To make travelling an enjoyable experience, there are a few things you need when travelling. Here are my top 5:
5) A Budget:
"The team that spends the most, will end up in the boardroom, and one of you, will be fired" S10 E9 The Apprentice
Ok, when travelling, you're probably not going to come across Lord Sugar, but the message is the same - CONTROL YOUR COSTS.
Before you set out, make sure you know how much you have to spend, approximately what you will spend it on and have a backup. There is nothing worse than running out of money while travelling.
Also look where you can save costs. Websites such as Hostelworld and AirBnB are great for searching for cheap accommodation, Kayak and Sky Scanner for flights, and Money Saving Expert (I love this site far too much...) is a fantastic guide on saving money in all kinds of ways.
4) Back Up Plans
Important life fact: Stuff goes wrong.
I personally learned this the hard way. Twice.
Firstly, my debit card was refused in Walmart, and I had no cash on me. Trekking around Orlando trying to find a Chase Bank to get a replacement wasn't fun. Especially since the nearest one was nearly 1.5 miles away. To make it worse, I also had no cash for the bus.
Moral of the story: Have some spare cash on you. Hide some in a hidden pocket in a bag; Split notes up, incase your bag/wallet gets stolen and have a backup debit/credit card or 2 just in case.
Secondly, (hence the gif), make sure you have decent insurance. I dropped my iPhone towards the end of my America trip. It smashed. Thankfully, it was still usable, but I had to fork out for a new screen. If I had insurance, then that would have been covered. It may also be worth having a spare "festival phone" (a cheap phone which you don't mind breaking/losing) as a backup.
3) Internet
I mean, how else are you going to Instagram all your #NoFilter, #Holiday #Selfies?
There are plenty of apps out there now that will allow you to search for Wifi Hotspots. Failing that, Starbucks and McDonnalds almost always has free Wifi.
Something to also consider is data roaming. Using 3G/4G abroad is usually super expensive. But, if your phone is unlocked, getting a local sim card will save on costs. Or, Three Mobile "Feel At Home" allows its Pay Monthly and PAYG customers to use their phone in selected countries (including the USA, Australia and Europe) at no extra cost! I did this, and had internet anywhere I could get a signal. Plus, it saves loads of money - Lord Sugar would be proud.
2) To Be Organised
Don't be this guy...
It is so easy to forget important things when your travelling. After all, you are probably having too much fun to care. But, you should. The fun will come to a rather abrupt end when you're stuck in an airport after missing a flight.
My tip is, have a list of all your important times (flight times, numbers etc), contact details and anything else you need to remember. If you are forgetful, put this somewhere where you will see it regularly - and try also to commit it to memory.
I can still remember all my flight times, numbers and various other random bits even now... and I arrived back from the states ages ago (My outbound flight was AA101/BA151 American Arilines 10:40 LHR to JFK - sad or what?).
1) Mates
"Aisling and George - 2 of the friends I met on camp, and later went travelling with"
These are the people that really help you survive while travelling. Having good friends to share the good times with just makes it all even better. I met some amazing people whilst on camp, which made the whole experience so memorable - both on and off camp.
If you are travelling alone, going through a specialised travel agency, such as Smaller Earth, will mean there will be other like minded people doing the same thing as you. Those applying with Camp Leaders to camp like I did also have the option of travelling after camp with Trek America.This gives you the chance to make friends on a range of different organised trips through the states. Plus, Camp Leaders applicants get 10% off - meaning Lord Sugar really would be proud of you...Labels: #Camp, #CampLeaders, #Tips, #Travel
