There are many things I didn’t know about traveling back when I packed up my life in 2021, yet I still managed to get a few things right. When I pack now for long-term trips or new destinations, I have a better idea of how to get myself ready.
Try these steps to prepare for your upcoming trips and travels.
5. Research where you’re going
As dumb as this sounds, really understand where it is you are going. Too many people I see in life have lofty goals of going to specific destinations: wine country in France, Munich in Oktoberfest, Lake Bled in the summertime, Amsterdam in spring for the Tulip Festival; however, they never do any actual research into how to get there.
Often, if you’re like me, you’ll look up the price of plane tickets and go “oh that’s not terrible” and then never dive much further into the trip or city. Research public transit to consider the cost of getting around, research the difference in cost between B&Bs, Hotels and Hostels to see where you might save a penny if you don’t need luxury sleeping arrangements every night, research the cost of museums and restaurants to prioritize “must-see” and create impactful itineraries.
Find ways to directly approach the city and understand how to get the most out of it without losing money. Most walkable cities are set up to capture these travelers who don’t research and, therefor, go in the first restaurant they see when they get hangry.
I never used to plan and as a result, I ate at some terrible tourist-traps with very questionable health inspector ratings.
4. Invest in good baggage
When I was getting ready to pack for Germany in 2021, I didn’t even own a suitcase. I borrowed one from my parents any time I thought I might need one but it wasn’t often I needed anything bigger than a backpack. Then suddenly, I only had one month to pack up my entire life into a bag that had to be less than 50lbs. Needless to say, I had no idea what I was doing. Rather than do any research, I went to Walmart with my mother and picked the biggest one I could find: a huge mistake.
The one I bought was made very cheap and, on its own, weighed a whopping ten pounds— a crucial amount of weight that detracted from the total amount I was able to pack. Now only forty pounds of luggage would be stowed away with me (not that it mattered, I only packed shorts and tank tops). Picking the right bag is such an important step in the process.
Looking for good suitcases for international travel? Click here
3. Copies
I’m sure you’ve heard the advice by now “make sure to have copies of all your travel documents”. They aren’t saying for the sake of being annoying, this is some of the best advice you could ever follow.
While in Barcelona, I was pickpocketed walking down the street and had no idea until I had made it back to the hostel where my pockets turned up empty. My wallet and headphones were stolen out of my right pocket, turning the trip into a sudden nightmare. I immediately froze my accounts and put in a report at the Barcelona police station— to no avail of course. The wallet was gone and the AirPod tracking turned off.
So, I had two more days of walking around the gorgeous city, unable to pay for anything and relying on the goodwill of my friends. Thankfully, my passport was still tucked safely away in my backpack at the hostel so Lufthansa would let me back on the plane while I waited for my new credit card and IDs to ship.
After that trip, you better believe I had copies of my driver’s license, passport and CAC card with me wherever I went. They were always in separate locations as well so if one item was stolen, I had redundancies still around. This advice is crucial for first-time travelers especially.
As lovely as some locations seem, people are still people, there is still crime and it’s always best to be prepared for any outcome and travel cautiously.
2. Pack Light
This section is for those who bring the overweight, checked-bags or who are unable to decide between which pair of shoes to bring so they just end up choosing both. I say this with absolute certainty, the best thing you can do when making that last step of packing is to think light.
When I was packing for the original fifteen months in Germany, I had 50lbs of luggage to work with before it would cost me for an overweight bag. Want to know how heavy the suitcase ended up being at the airport? 38lbs, and that’s including the weight of the bag.
Admittedly, I didn’t know what exactly what to pack, but I had the right idea. Sell everything you don’t need before you leave and use that money to buy as you go when arriving at the destination. I packed the few clothes I had left and pocketed the discretionary money I made from selling my clothes and other belongings.
Within the first few days of landing in Garmisch, my immediate stop was to H&M to buy the clothes I actually needed after evaluating what the weather necessitated I purchase. Turns out it gets cold quick there, so I bought a couple durable jackets that would see me through my first winter season.
My point: it’s always easier buying what you need when you get to where you are going, rather than trying to pack too much and having to carry that unnecessary weight around with you. Often, what you think you need vs what you actually need are two completely different things, so wait until you get there before worrying too much about whether you have the right clothes packed.
1. Streamline your life
This is something I learned back in high school after binge reading “The 5-hour workweek” and is number one on my list, even though it should technically be the first thing you do before ever starting the process.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to minimize your life and get rid of all unnecessary items and thoughts. This goes for everyday life and not just travel. Become singularly focused on the goal and task at hand, whether its a weekend jaunt through NYC because you really wanted to compare top pizza spots or a year-long pilgrimage through Spain after you read about the Camino de Santiago and had to try to walk it yourself.
Sell off the clothes you know you never wear, cancel subscriptions to products or streaming services you don’t really need and, most of all, avoid going out and spending money that might be better spent making your dreams come true. Get your head and wallet right so you aren’t distracted from your goal. I don’t go out to eat, I don’t buy material items without simultaneously shedding something else. I stay a recluse for most of the week. But when my friends say they are going out, inevitably I know I am going to have a few drinks and suddenly forget about credit limits.
I struggle the most with this section and I advise others do their best to avoid being in situations where they know they will spend too much too carelessly. Increase your financial literacy and save more than you spend, remove the clutter mentally and physically; Find ways to automate your life and increase your free-time.
Time is the true measure of wealth. As such, it shouldn’t ever be overlooked.
Follow these steps and you should be on your way to traveling like a pro.