You know, there are all kinds of people in the world… People like me, who plan to the last detail and have a travel checklist always at hand…
And there are people who are more spontaneous and don’t make such a fuss about planning so much…
And then there are the in-betweens who like the idea of a plan but just don’t get around to making it… but if somebody does it for them, they’ll embrace it gladly!
For those who may enjoy some order in their travel plans and those who struggle with a mild case of OCD, here’s my version of a countdown cultural travel checklist.
I’ll explain each point in the article and at the end of part 2, I’ll give you a neat checklist for you to download and print out!
It’ll give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing that everything was taken care of and that when you come back, you won’t have to put out fires (And that may be literally).
Countdown cultural travel checklist
Here’s my recommendation for the activities that need to be taken care of according to the time prior to the actual trip.
It assumes that this is a cultural trip for a few weeks of months and that you will be coming back home.
Some may feel a bit extreme for you, so just take those that apply to your particular case and if you think I missed any, do write them in the comments field at the end of the article!
Up to 5 years to go
• Start your travel wish list. Yes, I know that speaking of years before a trip is a bit much.
But as I’ve expressed before, having a goal in mind of the places you want to visit in your lifetime will allow you to make better choices and plan effectively.
• In my article How to plan a trip: 5 steps for choosing attractions I talked about creating a spreadsheet and then creating your wish list. Do so.
• Start saving money. With your 5 year travel plan in place, you can make choices about how much to save each month for each of your trips.
And if you don’t quite know where to start, let me give you a push: Here’s the model for the spreadsheet for your convenient download.
1 year to go
Photo: www.atlasrider.com
• Make a decision about where your next trip is and when, and start making choices about the specific sites you want to visit. Include all this information neatly organized in your spreadsheet.
• Start reading about the history of the places, their significance in local culture and if they have an impact in world events.
• Research local customs, laws, requirements for driving a car and start learning a few polite conversational words in the language of your destination.
Believe me, locals will really appreciate it and you’ll be honoring their culture as well!
• Find out about local culinary options and see if there’s anything in particular that you have to taste while on your trip.
• See if there are any festivals or cultural happenings at your destination so that you can decide whether to join or avoid.
Sure it’s quite a bit of homework, but it’ll make your trip that more memorable and meaningful!
• If you plan to walk a lot during your cultural trip start getting in shape. Heck, do it for your overall health! ;-)
6 months to go
• Start researching flights and hotels. In the toolkit section of my website you can find my preferred sources to accomplish this, such as Momondo, Kayak and Trip Advisor.
And you can also learn about booking airline tickets the smart and easy way. It doesn’t mean you purchase tickets now (unless you find an absurdly low price!)
• You can also start checking for rental car prices. Here’s how you can do it in seven simple steps.
• Check the vacation policy at work, find out how many days you have available and the procedure to take them.
• Check that your passport is still valid and apply for visas if necessary. Some countries require you to have at least six months left in your passport validity.
The process of getting a new passport can take weeks or even months in some countries, so check in advance.
Photo: www.theworldeffect.com
• Go to wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel and check if you need any vaccinations for your trip. Some need to be applied weeks or months in advance.
3 months to go
• Decide on your itinerary. Now that you’ve spent some time reviewing the sites you want to visit and the kinds of things you want to see, you need to create your final itinerary.
By doing so you can determine the exact number of days you need for your trip. Once you know the number of days, you can purchase your plane or train tickets.
• Book your hotel. Waiting for the last minute may cause you to have to pay more, or quite plainly not have a suitable place to stay.
• Buy your travel insurance and take into consideration what insurance companies don’t tell you about travel insurance.
• Brush up on your newly acquired language (of destination) skills and go over some general polite expressions again.
• Notify your employer of your upcoming trip (or whenever company policy requires you to).
• Get a sitter for your house or pet (or even before if you’re traveling on high season).
That’s it for part 1 of this countdown cultural travel checklist, meet me here next time and at the end of part 2, find a downloadable and printable concise checklist!
What are your thoughts so far? Did I miss anything?
Share your comments in the field below or in Facebook!
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