Traveling can be one of the most enjoyable ways of spending your holidays and vacations, whether it be to another part of your own country, or going abroad.
I use the word “can” because, if a trip doesn´t go according to plan, the whole experience may be stained, and your memories might not be as positive as they could have been.
What if you forgot to get a visa to a country that requires it? What if you brought only warm clothing because “it´s always hot” where you´re going, and then the temperature drops, it starts raining, and you don´t want to waste hundreds of dollars on new clothing? Or what if you´re simply denied boarding a plane because you didn´t have a negative Covid test to show? (Guilty as charged.)
In order to avoid problems like these, I will mention some of the most important things you need to think about before going on a trip.
Tickets and bookings
When you have decided on a place you want to stay, it would be wise to spend some time coordinating how you´ll get there, what transportation is like in the area, etc.
You should consider the following; when you will go, and when you will come home; how long you are able to stay in regards to when you need to be back for work or other responsibilities; how you´ll get to the airport; whether you will have enough time between flights at the airport to board; how you´ll get to the hotel; what places you want to see and how you will get there from the hotel.
It will help you immensely to coordinate all modes of transport so that you know how to get somewhere if you need a flight, bus, train, AND possibly a car. If you´re late for any of these, the whole “transportation chain” might be upset, leading to a missed flight or bus that only goes to your destination every five hours or so.
Insurance
You should double-check whether you have travel insurance, whether it´s included in your credit card, or whether you don´t have it at all.
A lot can happen with you when traveling to another country, and not only because of things that happen in the country itself. Teeth problems that have been festering for years might decide to break out while you´re on your trip, which is a big bummer – especially if you don´t have medical insurance. In Norway, people seem to be more prone to forgetting to buy travel insurance, as they are used to having all their medical expenses covered by the state.
Packing
Depending on how long you´ll be staying and where you´re going, you might have to pack a little or a lot. Being a minimalist by nature, I usually prefer packing a little, no matter how long I´ll be staying. How much any individual feels they need to pack depends on their habits, and often whether they´re a man or a woman (in my experience, the latter seems to bring more, much more!).
A useful question throughout the whole packing process is “Is this absolutely necessary, am I sure I will be needing it?” This helps to lighten the load we need to carry, and it can often save us a lot of money in terms of air tickets, as it costs more to bring more luggage.