So I’m not writing this thinking of myself as some kind of travel expert in any shape or form…. But I have made many mistakes in the past so I’ve listed below a few pointers to stop you from making the same errors!
1. Packing:
1. Packing:
The first time I ever travelled alone was to Turkey. My mum, dad and little sister were there on a week holiday and as I had 4 days off of work I decided to go over and join them. When I arrived at the airport I hadn’t checked in online therefore that was the first thing I had to do. As I hadn’t paid for check in baggage I only had a small carry on case. Of course with my luck, I was asked to place it on the weighing scales. As this was my first time travelling alone I was extremely clueless and vulnerable and hadn’t weighed my bag prior to arriving in the airport. This resulted in me being charged £70 despite it only being slightly over :-(. Although I was raging at the time, this has taught me to always plan in advance the essentials for the trip and also to be extra cautious whilst packing.
Despite travelling home to Fort William for the weekend and managing to fill the car with luggage as I am the worst for packing light, I have never since been charged for excess bagging when travelling abroad! Before beginning to pack, I always write up a list of what I need so I can check it off as I go therefore I manage to stop myself from packing a load of unnecessary bits & bobs! I tend to pack the correct amount of outfits followed by my toiletries, make up, a small amount of jewellery then finish with shoes! I know how tempting it is to take all your favourite shoes wherever you go but 1 evening pair along with 1 pair of comfortable shoes for walking about during the day is more than enough! (Unless I’m heading to somewhere warm as I will also take a pair of sandals). I also always carry a small handbag for my documents and liquids to save the stress of unpacking when arriving at security. Basically, long story short, paying for check in baggage is unnecessary for a weekend away so if I can pack light, so can you guys!! :-)
2. Online check-in:
Checking in online is something I always do before setting off on a journey simply because it is far more straightforward and saves time and the hassle of having to stand waiting at check-in desks. If you are travelling using only cabin baggage and have already checked in online, when you reach the airport you just head directly to security, straight to your gate then you’re ready to board! It means arriving at your own time, (obviously giving yourself enough time to get through security whilst taking into consideration there may be queues), then you just head straight for the flight!
3. City sightseeing tour bus:
Going away for the weekend and seeing everything you plan to can be almost impossible! On the first day of my trip I tend to buy a 24 hour pass for the bus which can be accessed at various points around the city centre or alternatively online. There are many different bus tours within the city centre but I usually use the city sightseeing hop on – hop off tour bus which looks like this:
These busses can be found worldwide. I always find them very reliable as you never find yourself hanging about for any length of time waiting for them at each stop! Below is a number of countries where these buses can be found:
The company have now added canal tours along with walking tours to their programme in certain cities! I feel by using this bus it can get you around and inform you with historic and recent facts through individual headphones which are given out when purchasing tickets. These headphones allow you to individually customise the language and volume. I tend to do a full circuit of the city picking out the main attractions I would like to get off and see properly, then spend the rest of my day getting on and off as I please. Another positive of using this service is after paying the initial payment, you are provided with what feels like free transport around the city for 24 hours! The tickets are priced differently depending on where you are but in European countries they are generally prices between £15-30. I would definitely recommend this service :-)
The company have now added canal tours along with walking tours to their programme in certain cities! I feel by using this bus it can get you around and inform you with historic and recent facts through individual headphones which are given out when purchasing tickets. These headphones allow you to individually customise the language and volume. I tend to do a full circuit of the city picking out the main attractions I would like to get off and see properly, then spend the rest of my day getting on and off as I please. Another positive of using this service is after paying the initial payment, you are provided with what feels like free transport around the city for 24 hours! The tickets are priced differently depending on where you are but in European countries they are generally prices between £15-30. I would definitely recommend this service :-)
4. Always plan ahead:
A mistake I have made is turning up to a city with no prior research therefore no idea on what I want to do! When I go on holiday I love nothing more than relaxing and taking each day as it comes but when you only have the weekend, you want to get as much done as possible! For things like what to do in the evening, I’ve started recently searching on likes of Trip Adviser and various social media platforms before going to see where people recommend the best places to go for food and drinks. In each of my individual city blogs I will post places I have enjoyed and recommend! I definitely advise planning ahead and making the most of your short time away. Don’t stress yourself out by planning too much and save any disappointment if you don’t have enough time!
5. Travel Money:
With the rates of pickpocketing increasing in foreign countries, travelling large amounts of cash around along with valuables placed in your pockets can be dangerous. According to a travelling blog I read, the ten worst cities for pickpocketing are:
Barcelona
Prague
Rome
Madrid
Paris
Buenos Aires
Florence
Amsterdam
Hanoi
Athens
I tend to carry around 200 euros/ pounds in cash depending on where I am travelling, then if I require extra money I withdraw using my ordinary debit card. Using this service means you receive the same interbank exchange rate and with ATMs available almost everywhere, this is generally the cheapest and most convenient way to get cash abroad in the local currency. Some people who don’t have much self-control when it comes to spending money may prefer to use the cash passport! This is just the same as your ordinary debit card although you put the money in before you go therefore have a set amount and you can keep control of the amount you are spending!
Thanks for taking your time to read this :-) feel free to comment with any questions or further tips I can take on board!!
