When it comes to travel, sometimes people have no issues planning or booking their vacation. They also have no problem getting to their destination. That is why I have created an additional list of handy travel tips to keep in mind. Travel insurance, local etiquette, medication, and communication are all things to consider. I hope some of these tips will help you out.
Travel Insurance
To purchase or not to purchase is a common dilemma for people. In my younger days, I never worried about buying travel insurance. I didn’t think about it until I started going on trips longer than a month. There are a variety of places that offer travel insurance. For this list, the focus is on health coverage while travelling. Here are some examples of places that may have travel coverage for your needs.
- Credit Card companies sometimes offer cards that include travel insurance as part of the benefits to their customers. Contacting your Credit Card company or reading over the terms and conditions may be beneficial to see if your card includes this insurance.
- Reciprocal healthcare agreements between various countries exist in some cases. The country you are visiting may have a mutual agreement with your country. The best place to check for this information is online. For example, the UK has a list of all the countries they have established reciprocal agreements for healthcare.
- If you have health insurance through work or pay for it personally, they usually offer travel insurance for up to three months. Check with your provider to determine if you have travel insurance.
- Your home country may cover some of your costs for emergency services out of the country. For example, the province of Alberta in Canada covers certain medical expenses if you need treatment outside of the country. It is always good to research and see if your country offers this.
- There are also some companies, like Safety Wing, that offer travel insurance. Many of these companies are focused on insurance coverage for digital nomads, but you can still purchase it through them. I use these types of companies when travelling for a month or more.
Communication Planning
Communication is very important when you travel. Since we are all plugged in constantly, it may be easy to forget to plan for the times we aren’t connected. Here are some tips for those times when communication may not be readily available, like when there is no signal, you are in a country where you have yet to purchase a data plan, or there is a language barrier.
- The communication tool that works best for me is purchasing a SIM card to use in the country that I am visiting. If you can, I recommend having a dual SIM phone so that you can have access to your home number if you need to, as well as a number and a data plan at your destination.
- Carry a list of emergency contact numbers for any people in your travel group, an emergency contact back home, your hotel, and local emergency services. These numbers may come in handy if you get separated from your travel companions or if you are in an emergency situation and emergency personnel need to contact someone for you.
- If you plan to travel solo, provide your travel itinerary to at least one person. Also, schedule a time to check in with them so that they know you have arrived. When I travel alone, I check in with people often so they know that I am still alive.
- Use Google Translate to help you with language barriers.
- If you have time before your trip, learn basic phrases in the language of the country you are visiting.
Medication
- If you take medication that is a controlled substance in your country, it is likely a controlled substance in the country you are visiting. To ensure there are no issues when travelling with this type of medication, it is best to get a letter from your doctor confirming your prescription. This may be a bit of overkill, but you never know when you may be asked for proof. Immigration officials are allowed to request this if they deem it necessary.
- If you use medication that requires refrigeration, ensure the places you stay have refrigeration available or ice available so your medication remains at its required temperature. Remember to pack Ziploc bags for ice.
- Always carry your medication with you on the plane in case your checked luggage gets lost.
Local Etiquette
This is a big one that I think often gets overlooked. If you are travelling to a different country, there are likely going to be cultural differences. Lots of cultural information can be found online. Here is one website I found on customs and culture.
These are only some of the things I learned while travelling. Likely, I will continue to learn new hacks as I travel more. When I do, I will pass them along to you. If you are interested in learning a bit more about cruise travel, then keep an eye out over the coming weeks for my cruise post. Thanks for reading, and I hope these handy travel tips make your travels a little easier.