Travel checklist: 10 things to prepare before visiting a new country

By MiNDFOOD

Travel Checklist
Top view of traveler's accessories and travel checklist. Vintage style photo filter with grain and vignette added.
Spreading your wings and expanding your horizons could be done in no better way than to visit a new country filled with different cultures and endless new experiences to be had. No matter where you wish to fly off to and explore, preparation is key, and this travel checklist will help!

We know you want to spend as little time as possible thinking about planning and more time dreaming of faraway places and spaces, so with the help of The Global Work & Travel Co. we have taken a little of the hard work out of the process for you.

Travel checklist

Get planning and dreaming with these steps and make those dreams a reality.

1. Passport and Visa’s

Deciding where you want to visit is definitely one of the more enjoyable parts of the planning process, so why not combine the best part with that dreaded four letter word ‘visa’. Each nationality has different options available depending on what you plan on doing and where you are headed, so make sure to get this one out of the way first. If you decide to volunteer, teach overseas or intern abroad, then you’ll have a lot more options available than a common holiday visa. You may want to volunteer with animals in Thailand, or maybe combine work with play interning in Canada. Wherever you decide to go and what to do, get your visa well in advance whilst checking your passport is up to date!

2. Bank Cards

ATM Fee’s and or Blockages could cause quite an unnecessary problem. Many banks may suspend a card if they see a transaction fee from a foreign country. Contacting your bank and acquiring any relevant bank/travel cards will avoid what could be a huge holiday hindrance.

3.  Learn Cash and Currency Knowledge

If you’d prefer to not take your card on certain days of your holiday, make sure you get some cash out, either when you arrive or before you leave. When you do this, learn a little bit about the currency and the exchange rate, being prepared for any money exchanges that may happen will make the experience a whole lot smoother.

4. Get Travel Insurance & relevant licenses

Your health insurance provider may already cover certain things for your travels. If it doesn’t or you are after some other kind cover, make sure you look into what will suit you and your travelling and medical requirements best. A basic cover at bare minimum will cover your flights if something unexpected happens or you have to cancel your holiday for any number of reasons. If you are planning on driving you will need an international driver’s licence, inexpensive and quick, yet still something you want to make sure you have well in advance as some countries have heavy fees for driving without a licence.

5. Plan Date and Time

With so many incredible festivals, events and tourist activities, it’s imperative to plan the time of year and date’s you wish to be at your desired location. You may want to miss a big festival and experience the quietness of a town and live like the locals, or you may want to be right in the midst of the hustle and bustle at a fire festival in Japan. Keep in mind prices for accommodation and flights will vary on times and peak seasons. Either way, plan ahead your must do’s and must see list so you don’t miss out; then you can book your flights in advance.

6. Hotel’s and bookings

Whether you like to travel with complete bookings for the entire time, or you like to fly by the seat of your pants; make sure you at least have the first couple of nights booked and know the suburb or address to tell taxi drivers. There would be nothing worse than getting off a long plane flight and being tired trying to find somewhere to stay, especially in peak seasons, accommodation and experiences sell out fast.

7. Cultural Etiquette and phrases

Culture shock is a real thing, so the more you know the less surprises. Researching even the basics such as culture norms and etiquette, food, transactions and simple language phrases such as “hello” and “Thankyou” will go a long way. You may even want to travel with a simple phrase book or pamphlet, or have google translate downloaded and ready to go.

8. Electrical devices

Depending on where you travel, you may need to purchase sim cards or charging adaptors and accessories to be able to charge your phone, camera and other electrical devices. Having a fully charged phone and camera is a must when travelling, you don’t want to miss out on taking pictures of those once in a lifetime moments, or risk having a flat phone when you need to be somewhere or let someone know where you are.

9. Vaccinations and medical/sanitary items

Many countries require certain vaccinations to be taken before entry into the country, research if where you are headed needs any vaccinations. Save your pennies for the fun things and pack your own medicines and sanitary items. A lot of countries may not have basics like Paracetamol, or they may differ with unrecognisable brands and cultural differences when it comes to sanitary items, it’s better to not take the risk and make sure you have everything you need to stay on top of your health and any other mishaps that may be a possibility.

10. Print copies and tie up any loose ends

Once you have packed in advance, and ticked off everything from your list. Print out copies of your passport, visa and hotel bookings. Depending on where you go and what you plan to do, make sure everything is checked off, don’t leave anything up to chance that you can control.

Having everything checked off and well prepared will take all the unnecessary stress out of the process; the less stress the more enjoyable your holiday experience will be.

Read more: Travel stress-free with mid-flight mindful meditation

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