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So you’re leaving soon on a trip around the world! Your passport is updated, you’ve purchased a round-the-world ticket pass and annual travel insurance, booked some accommodations, received the necessary vaccinations and now you’re packing to go. How exciting! Before you take off, take a look at these newbie travel mistakes you will want to avoid, ensuring your trip gets off to a good start, runs smoothly, and helps you get the very most out of your travels. Packing Too Much Over-packing is a classic newbie move. Refrain from bringing clothing, shoes and toiletries for every possible situation that may come up. Instead, decide on the bare essentials and remember that most toiletries and other items can be purchased in most countries, as needed. As well, washing your clothes will be a real possibility in most cities, allowing more room in your bag for unique purchases from abroad! Pre-Booking Everything There is the temptation to pre-book everything from home, including all accommodations, train and bus tickets, tours and attractions. In some cases, pre-booking is prudent, such as your first night’s accommodation in each city, train tickets in high season, or hard-to-book tours such as the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam (requiring tickets be purchased several months in advance!). For many other activities and tours, however, tickets can be purchased upon arrival. In fact, you may find that your accommodations offer discounts on many attractions or will offer alternative ideas on what to see and do. Not Getting Annual Travel Insurance Travel insurance is something you don’t want to have to use, but are not going to want to go without. Purchase annual travel insurance to cover you for your entire trip, erasing all worries of expensive doctor’s visits or hospital stays, in the event of an unexpected sickness or accident. Make sure you have a good understanding of what your insurance policy covers, so you get the policy that works best for you. Planning To Do Too Much I know how exciting a trip like this can be. You want to see and do everything! With limited time it can be near impossible to fit it all in, so prioritise a couple of experiences and then leave some time for exploring and relaxing. Rush from one attraction to another every day and you will become tired, cranky and you’ll miss out on the heartbeat of a place. Take time to sit at a café or walk aimlessly through a city’s streets to really get to know the area you are visiting. Living by Your Guidebook Guidebooks can be a great starting point, but get out and explore some of the off-the-beaten track points of interest too. Make sure you visit the tourist centre at your destination to get insider knowledge and recommendations for things to do, places to see and great local places to eat that may not be included in the guidebook. Not Taking Photos of Important Documents In the event your passport, annual travel insurance information or other important documents are lost or stolen, I recommend you take photos and store them on a device such as a phone, camera or laptop. It’s also not a bad idea to take photos of your luggage and any valuable items you have. This will help with identification and speed up the process of having your insurance provider reimburse you. Avoid these newbie travel mistakes and you will no doubt be set for the trip of a lifetime. Happy travels! Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of InsureMore, an award-winning team of specialists in global single trip and annual travel insurance policies. Besides offering great deals on travel insurance, Patrick also collects and shares the best free travel competitions to help his clients get the most out of their holidays.
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