Tips for travelling

I love travelling, and hopefully you do too. If you don’t, maybe this article isn’t for you. Perhaps it is though, you might suddenly decide you want to go travelling after reading this.

Travelling is great fun most of the time, but it requires some planning to get the most out of. So, here’s some advice for planning travels.

Define the scope of your trip

Don’t try to do too much too quickly. It’s tempting to want to go to as many places as possible, but trying to travel to 5 different countries in a week is too much and you won’t really be able to fully enjoy any of them (unless you go to Vatican, Monaco, Nauru, Tuvalu, and San Marino*). I would suggest giving yourself at least two days per city you want to visit to be able see all the sites. For small towns, a day trip is usually enough to see them.

A few months ago, I went to Madrid for an event, and having not been there before, I allowed myself an extra day to see the city. I went to a few different places on my extra day, but couldn’t go everywhere that I wanted to visit, and wished that I had given myself two days instead of one.

* The 5 smallest countries in the world, although they aren’t positioned very well to visit consecutively

Plan in advance

Sometimes it’s nice to rock up somewhere, not knowing anything about it, and just walk around and see what happens, but there are advantages to planning ahead too. Firstly, plane and train tickets as well as hotel rooms are usually cheaper when booked in advance, so knowing where you are going a month or two ahead of time can save you a lot of money.

Secondly, if you’re planning to see any museums or anything that needs a ticket for entry – at least in big cities and popular destinations – you will likely need to book in advance, which saves you having to wait in long queues and makes sure you don’t miss out if tickets sell out.

Not every day needs to be planned out. It’s good to have at least one day in your holiday that’s relaxed where you can meander about town and do whatever you feel like at the time, as a break from what can otherwise be quite intense.

When I visited Paris, I didn’t plan well enough and found upon arriving that all the museums I wanted to visit were sold out for the week so I couldn’t go. I went again a few months later, and made sure to book tickets a few weeks before travelling to ensure I got in.

Learn the local language

You don’t need to become fluent, but learning a few basic words and phrases goes a long way. Most locals greatly appreciate tourists making an effort to speak their language, even if it isn’t very good. And of course, if you’re motivated to learn the language to a reasonable degree, go for it. The better you speak it, the better you can communicate with people there, and the more you can experience the local culture.

When I travelled to Italy, I spent some time learning Italian beforehand and was glad that I did; it was so rewarding to speak to locals in their native language and be able to communicate clearly with them, not having to stumble through a conversation in a broken mix of Italian, English, and hand gestures.

Experience the culture

When going to a new place, it’s all too easy to just end up seeing the “touristy” parts of town. It’s easy to miss the natural culture of the location, which can sometimes be the best part, as opposed to the façade set up to pull in international visitors. Try to spend at least one day wondering around lesser-known parts of wherever you are and see what’s happening there.

Going to quieter places isn’t necessarily a good idea everywhere and can be dangerous in some places; make sure you do your research to ensure you are safe or ask locals when you arrive. It also may not be applicable so much in modern western cities like Paris and Amsterdam, but if you’re going farther afield make sure you experience the authentic culture of the place.

The best way to find less touristy places is usually just to walk away from the main tourist areas and see where you end up. You can also ask people who live there about the best spots. Locals usually know the area best.

Go with someone else

While I do enjoy the freedom to do whatever I like when travelling alone, I always find travelling with others to be more enjoyable. You can share the new experiences and enjoy each other’s company during long journeys. It’s also sometimes nice to have someone else to help you if you can’t decide what to do or where to go one day.

Take a gap year

You’ve probably already thought about your plans after school. For most of us it’s university, but for some it’s a job or apprenticeship. Whatever it is, I strongly suggest taking a gap year. Give yourself one year's break to go do whatever you want, including travelling. The best time to travel is now, before you have any responsibilities.  Going to new places also gives you new perspectives on the world and provides new experiences you wouldn’t otherwise have.

What are you waiting for?

Plan your next trip! Budget airlines offer flights as cheap as £20, and many places have hotels/hostels for £20-40 per night; holidays don’t always need to be luxurious and expensive. Even better if you know someone where you are going and can stay with them for free.

So don’t hesitate, pick where you want to go, and make it happen.