Traveling the world is almost every person’s dream. However, the most common thing stopping us from visiting our dream destinations is the lack of funds. Planning international trips can be overwhelming in terms of expenses as one has to consider the transportation cost, accommodation, food, etc. The following article aims to help you plan trips to your dream destinations and make the planning process much less stressful.International travel is almost every person’s dream.This post help you plan to dream destinations and make the plan process less stressful.
Choose a destination
Many people put off traveling because they do not know how to start planning or which country to choose. The best way to make this process easier is to write down the names of all the places you have wanted to visit and pick the one that intrigues you the most out of all of them. After you have chosen a destination to travel to, you can start calculating the budget for the trip and decide the date accordingly.
Set the budget for the trip and start saving
Now that you have decided on your travel destination, you want to research the cost of traveling to that place, start calculating every small expense. Suppose, after calculating everything, you come up with a budget of $4000 for your trip. Now you have to decide how long will the trip last and calculate how much money you will have to save per day to travel in that time frame. For example, 6 months from now. That means that you will have to save around $22.22 per day. In addition to setting a budget for the trip, set up a monthly budget for yourself, as it will help you cut out any extra costs and avoid impulse purchases.
If you find it challenging to save up that extra amount for your trip, a great solution is to find a side job. Ideas for some side jobs are listed below:
Freelancing: Make a profile on freelancing websites and start bidding on jobs that might interest you.
Online trading: Look up the best trading app to invest in stocks online, choose the best one and start trading. However, keep in mind that trading is risky.
Paid Surveys: Various websites will pay you to complete surveys, so find some authentic websites and start filling out surveys to earn extra cash and rewards.
Affiliate marketing: By becoming an affiliate member of a firm, you will earn money by simply recommending their products to others.
Run errands for people: Start asking your friends, family, or neighbors if they want you to run any errands for them in return for a small commission. It could be anything like dog walking, babysitting, or simply picking up coffee.
Deliver packages/ Post mates: Start delivering packages in your free time. Some people tip very well, so you never know when you might get lucky and secure a good tip.
Apply for a passport
The whole process of acquiring a passport can take from 1 to 3 months, depending on the time of the year you apply, so do that as soon as possible, as you cannot book tickets without it. Moreover, if you already have a passport, you want to look at the expiration date and be sure to that your passport will not expire in the middle of your trip
Look up the countries Visa requirements
A visa is one of the most important things you want to have if you plan to travel anywhere. Visa requirements around the globe may vary from country to country. You want to make sure that you have fulfilled all visitor visa requirements of the country before traveling because if you do not have the proper visa documentation, you won’t be allowed to enter that country.
Vaccination requirements
With the ongoing pandemic, various countries have set up vaccination requirements. For example, to be eligible to travel to France, you must be fully vaccinated, at least 14 days before travelling for two-shot vaccinations like Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and at least four weeks before traveling with one-shot of Johnson & Johnson.
Additionally, some countries will require other vaccines. Before visiting Tanzania, for example, getting a yellow fever shot is mandatory. It is recommended to visit a travel clinic to get the proper vaccination ahead of time.
Decide and book the flight, accommodation, and transport
After you have collected more than half of the money for the trip, start deciding and booking your flight, accommodation, and transport. Look for ongoing deals and cheap rental car services that may help you cut down the cost of the trip. Booking all these things should be your priority beforehand if you want to avoid running into any issues.
Plan the itinerary
Now that we are done with the technical part, it’s time to decide the fun part: figure out what places you want to visit and explore each day. Start searching on the net about what other people recommend in terms of attractions, restaurants, cafés, etc. By reading other customer reviews for the places you wish to visit, you will avoid any unpleasant experiences.
Make a packing list
Your packing list will depend on the weather of the destination you are going to be visiting. So, look up the forecast for the weather and start packing accordingly. Make sure to pack light and bring only necessary items, as if your luggage exceeds a specific weight, you might have to pay extra money for it. Also, you might end up shopping when you visit a new country, so you always want to leave some space in your bag for all the new items you might purchase.
Call your bank and the Credit Card Company
It is always intelligent to notify your bank and credit card company that you will be traveling. Doing so will help you avoid any inconveniences, such as your credit card getting blocked. Also, keep some extra local currency on the side for any emergency and do not just rely on your credit cards because some places might not accept it and the taxes over it are usually higher.
So what are you waiting for?
Planning a trip can be a difficult task, specially if you never did that before, but if you follow the tips mentioned above, then you will probably have a much easier planning experience and consequently a much better trip.
