If you had any sort of trip or getaway planned between March 2020 and now, chances are, it was or has been cancelled. This is understandable. The past year and a half has been a tough time for the majority of the world in many aspects of their lives. The coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic has spread across the world, posing a major health threat and resulting in countless tragic deaths and illnesses. Travel hasn’t been the majority of people’s priority and, instead, many of us have been focusing on keeping ourselves to ourselves, staying home and staying away from others in an attempt to reduce our chances of catching the virus and to reduce our chances of spreading it to others. Luckily, thanks to the development of a vaccine and millions of people around the world getting it, many people can now turn their minds back to getting away and having a good time. Sure, things might not be one hundred percent back to normal, but we are getting there. If you’re considering a holiday – short term or long term – you may be wondering what you need to get to make sure that your trip is a success. Here are a few suggestions that can help to get you started out!
Passport
Let’s start with the absolute essential thing you’re going to need to leave your own country and enter another – your passport. Make sure to check the date on your passport. Chances are you haven’t used it in a while and you could find that it needs renewing or will need renewing by the time your getaway is underway. If you do need a new passport, make sure to apply for one sooner rather than later. This will help to ensure that you aren’t left worried or panicking as you wait for a passport close to the day of your trip.
Visas
Depending on where you’re traveling, you may need a visa too. A visa will allow you to get through border control in your country of choice. Again, this is something that you will need to apply for in advance to make sure that it is approved and provided in time. If you require any help with visa applications, there are usually relevant helplines that will see you get in touch with someone who can guide you through the process, whether that’s for a Schengen visa or etias applications.
Vaccine Passport
Some countries or specific destinations will require that you are vaccinated to enter the country or to engage with certain activities within the country. It’s important that you do this research first to determine whether you do need proof of vaccination to do what you want to do. This can impact your choice of destination if you aren’t vaccinated. If you are vaccinated, you will have to make sure you can access your vaccine passport, allowing you to provide proof of your medical status.
Suitcase
For a short term trip, the best piece of luggage – and most popular piece of luggage – tends to be a good quality suitcase. This is a simple and straightforward way to carry your belongings with you in the airport, for them to be boarded onto the aircraft and to use when you’re away. They’re protected, can have plenty of space and generally have wheels, allowing you to pull them along easily rather than bearing the weight of all of your belongings yourself. Suitcases tend to come in one of three sizes – large (for longer trips), medium (for shorter trips), and small (hand luggage appropriate). The best for you will depend entirely on the type of trip you’re planning. Make sure to check the sizes alongside your chosen airline’s rules and regulations to make sure your case isn’t too big. You can also get cases with tracking to give you peace of mind and let you know where your case is at all times.
Travel Bags
If you’re heading somewhere with rough terrain, or where you will have to carry your belongings with you a lot of the time, a suitcase might not be quite appropriate. Instead, large travel bags may better suit your needs. These are essentially oversized backpacks that have been specially designed for travel. You will carry them on your back but have plenty of space inside to fit belongings intended for a long period of time. When choosing one, it’s good to choose a lightweight option. If you’re already carrying all of your belongings on your back, you’re not going to want extra added weight from the bag itself. You should also try to buy something of quality. You don’t want your bag to break suddenly. Waterproof and hardy materials are preferable to protect its contents. You may also want to choose options with plenty of straps that can do things like strap a sleeping bag to the bottom to save space inside the bag itself.
Sun Lotion and Insect Repellant
If you’re heading somewhere cold, cloudy or without many biting insects, you may not need these items. But for many trips, you will need to pack some good quality sun lotion and some insect repellant too. This can help make your trip safer and more comfortable. Remember to apply these regularly throughout each day to benefit as best possible. If you’re struggling to figure out which is best for you, there are plenty of reviews online that will guide you through your options and make recommendations on which best suits the majority’s needs. Without these, you could experience issues such as sun burn (which can be dangerous and deeply uncomfortable) or multiple bites (which will itch and bother you).
As you can see, there is a lot to bear in mind when it comes to planning a getaway. But hopefully, some of the information above should help you to get your trip started out in the right direction.
Roaming free - tales of wanderlustbykelley 