10
Tips For The Beginner Traveler
For the past two years
I’ve lived and worked in over a dozen countries, spending most of the year as a
digital nomad living out of a backpack. It’s awesome. I talk to a lot of people
back home that have never traveled, and have lots of questions about the basics.
I compiled these into 10 tips to make that first international adventure go as
smoothly as possible. Tips travelling for beginners
1) Start somewhere easy
Some places are easier to travel to than others. If this
is your first time out of the country, it might be worth considering one of the
easier destinations over, say 6 weeks on Bouvet Island or a
quick jaunt up K2. But hey, if that’s what you want, go for it.
2) Get your
phone sorted out
There are few things more freeing than an unlocked
smartphone. If your phone is unlocked you can get, probably, a local SIM card
for cheap high-speed data, wherever you go. Forget overpriced travel data plans
like those from Sprint and Verizon. Local SIM cards are the way to go.
Unless you have T-Mobile .
Their Simple Choice plans get you unlimited international data in nearly every
country. It’s pretty slow, however. I wrote about them in The Best Cellular
Plan for Travelers.
Otherwise,
check out Are Travel SIM Cards Worth It?.
3) The right luggage
Buy a smaller bag
than you think you might need (more on this in #5). Personally, I prefer a good
travel backpack. Some people like the hybrid backpack/rolly-bags, but I find
them cumbersome. Avoid regular rolly bags, they’re more trouble than their
worth. Big suitcases should be avoided at all costs (unless you’re going skiing
or something and need to bring a lot of bulky gear).Go Here Tips travelling for beginners
I love a good, cheap, travel laptop. A USB
battery pack is invaluable. I love noise cancelling headphones, but
they’re probably a luxury for most people.
5) Pack light
This will be the hardest thing about travel. There are
few harder urges to overcome than overpacking. “But I might need this!!!” is so
common there are industries built around needless junk and charging you for
heavy bags. Aim for 30 pounds, tops, for everything. If you don’t bring a lot
of electronics, aim for under 25. You don’t more than a week’s worth of
clothes. You can do laundry everywhere.
6) Cloud data backup
I had one friend drop her camera in a taxi and lose 3
weeks’ worth of photos, nearly her entire multi-country trip through Asia.
Cloud backups are cheap and easy to use. I like Google GOOGL +0% Photos, but there are a ton of other options. CNET has a great rundown
here: Which cloud storage service is right for you?.
7) Apps for you and your family
Google Translate is the greatest app for any traveler, by
FAR (download languages when you’re on WiFi, and it will work without a data
connection). Google Maps is a close second (download an area on WiFi, and it
too will work without a data connection).
What I also recommend is hooking your family with apps
too, specifically WhatsApp and Instagram (or Skype or Messenger, etc). Keeping
in touch while on the road is key for your mental health, and theirs. I mention
Instagram because it’s easy to use for those who aren’t too tech savvy, and it
allows cross posting to Facebook FB +0%, Twitter TWTR +0%and the like if you don’t usually use Instagram. Tumblr
is another easy way to share photos and info, and I've met several travelers
that use that as an easy way to blog goings on to share with the folks back
home.
8)
Don’t be afraid of hostels
Hostels aren’t things that Americans consider. There’s a
mistaken perception that they’re dirty, rowdy, dangerous places. I guess some
are, but most of the ones I’ve stayed at in the two years I’ve been travelling
full time are nicer than most hotels.Go Here Tips travelling for beginners.
9)
Lock your phone
Your phone, and what’s on it, is probably the most
valuable thing you have on you. Phones are easily replaced. Personal data theft
is way worse. Pictures, addresses… how many banking apps and websites do you
have that automatically log you in?Lock your phone. The swipey geometry
designs may seem great, but after you use them a few times, the screen will be
smudged in the exact shape of your passcode. Numbers and biometrics are safer. Tips travelling for beginners
10) Don't make it easy for thieves
I met a first-time traveler from a tiny mid-west town.
She walked around London with her iPhone 6 sticking half out of her back
pocket. Theft is rare, but don’t make it easy. Don’t
leave your bag on a table at a sidewalk café. Don’t leave your backback on your
back on a crowded train. You’d be surprised how often I see people not doing
these things. There’s nothing wrong with being a little cautious.
You don’t need to lash your belongings to your chest with
steel cables every time you leave the hostel. Just, you know, be aware of your
surroundings. If someone could casually pick up something, or pull it out of
your hands without any effort, maybe that’s not the best place for it.
Bonus) Relax
Most people are good. They’ll help if you need it,Click
Here Tips travelling for beginners If
you forget something, you can buy it there. The world is different and the same
in ways you can’t imagine. Get out there and check it out.
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