Travelling Abroad For The First Time: Know Before You Go

There is so much to see and experience in countries beyond our borders that your first time travelling abroadcan feel like a wonderful adventure into the unknown. But if, along with the excitement, you’re feeling a little apprehensive about organising that first trip overseas, here are some of my top tips for planning for the perfect holiday away.

Choosing the Perfect Location

Travelling abroad is an exciting prospect but, obviously, ‘abroad’ isn’t one uniform destination. Choosing the holiday spot that will suit you the best is an important step in your first adventure. If, for example, it makes you anxious when you think about being somewhere where you don’t speak the language, then consider an English-speaking destination (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand). The other option is to choose somewhere that you know is popular with English tourists – many of the European hotspots like the coast of Spain, Portugal and Croatia will have English-speaking staff in key tourist areas.

Another factor to consider when picking your destination is how much time you are happy to spend travelling. For your first trip do you want a long flight, or complicated onward arrangements from the airport? There are plenty of destinations which are easy to get to so that you can enjoy your foreign adventure from the moment you arrive.

Don’t Bust the Budget

It’s important when travelling abroadto make sure that you have a decent budget and that you stick to it. It is always worth doing a bit of research online before you set off to find out what prices are like at your destination. Work out how much you will need to spend each day, and then build in a little extra for fun unexpected activities and treats (you are on holiday after all!).

Of course, a lot of money could be saved before you go by comparing prices online for everything from flights and accommodation to travel insurance and currency rates, so there are lots of ways to make sure you’re getting the most for your money.

Hostels or self-catering accommodation are always a good way to keep costs down, but remember you will need to buy food and some foreign supermarkets can be more expensive than back home. A great way to save some money and to throw yourself into the local way of life is to search out food markets. In many countries this is where the locals buy their food, and it is often a cheaper option.

Get Organised Before You Go

Travelling abroaddoes require a little more planning than just chucking some things in a bag and hitting the road. There are certain documents and precautions you need to put in place before you set off. The first, and one of the most important of these, is to apply for your passport in good time. The Passport Office tends to get snowed under in the lead up to the busy summer season so get your application in as early as possible. Passport applications usually take around two weeks, but it’s worth allowing for at least four weeks in case there are any problems.

Travel insurance (and if you’re travelling in an EU country – for the time being at least – a European Health Insurance card) are vital. It’s likely that nothing will go wrong, but if you do need health care while abroad it can be expensive and it’s reassuring to know you’ll be covered. Of course, travel insurance protects you for more than just medical expenses: it will also cover cancelled flights, lost luggage, theft and a range of other losses.

Once you’ve decided on a destination, planned, prepared and worked out your budget there will be no stopping you. Travelling abroadis a wonderful adventure and when you feel prepared and in control you’ll be able to relax, let loose and really immerse yourself in the foreign culture of the destination you’ve chosen. Believe me, the experience will be one you will remember for a lifetime, and, I’m sure will be only the first of many trips into the unknown.

Ethan Bailey is an experienced adventure traveller and insurance expert with the team at Let's Go Insure. Ethan’s passion is to inspire his clients to go just that little bit further, deeper and higher on their travels and he loves to share his expert knowledge on topics as varied as choosing the right extreme sports activity or advice for travelling abroad. If you're looking for the best travel insurance, Let's Go works with the most experienced underwriters, intermediaries and insurers to offer a range of competitive insurance without compromising on cover.