5 Things to Know for a New Traveler

So you are a new traveler. Excitement, hope, fear – perhaps these are the feelings you are getting when thinking about traveling for the first time. First time travelers experience many conflicting emotions. Like most of the amateur travelers, you might not be knowing what to expect, and the thing that’s perhaps running in your mind is – “I have no idea of what I am doing”.

Fear not. There are thousands of others out there who are traveling for the first time, and are equally worried as you. Traveling to diverse places can not only help you explore the world, but also might help you become a better version of yourself.

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Here are some tips for you to prepare yourself to travel around the world for the first time:

1. Don’t be afraid

Fear is a strong deterrent. Going to an unknown place is often scary, but remember that you are not the first person who is traveling the world. And you are not going to discover some new continent or explore some uncharted territory. So relax. There are people for guiding you on the way of your tour. Millions of people are traveling around the world every year, why can’t you?

2. Don’t rely too much on your guidebook

Guidebooks provide you a destination’s general overview. However, you would not find in them the latest, not so popular restaurants, bars or attractions. To get the latest information, meet with the locals to know which are the places worth visiting in the region. Ask for recommendations from the hostel staff or other travelers.

Local people are the best resource to get the latest travel information. Unless you have a digital guidebook that gets updated frequently, perhaps it’s out of date. So, don’t depend on it much.

3. Travel slowly

It’s tempting to visit all the places in a short time. With a limited time for vacation, you may try to squeeze in everything, by rushing hastily through 25 cities in 25 days, or 100 countries in your round-the-world tour. All you would get by doing such are some photos, stress, and numerous experiences with no true knowledge of the regions you visited.

So, don’t rush the tour. Make some time for spending a day in a park relaxing, or simply watching people while sitting in a local café. This would offer you the time to get an insight into the culture and people of the place.

4. Carry extra money

Traveling is not that expensive. The cost of traveling through Asia is about $15 USD per day, and for Europe it is about $40. However, there are always some unexpected expenditures, especially when you are a new traveler. So, irrespective of how well you plan your budget, you would never plan for the itinerary changes or other factors that result in added spendings. So, always carry more money than the amount you think you would need. This would also help you have your peace of mind while traveling.

5. Get the contact information of people

In your trip, you would be making many new friends, and some of them may become your lifelong friends. However, if you don’t take their contact information, you would regret it later. E-mail and Facebook have made staying in touch with other people quite easy, so get the contact information of your new friends.

Besides following these tips, consider talking to other travelers among your friends and acquaintances. Ask them how they prepared for their first trip. They would be happy to give you advice and share their experiences with you. And the advice would truly prove to be helpful for you. So, pack up your bags and get going!