If you’re just starting out traveling it can seem a little overwhelming. Preparing to travel is the hardest part of the journey though, so take it step by step and soon enough you’ll be walking through those airport doors and setting off to freedom!
Here are five things you need to travel – these are essentials and I reckon as long as you get them right then you can sort out anything else you need to when you’re on the road.
Five essentials for travel:
Passport and visas.
If you don’t have your passport yet then get that application in. They can take a while to issue, and you don’t want to be waiting for it to arrive on the day you’re traveling like we once were. Once you get it keep it in a safe place and make a note of where it is. You do not want to know about all the missed trips because people couldn’t find their passports.
Next, check the entry requirements for your destination (or first stop if you’re traveling long term). If you need a visa before you travel make sure you get it sorted as in some cases (Vietnam for example) you wont be able to board the plane without it. My travel safety guide has lots of info about this as well as planning where and when to go and basically everything you need to know about traveling safety).
Also make sure you have any health documentation you need. You can find this on your country’s Foreign Affairs website – in Australia it’s Smart Traveller – or at your destination’s tourism page.
Travel insurance
If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. That’s how the saying goes and it’s just so true. I know many people hate buying insurance because its ‘wasted’ money if nothing goies wrong. But believe me, if something does go wrong – like sickness or theft – then you absolutely need it. I see so many people in real trouble setting up GoFundMe pages so they can raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to get their hospitalised partner hone after an accident and that is not a situation you want to be in. Read about what happened to me in Egypt.
We use Cover-More but there are many insurers out there. Just closely check what is included, whether you need extra cbver for certain activities like zipline or motorbike riding for example, and always read the PDS for any sneaky exclusions.
Luggage – carry on and packing list
It’s easy to pack way too much when you travel and one of the ways to stop that is to limit your space by traveling with carry on luggage only. Traveling carry on also makes it so much easier to travel – there’s no waiting at the carousel for your bag, and wondering if it’s even going to turn up. You get to keep your bag with you and take it into the cabin, you have less ‘stuff’ and travel lighter, and easier. You can read all about how to travel with carry on here, some of the best gear for traveling carry on here, and see a sample packing list here.
VPN – your Virtual Private Network
This can seem like a luxury add on but for about $15 a month to protect your data, and get around the pesky censorship rules you may find, it’s completely worth it. Plus having a VPN enables you to watch shows from home and get around regional broadcast rules. You can read more about why you need a VPN here, and grab yours here from Express VPN, Ive used them for years and theyre great and you get useage on multiple devices.
Medical kit
While you can mostly get what you need overseas, it’s important to have a basic medical kit with you. This would include things like hydration tablets (the ones that dissolve in water) Panadol, band aids, betadine for cuts and scratches especially on coral, disinfectant wipes, saline and aqua-ear. Make sure any liquids are under 100ml for carry on and add any other medication you may need.
Have fun!
