So you want to travel the world? Congrats! Here’s what you can do to get started.
1. Know your budget
It’s probably the reason for a lot of people not traveling: the cost. It’s important to know where you stand financially and how much money you can dedicate to your desire to see the world. Be smart about your choices and put money away for traveling. Keep in mind what’s important to you, for instance a lot of my friends would rather bring their cars to campus, rather than keeping them at home or selling them to go traveling. Your priorities are your own. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of all of the student discounts out there too. You can find a list of airlines that offer student discounts.
2. Pick somewhere to start
Where do you want to start? Do you want to go halfway around the world? Or would you simply like to go across the state? If you do have a low budget, keep in mind the cost of living for the place you want to go to, as well as the distance to get there. Latin American countries and East Asian countries have a low cost of living, meaning that most everything will be cheaper there than, say, Europe, where things are generally more expensive because of the cost of living. Unless you’re traveling all the way from Maine to the tip of Argentina, the distance should be less than if you were traveling from California to Estonia too. That should make the price of flights cheaper, usually.
3. Find out what there is to do for fun
Are you just going for the beaches, or do you plan to go wine tasting, see the Louvre, or swim in the Amazon? A lot of activities you can book once you reach your destination, but to give you an idea of how long you want to stay you ought to know what you want to do.
4. Figure out how long you want to stay
As I mentioned previously, knowing what you want to do and what is essential to see is important for determining the length of your stay. Before you can book anything you need to know how long you’re staying. Some of us would love to stay for a year, but we have school, work, and other responsibilities to keep in mind. Your budget can also play a hand in the length of your stay.
5. Determine when is the best time to go
Believe it or not, going to East Asia during monsoon season is not quite as appealing as it sounds. It’s important to look up the best times of year to go, and remember that those in the southern hemisphere have their seasons opposite to ours, so if you go to Australia in July it might be the middle of summer here in the U.S. but it’s the middle of winter there.
6. Plan how you’ll get there
Are you going on a road trip or will you be flying? Will you take a boat (cruise ships can be quite fun)? Bus? Train? These are things to think about, and often times you might take a combination of transportation methods.
7. Decide if you’re traveling solo or with friends
Traveling by yourself can be quite liberating, but it can also be lonely. In the past I’ve traveled with friends and family, but this spring break I’ll be traveling to Costa Rica solo. If you do choose to travel alone, research tours designed for solo travelers. You can meet people on group tours while still in a safe environment and often without the premium cost of a single traveller. IF you’re traveling with family or friends you’ll have to coordinate with their schedules and plans, but it will generally be cheaper for the individual.
8. Know the political climate
I mentioned the climate of a country as it pertains to weather, but you should also look at the political climate of a country. If you’re in Athens, Greece, during their general elections you might have to put up with lots of media, crowds, and the potential for attacks or threats against the public or the government. Risk for attacks can be higher during political upheavals, and you don’t want to be in a country during a coup d’etat. Knowing the political climate is important for your safety, but if you do want to witness something historical it can also be a motivating factor to visit during a certain time.
9. Get your passport and find out if you need a visa
Research, research, research. You can never really know too much about the place you want to go to. Do you need a passport to go there? How do you get a passport? (For U.S. citizens, check out the U.S. Department of State’s website to see how to get your passport and how long it takes.) Do you need a visa? How do you get a visa? Understanding customs and cultural practices and make life much smoother for you and for the host country.
10. Book your trip in advance
At this point you’re probably ready to book your trip. Depending on where you’re going you might book the flights first or a tour. Generally I would recommend booking the flights and then going from there. If you’re not flying, then maybe buy your train/bus/boat tickets in advance, if possible. Look at multiple websites, do a Google search, or talk to a travel agent before booking. Always clear your browsing data on your devices if you plan to come back to it later, as it’s been known for companies to hike up the price if someone comes back to the website. When you’re ready go ahead and book your trip! You don’t have to book all activities until you’ve reached your destination, that way if you get sick or decide you want to do something else you’ll be able to.
11. Know what precautions to take to be safe
Read up on travel warnings and advisories by the U.S. State Department on their website, and register for the Smart Travel Enrollment Program. This will let the embassy know you’re visiting and will give them a way to contact you in case of an emergency. Write down the phone number and address of the local U.S. embassy or consulate so if you’re ever in trouble you can call them. If you lose your passport, are arrested, are attacked or anything else then you should call the embassy. You should also be careful not to make yourself a target, don’t wear expensive jewelry or wander around drunk in an unfamiliar part of town. It’s pretty much common sense.
12. Fit in with the country’s environment
Don’t pick fights, don’t leave money lying around, basically just use your head. If it seems like a bad idea, it probably is. You’re there to have fun, don’t ruin it by not thinking things through. Be respectful of the environment, the people, and the culture and you should be just fine.
Related: 4 Challenges of Living in Spain
13. Pack like a pro
Trust us, you really don’t need two giant suitcases, two carryons and a purse for one week at the beach. Bring layers, sweater/coat (a light wrap for the summer alternatively), a swimsuit, a dressier outfit, two pairs of shoes, one pair of jeans, one pair of pants or a skirt, the underwear essentials, socks, sunscreen (rain or shine sunscreen is essential to protecting your skin), sunglasses, a hat (summer/winter), toiletries, medications, first aid, and your basic makeup. Don’t forget your travel documents (and copies in case they’re lost or stolen), your wallet, phone, and camera. You don’t need a lot, and you can probably get away with less than this. You can also add more to it, or get into a survivalist mode and add things like a flashlight, batteries, food etc. Depending on where and when you go, you may need to add to the list. Try and aim for packing light, because there are weight limits to your suitcase.
14. Practice your linguistic skills
This is a great chance to learn another language if you’re traveling somewhere where English isn’t the primary language. Sure, you probably won’t become fluent in the two weeks that you’re visiting (how cool would that be?), but you can practice and learn a few words or phrases. It can be fun and useful. Consider buying a phrasebook or looking up some phrases online. There are also lots of apps out there that you can practice on, like Duolingo and Memrise. At Mason, we also have access to Rosetta Stone, so take advantage of it.
15. Have fun
Don’t forget to have fun on your trip, collegiettes! Traveling gives you the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in another culture, something that you won’t learn from a textbook.