Savvier Traveler content provided by Mom With a Map staff writer
If you plan on becoming somewhat of a traveler, then you are going to make mistakes, at least at first. Everyone does.
Becoming a savvier traveler means learning from your mistakes, just like a lot of things in life. Practice makes perfect, and the more you travel, the wiser you will become. One day picking up a taxi in the middle of an exotic city will be second nature, but until then, you have to have your wits about you and figure it all out.
To help you on your way, here are a few pieces of advice to get you started and hopefully prevent you from starting from absolute zero:
Purchase a Small Case or Backpack
Weh you first set out, you are very likely to take too much stuff. This is a mistake. If you buy a larger case, you are going to keep packing it with useless stuff that you’ll never use. If you buy something smaller, like a traveler’s backpack, it is far easier to manage.
To use this, you are going to have to be selective with the items you take with you. If you are traveling, the idea is to pack light so you can easily negotiate all the transport and walking, etc., you’ll have to do. A large amount of stuff will hold you back, and you may even end up chucking a load of things away and buying something smaller along the way. So, buy something small to begin with, and everything you have will be useful.
Take an Extra Bank Card
If your bank card gets swallowed by a random ATM, what are you going to do if you have no backup? Yes, things like this always happen, so you must be prepared for the worse. An extra bank card will save you if your bank card gets swallowed, lost, or stolen. Another thing to consider about your bank is to ensure that you have no fees related to the cards that you choose, or else you could end up losing a lot of money.
Travel Alone
Traveling alone is such a great experience. You need to do it at least once in your life. Visiting new cities, swimming in the sea where no one knows you. It is an exhilarating and freeing experience. It also teaches you to become more savvy and wise because you have to. The is nothing like being thrown in at the deep end. Kimberly Anderberg has some great advice for those of you who will be flying alone.
Learn to Budget
When you are traveling for an extended period of time, you are probably going to need to budget. So, before you leave, you should practice budgeting. The more you practice, the more you can save too. Budgeting is essential for ensuring that you do not worry about money while you are away. The last thing you need is to accrue debt to friends, family, or the bank, while you are away. That can really hamper your enjoyment.
What do you think it means to be a savvier traveler?
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