*This is a collaborative post.


Traveling can be a lot of hassle if you aren’t completely prepared. Some people seem to think that it’s so easy to travel and that you can always just wing it, but I tend to struggle with spontaneity, so planning (for me) is the best way to go. Today, traveling is much more difficult, so precautions and cautious planning is critical to travel safely.



Plan Well

Firstly, you need to plan the trip. If it’s just you heading out on an adventure alone, then you might be able to get away with a spontaneous trip somewhere, but if there are more people going, especially if there are children going, a plan should probably be in place. You need to know where you are staying, and all other relevant information before anyone can go anywhere. If you don’t, then everything is going to be a nightmare when you get to the destination, and panic might start to set in sooner rather than later. Additionally, you want to make sure your accommodations and traveling help maintain social distancing guidelines and proper space to clean yourselves and stay safe. So that planning portion before you head off is vital.

Make sure that you’ve been through the plan with everyone involved. You can’t simply turn up one day, tell people what your plan is and then expect them to be okay with it. Sure, they might be, but it’s best to ensure that they have some input, especially if if there are more people in your household traveling, you want to make sure everyone feels comfortable with the plan and everything involved with the trip.



Keep Your Budget In Mind

If you're anything like me, then your budget is really important for your trip. You don’t want to run out of money halfway through your trip, or even a few days in which is why you need to have a plan for this kind of thing. Before you go away, we highly recommend sitting down and working out your budget thoroughly. It’s the only way that you can guarantee that you don’t run out of funds unless you have an unlimited amount to start with (I certainly don't!). So, to do this, you should work out how much money you have in total for the trip. Once you’ve done that, budget out travel (gas, rental car, etc), accommodations, and food (it's always a bigger expense than expected!). From there, you get left with the amount that you have to spend on the fun things, souvenirs, etc.

It really is that simple, and it's important so you don’t have to stress out about money. You know exactly how much extra money you’ve got, and that’s going to work in your favor. Trust us, you’re going to be happy that you took the time to work out the money before you left.





Pack Everything Carefully

You must make sure that you have packed everything carefully. You don’t want to get to the destination only to find that you're missing something you need. I highly recommend making a list of everything that you need to take with you, and then tick it off while you are packing. I always do this, especially because I have medications I need to survive! By doing this, you can be sure that everything is where it should be, and you’re not going to have to run around packing and unpacking the same suitcase three our four times.

It might be the case that you have to buy some new things for this trip especially. Do this well in advance so that you’re not running around like a headless chicken mere days before the trip. For example, you might need to look into the best tent for tall person (hubby's over 6', so that'd be a critical camping purchase. You want to make sure everyone is going to fit comfortably. This is just one idea, there are so many more things that you could need, so ensure you find them.





Everyone Manage Their Expectations

One of the worst things is when someone has expectations of the vacation that are impossible live up to. So it’s important that you all sit down and talk about where you are going, what you’re going to be doing, and what is to be expected when you get there. I almost always make a very loose itinerary of things I want to do, and the one time I didn't - let's just say it was a mess. It is especially important that you do this when little kids are involved because they might not know what it’s going to be like when they arrive. Obviously, you’re not going to be able to give them the full experience in a conversation, but you can prepare them so that their imagination doesn’t end up running wild.





Double Check, Then Triple Check

If you don’t want there to be any hassle on your travel adventure, then you have got to double and triple check every single detail. It’s not a hassle until you get to the place and realize that you don’t have the information that you need, or something hasn’t been done quite right. We know that it can feel like a long process when you have to double, and then triple check everything, but it’s better than the alternative. So, make sure that you know exactly when the flights are (if you're flying), that you’ve got the airport information correct, everyone has their passports, and the suitcases are packed correctly according to what everyone needs. Other major things I definitely recommend checking are: any medications you need, money, your ID, accommodation information, etc.

If you are someone who worries about others ability to pack effectively, then make sure to check their suitcase too. It’s usually the ones who forget something that insists they can do it on their own, but it’s best to make sure. Once you’ve checked everything on the home front, go ahead and check everything is ready where you are going. Make sure you have your hotel reservations, and you know when you can check-in, transportation from the airport or car hire depending on what route you are taking, and so on. Don’t forget that a lot of countries have a tourist tax that you have to pay, so double check what this is before you get there so that you know you can cover whatever the amount is.




Doing everything in advance takes away so much of the hassle and worry out of each adventure, leaving you free to enjoy yourself. Have a fantastic time! Remember to social distance and stay safe.