You know the feeling, you arrive at your hotel for a holiday and you open your suitcase to find that thing you need, but you’ve left it back at home. Well, not to fear because here is a quick and handy check list from Tea, Tales and Travel Clinic of the top ten things to remember before you travel, no matter where you adventures take you.
1. Always bring a towel
This sounds like a no brainer for all you Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy fans but when you end up arriving in a foreign country with no towels and have no idea how to get one, you realise why it is rule number one. Let’s not talk of the week where I attempted to use the airplane blanket as a towel.
2. Keep your tooth brush, a small toothpaste and an extra pair of undies in your handbag
Lost luggage is rare these days but just incase, keeping your toothbrush and a spare pair of underwear in your carry on means you won’t be walking around with three day old pants and smelly breath. No one wants that on holiday! Also, do you really want to be rooting around the bottom of your suitcase when all you want is to have siesta?
3. Check you have your passport and travel documents
Ever got half way to the airport and had to turn around? No, well lucky you! Also keep a copy of your passport on you just incase you are stopped by police or you loose your real one, it happens.
4. Always know where you’re going to be sleeping
It seems strange to think this made a list of things to remember before you travel but after hearing tales from expats and travellers alike of wandering around a strange city at night or bug ridden beds, it’s definitely worth even booking a hostel just incase what you were planing falls through.
5. However much you think you’re going to spend, double it.
And then add some if you can afford it! You can always change it back and its better to always have cash on hand than having to find an ATM and find out your bank has charged you a small fortune to take out money.
6. Download an offline map!
I cannot tell you how many times a GPS sat nav or google maps offline on my phone has saved my butt! It doesn’t use data and can give you step by step directions to where you need to be. A quick search for the city transport maps on your app store is also really useful.
7. Don’t forget adaptors
If you can get an international one, even better. I remember being stuck in Moscow airport for five hours and not being able to charge any of my devices because I didn’t have the right adapter. I highly recommend this Satechi adaptor, it’s a little pricey but with most things being USB nowadays, it’s totally worth it!
8. Give someone your itinerary
Especially if you are travelling alone. Flight details, hotel address and telephone number, just incase anything happens to you or back home, someone knows where you are and can contact you.
9. Do you need health insurance?
Make sure you have your E11 card if you’re travelling in Europe and if you’re going somewhere you have to pay for healthcare, health insurance is so important, it’s usually covered in travel insurance too, check the Ts and Cs. You probably won’t use it but you don’t want a bill for tens of thousands of pounds either.
10. Make sure your phone will work
You don’t want to be separated from your friends in Amsterdam and not be able to make contact to find them; that was an interesting hour! Besides, you need something to post those pictures on InstaFaceChat!
That concludes the quick check list of top ten travel tips from Tea, Tales and Travels new Travel Clinic. I’m hoping this will be a monthly feature where I can answer your travel questions and give a bit of advice.
Would you add or change anything? Do you have any essential holiday must haves in your suitcase? Comment below, I’d love to know!
If you have any travel related questions, what ever they are please send them to me and I will do my best to answer them during the Travel Clinic.
You can find me at:
Twitter: @teatalestravels
Over and Out!
TTT x
Discover more from Tea, Tales and Travel
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Tea, Tales and Travel 