and hectic process. But before gearing up for the stress, you should research to find out if the country you intend to visit requires a hustle. And if it turns out that you need a visa, find out what type of Visa you need. The reason for your visit and how long you intend to stay will also determine what type of visa you need.
If you don’t know what “types” of visa means, click on this article to get a better understanding.
As earlier stated, the procedure for getting a visa is usually tedious and long. It would be best if you applied for it as early as you can.
5. Do a health check before travelling abroad
Visit your doctor, run all tests to be sure you don’t have some sort of infection waiting to jump on you at the 11th hour. And if you have special needs like an inhaler for asthma, be sure to get yourself a new working one. If you are travelling with a child with certain health requirements, be sure to find out how to best make things work for the child. If you will also need a wheelchair, check out on airports with such provisions. Just go for a check up before you jump on that plane, you’ll be saving yourself future stress. Visiting your doctor for a check up and getting your drugs (if you need any for a medical condition) is one of the most important things to do before traveling abroad, because they may not have the drugs you need in the country you intend to visit.
6. Find out how best to communicate with people back at home
You may think this is not exactly necessary but trust me, it is. You may need some important document back at home and it will be really devastating if you find out that you don’t even have a medium of communicating with home.
Besides, it is good to call home to check up on them. So before travelling abroad, find out exactly how you will communicate with people at home. You never know when you’ll need to send an important message or request for an important document.
7. Make sure you have you are covered by insurance before you travel abroad
Getting your insurance fixed is not pessimism or hoping for the worse. It is simply protecting yourself and whomever you may be travelling with. You may think you will be extra careful so you don’t have to protect yourself against anything but not everything is in your control. The safest bet against any thing that could possibly go wrong is getting your insurance covered.
8. Pack!
For most people, this is usually the fun part, because you may need to shop for new things. But this is also the part where most people make the most mistakes; they forget to pack the important things. The important things to go with also depends on the country you intend to visit. There are however some items that are always needed no matter where you are going. So to make sure you don’t forget to pack them, we have made up little list of things to carry while travelling abroad;
· Sweater
· Underwear
· Toiletries
· Inhaler (If asthmatic)
· If you are diabetic or have some other medical condition, being along your drugs.
· Travel documents
· ATM cards
· Documents needed to travel abroad
· Passport
To make things easier and more efficient, make up an international travel documents checklist. One that you can always consult when you need to travel.
9. Book your Flight.
Now that you are done with all the necessities and you are finally ready to book your flight go on to Travel Start to book your flight to travelling abroad at the cheapest rates available.
