Unique digital nomad travel adventures from around the U.S.
When choosing a backpack to travel the world with, there are many things to think about and take into consideration. My first backpack was a lesson in what not to buy. We went on a couple of good trips together, but I learned some important …
I’ll begin this post by saying flat out–I hate writing in a journal. I never do it in ordinary circumstances. I know I should and that all of the reasons I am about to put forth for why you should keep a travel journal can …
Trip Preparation List: This is being posted a day earlier than usual because in a reverse Groundhog’s Day phenomenon, our February 2nd will have disappeared completely in between the time that we leave Los Angeles (Feb 1) and arrive in Sydney (Feb 3). So weird.
It can be overwhelming to get ready to go on a trip. Luckily, there are several good apps to help with packing; but this trip preparation list will help you to make sure you have all your ducks in a row before you leave home with stuff that doesn’t include packing. If you are reading this, hopefully you are getting ready to go on a fun trip and need some help preparing. As B and I are on single digit days left before we head Down Under, I myself need to follow my own advice whilst I type.
Before you buy a ticket to travel somewhere internationally, you need to read up on what kind of visa you need to get into that country. If you buy your ticket several months in advance, you should be fine to get whatever visa requirements you need. However, just think about what a bummer it would be if you scored a sweet deal to Moscow next month, and then realized that getting a visa for Russia is a real B.
If you do the Goog for the country you are going to, it should be pretty easy to see what red tape you’ll need to cut through. B found a cool website that lists the countries that you’ll need a visa for and then if you pay a fee they’ll take care of it for you (or you can read what you need to do and go off and do it yourself).
Around a month before you’ll want to start booking appointments for things you need to do before you leave. This could be an immunization or vaccination; check out the CDC’s website for seeing what you need for specific countries. You should always try to stay current on your vaccines, but if you are going to Brazil or Africa, you’ll want to schedule a yellow fever shot at least ten days before you leave and will need to bring your certificate with you when you go. Or perhaps you’ll want to schedule some grooming before you leave.
I like to maximize my looking-good time on a trip and hence schedule a cut, wax, tan, etc. appointment right before I leave, usually the day before. These specific dates for appointments fill up the closer you get to them, so scheduling early secures your preferred date.
In the weeks before your trip, you’ll want to start inventorying what you’ll bring with you on your trip. No matter how many trips we go on, B and I always seem to find new things we ‘need’ before our next trip. If you go through your gear and see what you’re lacking, you’ll have time to pick it up before your trip if you start early enough. Or just get yourself Amazon Prime and you’ll be good too. The weeks before you leave is a good time to figure out what specific things you’ll need and get them squared away so you don’t get panicked and rushed later on.
Last week I did a few other things, like calling my health insurance company and my cell phone provider. Here’s why: I don’t usually worry about having health issues on trips, but Australia has so many creepy crawly, big-toothed and/or stinging creatures that I decided it might be prudent to check it out. Give your insurance company a call. B’s will cover her internationally but my policy doesn’t. Instead I picked up a travel plan for $40. If something does happen, this will probably be the best $40 I’ve ever spent. If nothing (hopefully) happens, I’m okay with spending $40.
If you are worried about other parts of your trip, like if you are going to Puerto Rico in the middle of hurricane season, you might want to consider full on trip insurance. Trip insurance can include medical insurance, but it will probably cost more. For three weeks in Australia trip insurance including medical was around $100. Since I just wanted to the medical, I skipped trip insurance this time around.
I also checked in with AT&T. Because we will be using Uber and Google Maps on our trip, B and I both felt it was worth it to maintain cell service on our trip. I spoke with a lovely lady on the phone and learned a few good tips about how to make best use of your phone in another country. Here’s what I learned:
The week before your trip you’ll want to follow through with all of your appointments that you set up a few weeks prior. Another good rule is to double check your reservations. B and I had a funny story with this one; a few years ago around March, we purchased plane tickets to Oklahoma City for the following October. I put the reservation in my TripIt app and then used that app and my online reservation receipt to tell us when our flight was. On our way to the airport, B checked her email and noticed something strange–our flight time had changed and was in fact about to leave (we were still about 15 minutes away from the airport).
We decided to play dumb when we checked in and everything turned out just fine, but it could have been a very unfortunate beginning to our trip. The moral of the story is flight times change–especially when you book far in advance–and you need to check with the airline to find out what you need to know. We booked our flights for Australia far in advance and almost all of the flights, going and coming, have changed for each of us.
Unless you know for sure that you are going to be able to use the internet when you are on your trip, it’s a good idea to figure things out before you go. This week B and I have been trying to figure out public transportation options in Sydney and Melbourne (why do cities make these things so confusing? I have yet to look at any city’s website, anywhere in the world, and easily figure out what I need to do. City officials–get your crap together!). If it makes you more comfortable, you can even print instructions and vouchers out before you leave.
When we were climbing on board a bus to take us from Latvia to Estonia, C and B gave the bus driver their names and were waved through. For some reason, though, my name didn’t make the list and they stopped me at the gate. Luckily, B had printed our reservations and was able to show the driver that I was, in fact, not trying to hitchhike.
At this point, you will need to check with your financial institutions to let them know you’ll be adventuring. Some websites let you put in travel warnings for your credit cards, but I like to personally talk to my bank representatives to make sure they set the travel alert for my ATM card. This is my main mode of getting money and it needs to work!
Congratulations! You’ve reached crunch time for getting ready for your trip. You’ll need to pack your bag, download books and movies to your devices, and double check to make sure you have the important things. You will also need to arrange a way to get to the airport. Other than that, you’ll need to shave your legs, paint your toenails, wash your hair and try to get a good night’s sleep. I’m usually pretty pumped the night before a trip and have a hard time falling asleep–especially if my flight is early in the morning. Popping a night time pill or two should help you out.
It’s reassuring to know that it isn’t the end of the world if you forget something. All you really need is your passport, driver’s license (if you will be driving) and credit cards. If worst comes to worst, you can buy other stuff you need.
Getting ready for a trip takes a lot of effort. You might just need a vacation after all of that hard work….good thing that’s exactly what you’ll get!
In our Poland Do’s and Don’ts post, we briefly mentioned visiting the Wieliczka Salt Mines (WSM). Some things deserve to be talked about a little more, so this post will describe the crazy cool time we had exploring 300 meters (imagine three football fields stacked …
Fun work trips are possible. I promise. Do you have to travel for work? If the answer is yes, below are some suggestions for how to make your next business trip a little more enjoyable…provided you can find some free time of course. Suggestions for …
Travel disappointment is real. Disappointment in general is, unfortunately, a part of life. But it is also a part of travel. No matter how well planned or thought out, a trip rarely goes off without a hitch. Whether it is flight delays, an upset stomach or overpriced attractions, something will happen that tests your patience and threatens your fun. Hopefully, your disappointments will be small and manageable, but there is always a chance they will be something big.
I have been lucky and have never experienced a travel horror story like the ones you sometimes read about. However, I have certainly experienced hiccups, disappointment and frustration. Below are some personal stories about some of those experiences and the lessons I learned from them.
Few things disappoint R as much as a closed visitor’s center at a National Park. When we arrive at one after 4 p.m., the closure is understandable (although no less disappointing). However, when we stopped at the Gulf Islands National Seashore and found the visitor’s center closed for no apparent reason, the disappointment was extra sharp. It was a rather quiet car ride for a while as R worked through her disappointment. Eventually, she came to terms with it and we moved on to finish a really fun road trip through the South.
Sometimes the store, museum, attraction or restaurant you want to visit is closed on the day you plan to do so. Unfortunately, no amount of research can prepare you for every closure. If you are lucky, you will be able to rearrange your plans. Other times you will not. In the case of the Gulf Islands National Seashore experience, there was nothing we could do but move on down the road.
Lesson learned: give yourself time to feel disappointed, but do not dwell on it. Other adventures await and may be even more fun than your original plans.
In R’s post about our recent trip to Puerto Rico, she talks about the various cancelations we experienced both before the trip began and while we were on the road. Some were understandable and some were not. All were disappointing. However, our only option was to adjust our plans and make the best of it. Guess what: we had a great time and we saw some amazing things. It may not have been the trip we originally planned, but it was a darn good one.
Lesson learned: be flexible and go with the flow. You may end up experiencing something better than you could have imagined.
A few years ago, I visited New Zealand with my friend W. There was really only one thing she wanted to see on that trip: penguins. We did not do a lot of research in preparation for that trip. It was not until after we arrived that we learned it was not a good time of year to view penguins. The little buggers were out at sea instead of hanging around the coast. It was big blow to W and her heart’s desire. We still had an amazing trip, but it did not feel complete for her and was a major travel disappointment.
Lesson learned: if you really want to see or experience something, make sure you do some research ahead of time to see if it is feasible. A little research can help set realistic expectations and mitigate potential disappointment.
We knew we would be visiting Helsinki during Vapuu. What we did not realize was how big of a deal the holiday is in Finland. The merriment and festivities had a huge impact on our ability to explore the city and its sights. It was a bit disappointing. However, rather than focusing of what we missed, we focused instead on the opportunity in front of us. We got to see how Helsinki celebrates one of its major holidays. It was a very unique experience and one few tourists get to see.
Lesson learned: embrace whatever is unique about the situation you are in. Instead of a travel disappointment, you may end up with a one-of-kind travel experience.
After a delightful weekend exploring Washington D.C. with a friend, we found out that our flight home had been canceled. Mostly I was upset because we were already at the airport when we received the news. Our wakeup call was somewhere around 4 a.m. and had I known the flight was canceled, I could have gotten a little more sleep. Oh well. We did make it home eventually.
Delayed or canceled flights are one of the most unfortunate parts of travel. And I suppose I should mention that delays or cancellations are not exclusive to flights. Trains, buses, taxies, etc. all get delayed and can majorly affect your vacation. It is pretty much a guarantee that at some point in your travels, some form of your transportation will be delayed. Accept it now and be prepared.
Lesson learned: always be prepared for a delay. They are inevitable. Make sure to pack something to entertain yourself (e.g. a book) as well as a snack or two. Some breathing exercises would not be remiss either.
I have so many travel stories with some sort of weather-related component. While visiting Venice, it rained like crazy. Since our time was short, we bundled up and made the best of it. It was cold and wet, but the crowds were few and we found several delightful cafés to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa. In contrast, when it rained while visiting Tallinn, Estonia, we opted to rest and relax. The little respite we took in our medieval chapel (thanks Airbnb) was one I enjoyed very much.
Lesson learned: make the best of your situation and go. Or sit back and relax. You cannot control the weather, so either embrace it or stay out of it. But do not let it ruin your trip.
When it comes to staying healthy on a trip, I have been very blessed and have rarely been sick. R cannot quite say the same thing, but even still, neither of us has had a trip ruined by an illness. The worst experience I have had was in Morocco. I had some sort of stomach issue for a day or so. Thankfully, it was short lived and easily treated with some strong drugs. It was not pleasant, but it could have been much worse and a major travel disappointment.
Lesson learned: always pack some basic medications. Check out R’s post about which medications to always have on hand while traveling.
I have never been robbed or held at gunpoint or anything like that. But I have been scammed before. In Indonesia, we fell for a fairly common scam. We thought a nice, grandpa-like local was giving us advice on where to buy authentic artisan goods. Turns out, he was in cahoots with a fake art center that takes advantage of tourists. We did not find this out until after we had bought our goods. Thankfully, it had been a fun experience and we did not spend too much money. We felt a little foolish, but no real harm was done. From my travel journal: “Yesterday, we were scammed. There is no official arts center and that nice local man clearly caught us hook, line and sinker. Oh well. It was still a fun experience, we still got some cool Batik and we didn’t spend too much money. It could have been much worse.”
Lesson learned: read up on possible scams before you go. And never fork over too much money for something you cannot verify. You can avoid this travel disappoint by being an informed tourist.
I wrote a post about dealing with other tourists while traveling. They have the potential to ruin your vacation if you let them. In fact, I feel like other tourists cause me more travel disappoint than almost anything else. I suggest you learn how to prepare yourself to deal with other tourist and avoid this travel disappointment as much as possible.
Lesson learned: preparation is key to dealing with other tourists. Unfortunately, they are not going anywhere anytime soon.
Twice, I have had to watch the changing of the guard in London. Even after those two experiences, I still have no idea what the big deal is. Why does this anti-climactic event make must-do lists in London? Given all there is to do and see in this wonderful city, I find the experience a complete waste of time.
Often, “must-see” events and attractions are just not worth your time and money. Unfortunately, you do not always know that before you go and when that must-see does not live up to your expectations, it can be disappointing. This is where is can be useful to find a local or someone who has been there and ask them what they recommend you should see and what you should stay away from.
Lesson learned: do your research. Talk to locals and recent visitors. Know what you are getting yourself into. However, if you find yourself bored or underwhelmed, do not be afraid to bail. Your time and money are precious. Try not to waste either.
Never forget to pack your good attitude. Travel disappointment will happen when you are on vacation. Although there are things you can do to mitigate those disappointments, the most important thing you can do is focus on the positive. If you do so, you will have a much better trip and even better memories.
Other tourists. They are that element of travel we sometimes forget to think about until we find ourselves surrounded. No matter where you go in the world (but especially at must-see places) it is difficult to avoid buses full of people as eager as you …
A mid vacation respite is a time on your trip when you can take a vacation from your vacation. One of the most challenging things about planning a trip is trying to cram in as much as possible. No matter where you go, you will …
![Travel Planning for a Trip [Australia Specifically]](https://i0.wp.com/janeseestheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Australia4.jpg?fit=1144%2C858&ssl=1)
The dates are set, the plane ticket is bought and the travel fund is steadily growing. It is now time to start travel planning and focusing on the details of your trip. Not long ago, I wrote a post about what I am doing to plan and save money for a month-long trip to Australia. In that post, I mention that planning the nitty-gritty details of a trip is one of the most enjoyable aspects of travel planning and that it deserves its own post. So here we are. R and I are currently in the throes of planning those nitty-gritty details and I thought I would share with you how we prefer to do so.
There are three parts to travel planning: researching, scheduling and booking. Sometimes these parts happen simultaneously and other times they happen separately. For this trip, we are researching and planning our schedule at the same time. Following that, we will do some actual booking.
This phase is one of the most exciting parts of travel planning. However, it can also be a little overwhelming—especially with a country as big and vast as Australia. Never fear. Start with the advice below and you will be well on your way to planning a stellar vacation.
Talk to anyone and everyone who has visited your chosen location. Ask questions. Ask for recommendations. Generally, people are pleased as punch to talk about their adventures. Even if they had a bad experience, there is probably something you can learn from it. Just this week, I discovered that a gal from my volleyball team spent two months working in Australia. Over a celebratory dinner after our game, she gave me a couple of recommendations for places to visit as a couple of books I should read before I go. I gladly accepted any advice or suggestions she had.
I especially love talking to my coworkers about travel. Since we work on projects all over the world, my coworkers are very well traveled and they make an excellence resource for my research. I sat down with two of my coworkers who have spent a considerable amount of time in Australia—one actually lived there for two years. I asked many questions and took notes. Both spoke so highly of Perth that I decided to make it part of the itinerary—a decision I might not have made on my own given how long it takes to get there. Now I cannot wait to visit!
Talking with people who have visited a place (or who live there) can also help confirm something you have researched. R recently mentioned that she had found a place called Fremantle in her guidebook and that it looked really cool. I was able to respond and say that both of my coworkers recommended a visit there. So naturally, we added Fremantle to our list of places to visit.
I love it when people hook me up with a friend or family member from the country I am looking to visit. Locals give the best advice and I always prefer to get their insight. For this trip, I am reaching out to three locals. One I have met personally and the other two are family members of a friend of mine. Not only is it important to contact them and get their advice, but I always feel more comfortable having a contact in-country that may be able to help if anything goes wrong.
You can also connect with locals via the internet on sites like Vayable. Or just keep your ears open. Last week at a conference for work, I ran into a gentleman with an Australian-sounding accent. I asked where he was from and he confirmed my suspicions. I then mentioned I would be visiting his homeland in a couple of months and he did not hesitate to tell me his favorite haunts.
Guidebooks and novels abound and you will rarely lack for reading material about a particularly country, especially Australia. R wrote a post about guidebooks and how they can help with planning a trip. We laughed last night because her guidebook for Australia is 1,100 pages! She said that is the most pages she has ever seen in a guidebook. But it makes sense, Australia is a big country and there are a lot of things to do and see. When it comes to reading up on a country, filtering through it all will be a lot harder than actually finding something to read.
Although the World Wide Web can be overwhelming with its vast amount of information, it is critical to planning a trip. Remember the post I wrote highlighting my preferred websites for planning a trip? I use many of those same sights to plan the nitty-gritty details of a trip. Below are a few of the sites I am currently using to plan this Australia voyage:
The research phase can start at any time. However, generally we wait until a few months before a trip to really start travel planning and researching. We find it is easier to nail down the schedule that way. And to be totally honest, we usually have to make it through our current trip before we feel justified planning the next one. Yep, it’s a rough life.
Warning: this phase of trip planning can be frustrating. I never seem to have enough time to do all of things I want to do. Of course, that is why this phase is so important. If you want to get the most bang for your buck (or get the most out of your time, in this case), you have to do some careful travel planning.
I made a couple of really rough itineraries back when we were looking at dates and plane tickets. Now that those things are settled, we have started to refine our itinerary. We know the general areas we want to visit. We just have to figure out exactly where to spend our time (and money) in each area.
One area we want to visit is Alice Springs and Uluru. However, something to keep in mind is that it will be summer while we are there and very hot. I talked to my coworker who lived there for two years and she had very few additional recommendations on what to do in the Alice Springs area—mostly because of the heat that time of year. Given all of this, we have opted to make our time there short and just focus on our must-do, Uluru. We will also be flying since driving or taking a bus or the train takes more time than we want to spend.
That research phase discussed above is very important when it comes to setting up your itinerary.
Deciding on your must-do list is one of the most important things you will do when planning a trip. These should go on the itinerary first. Then you can work around them and add or subtract activities and places as you see fit. I mentioned in my previous post that my love of the movie, The Man from Snowy River, runs deep. In fact, this dream trip to Australia can be traced back to that love. Did you know you can visit Jim Craig’s house!?! It is called Craig’s Hut and it is located in Victoria. Be still my heart. Needless to say, this went on my list of must-dos and is an important part of our itinerary.
A couple of other must-dos include renting a campervan, visiting Uluru and taking a picture of the Sydney Opera House. After talking with my coworkers (as mentioned above), places like Rottnest also went on the list and further research resulted in adding Tasmania. Once those must-dos are settled, then we start looking at filling in the gaps and figuring out exactly how we experience something.
We want to visit Uluru. It is on the must-do list. But the details of how we do so are up for debate. We could book a typical day-tour to walk around the rock and get some photos. Or we could book something unique and sleep under the stars in something called a swag. A choice like this is kind of a no-brainer for us. If you have the choice to make an experience unique or special, do it!
UPDATE: camping under the stars in the Australian Outback in the middle of summer is an awful idea. We were so miserable that I cannot, in good conscience, recommend it. Go see Uluru, but do not see it the way we did.
When we first started looking at visiting Tasmania, the obvious choice appeared to be taking our campervan on the ferry. However, after evaluating the associated costs and schedule, R stated that Tasmania was off the table. However, instead of dismissing the idea completely, we looked into flying there. Those costs are feasible. We will have to rejigger our itinerary a bit, but we feel it is worth it to visit the island. There is usually more than one way to get something done. When it comes to travel, make sure you evaluate all your options before you make a decision.
Unfortunately, due to time, money or both, you will not be able to do everything you want. That is why the must-do list is so important. While doing some initial research, I stumbled upon a picture of Kimberley. It blew me away. Further research proved this place is well worth a visit. But that research also proved that logistically and monetarily, Kimberley is not a feasible option on this trip. If I wanted to scrap almost everything else we are doing, we could see Kimberley. But I do not want to do that. So for now, Kimberley will have to wait for another time. This makes my heart ache a little bit because I want to see it all! But even on epic vacations, there has to be compromise.
Your schedule does not have to be set in stone. But it is easier to make and execute a plan if you have some sort of schedule. It is also easier to book accommodations and activities if you know which dates to book.
In this age of technology, it is rare not to be able to book something ahead of time. For some people, booking before they leave stifles their ability to be spontaneous and go with the flow. I appreciate people who can travel that way. I am not one of them and I prefer to have most everything booked (and paid for) before I arrive.
One reason I prefer to book ahead of time is that there is no worry that something will be sold out or full once you get there. Another reason is that you can often save some bucks by booking early. For example, internal flights booked from outside Australia are free from the 10% GST (Australia’s VAT).
R and I have not quite started booking yet. But we will do that soon. We plan to book our accommodation, internal flights, campervan rental and some tours. We also need to take care of our Australia travel visa, travel insurance and cell phone plans. This trip will be upon us before we know it, and we like to be prepared.
Travel planning can be divided into three phases: researching, scheduling and booking. If you are a planner like me, you are going to thoroughly explore and map out each phase. But even if you do not, try to enjoy each step of your planning process. Planning sets the stage for your entire trip and you want it to be a good one.
UPDATE: read what we experienced on our trip to Australia and how we did travel planning.
Vacations full of fresh fruit and beaches always sound really good to me, but to be honest, I’m just not a hot weather kind of Jane. I prefer sweaters to swimsuits; they are softer and I can eat ice cream without feeling guilty. That being …