The rush blood to the head that comes with clicking on the ‘buy plane tickets now’ button is, for most travellers, as thrilling as it is short lived – mere moments after that decisive mouse click of travel commitment, thoughts of planning all the important details start to flood in. First, you might wonder whether your passport has the internationally required 6 month buffer before the expiry date. Next, you could start to think about clothes, before thinking that, no, there are other more pressing matters, if only you could remember what they were.
One of the things we almost never consider is the potential for car accidents to ruin our adventures. But with so many foreign travellers clogging the streets of tourist destinations, car accidents can occur – find a local car accident lawyer in Orlando if you have been affected. But now, let’s look into pre-travel things to consider.
Take a bag (for the daytime)
When an impossibly large stack of freshly laundered clothes has been neatly stuffed into a backpack, with almost enough room left over for a full packet of chewing gum, there’s almost certainly one thing you’ve forgotten to pack – a backpack. But hold on, you say, everything is packed into a backpack, so how have you forgotten to pack a backpack? Well, think about it. You wake up, you want to hit the town markets and see the sights, and maybe buy some water and a sandwich and – woah woah, wait right there. Where are you planning on putting water and snacks? And maybe souvenirs? In a backpack you haven’t brought? That’s why you need a backpack for the daytime.
A quick note on electronics…
A portable charger is an investment you won’t regret. Also, look into travel adapters before you arrive, otherwise you could be left trying to plug two prongs into a three prong socket in a midnight hotel room, thinking to yourself “How did I forget to check whether I’d need a travel adapter, again!”. We’ve all been there. It’s just annoying.
Tell the bank where you’re going
Depending on how well-set-up your bank is, telling your bank that you are travelling abroad may not prevent your card from being declined. All that will happen is that the bank will check your account when you ring them to ask why your card has been declined (despite letting them know of your travel plans), and they will say something like “oops, sorry, should be fine now”. So, why tell the bank that you’re going to be using your card in a foreign country in the first place? Glad you asked…
As much of a nuisance as this whole process sounds, it’s far easier to convince your bank that you are genuinely abroad if you pre-warned them, otherwise you could end up not necessarily being believed straight away. In essence, by telling the bank of your travels in advance, you can expedite the un-freezing of your account if your card is declined. Always have some hard currency to hand in case of such an event.
