Travelling is definitely the most satisfying activity one can do, no amount of technology, gadget, or movie can give the pleasure like travelling does. And, it doesn’t necessarily have to be to an exotic place, it could be anything, a hill station near your home city or a vacation in Bali or just anything,

A lot of people do not give traveling enough importance and considers spending money on it only when required. Science says that traveling is one activity which really calms the mind and body and also revamps the soul.

However, there are a lot of things one should keep in mind before traveling and mostly because you travel to relax not take more stress so following some tips would really satisfy your wanderlust. Some of them are:

Documents

Yes, as boring as it sounds, it is essential to traveling, if you don’t want to get into trouble while having the time of your life please keep your documents ready. It starts with getting a passport if you’re traveling abroad, and that should be months before your flight because who are we kidding, the offices can be extremely unpredictable and unreliable.

Tickets

Now for tickets, if you’re on a budget, it indefinitely not an issue, a lot of people have this misconception that you require a lot of money to travel, however smart bookings from good websites and of course using proper coupons that waive off a lot of money can come handy. So plan your trip beforehand and compare the costs of all the tickets on different websites or places.

Currency

I mean what really happens without money, as sad it sounds you do need money travel, not a lot of it but yes you do. However, you do not need to deal with currency exchange because of an evolving banking system that lets us use debit and credit cards for most transactions. Credit and debit cards work almost everywhere. However, keeping some cash ready is always a safer alternative. To make things easier, most countries have ATMs in stores all over the world even in the remotest places.

Also Read: Tips for Solo Women Travellers

There are many more places to live

There are so many other options for accommodations besides hotels. Airbnb and apps like Zostels can really be helpful and exciting for two reasons, you get to live with other people, get to know about their culture, and it is relatively inexpensive. Also, you can stay for a longer period of time without burning holes in your pockets, you’ll have better travel experience. Most importantly booking these services are easier, faster and more reliable than average hotels booked by some random travel agent (no offense!)

Travel insurance

I feel it is salient to have your travel insured especially when you know you’re going to shop or are carrying valuable items, it acts as something to fall back on if things do not go as planned and it also protects our belongings and takes care of medical emergencies. And as they say “do it before it’s too late”

Talk to people

Before going somewhere, you can always talk to someone who has already been there or knows someone who’s been there or you can also rely on the internet and read reviews of various places or watch videos of people who’ve been to those places. This because it gives you an insight and most importantly helps you avoid the mistakes they’ve committed and that does go a long way. However, don’t fall for rumors and fake website reviews as every person has a different experience. Listen to people but do not follow blindly, is what the keynote is.

Hit the streets

Use local street markets and stores to eat for cheap, but be cautious of the conditions, and use your common sense in regard to what may be safe and what looks unsanitary. Also try visiting visit local grocery stores for food rather than rely on restaurants where you’d pay more as they target tourists as they feel that they’re unaware of the prices but hey, we’re smart. Some of the apps like Yelp can be beneficial as it helps you to find street markets and shops that have been recommended by fellow travelers.

Travel light

Something most people don’t understand that one does not need to take their entire wardrobe along, stop thinking about what if it rains or what if it’s extremely cold, pack according to the temperature but you don’t need to take everything, most places have washers and dryers to wash your clothes. Also, one can also buy stuff in case of emergencies from the local shops according to the climate.

Temperature

This brings to the ninth point of temperature, one should definitely understand the climatic conditions as well as the temperature on the days you’re visiting the place, this ensures that you don’t freeze in the biting cold right from the airport or die in scorching heat before getting the taxi.

Also Read: Top 10 Hill Stations that you must visit

Doctor-Doctor

Now, this might sound very scary but it is also salient as getting sick in a country or a place where the foreign exchange is much more would definitely burn a hole in your pocket and also, getting it done from your family doctor or in your city is much more comfortable. therefore, getting a medical check-up and a tooth-cleaning, so that you can roam around the cities or trek on those heights and lick those gelatos without any worries in the back of your head.

Also, be sure to check any necessary vaccinations that you might need. This is more common with third-world countries, where there are pesky diseases such as bird flu, chikungunya, dengue, malaria, typhoid fever, or zika. Believe me, these aren’t fun and will interrupt your planned trek to Machu Picchu or hike up Kilimanjaro. Get on top of your shots! Try not to leave this until the last minute either, as some vaccinations need a week or two to kick in fully (plus, who wants to board a plane when their arm feels like it’s swarming with medical bees)?

So these are some essential reasons and tips why you should definitely check before traveling because it is one of the most beautiful experiences one encounters in life, so why would you want to have a bad memory of something you spent your hard earned money on.