Top 10 Must-Know Travel Tips for First-Time Travellers

 Top 10 Must-Know Travel Tips for First-Time Travellers

Is it your first time going travelling? The Thought of going to a new Place and experiencing new feelings, visiting new Places and Tasting New Food, sounds exciting, yet, a little stressful, to be honest. I can remember when I first went to Kerala on my own. I was so pumped up yet there were also some dumb things I did which could have been prevented by some preparation.

Therefore, to facilitate your journey and make it more pleasant, learnt these 10 essential travel tips any first-time traveller needs to remember. These tips would prove useful whether you are going abroad or travelling in India.

1. Do a Little Research Before Hand

And this is the golden rule. Do some research on your destination before you decide on how to go there- whether by plane or by hotel.

Look up:

• Local weather
• Cultural customs
• Must-visit places
• Home grown food and transport
• It will make you feel less surprised and confident in your travel. Like when I travelled to Thailand and I couldn't cover my shoulders which causes big problems in their temples and here I had to buy a shawl in a hurry!

 2. Pack Light but Smart

Don’t carry your entire wardrobe. You’ll regret it when you’re dragging a heavy suitcase up a flight of stairs!

Instead:

• Make a checklist
• Pack clothes that are comfortable and easy to mix and match
• Don’t forget power banks, chargers, and basic medicines Also, keep your valuables, ID proofs, and a set of clothes in your hand luggage - just in case your main bag is delayed.

 3. Accept Multiple modes of Payments

Although cash comes in handy, mostly in small towns or when visiting street markets, it is not always advisable to carry too much of it.

This is what you can do:

• Having some emergency cash available is a good idea Investing While it is possible to find pennies and invest in them it is often considered a waste of time to invest in pennies because of the possibility of inflating or deflating the currency Investing in the penny is also greeted with skepticism by many economists
• Make bigger payments via a debit or credit card
• Traveling to a foreign country, obtain a forex card (it is safer and there is no trouble with reloading)
• Secondly, notify your bank in case you are travelling abroad and they will not block your card.

4. Install necessary traveling apps

Nowadays, your smartphone might become your perfect travel assistant.

The following are some of the helpful apps:

• Google maps (directions)
• Google translate (to communicate with other locals [in other languages])
• MakeMyTrip or Ixigo (booking and train live feedback)
• Uber or taxi apps (to travel)
• Before your travel, it is good to download offline maps or save the position of your hotel and other landmarks around it. 

5. Pre Book Accommodation Before

Do not save the last minute. Book your stay as soon as possible, primarily during holidays or tourist season.

Seek where:

• Good reviews
• Safety facilities (such as 24X7 security and CCTV, etc.)
• Near by bus stops, metro stations, or attractions

Hot tip: Budget hotels and hostels are good when you are a solo traveller or a backpacker. You have a chance to see the representatives of other corners of the world!

6. Keep Important Documents

Losing identity or passport in the course of travelling is a nightmare.

In order to be on the safe side:

• Keep a couple of photocopies of passport, visa and ID with you Send yourself an email copy of printout
• Download and store them in your phone or Google Drive
• This will simplify matters at the time of emergencies or inspection by the police.

 7. Be an open minded person but always be alert

• New experiences- that is what travelling is all about- howbeit not at the expense of safety.
• It is also important to abstain from walking alone late at night in strange locations
• Watch out on strangers telling your offers that are too good to be true
• Follow your senses. When it does not feel right, then walk out
• Simultaneously, you should not worry about communicating with locals or doing something new. It is a mixture of curiosity and prudence.

8. Eat Local Food - Don't Kill Your Stomach

Travel is a large part of food. Do not always remain in a new location with that kind of the pizza and Maggi. Have a taste of local food!

However:

• The first day street food should be avoided at all cost unless you can digest.
• Take simple digestive medicines.
• Take bottled water (or filtered water) (especially when in a foreign land)
• When I was in Rajasthan, I was overdoing the spicy food on Day 1 and had to rest on the next day. Lesson learned! 

9. Wake up Early Morning Quickly.

It is also ideal to take photographs in the morning light and you will also experience attractions in a calm way. Later in the afternoon you can rest, sleep or taste local cuisine. It is a very trivial trick, yet it is a great one. 

10. Welcome the Surprise

Your flights can be delayed, the weather might turn out in a different way, or you can get lost sometime. When you encounter anything panic stricken, just breathe deep and go with the flow.

The worst things that ever occurred have become my fondest memories of traveling- such as when my train to Himachal was delayed and I went to stay with a local family. It turned out to be the cream of my journey!

Final Thoughts

Your first experience in travelling is nothing but a journey into an all-new world. The 10 simple tips will help you be more prepared to and confident in enjoying the journey.

The only thing to keep in mind is that all the trips are a learning process and that minor errors are perfectly acceptable. It is the memories, the stories and the happiness that counts.

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