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When I started traveling I had no idea what I was doing. I felt like a fish out of water, floundering around trying to figure it all out.
I made mistakes, lost money, ate bad food, got caught in bad weather, you name it, I often learned the hard way. I left my credit card with my boyfriend by accident when I was on my way to Rome and ended up crying in the train station bathroom. I paid for two buses in Panama, because I couldn’t figure out which bus I was supposed to take back to Panama City. I had money stolen from the airport security people from my checked luggage. Even avid travelers mess up.
Popular destinations come with high tourism which often goes hand in hand with pickpockets and other minor incidents. If you want to travel to new places, it’s a good idea to have your travel plans worked out and as long as your have the right travel documents and good travel insurance, most of the time you are not going to have a problem.
So, to help you avoid some of the mistakes I made I have amassed some of my top travel tips to get you started, no matter your destination country. Inevitably you will make mistakes, being in a foreign country can be daunting, especially when they don’t speak your language, but try to roll with it, don’t let the minor setbacks ruin your whole experience.
Best travel tips
Travel Tip #1: Pack Lightly
This is one of my favorite travel trips. We all want to bring a change of clothes for every day we are away and 3 pairs of shoes because you never know what your going to be doing. But lugging around that huge bag, is a royal pain and a burden you don’t need. Trust me. Just make sure you have the important documents, like any visas and your passport.
I used to be that way, packing as much as I could into a large suitcase. But honestly, who needs 3 bathing suits? The moment I switched to a smaller carry-on bag or even a backpack, the sense of freedom was enormous.
It made travel much more seamless. No more waiting at baggage carousels, praying your bag made it too. No dragging luggage through congested streets to your hotel. Just an innate sense of freedom at being able to head out and start exploring.
Travel Tip #2: Bring a map
I know everyone has a phone these days, but I love a good paper map. Sometimes cell service is spotty, don’t rely on Google maps, and being able to consult a map on where you need to be has gotten me out of a multitude of binds.
Not having a map has also caused me some serious headaches. In Panama City, I had to find the bus station. Another traveler at my hostel walked me there to purchase my train ticket for the next day. When the next day arrived, I had no clue how to get there and ended up walking in crazy directions, sweat pouring down my back until I made it eventually to the station, barely.
Consulting a map is not a touristy weakness, it can get you out of some serious binds. And if you are an adventure traveler and heading out for a hike, having a map has been huge for me.
Travel Tip #3: Be open minded
We see so much negativity about other countries on the news and it’s forced on us every day. We are told, other countries aren’t safe. But honestly, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Are there bad people out there? Absolutely. Are there just as many bad people in your home country? Probably.
So, don’t jump to conclusions. Listen to others, accept help when it’s offered, using common sense of course. Mind you, in some of the high tourist areas there are people just looking to con you. It’s not a good idea to rely on them. But you would be surprised at how friendly people are and how many just want to help. Listen to your gut feeling.
Being open minded can be used in a multitude of situations. Be open minded about trying new foods. There are so incredible foods in other countries, don’t miss out by eating at the McDonalds because it makes you feel safe.
Be open minded about other peoples cultures. This is not your country; you cannot expect people to be just like you. They eat differently, they might worship differently, and they may have different customs than you. It’s called tolerance and acceptance.
You have no right to go to another country and dictate how they should or shouldn’t live their lives because it’s different than how you do. Embrace it instead and try to understand where they are coming from, you might just learn something.
Travel Tip #4: Eat where the locals eat
If you stick to the restaurants near the tourist areas you are (1) going to get ripped off and (2) eat things that are not necessarily considered “local cuisine” and if it is, it’s usually a tamed down version of it.
Head out of your tourist zone comfort bubble and slip into a restaurant on a residential street, try some street food, or head to the local market. Street vendors are a great way to practice your language skills too! You will be surprised at what you find. We did just that on a trip to Barcelona. Discovering a brewery in a more residential area, we each had around 3-5 beers and paid 10 Euros. And the beer was awesome. And the place was hopping. Some of the best places to eat are away from the crowds and often more authentic.
See that food truck? And that line of blue-collar workers waiting to get their lunch from it? That’s where you need to be. This is where you are going to have some of your best food experiences. Not in the fancy restaurants, at the food trucks.
Travel Tip #5: Bring your own water bottle with filtration
Not all countries have clean water. Instead of buying bottled water and adding to the single use plastic problem our species has created, bring a bottle that has a built-in filtration system. Like CrazyCap or LifeStraw.
These filtration systems will remove viruses, bacteria, parasites, and more. Trust me they work, I have used my LifeStraw water bottle on hiking trips and drank straight out of streams, puddles, and rivers. Not once have I had an issue.
Travel Tip #6: Book flights for the middle of the week
Don’t overpay for your international flights. The best flight deals fall in the middle of the week, typically on a Wednesday. If you have the flexibility in your schedule you can end up saving several hundred dollars on just your flights by using this tip and use points from your debit card or credit cards where you can.
For more ways to get travel deals make sure to check out my recent post on How To Get The Best Travel Deals.
Travel Tip #7: Walk instead of drive
If you really want to get a feel for a place, walk it. There are also often free walking tours to help you get oriented in a new place and see things you may not have noticed on your own. There are often a surprising amount of free activities you can do when you are traveling on a budget. Don’t take cabs, unless its recommended because an area is too dangerous to walk around. Tour buses can be nice because you can cover a lot of ground, particularly if it’s a hop-on-hop-off type and having lots of public transportation options is the best way to get from one area to the next. But there is nothing compared to walking.
You will stumble upon some truly magical places when you walk. Places no bus will ever take you to. And who knows you may even meet some new people. Taking in a place this way will enrich your experience beyond anything you could have planned.
Travel Tip #8: Make sure your credit card has no international fees
There is nothing worse than coming home, checking your credit card statement and seeing a huge bill because you got dinged by international fees.
Many cards offer no fees on travel but make sure you check with your credit card company before you leave.
Also, make sure to tell your company you will be traveling so you don’t have a ban on your card for suspicious transactions.
Travel Tip #9: Get an international phone plan
Similar to your credit card, make sure to look into what phone plan you currently have. Some companies will offer an add on international plan, so it’s good to look into that before you go.
The other option is to get a SIM card, which can be cheaper than the plans the phone companies offer.
Travel Tip #10: Exchange money when you arrive
I would recommend bringing some of your currency with you and exchanging it when you arrive, particularly countries outside of North America and Europe. There are reasonable exchange places in countries like Nepal, which make it easy to exchange money as you need it. For North America and Europe, you can often go to your personal bank and order some country specific currency.
If you are running low, using an ATM in the country you are visiting is ok too. Though there is likely to be a surcharge, which can be higher than you would expect.
Travel Tip #11: Try to learn a few key phrases in the countries language
Travel Tip #11: Try to learn a few key phrases in the local language
Foreign countries speak foreign languages, this is not your home country, so don’t try to push it on others. People truly appreciate it when you take the time to try and speak their language. Just a couple of key phrases. People will be more open to helping you if they see you are truly trying.
Travel Tip #12: Go with a travel group if it’s your first time going on an international travel trip
This is the best way to ease into world travel and takes away the most stressful parts of going alone. It gives you easy access to areas, because they are preplanned for you and you don’t have to worry about your personal belongings as much because they take care of your things while you are on your tours.
Concluding Thoughts
Travel is an opportunity to experience something different and sometimes the best tips are the most obvious. It will put you out of your comfort zone, teach you patience and make you problem solve at times. You can have the best time and the experiences you get will make you feel truly alive.
