Best travel advice of 2023!

the best travel advice of 2023!

Traveling can be a wonderful and enriching experience, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming. To make the most of your next trip, it’s essential to plan ahead and be prepared. How you travel really affects how your trip will go. Prepare in advance so your travel days can be as enjoyable as your vacation days. Here are some tips to help you have a smooth journey.

10 Best Travel Advice of 2023

1. Research Your Destination:

Before you book your trip, take the time to research the destination. Find out what the weather will be like, what the local customs are, and what the must-see sights and activities are. This will help you pack the right clothes and gear and make the most of your time on the ground. We have many helpful guides on our site. We may have one for your next trip.

This is my wife’s favorite part of a trip. She loves to watch videos, read articles, and learn history wherever we travel. If this is not your favorite part, email us, and my wife will do it for you!

2. Pack Light:

One of the most common mistakes travelers make is packing too much. Not only will it make your suitcase heavy and challenging to carry, but it will also limit your mobility and flexibility. One of our favorite tips is to pack as lightly as possible when traveling to your destination. Instead, pack light and only bring the essentials. Then when you arrive, you can buy another carry-on bag that you can use for all the things you purchase on your trip. This means you do not have to struggle for space when it is time to pack up and leave. We also like to pack light on clothes, so we have an excuse to buy some new clothing.

The best packing advice I have gotten is to remember that people live wherever you are going, and they need the same things as you. If you forget something or need something you did not pack, you can pick it up at the local store. The best example is diapers, do not lug a whole suitcase full of diapers. Just pack enough for travel days and buy diapers when you arrive at your destination. Everywhere has babies, and they all wear diapers. This applies to personal care products, clothing, electronics, etc.

We like to avoid checking a bag if we can. This means we do not pack toiletries over 3 oz. This way, we do not have to worry about our bag getting lost or delayed. We buy some new toiletry products at our destination at the local convince store.

3. Get Travel Insurance:

No matter how well you plan, things can go wrong. You should plan for things to go wrong and be prepared for different kinds of emergencies. One way to help you on travel days will be travel insurance. Knowing you’re protected in an emergency will give you peace of mind. There are several different kinds of travel insurance.

The most popular is flight insurance. Always add this when booking flights. It is usually $15-$40, and that price is worth giving you peace of mind on a hectic travel day. Another type of travel insurance will also include medical expenses while abroad. You never know how your body will react when you eat food in a new country or if you get hurt during an activity. There are even travel insurances that will cover anything lost or stolen while traveling.

Before you buy travel insurance, check your credit card! Many credit cards come with travelers insurance just having that credit card. For example, the Chase Safire Preferred Card includes traveler insurance. Next time you plan a trip, instead of buying insurance, apply for a new credit card. Check out this list of other credit cards that include travel insurance.

4. Learn a Few Words of the Local Language:

Learning a few basic phrases can make a big difference, even if you need to be fluent. It will show that you respect the culture and are trying to connect with the locals. Speaking the local language is a massive compliment to the locals. You will receive big smiles and kindness for your attempt at speaking their language. When my wife went to El Salvador, she was a Spanish novice. The local people loved helping her learn new words and watching her try to connect with them. She would say that she had a stronger connection to El Salvador because she attempted to speak Spanish. Have google translate saved on your phone so you can have help in a crunch.

5. Be open-minded:

Traveling is about experiencing new things and learning about different cultures. Don’t hesitate to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Culture shock is a real thing. When you arrive in a new country, it can be overwhelming to see everything in a different language you do not know. Give yourself some time to adjust, but do not let things being different stop you from jumping into this new world to explore. There is so much we can learn from other cultures. When you arrive home, you will experience reverse culture shock. You will miss how some things happened in the places you have been. Bring the trends you learned from your travels home with you.

On our trip to Taiwan, we learned about traditional Chinese tea sets and bought our own custom set. We love displaying our China set and having traditional Chinese tea parties. On our trip to Italy, we loved public transportation and hope to have something like that in the USA one day.

6. Be prepared for emergencies:

There will be emergencies when you travel. You cannot control everything in your environment, and things will go wrong. The more prepared you are for different situations, the less likely you will encounter large emergencies.

Cash

First, It’s always a good idea to have some cash on hand in a secure place only in an emergency. When we went to Taiwan, we brought our debit card thinking it would be easy to get money out of an ATM. The joke was on us because our debit card did not work. Long story short, we ended up bringing an inactive debit card. Luckily my wife’s mom was prepared and had cash we could use.

Set up a credit card PIN

If you run out of cash and your debit card doesn’t work, this could save you from being stuck somewhere. However, most banks take a week or 2 to set up a credit card PIN, and you need a PIN to withdraw cash from an ATM with a credit card. I would never advise using a credit card to pull cash out of an ATM because of the interest, but it may be your only option in an emergency.

A first aid kit and supplies suited for your destination

What I mean by this is if you are going on a beach vacation, someone is bound to get sunburnt and need aloe or some sort of soothing cream. If you are a girl, bring period products because you never know what could happen. Before your trip, think of situations that may arise and create a plan for how to handle them. You can only prepare for some things, but you can be prepared for many emergencies.

A copy of your passport in case of emergencies

Do routine passport checks to make sure you never leave your passport anywhere. I like to have a clear photo on my phone of our passports when traveling and a paper copy stored in our luggage. If you have a photocopy or a picture, you reduce the risk of someone misplacing your passport or leaving it somewhere. Things get lost and even stolen; You want detailed records that can help the embassy help you faster. Also, you will use your passport at hotels to check in when you travel internationally. I always check our bags for passports before we leave a location.

7. Be respectful of the culture:

Traveling to a new place means you’re a guest in someone else’s home. Be respectful of the culture and customs of the people you’re visiting. Things are done differently worldwide, and when you travel, you agree to follow the laws of the land. Research the country you are going to and see if it will be a safe place to travel to or if there are any customs you do not want to participate in.

Traveling is not just for a vacation but also to help your mind and world expand. For the most part, it is fun to see how other societies work. You can learn so much from different cultures. I recommend that you travel with an open mind and learn how the things you see can help your life improve.

8. Take advantage of technology:

There are a lot of apps and websites that can make travel easier. Use them to find the best deals on flights, hotels, and activities and to keep track of your itinerary.

I like to use Hopper for looking at flights. They have a tremendous color-coded system to show you when flights are expensive or cheap. They also can send you texts when it is time to buy before they suspect a price jump. Using a VPN when booking flights is also intelligent because flight companies use your location data to raise prices.

I like to use Uber when traveling abroad. Uber has specific standards that are consistent no matter where you go. In places where Uber is not available, there are usually things similar. For example, in Thailand, they have something called Grab that also delivers food and gives rides.

9. Be flexible:

Sometimes things go differently than planned. Be open to change and go with the flow. Like I keep saying, prepare for things to not go as planned. Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more in control you can be, even when things go array. For our trip to Italy, we just had done a bunch of research, but when we arrived, all we had were plane tickets home. We had no hotels, no plans, and no appointments. We had the best time just taking the train all over Italy and going along with whatever came up.

Vacations that have strict itineraries are no fun. We like to have various research options ready to go, but we can do as we see fit. Sometimes if you plan an itinerary for a place you have never been, and then you arrive, you learn about many other things that can no longer fit into your schedule.

10. Enjoy yourself:

Remember that the most important thing is to have a good time. Relax, take it all in, and enjoy the journey.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can be sure to have a great trip. Remember to plan ahead, be prepared, and, most importantly, have fun. Happy travels.