3 Tips To Prepare You For International Travel

I have an upcoming trip to Taiwan with my office barkada and it will be my FIRST ever travel abroad! Since it will be my first time, I thought it would be helpful to share with you guys how we are preparing for this trip. Hence, making a "series" of blog posts that will contain not only travel blogs but also tips and other things that may help you with your own travels!

 In this blog post, I will share with you 3 Tips To Prepare YOU For Your Travels.

QUICK NOTE: I am a Klook Affiliate and you will see affiliate codes and images in this blogpost. This will provide me with a small commission to fund this blog and to continue providing you with quality content. Thank you for your support! :)

TIP #1: Plan Ahead(It will save you alot of time and money!)

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Of course, YOLO-ing is an option, but it won't hurt to plan even just a little bit of your travels so you won't waste time, energy and possibly money during your trip. Here are a list of things that you may wanna plan ahead of time.

Passport Renewal/Applications (or Visa Renewals/Applications)

This is a no-brainer, especially if you're aiming for travel abroad. You should always keep track of when your passport/visas are due for renewal so you can plan ahead of time when you will renew it as well as keep you from the mistake of "RUSHING" the renewal or maybe rebooking everything else since your scheduled appointment is way beyond your travel dates.

Check available schedule and book an appointment ahead of your trip(or just renew/apply as soon as you can) at the website of Department of Foreign Affairs.

Flight Tickets and Accommodations

With airline companies announcing seat sales every so often, you can actually plan your travels and also get cheap flights with it! Better follow their social media/websites for their latest promos and try to grab cheap flights as much as you can! :)

For hotels, you'd want to book in advance so as to not have any issues where to stay or what. An alternative to hotels would be AirBNB or Hostels which is sometimes cheaper.

A well planned accommodation can also help you save money by going to a hotel that will be nearby to major transportations or near a certain tourist destination that is part of your itinerary

Itinerary

Travelling to a place you've never been can be a nightmare to others. And while exploring the unknown is an option too, there are still people(like me) who definitely needs a "plan" to follow at least on the first time. With a bit of research and planning your itinerary well can make your trip less hassle and stress hahaha

Research have never been easier with the advent of the internet, so look for interesting places to go to, where to eat, where to stay, how to travel around and more through social media groups, blogs, youtube videos, google

Make a spreadsheet or a word document and list down places, activities, time and which day you will do/visit them. You can also include other information like how to get there and of course the expenses you might incur like entrance fees, food price ranges, transportation fees, etc.

Additional Tip: Ask your friends for recommendations! They are one of your best resources when trying to research about your upcoming travels!

You may also look at what Klook has to offer at your Destination of choice!

Klook.com

Budget

If you're stingy like me, this is one of your major concerns with almost everything. Plan ahead your budget by doing your research like when doing your itinerary.

Having a SET budget for your travels will also keep you from overspending on your trip and prevent you touching your savings for it(assuming you have a separate fund for savings and travels like I do, would you like to know how I save up?)

Once you're there, try to list down everything you spend your money on to keep track of your expenses
Additional tip: Do not fully constrain yourself with a set budget, add a bit of a "splurge" money and treat yourself as well!

TIP #2: Pack Your Bags....WELL!

Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash

Packing your bags seem like something you shouldn't pay attention to but you know what? YOU should!
On the other end of the spectrum, you might be daunted by the task of preparing and packing your bags for your trip.

You're going to a place for a few days and packing your bag with the essentials can make or break your travels(and possibly your bank account).

But first, you have to consider your baggage allowances. Normally, you can get up to 7kg Carry On and 20kg Check-In Baggage. Basically, you have to keep this in mind when packing for your trip. But then again, if you're sure you're gonna go over these limits, then you might as well buy additional baggage allowance in advance so it won't be a hassle later on.

Next is, probably do prioritization on what to bring on your trip. A good place to start is by listing your essential things to pack. These are usually the following:

Clothes

The clothes you pack would depend on a few factors like, number of days you'll be staying, activities you will do on the trip, will there be an occasion you'll be attending, etc. These should all be considered when packing clothes

Toiletries

Soaps, Shampoos, toothpaste can be ditched if you're okay with using what's included in your hotel/accommodations. But if you really need to bring your own, choose the travel friendly sizes so you can save on the baggage weight

• Tissues/Wet Wipes are optional
• Skin Care stuff(moisturizers, sunscreens, etc)
• Deodorants etc.
• Nail Clippers, shaving kits, etc
• Shoes/Footwear
• These are debatable since it can be situational but you may wanna bring an extra pair of shoes when you travel
• Aqua Shoes for water activities
• Hiking shoes if you have hiking activities

Passport/Visa(for International Travel)
Other Valid IDs

 Do I even have to explain this?

Flight/Accommodation Details(Optional)

A hard copy of your flight details and accommodation may be helpful to have in your bags. Just in case.

Medicine

If you're on medicine and travelling, you have to bring them with you. You may also include a first aid kit which you can readily buy on drugstores. Prevention is always better than cure

Note: There are some restrictions with regards to liquids and toiletries, I'll find the link to that and share it here later.

Other things to pack may include the following:

• Camera
• Laptop
• Tripods
• Drones
• Battery Packs/Chargers
• Phone

There are also restrictions with electronic gadgets especially, drones and battery packs. I'll link to that as well later.

I guess the overall rule is to just pack what you'll be needing for the trip and a few extras for peace of mind and emergencies. Packing light can also be done. It's really up to you and your needs.

TIP #3: Have Local Currency Ready!

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Having a local currency of the country you're visiting is a must when travelling. Airports have money exchangers but they have high rates and can sometimes be outright rip off. 

What you can do are the following:

• Go to your bank and order the currency that you need. Our banks usually require 2 weeks to have your order delivered. So if you're going to exchange money via your bank, be sure to do it in advance
• You may also visit the local bank of the country you're visiting and exchange your money there
• ATMs on the country you're visiting should also be equipped to actually do money exchange to their local currency when you withdraw from it

As mentioned in Tip #1, the money you'd be spending should be within your limit, so make sure to keep track of it closely. Also, you have to plan this ahead to save time on your trip and be less hassle on your part. 

BONUS TIPS FROM MY FAVORITE TRAVEL BLOGGERS/YOUTUBERS:

The 3 tips above is what I can think of right now which is what me and my friends are currently preparing for this Taiwan trip. So I thought, maybe I can get a few more tips from my content creator friends and favorite bloggers/youtubers as well! 

Be sure to check out their blogs for awesome travel content!

Once you arrive from the airport, you will most likely need  local currency to pay for public transportation to get to your accommodation. Trains and buses usually don't accept credit cards. Moreover, some banks turn off the credit card as a security measure when a transaction occurs in a new place because they're preventing fraudulent transaction. This applies to ATM as well so you may not be able withdraw cash when you badly need it.

Ensure then that you have enough cash with you specifically dollars which are easier to be converted. Have a few local currency converted at the airport just to get you by especially if you're arriving at the wee hours.  Money exchange centers at the airport are a rip-off. Best to have the rest of your pocket money converted at a local bank for better rates.

Me-An Clemente of Yogo And Cream 
http://yogoandcream.com/

Never forget to plan your itinerary and ask friends for tips on where to eat and attractions to see. When packing your things make sure to have 2-3 sets of clothes per day plus 2 extra set just in case you extend your vacation. Don't forget your essentials, toiletries and bring some medicine (better prepared)
Alyssa Tuangco of Alyssa's Food And Life
https://alyssatuangco.blogspot.com/

Prepare your travel documents. Research for places to visit, know about the place and how to commute. Plot location in google maps, your hotel and what you want to visit per day para mafamiliarize sa lugar.
Create itinerary
Pack everything you need
Mark your calendar
Check credit card or debit card
And then don't forget to exchange your cash for local currency

Azrael Coladilla of Azrael's Merryland  

https://azraelsmerryland.blogspot.com/

Tip: Research everything about the country your visiting. This is to save time/effort on deciding where to go or what to do. Spontaneity can be great sometimes, but when you're on a tight schedule. It is better to plan early //

Kaycee Enerva, Top Beauty and Lifestyle Blogger of www.kikaysikat.com

Final Thoughts

Since it is my first time to travel abroad, I want everything to be perfect, although at the back of my head, I know there will be some challenges along the way. This is why preparing for it can help you lessen the challenges and have everything you need right from the start. The tips I shared with you are what I am personally doing right now to prepare for our trip and I hope this article will give you an idea how to prepare for YOUR first time travel, or even if it's your X number of travels.

Maraming salamat sa mga travel bloggers/youtubers na nagbigay ng tips! :) 

Thank you so much for reading! 

Where did you go on your first travel abroad? How did you prepare for it? 

Would love you hear your stories!