As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us haven’t been abroad for over a year now. Whether you’re looking to study abroad or have the vacation of a lifetime, it’s important to have all of the plans in place to ensure your trip is a success. It would be wise to get prepared in the weeks prior to your trip, so you’re able to calmly look forward to the venture and make the most of your time spent abroad. To help you get prepared, here is a checklist of things to keep in mind before your day of travel:
- Ensure you have a valid passport
It may seem like an obvious point to make, but ensuring your passport is valid before you travel is crucial. Although your passport may be in date on the day you intend to travel, you’ll need at least six months left before it expires to visit the majority of countries. As a precaution, it would be wise to have at least one year remaining on your passport before traveling to avoid obstacles later on. Do be aware that if you do notice your passport is due to expire in the next few months and it needs to be renewed, it can take approximately four weeks for the new one to arrive – so don’t leave it too late!
- Take medical supplies
While you may not want to imagine getting ill abroad, you need to be prepared for worst-case scenarios. Finding a pharmacy in your destination may not always be possible, and you don’t want to spend the majority of your trip searching for the nearest one. With this in mind, it would be wise to stock up on bulk first aid products to take with you on your travels and cover you in an array of situations.
With that said, you should always have travel insurance to cover you financially in the event of needing emergency medical attention, which could cost thousands of dollars that would otherwise come out of your own pocket.
- Get the relevant vaccinations
Some countries will not let you enter without having the relevant vaccinations, however, is it in your best interests to do so to protect you from serious diseases. This is much more common in third-world countries where yellow fever and Malaria are existent. If you’re not sure which vaccinations you need, always pay a visit to your GP for advice. Some vaccinations can take two weeks to get into your system, so try not to leave it to the last minute if possible.
- Research your destination
If it is your very first time visiting your desired destination, always carry out research beforehand, so you know what to expect. If this is your ‘trip of a lifetime’, you want to be sure that you’re making the most of the things to do and see in the area. Browsing Google will save you wasting precious time once you arrive and could even help plan an itinerary for each day of your trip.