On the Road
Now that you’ve finished your pre-trip planning, got your cheap flight, and have landed in your first country, what do you do? Anything you want on the road. The world is your oyster now and nothing can stop you from living out the dream you spent so long preparing for. You’ll never be short of ideas or people to travel with. If anything, you’ll start looking for a vacation from your “daily grind”.
However, there is still some advice to give on how to avoid rookie mistakes that will give you a headache and cause undo stress We all make mistakes the first time we do something and traveling is no exception. Here are some tips that can help you avoid headaches we faced while while traveling:
Booking Hostels- It’s often possible to just turn up and find a place but, with the proliferation of internet cafes, most people now book ahead. That usually means most of the good places are taken before you even arrive. You don’t want to be wandering a city looking for a bed with 20 pounds on your back. Knowing what to expect and how to book hostels in each part of the world can greatly reduce the stress of finding a bed each night. There are also cheap places to stay that are good alternatives to hostels if you’re looking for something different.
Staying in Touch- The growth of the internet has given travelers a plethora of options when trying to figure how to stay in touch with friends and family while on the road. However, there are two major options to chose from if you want to hear someone’s voice.
Getting Around- There are many ways to get around the world- trains, planes, and automobiles. Yet each region of the world has a “specialty.” Here are some ways to get around and get around cheap.
Backpacker Buses: Backpacker buses are a great way to get around countries easily, have trips organized for you, and meet other travelers. If you are scared of going around on your own, this is a great alternative to solo travel. You can get on and off as much as you want!
Guidebooks- Guidebooks are an important but not essential part of travel. You should get them and use them but just don’t treat them as a bible, which is a mistake many travelers make. There’s a few good alternatives to guidebooks that can help supplement information in guidebooks.
Travel Itinerary- Setting your itinerary is up to you. We all have different places we want to see and all lists are equal. No one has a “better” route. With that, we’ve found the most common mistake travelers make is that they double back or try to take in too much in too short a time. So we’ve compiled some suggested itineraries for the road to help maximize time, money, and allow you to get the most out of each destination.
Visas and Immigration- Know the visa and immigrations rules of a country before you go. Visa costs and rules are different for each nationality and you can find information on visas at each country’s website or in a guidebook.