Travel Checklist | Checklist For Travelling

When it comes to traveling, the first thing to do is decide your destination, trust me if you love traveling, you will love every destination you visit.

Make an Itinerary:

As soon as I decide the destination, the next thing I do is read articles on what to do in that destination, like what places to be visited, where will I eat, where will I stay, and then I prepare a timetable that what is going to be on Day1, day 2, etc. This is the most exciting part, as the trip will end in a week or so but this excitement starts from the first day of planning.

Timing:

The next important part is to consider the weather and timing, like Bali and Thailand, is in their best form in December and you can expect a heavy crowd in summers throughout most of western Europe.

Package Deal or Do it Yourself:

Since they can take advantage of their huge purchasing power, the purveyors of holiday packages can save you heaps over the cost of organizing your own flights, transfers, and accommodation especially for popular tropical resort areas in Bali, Thailand and the South Pacific.

Book Your Flight:

Air Tickets generally gets expensive as departure day comes near so it is advisable to pre-book your tickets to get cheap tickets. If you’re flying to Europe consider a stopover either in Asia or the Middle East, there are plenty of choices.

Hotels or Resorts:

Pre-booking of an accommodation is advisable for cost cutting and to avoid last minute hassle on non-availability of good hotels.
Do read reviews on the hotel or resort you are going to choose, because every hotel looks fancy in their websites or pictures, but sometimes ground reality is different.

Get in Shape:

Though you won’t read this anywhere, I think the fitter you are, the more you’ll enjoy your time away.

Passport and Visa:

Your passport should be valid for at least six months before you enter another country, but some airlines insist on six months’ validity from the date you return home. Though many countries provide visa on arrival, there are many countries where you need to plan in advance, so plan accordingly.

Medicals:

I Pack my Travel health kit before I pack my clothes, as travel can play havoc with your health. Do pack medicines for a headache, painkillers, loose motions etc. but If you need regular doses of prescription medication, plan ahead and take the prescription with you as proof of medical authorization, some countries forbid certain meds.

Travel Insurance:

Buy it as soon as you’ve booked your air tickets, the cost will be the same and you should be protected if some natural phenomenon or unforeseen personal circumstances in the meantime interfere with your holiday plans.

Which Credit Card?

There are few cards which help you get free entry for airport lounges as their extra benefits, do check with your bank if they do so. Next thing is that Using the wrong cards to pay bills when you’re overseas and access funds from ATMs can whittle your funds away. The 28 Degrees MasterCard and Citibank Debit Card are the cards many professional travelers favor for their foreign transactions due to their low charges and lack of any annual fees. Always insist on paying in local currency rather than Aussie dollars if you’re offered the choice.

Foreign Cash:

You can probably access foreign currency at your destination airport but there are a few countries that require you to pay in cash for your visitor visa when you enter the country. If so US dollars are the currency of choice, I would advise getting currency exchange in your own country to get rid of money problem during the trip.

Make Copies:

Travelling comes with lots of planning and work, so getting copies of every important document will help you stay hassle free, Print out your itinerary, airline tickets and hotel bookings. Email a copy of each to every traveler in your party along with copies of your passport information page and any other vital documents.

Navigating:

Hiring a car? Download a GPS navigation system to your smartphone or tablet and find your way without having to rely on expensive data downloads, GPS navigation system helped me a lot during my visit to Goa and Rajasthan trip.

International Licence:

Although you’ll never be asked for one at the car hire desk, as a foreign driver you’re supposed to carry an international license. If anything untoward happens while you’re behind the wheel you might be in hot water if you don’t have it.

Devices:

We’re ever more reliant on smartphones, tablets, cameras and other devices that require batteries, chargers and possibly data storage cards. As well as an adaptor or overseas sockets, make sure you’ve got all the cables and chargers you’ll need, and throw in a double adaptor and a USB car charger if you’re driving.

Apps:

Some of the most useful apps for travelers are Google Maps, Weather Live, Google Translate, XE Currency Pro, CityMaps2Go and WhatsApp and Skype for making phone calls with free Wi-Fi.

The Personal Touch:

Any flight over eight hours requires a personal kit. Neck pillow, ear plugs, and eye mask are your best friends for overnight flights and noise-canceling headphones are brilliant, make sure you have an adaptor for the in-flight entertainment system.