Kan Dail
Did you know that international tourism arrivals in 2022 reached 963 million? While that’s down from pre-pandemic levels, it does show that plenty of people are booking flights, flying to foreign locales, and enjoying various vacation destinations worldwide.
What should you do beforehand if you want to take a sabbatical to explore the world? You’ll want to plan ahead so your international excursion goes off without a hitch.
Continue reading to learn about seven things to do if you plan to travel for an extended period. Your trip will be a lot better and problem-free if you take these suggestions to heart.
Budget Accordingly
When traveling for a long time far away from home, the last thing you need is to run out of money. That’s why you must budget accordingly. It’s best to have more than you need so you’re not forced to ration or struggle to keep yourself afloat.
Find out what expenses you’ll likely encounter, save money, and ensure you can easily access it abroad. You won’t complain if you’ve saved too much. It’ll make a long trip all the more enjoyable when you don’t worry about money.
Pack Sensibly
You must also be mindful of what you pack and how much you pack. Going on a weekend road trip is one thing, but going on a vacation for weeks or months is another. So, you’ll have to pack what you’ll need over a period that might be months or longer.
If you’ll have access to laundry room facilities, you won’t have to take too many clothes. Consider the amount of time you’ll be traveling, what sorts of things you’ll be doing, and the climate in your host country.
Find Someone to Watch Your Home
If you’ll be gone for a long time, you’ll want to ensure your home is taken care of. It’s not enough to have a security alarm system. Your home must be lived in if you’re away, whether on a sabbatical or for work purposes for a long time.
You can find a housesitter to take care of your home. But another option, if you’ll be away for months or years, is to rent out your residence. You can make money while you’re away. That said, it’s no good being a long-distance landlord.
So, if you’re interested in renting out your home to tenants while overseas for a long time, consider hiring a property management firm to take care of your home.
You can get the property manager to do maintenance and repairs, collect rent, look after tenant needs, and do anything else required to ensure your property and tenants are cared for.
Get Travel Medical Insurance
When you’re traveling to foreign soil, it’s also important to obtain travel medical insurance. No one goes on vacation thinking about getting sick and going to a hospital.
But bad things can happen even when you’re having fun — and it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you get sick and must be taken to the hospital via ambulance, that’ll cost you.
Then there are the expenses connected to things like doctor’s bills, medicine, X-rays, hospital stays, and more. The last thing you need after getting sick is worrying about dealing with a debt albatross around your neck.
Buying a travel medical insurance policy will cost you, but failing to do so can cost you even more. Don’t put yourself in a position where you must pay for medical care out of pocket.
That can cost you a small fortune at the very least and financially ruin you at the very worst.
You can avoid a nightmare scenario by getting the right insurance policy. You’ll have peace of mind during your trip since you won’t have to worry about paying for medical bills should you get ill
Check Visa Requirements
It’s also essential to research the visa requirements for any country you’ll be visiting on your travels. The last thing you need is to be turned away because you lack the proper paperwork.
You can avoid frustration, setbacks, and embarrassment if you find out the visa requirements and get the visa you need or ensure your existing visa is up to date.
Visit Your Doctor
You should also visit your doctor before you head overseas. In fact, you might have to. Check out any vaccination requirements mandated by any country you’ll be traveling to. Your doctor will be able to help you prepare so you can enjoy your trip and remain safe.
Let Someone Know Where You Are
It’s always a good idea to stay in touch with someone at home while traveling abroad. You don’t have to give a blow-by-blow account of everything you do and see on your trip. But it’s a good idea to let one or two people know where you’ll be staying and even some items on your itinerary.
You can never be too careful, after all. If you should get into trouble, you’ll be better off if there are people who know where you’ll be staying or what you’ll be doing.
One way to stay in touch is to touch base by phone or email once a day to let people you care about know you’re okay. It’s about being accountable and staying safe on your trip.
Another way to stay safe on your trip abroad is to travel as part of a group. If you have friends you know you can trust, there is strength and safety in numbers. But, even then, it doesn’t hurt to let people at home know what you’re up to from time to time.
These are some of the things you need to remember if you travel for an extended period. Regardless of the reason for your trip, you’ll want to keep the tips above in mind before you pack your bags and head for the airport.
Traveling abroad can be exciting if you love adventure and experiencing new things. But if you want to enjoy your trip, you must be prepared.