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As I’m sure you’ve read in my post entitled An Antipodean Adventure Vacation, I shall soon be off on my travels to Australia for a long-awaited holiday! 🎉 Having already planned my itinerary with the help of the lovely folks at TRAVELBAG, the next thing on my list is to make sure that I’m all prepared for the voyage to come 😎

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of travelling, for both work and pleasure and have picked up a few things whilst doing so. I’ve made quite a few mistakes along the way, too! So I thought now would be as good a time as any to share a few thoughts, which will hopefully both be helpful and also help you avoid some of the pitfalls of vacation travelling 🤗

Depending on your country of nationality, where you are travelling to, as well as where you’re travelling from, the requirements for getting to your destination can vary. This can be especially true if, like me, you’re planning a multi-destination itinerary (see here for more details).

Passport

The first thing you’ll want to check is your Passport, and the most important thing here is to ensure that it hasn’t expired! Even if it hasn’t expired, most countries will require you to have at least 3 months of validity left, primarily to ensure that you are able to leave their shores well within the timeframe of your intended departure. If you can’t “tick the box” on either of these it’s time to get a new passport before you travel!

If you do need to apply for a new passport then remember, this can be a longer process than you might expect! So always check with your local passport authority and always leave plenty of time to get your passport renewed. If it’s the first time you’re ever applying for a passport then my advice would be to give yourself even more time – a new passport application can be a lot more involved than a passport renewal.

Visa

Most countries have visa requirements, and for each country, those will typically be different. Visa requirements can also change over time – so it’s best to check, even if you think you know! Depending on your nationality, your country of destination might not require you to hold a visa, but for those that do, most offer a tourist visa category; when you’re travelling on vacation, that’s the one you’re most likely going to need.

From personal experience, I know how disruptive it can be if you don’t have the right/relevant visa! Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I was once on a trip for work and I arrived at Heathrow (Airport) to check in for a flight bound for India. I went up to the check-in desk and presented my passport which the lady behind the desk duly checked, and then asked “And can I see your Visa please sir?” It took me a moment, but I confidently replied “But I’m a British Citizen, surely I don’t need a Visa for India?” She looked at me, smiled, and replied “Unfortunately sir, yes you do!” Even with my (arrogant) belief that as a Brit I was entitled to get on that plane, sadly this was not to be…and my journey came to an abrupt halt! 🤦🏻‍♂️

If you do need a visa, then these days, getting one is a relatively straightforward process 😎 Australia, for instance, allows you to apply for an eVisitor visa via their website, and for a large cross-section of the population, the process takes no longer than a day. Most other countries offer a similar service. The majority of tourist class visas are also free to purchase, so beware of websites that levy a charge for visa applications in return for what they described as a “streamlined service”; it’s often just as easy to go the “official” route and will cost you nothing at all!

Travel Insurance

I would not recommend anyone travel anywhere on vacation without travel insurance – particularly if you’re going abroad. Of course, the choice is up to you, but things can get very expensive, very quickly, if you or anyone in your party falls ill and needs any form of medical/dental care when travelling in a foreign land!

These days, travel insurance is easy to get and, unless you’re planning on doing a whole host of extreme/dangerous sport(s) whilst on your hols, for the most part, is relatively cheap, too. It’s an absolute must to check that whatever insurance you choose provides the right level of cover for you (and your family), and the cost of a policy will ultimately be a product of the protection you require.

If you have a bank account that offers additional benefits, one of these might be (travel) insurance that, for the most part, will likely satisfy your travel needs. That’s the route I’ve opted to take for my travels to Australia. On the other hand, if you don’t have such benefits, you can easily get a travel insurance policy by doing a quick search on the Internet.

In the UK, for example, a company like Compare the Market (an independent broker that I’ve used on a number of different occasions for a number of different things) offers a wide range of travel insurance policies, and purchasing one can also come with additional benefits – like 2-for-1 cinema tickets and/or discounts on meals, coffees, etc.

Other Travel Documents

Aside from the likes of your Passport, Visa, and the details of your Travel Insurance – and, of course, your travel itinerary – there are a couple of other documents that you may potentially need/want to bring with you.

Certain documents, like your Passport, typically only come in hard-copy form, however, for others, in this day and age, it’s often easier to reach for an electronic format rather than a printed one. It’s fine to carry your documents in electronic form and let’s face it, most do get delivered that way anyway. However, from experience, I’ve found it’s also valuable to carry at least one hard copy of each (document) – just in case your mobile phone or laptop dies for some reason; Finagle’s Law says that if it does, it will likely do so at the most inopportune time! 😳

Driving License

If you’re planning on hiring a car, bike, or some other form of transport whilst on vacation then you’ll almost certainly need to show the hire company some form of driver licensing document. So don’t forget to take yours with you if you have one.

In a number of countries, your driver’s license can also be used as a form of identification, similar to your Passport. As a driver’s license is typically a lot smaller and comes in a more compact form than a Passport, even if you aren’t planning to hire transportation whilst on vacation having your license with you can still be really useful as a way of identifying who you are. It’s also a form of identification that, if you lose, has a lot less impact; if you lose your driver’s license you can still get home, which is typically not the same if you lose your Passport!

Vaccination Certificate

Some countries require proof of vaccination – especially if you are travelling from places known for certain diseases. Australia, for example, like many other destinations, requires you to have proof of having had a Yellow Fever vaccination if you are travelling from/via a country notorious for having Yellow Fever.

Although your travels may not have exposed you to conditions that require vaccination, it can often be useful to carry with you a list of the vaccinations you’ve had, just in case you ever end up needing medical treatment whilst abroad. Getting such a list is relatively straightforward, and you can usually do so by contacting your Doctor/GP.

Currency

The question of whether to take cash or not is one I’ve often grappled with over the years. It’s one I still grapple with today! In modern society, the credit card has become the preferred choice when it comes to purchases of almost every description.

Some cash, however, can be useful: vending machines, for example, usually still take cash, tipping is still often done with cash, and cash transactions when using things like taxis can often be preferred – especially in the more tropical regions. I typically get cash at my destination – usually from a local cashpoint – and doing this is a good use of your debit card; it does incur charges so prefer not to do frequent withdrawals of local currency in small amounts.

Credit Card(s)

If you’re going to be doing a lot of travelling, a credit card is an absolute must! Even if you’re not, a credit card is a really handy thing to have around and is so much more compact than carrying different currencies of differing denominations. There are also a number of situations – such as hiring a car for example – where you will absolutely need a credit card to proceed.

Assuming you have one, then always prefer using a credit card over a debit card when paying for goods/services abroad; I can’t stress that enough! A credit card will typically provide additional insurance which will protect you in a number of different situations. You’re also spending someone else’s money, so you have more leverage if you need to dispute a purchase or credit transaction. Your debit card does not typically cover you in the same way!

Some folks withdraw cash using their credit card, but, honestly, I try to avoid this wherever possible; using your credit card to withdraw cash from a cash machine can be expensive in terms of the additional charges you’ll incur, so I prefer to do it only as a last resort.

Packing

By the time I got to this point in the article, I realised that I’d already shared a lot of information! By the end of writing this section, I’d begun to realise that I could probably do a whole series of individual posts in their own right! 😂 I may well do that at some stage in the future, going into more detail on each topic; who knows, the “Art of Travelling” could become a whole blog of its own!?! 😂

Arguably, packing is an art form, and there are plenty of posts out there that deal with this topic in much greater detail. It also goes without saying that packing for a family will likely be more involved than packing for just yourself! I’m going to say here and now that I do not profess to be a packing guru, however, there are a couple of things that I’ve come to appreciate over the years as a solo traveller:

Suitcase

Because of all the travelling I’ve done over the years for work, it can be 50:50 when it comes to me taking luggage that travels in the hold of a plane. For vacation travel, however, I almost certainly do take a suitcase; on my Antipodean Adventure Vacation, it’ll definitely be a must!

I’ve had my suitcase for a fair few years now and it’s a Samsonite. The debate of whether to buy a cheap suitcase that’ll probably last no more than one trip, or whether to invest in a more expensive one that will last considerably longer, is arguably one of those philosophical ones that helps define life on planet Earth! 🤣

Whatever your preference, packing a suitcase primarily involves knowing what you’re going to be doing, and also what the weather’s going to be like, at your destination. For my trip to Australia, I know I’m going to be doing some significant sightseeing and I know it’s going to be Summer – so warm days, warm nights, and (fingers crossed) a significantly lower chance of rain!

T-shirts, Sandals, and Shorts, then are the order of the day! I’ve not forgotten a few pairs of swim trunks, and I’ve also packed some trousers and a few shirts too: I find shirts are great to throw on in warm weather and give an added layer to any outfit…something to do with the fact I was an ’80s teen, perhaps! Of course, there’s the obligatory underwear, and I’ve added a lightweight zip-up fleece just in case of a nighttime chill.

Wash Bag

All of my toiletries go into a separate wash bag that gets added to the contents of my suitcase. Recently I traveled to Las Vegas for work, and on returning home I found this little gem in my luggage.

For some reason, this time around I had been the “chosen one”! Now my suitcase is equipped with a TSA lock, so the nice folks at US border security did not have to force, nor break, their way into my luggage 🎉 What they did however, was not properly shut the lid on my body wash when they closed up my wash bag 🤦🏻 Needless to say, when I opened my case there was a bit of a sticky mess, but fortunately, it was contained and localised thanks to said wash bag! Who knows what the carnage might have been had it not saved the day! 😳

The things that go into something like a wash bag are personal to the individual, but for me, it usually includes the likes of my toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, cologne, hairbrush, body wash, shampoo, etc. On this trip, I’ll also be needing sun lotion and insect repellant probably won’t go amiss either! I’m going to be away for a sufficient length of time to warrant me taking my shaving gear as well, and I always pack a small pair of scissors, some plasters and my tube of Germoline antiseptic cream. I also tend to pop an Airtag in there too, and that way I have a convenient way to track my case (other tracking devices are available 😉)

Backpack

My backpack is basically my “life support” whilst travelling around the airport and on the plane. When I’m travelling for work it normally houses my laptop and any of the “supplemental” items that accompany it. It’s also the place where I store all my important documents, my notepad, and my cables and adapters too!

Again, my backpack is made by Samsonite and though it didn’t come as a pair with my suitcase, the two fit together quite nicely (the backpack slips over the telescopic handle of the suitcase snugly when said handle is extended). It also has a lot of pockets which equals good storage space, and a really handy central compartment that can easily be used for clothing on a short work trip (mitigating the need for a suitcase), or a good storage area for a hat/cap, or even souvenirs when on a vacation 👌

With travel adapters, the first thing you absolutely want to make sure is that you have a power converter for the country(s) you’re visiting. Otherwise powering/charging up your devices is going to be a problem. Don’t forget to pack any device-specific adapters, too – for example, I have an Oura ring and it has a very specific charge adapter – and if you have a power bank then it’s definitely worth adding that to the mix as well.

Daysack

The last piece of luggage I typically take on vacation is my daysack. This is essentially a small and lightweight rucksack that you can use daily, for your water bottle, sun cream, insect repellent, etc. when out on some excursion or the like. I normally put mine in the front compartment of my suitcase so that it’s not something extra I have to personally carry whilst travelling to my destination.

Shutting Up Shop

Having assembled all the necessary documents and packed everything you need, the final thing to think about is your home and making sure it’ll be happy whilst you’re away.

I don’t have any pets that need looking after, but I did take my houseplants over to my Mum who I know will take good care of them whilst I’m gone. She’d take better care of them even when I’m here, but that’s beside the point 😂

I also gave a close friend a key and sent her all the details of the alarm system, etc. so she can pop in from time to time and 🤞 make sure the place will still be standing when I return. It’s also helpful for her as she’s house-hunting in the area at the moment, so she has something of a “base of operation”; she gets what’s essentially a local B&B scot-free, and I get a house-sitter for no charge. Win-win I’d say 😁

Before I leave I always do a last whizz around the place, making sure all the windows are shut, the doors are closed, and the lights turned off (or set to automatic). It’s Winter here in the UK at the moment, so I also leave the heating on automatic so that the cold doesn’t become an issue – returning to a freezing house and/or running the risk of a burst pipe is most definitely best avoided!

Getting Ready for the Off

I’m going to end with some thoughts on what to wear for your journey. My guiding principle when it comes to what I wear when travelling abroad is “be comfortable” 😎 Airport security measures often require you to remove things like shoes, belts, jackets, etc. so having loose-fitting apparel that is easy to take off – and put back on – makes everything so much easier.

I also like to wear items that have convenient space into which I can easily slip my phone, wallet, passport or other documents; as I said, I typically wear my backpack around the airport, and it has plenty of easily accessible storage and apparel that has easy to reach pockets is a useful addition.

Don’t forget that what you choose to wear travelling can also be worn during your stay. So the more practical your outfit the better, as it means you can carry additional clothing without adding to your luggage allowance.

Whatever you choose, my advice is to avoid getting bogged down with anything too cumbersome or having lots of things you have to continually lug around – remember, you’ll likely have a suitcase which will be checked in early on, and that’s the best place for storing stuff that you won’t require until you get to where you’re going! Happy trails and safe travels 😎