The fun, the experiences, the memories, the photos – trips to faraway lands can often be a time of great enjoyment and a time of soul searching away from the hustle and bustle of life. But amateur travellers either find the process of planning such a trip tedious and overwhelming or brashly travel without a plan in mind, resulting in a journey that is both frustrating as it is tiring.
It is frustrating when things don’t go to plan, and these mishaps more often than not cost you precious time, money or both. If you’re hoping to make your next trip a fulfilling one, we’ve gathered some tips from seasoned travellers on how you can save time, money, and hassle when travelling for your next trip abroad.
1. Make sure to pack the essentials
From toiletries like shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush and the like to essentials like medication, chargers and essential paperwork, make sure to run through a checklist thoroughly before and during your travels. Missing any of these things can cost you time and effort as you go out of your way to procure these items. Worse of all would be to lose your essential paperwork, as a trip down to an embassy can be a frustrating, boring and costly experience.
Make sure to keep your most important and expensive essentials (like laptops, chargers, medication) on your carry-on as a small minority might experience a piece of lost luggage when touching down. While it may be an inconvenience, at least you have all the basic things you need to start your trip on.
2. Save essential contact numbers and hotlines into your phone’s contact list
Knowing who to call or seek help from while abroad can save you lots of time, stress and headache when incidents and emergencies happen. More so when you cannot find a proper Wi-Fi connection on the fly as things are unfolding in real-time.
This is especially the case when embarking on hiking trips or other high-risk activities. It is better to be better safe than sorry, and knowing which medical emergency hotlines to contact immediately can sometimes mean the difference between life or death. Stay prepared by taking down the various hotlines like medical evacuation while in Singapore before flying off. We pray that you won’t get to activate these services, but in the event that you do, these numbers are already on the tip of your fingers and a moment’s call away.
3. Do your due research
Travellers often seek the thrill of adventure and the fun of new experiences. But while you will definitely find those overseas, various local vendors can often prey on the naïve traveller and hike up prices or include various “extra services” to earn a pretty penny or two.
Check up on reputable vendors that have high ratings or are recommended by other seasoned travellers while steering clear of known scams and untrustworthy locations. Even knowing when to keep your guard up can prevent you from falling into a bad deal most of the time. This is but one of the many benefits of your due diligence and research before your next trip.
Conclusion
Indeed, when it comes to travelling, some things will definitely not go as initially planned. It is just part and parcel of the travelling process. The only thing we can do is to manage these mistakes and prevent severe mishaps (like losing your passport or getting into an accident) from happening.
Thankfully, these can be avoided through prudence, awareness and planning. But as with all things, be prepared, stay safe and know that it is always better to be overprepared than underprepared in all situations. Doing so will let you enjoy your trip fully with peace of mind!
