So, you’ve got everything figured out? You’ve packed your bags, got enough money to last you a month in as-far-away-from-here-as-possible land, you are not lacking the excitement of trying something new and you have read every guidebook about the places that you potentially wish to visit. Yes, you think you are ready for your vacation which will take you to an exotic place. However, all that you have done is, usually, not enough and there are still some things that you absolutely have to know before setting foot on the airport and flying far away.
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1Book transportation and lodging ahead of time
If you do not do so, then the chances are high that you will find yourself in a very delicate situation. Booking flight early is recommended because of the prices, while booking lodging (a hotel room, or wherever else you wish to sleep) is recommended for other reasons. Imagine finding yourself in a foreign country without lodging. Its high chance that someone will take advantage of you, so do not get fooled.
2Learn about the visas
While the world is rushing towards the era of complete free travel (what with all the agreements of non-visa regimes of travel), it may still happen that you might be surprised by getting asked for a visa at the airport. Some people think that you can travel anywhere with a developing-country passport, but that is, actually, not true. So, get informed about visa regimes for the country you are going to and handle things well before departure.
3Health hazards
You know how you get vaccinated at your birth or early childhood against a whole range of diseases that you can catch during your lifetime? Well, as it turns out, so do people in every country. The thing is, however, that each country has a different set of vaccines that are given to children, because there are different diseases in different countries. So, if you are vaccinated in Australia, it does not mean that you will be immune to every disease in China. This is why you should check with the WHO (World Health Organization), or your country’s Center for Disease Control, and get informed about potential health hazards. If necessary, take the shots required and bring proof with you.
4Departure taxes
This is a tax that exists in every country and it is considered by some that it is very unfair. These taxes are also called ‘airport taxes’ (that’s the one I have often heard about) and are, usually, charged via your airplane ticket. However, it might happen that they are not accounted for with the ticket, so you should get informed. It would be embarrassing to be left with a significantly less money for your trip just so that you could leave your own country.
5Get acquainted with the language
By this, I don’t mean: “Become fluent in the target country’s language”, but, instead, that you need to get to know a little language. You can never expect that everyone everywhere knows English. While a lot of people worldwide does speak English, the statistics and the actual experience may differ significantly. Learning to say: ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’, ‘thank you’, ‘sorry’ and ‘please’ will definitely not hurt your experience and has the potential to improve it significantly. The locals will certainly appreciate it and will feel much closer to you from the beginning.