Prepairing for a Trip


Waiting to take off on another trip.
No matter how often you travel, there is a certain excitement in the planning of a trip. I am a "list" person so I tend to make lists for everything. I do my travel planning check list on an excel spread sheet and I like checking off the tasks once they are done. I will be going on a trip to South America (Ecuador and Colombia) soon, so I am pretty much into the travel preparation mode at this time. The first and most important decision to make is the destination. This always depends on if the trip is for work or pleasure. If it is a work trip, then you pretty much need to go where you are sent. If it is a pleasure trip, the world is your oyster! For pleasure, I think the best destination is the East, to countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines or  VietNam (still on my Wish List). A trip to Iceland is also still very high on my leisure travel wish list. Anyway - back to reality and planning a trip.
Step 1 - after you know where you are going - book the flights. I always try as far as possible to fly on Emirates, as they look after their frequent fliers well. If you can, check on your seat allocation and select a nice seat long before the date of your flight..
Step 2 - sort out visas. This can take some time, so the sooner you start and have the visas in hand, the better. The advent of e-visas is starting to make the visa application process a bit better, but getting a visa for the USA, UK and Schengen countries is still a bit of a mission. I wish that more countries would follow the USA lead, and once they decide you are a safe risk - give you a visa for 10 years.
Pool area in hotel in Pune, India
Step 3 - plan your itinerary and book accommodation. There are many web-sites which makes this process easy - just takes some time. The Airbab concept is also becoming very popular, but I have not made use of this option yet. (A bit long in the tooth for the Airbab concept - so I prefer my good quality chair hotels).
Step 4 - Put in leave from work and make sure that everything at work is sorted. Make sure that all work related issues are in place if going on a working trip. It always seems to be crazy at work just before a trip!
Step 5 - Sort out transport arrangements for the trip. This includes getting to and from the airport at the start and finish of your trip, airport transfers on arrival and any transport arrangements during you trip. If I am not being met at the airport by someone, which is most often the case when travelling for work, I like to sort out my arrival transfer well in advance. You are pretty tired after fling half way round the world, so arriving and having transport sorted to get to your hotel is pretty important.
Waiting for the MRT in Singapore
Step 6 - get travel insurance and check on vaccination requirements. Never go on a trip without travel insurance. Some banks offer free travel insurance if you pay for the flights with a credit card. Even in these cases, you need to contact the insurance broker used by the bank and get a printed copy of the insurance document which you need to carry with you.
Step 7 - Get some local currency.  It is always a good idea to have at least some cash either in US dollars or the local currency with you. Yes - you can make use of a credit card to draw out money at an ATM, but what if the ATM is not working? Believe me, this can happen!
Step 8 - work on a packing list and "To Do" before you leave home list, pack, go to the airport and enjoy your travels! Once on the plane, I put on the headphones and list to my take off theme song (Coming home by Iron Maiden).

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