If you’re going travelling, whether for business or pleasure, it’s worth doing a little bit of preparation. You can still retain a sense of spontaneity and adventure, but making sure that you’ve packed the essentials and that all the necessary bookings have been made can be crucial when it comes to your enjoyment of the trip.
Let’s take a look at four essential pieces of preparation.
Check Your Travel Documents
In order to travel between different countries, you’ll need to make sure that you have the required visas, as well as other essential travel documents. Your passport will typically need to have at least six months left to run, though this requirement can vary from one country to the next. It’s vital that you have a safe and secure place to store essential documents. Keeping a dedicated folder for them can be helpful.
Sort Travel Insurance
Overseas travel can present a degree of risk. You might lose your luggage at the airport or suffer a medical problem while you’re on the move. The right insurance product will help protect you in the event of disaster. Be sure that you’ve chosen one that’s appropriate to your needs. Where medical care is concerned, the Global Health Insurance Card is a great option. It’s free and lasts for five years, and will cover a range of health emergencies in the European Economic Area.
Pack the Essentials
To make life simple overseas, you’ll need to pack a range of devices. These include mobile phone chargers and adaptors. Take a couple of spares in case one of them breaks. If you’re travelling with other people, a stock of short USB-C cables might save considerable stress.
Toiletries and medicine are also worth stocking. This will save you the trouble of picking them up when you get to your destination. If you use contact lenses, then make sure that you keep them alongside your toiletries in a sealed container, and that they’re accompanied by the cleaning fluid.
Plan for Health and Safety
In different parts of the world, different healthcare concerns prevail. Take a look through the relevant safety and vaccination guidelines. You might be denied entry into a given country if you can’t demonstrate that you’ve been vaccinated. For example, muslims visiting Mecca will need to demonstrate that they’ve been vaccinated against certain kinds of meningitis. You’ll do this through a special document called an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis.
