With social media and travel blogs giving us this feeling of wanderlust and the need to get lost in some random part of the world, it’s attempting to just go out there and live in the moment. Unfortunately, traveling for newbies is quite stressful, full of surprises an can be quite expensive. Especially considering if you are just going on holiday, having things pre-arranged will just give you peace of mind.
Unless you live in close proximity to your destination that warrants a bus or train, you will probably be flying to your destination. Plane tickets can be quite expensive, especially considering some countries include entry or exit taxes, but you can save hundreds of dollars by just ordering at the right time. Finding the cheapest flight is more than just ordering in advance, as flights in extremely close proximity may even be cheaper.
You should do research about the particular location to see when it is the low/high seasons for tourism as that is a much bigger determining factor in demand. You may also fly into nearby airports and take alternative travel methods to your destination at a reduced price. Complex travel plans can be made easier using a service like Rome2Rio or researching bus lines in the area.
When you arrive in a new city, not having a place to stay practically makes you homeless by default. With the popularity of Couchsurfing or Airbnb, some travelers have the idea that they can crash at someone’s place for free or really cheap. Unfortunately, there are always fallouts with people from the internet, especially if you don’t know them so it’s not really a solid plan to get shelter.
Coming into a random, well-established hotel last-minute is a good way to get charged the highest rate possible without much time to shop around for deals. If you book in advance online, you can get awesome deals on hotel reservations that really aren’t feasible when buying in-person.
Although globalization is rapidly increasing, that doesn’t mean that you can enter countries without the hassle by local authorities. For example, an American traveling a trip to Russia will need to pay for a visa in advance, which may also require extensive paperwork and stamp duties.
Some countries will also want to see exit flight tickets, hotel bookings and other proof of travel plans. With first-world countries requiring paid visas, some countries are fighting back with expensive visas that may be convoluted to obtain (like Brazil used to be). While the American or UK passport holds a lot of weight in visa-free travel, there are simply some countries that won’t budge on bureaucracy.
Hiring a tour guide is easier than ever now that the internet has a plethora of options. You can even use Airbnb to plan tours and other activities so you will make sure your day is full of excitement.
It is really about personal taste on how you want to go about traveling, but plenty of people would rather have their trips calculated to prevent unnecessary hassles. If you stay well organized, you can cram lots of stuff in a short period of time and get the most out of your holiday.
