Planning an overseas vacation — and, most importantly, handling all the logistics that go with it — can cause an otherwise relaxing vacation to turn into a source of frustration.
From plane tickets, hotel accommodations, currency exchange and more, putting off or forgetting to complete these important to-dos may cause you to lose focus on enjoying your trip. And no one wants that. With that in mind, here are five tips to help make planning your next vacation a breeze.
1. Plan Out Expenses
If you know precisely which cities and/or destinations you plan to visit and where you want to stay, figuring out how much money you plan to spend might seem like an easy task. But perhaps you want to partake in several extra activities while you’re away or you encounter a flight delay or two that messes up your itinerary. Knowing this, always plan to spend more money than you would initially anticipate. Additionally, find a travel guide to help you plan activities, and make sure to research the cost of different sights and attractions.
2. Consider Rental Accommodations
Staying in hotels while you’re overseas can drain your travel budget, especially if you plan to stay more than a couple of days. What’s more, you might not find any vacancies at hotels in the area, making it essential to check out other options. Depending on which country you visit, hostels and temporary rental houses are a more cost-effective choice than hotels, as they tend to offer more space and are often conveniently located near sights and attractions.
3. Get an International eSIM Phone Plan
These days, it’s easy to get a cellphone signal, no matter which country or location you choose to visit. Instead of renting a pocket Wi-Fi device to browse the web, visiting hotspots or buying a cheap temporary travel phone from a foreign convenience store, get an international data plan on any eSIM-compatible device. Ask your mobile carrier for more information on eSIM phones and whether they offer data plans in the areas you want to visit.
4. Buy Apparel for Any Climate
There’s nothing worse than forgetting to bring comfortable clothing on vacation, especially if you look forward to traversing the most beautiful national parks or scenic city landscapes. Even if the forecast calls for bright and sunny days, temperatures can still drop several degrees during chilly mornings or evenings. To stay comfortable and dry during your travels, make sure you buy comfortable clothing that’s appropriate for all types of weather conditions.
5. Alert Your Service Providers and Credit Card Companies Before Leaving
The purpose of a vacation is to take a break from the worries you would typically experience at home. Of course, nobody enjoys returning home to a pile of unpaid bills, service cancelations or credit card deactivation fees because they neglected to take care of that business before leaving town. Thus, before heading overseas, make sure you notify your service providers and credit card companies that you’ll be away for an extended period of time.
Set Those Travel Plans in Motion
Are you completely prepared to set your travel plans in motion and depart on your trip? If not, you can prevent any undue stress by heeding these five tips, but know that one of the most unexpected issues you may face while abroad involves the weather. In that vein, make sure the clothing you pack can handle all weather conditions before departing for your vacation.
