This comprehensive guide will help you make the jump and fulfill your dream of going abroad on vacation! The first 3 items on this list may seem difficult at first as a "first step" in setting your goal and moving forward with your plan. A few things can help you be more prepared for all types of problems. Anticipation is the key to success.
Published: December 28, 2021
By: Danial Ibrahim
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1) Estimate the Budget
Do your research on the cost of your destination based on your travel style and requirements. This will help you evaluate how much money you will require for your trip and you can easily work to arrange that money. Let’s say you make up a number and come up with a budget of $3,000 for your 3-month trip. Plan your income and expenses in a way where you can come up with that amount in the shortest amount of time. Always keep your budget a bit higher than your estimate, because you never know what last-minute expenses you might have.
If you already have the cash saved up, congratulations! After this, you can move to book flights and look for hotels to stay. If you don’t, don’t worry. Plan accordingly and you’ll be able to save up those funds in no time.
2) Passport of Your Resident Country
If you have not made your passport yet, then it’s time to apply for one immediately as it is compulsory for traveling abroad and you cannot book your flights without it. Also if you already have a passport, you need to ensure it is not expiring until the next 6 months of your travel dates as it causes a lot of issues for you with airport authorities.
3) Get Your Vaccination Certificate
Each destination has its own requirements for vaccination. Ensure that you do your research beforehand and get all the necessary vaccinations. The CDC’s tourism website lists the best countries and the vaccines they require and recommend.
4) Travel Credit Card
There are various benefits associated with getting a good travel credit card. You get bonuses and free miles. If you start using it a few months before you plan on traveling, you can collect a lot of rewards that will reduce your travel expenditures. But remember, you do not need to collect a lot of travel credit cards, you only need to have one.
5) Flight Tickets
The prices for airfare increase constantly. However, there are many ways to save and get access cheap flights. There are numerous websites online that offer incredible last-minute deals:
- CheapOair
- Expedia
- Momondo
- TripAdvisor
- Travelocity
6) Residence Reservations
It is recommended that you chose places to live that offer versatile culture and good exposure to the people of that country. In addition, it is usually less expensive.
Airbnb, Couchsurfing, and Lodging are good options but they are not always available. Options for booking your place of stay include:
- Booking.com
- Couchsurfing
- Airbnb
- Expedia
- Orbitz
Make sure you book in advance to find the right deal for your top pick. While picking your hotel/place of stay, take various factors into account, for e.g. distance from city and tourist spots, commuting options and more.
Travel Insurance
This is an extremely important part of the travel process. By getting reliable travel insurance, you get access to various benefits such as health coverage and coverage for cancelled trips. World Nomad’s travel insurance provider operates at a reasonable price and has excellent customer service.
Adjust your Mobile System or Buy a SIM Card Abroad
The roaming cost for mobile phone usage will incur an escalating bill for you until the end of your trip. To avoid unreasonable costs, you must contact your cell phone company so they can configure your device accordingly.
The cheapest alternative is to operate solely on wifi. Almost every place these days has a good wifi Connection. Buying a cheap SIM card abroad is another option, but it only works if your phone is online. If you have your phone locked then you have to pay to get it unlocked to set up the SIM.
Make a checklist of these things with you and work on having all of them for safe and comfortable traveling. Hopefully, following this checklist will help avoid a lot of problems while traveling and you would be able to have a great experience.
Danial Ibrahim is an MBA graduate and an experienced content writer from Islamabad, Pakistan. He also is a Google Certified Digital Marketer with a knack for creating engaging, conversion-oriented content. He has published numerous articles and blogs online for various businesses. His work has also been published in OJCMT, a world renowned academic journal. Other than that, Danial has worked with Fortune 500 companies such as General Motors and other big names like Marvel as a content writer.