By Rick Delgado
The Best Tips for Traveling Long Distance
Traveling is exciting, especially if you’re going far from home. The sights, the sounds, and even the smells of a destination completely new to you can refresh your mind and body for a season. However, if you don’t prepare adequately for a long-distance trip, your experience will be the exact opposite–stressful and hard. Whether you’re traveling to a far off country or staying within your own country, take a look through these tips so you can prepare for a great vacation.
- Give someone your itinerary. And have them check in with you, just for safety’s sake.
- Go through the State Department’s Traveler’s Checklist here, which advises you to read up on your country, watch for travel warnings, take health precautions, research how you’ll use money at your destination, and carry contact details for the nearest embassy or consulate.
- Make sure you have your passport and visa (if needed).
- Buy plenty of snacks. Nothing is worse than getting stuck in the desert in Utah without so much as a gummy bear, especially if you’re on a trip with kids. Do you like hearing your two-year-old yell, Get Out! Get Out! Get Out! for an hour? If you bring snacks, you’ll only have to listen to it for 55 minutes. Wise parents know that $20 worth of snacks is worth 5 minutes of blessed silence.
- Bring plenty of water. If the Zombie Apocalypse happens while you are on the road, you’ll need to make sure you have plenty of water with you. You can survive quite a while without food. But water? 48 hours without it and you’ll be one of the zombies. Go get a big pack of water so you can fight alongside Brad Pitt instead of against him.
- Don’t forget your cell phone charger. You know you can’t survive without your cell phone, so don’t forget your charger.
- Cigarette converter. If you’re traveling by car, you’ll be able to save your batteries by using a converter.
- Outlet adapter. Speaking of conversion, outlets across the globe are not the same. Make sure you do your research on what type of adapter you’ll need for the country you’re visiting and go buy it.
- Heavy blanket. You can use a blanket on the beach, in the park, and even for sleeping in the car. Heck, you can even wipe up spills and vomit with it if you need to.
- Neck pillow. I’m a recent convert to the neck pillow. All those uncomfortable positions in the car or plane? They’re all made better with a small neck pillow.
- Flip flops. If you’re traveling by car, they’re so easy to slip on and off when you stop. If you’re traveling by plane, they’re easy to take on and off when you go through airport security. And, odds are, you’re going somewhere warm and wonderful, so go put your flip flops on.
- Underwear. If traveling by plane, pack a pair of fresh underwear and socks in a carry-on or personal luggage item. It might seem weird to put underwear in your purse or camera bag, but one day, you’ll be grateful for it.
- A small medicine kit. At a minimum, pack Ibuprofen, Immodium AD, an antacid, allergy medicine, and possibly anti-nausea medicine.
- Emergency medical training. Medical facilities in foreign locations will not be what you are used to back home. If you have some basic training, even EMT certification or ACLS recertification, you’ll feel more secure knowing you can help in case of a medical emergency.
- Get your shots. If you’re traveling abroad, make sure you check with the health department in your area about what shots are needed before you get on the plane. Do it at least three months in advance.
- Tool kit. Even if you’re not handy, you should have a toolkit on hand. That way, if someone does stop to help, it may be possible to put your car back together long enough for you to limp into the nearest repair shop.
- Read blogs before you go. The most helpful travel advice I’ve found comes from people who have recently been there. This is true especially if you’re traveling far away. Get the inside info. Magazines often have travel writers that base their information off research instead of experience. Read some blogs and get going!
Image Credit: Pixabay
Author: Rick Delgado
Email: ricknotsodelgado@gmail.com
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