The Ten Most Important Travel Tips

by Ben Nicolson
(Naples, Florida, USA)

Before you set off on any holiday I strongly recommend that you read through the ten tips below, which I have built up & fine-tuned over the last 10 years of travel & have served me perfectly.

1. Check out the latest travel advisory issued by your own National Embassy for your destination and subscribe to RSS feeds to receive free e-mail notification each time the travel advice for your destination is updated.

2. Take out appropriate travel insurance to cover ALL hospital fees, treatment, medical evacuation and ensure that any adventure sports you plan to undertake are covered in the policy.

3. Before Traveling overseas register your travel and contact details online or at your National Embassy, High Commission, or Consulate once you arrive, so that you can contacted in any emergency.

4. ALWAYS obey the laws of the country you are visiting, no amount of foreign consular intervention can help you if you break the law, as local law will ALWAYS prevail, and in many countries can appear harsh compared to that at home.

5. Check to see what visa requirements there are for the country or countries you are visiting, and make sure you understand fully what they mean.

Please also leave enough time to allow the processing of any visa requests that have to be obtained prior to leaving home, foreign Embassies have their own timescales, and sometimes can be very slow. Please also be aware that merely possessing a visa does not guarantee entry to a country, there may be other points which need to be confirmed upon arrival in your destination country.

6. ALWAYS make copies of your details, passport, insurance policy, travellers cheques, visas and credit card numbers. Carry one set in a separate place to the originals and leave a copy with someone at home. The very worst thing that can happen is to lose or have stolen your credit cards, and not having the means to report it accurately IMMEDIATELY.

7. Check with your Doctor or local clinic for information about recommended vaccinations for the region you are travelling to, and find out about overseas laws on travelling with prescription medicines.

8. Make sure your passport has at least six months validity and carry additional copies of your passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport whilst overseas.

9. Leave a copy of your travel itinerary with someone at home and keep in regular contact with friends and relatives whilst overseas.

10. Before departing your own country check whether you are regarded as a national of the country you intend to visit, if you are research whether holding dual nationality has any implications for your travel.

By understanding & following these simple common-sense points will ensure that there are no hidden surprises awaiting you upon arrival at your holiday destination, and that you can sleep at nights in the sound knowledge that you have all the angles covered!! - have a great holiday.