14th October 2016

5 less thought of tips before traveling abroad

In just a few short weeks we’re packing our bags and heading to our favourite city. We tend to consider ourselves fairly seasoned travelers, funny how living abroad can do that to you.  Although the packing and traveling process might come a little easier to us, it’s not without trial and error that we’ve picked up some helpful tips to make the traveling process a little easier. And who doesn’t like ease when it comes to escaping away for a holiday?

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Here are a few helpful tips to consider when taking a trip abroad, that even the veteran travelers can learn from.

staying connected

Sure sometimes it’s good to completely shut off and take a break from technology, but sometimes you want to stay connected. Who doesn’t like skimming Insta and seeing all of the pretty pictures of those who are traveling? I’m guilty. It’s easy to assume that we’ll have access to wifi 24-7 so we forget about having to think of mobile coverage while away, but what happens when there’s no wifi? If you’re wanting to frequently update your social sites or stay in touch with family + friends it’s best to think about the most affordable option before hand. My provider, Vodafone, offers a traveling abroad bundle which makes it super affordable to connect to a mobile network while abroad. For 5 pounds a day you can access data and use a network for calls and text messages. This is especially helpful if you’re traveling with a group and need to be able to contact each other throughout the trip. To learn if this can be helpful to you, click this link, where you can find a customer service contact number.

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Before considering itineraries or outfit choices, it’s important to ensure that you have all the right travel documents. This includes making sure you’re passport is up to date and has enough space (we’ve been stung by this one before). It’s also important to check what documents the country you are traveling to requires. For example, if you’re traveling from the UK to the USA you are required to apply for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization).

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This is also one of those things that we’ve started to consider the more often we’ve travelled. The currency in another country plays a big impact on where you should exchange your currency, especially right now here in the UK where the old GB£ is not worth what it used to be abroad. Research the places you can receive the best exchange rate, and be sure to consider all that you will spend on any given trip. You can also avoid paying huge banking charges if you plan ahead. Norwich & Peterborough Building Society are just one of several banks that offer a fantastic Gold Current Account that has no foreign transaction charges and better exchange rates – you would need to set up an account with them but it could save you lots of money if you become a world traveller.

earn-cashback

Who doesn’t like a good kick back!? There are various ways that you can make money by spending money. Sounds too good to be true? It’s not! When traveling and booking accommodations we use Quidco. This site gives you up to a 12% cash back when clicking through their preferred websites when booking hotels on sites such as Hotels.com and Expedia. So far this year we have earned well over 100 pounds by simply using Quidco for travel bookings and other retail items.

Another way to earn a nice little kickback is by researching the best credit card incentives. Some credit card companies will give you flying points or other vouchers for spending money with them. British Airways is one of these companies and their credit card and executive club membership gives you lots of Avios points which can be used to book One World Alliance airline flights, hotels or car hire with very big discounts. Alternatively you could use those points to upgrade your class of travel and travel in even greater style.

Like anything, with any of these tips, research is key. Take some time to plan through your trip and consider some of these things that will add ease, eliminate last minute headaches, and allow you to fully soak up your holiday without the worry of traveling.