4 Things to Check before Booking a Trip

Traveling is my life. I get nervous when I haven’t traveled in a long time and get overly excited when my departure date arrives. However this does not mean that I get to be careless. I still have to take proper care of myself and make sure I get to where I need to be. Since our world consists of many rules and regulations it is only fair that I obey them in order to stay out of trouble. Especially the ones that will prevent me from traveling! Below you will find four things I check before booking a trip. I personally find these the most important things since, for me, they determine whether I am able to take off or not, which I obviously want to do!

1. Passport

I know this one is obvious, but it is the most important one. The validity of your passport is key here. I know passports are valid for a long period of time but a double check won’t hurt you. Especially when considering the following:

• It is important to check with the country you are traveling to how long your passport needs to be valid. Note that some say from your arrival date and others from your departure date. Even if you are staying within Europe, when you are in fact European, it is still wise to check this since most countries do have a limit on this even though you are not that far from home! This also goes for ID cards by the way!
• In the event of you needing a new passport/ID, check how long it will take to obtain a new one. Often a rushed delivery is also available, but it will, most likely, cost you extra.

Where to find this information:

• Your town’s webpage for your new passport.
• For the validity: Type into google the following: ‘’Passport validity to enter …..’’ fill in the blank with your destination and the right page will pop right up. Make sure to use the page that belongs to the authorities of the country that you are going to, since it will give you the most reliable information.

The one in purple is the one you need since it belongs to the Swiss authorities (Long term stays are also to be found on their webpage!). If this does not work, you can always call the embassy, they will know for sure.

2. Visa’s

Depending on where you are going and where you are from you might need a Visa. The things to consider when you need a visa are the following:

• How long does it takes for you to obtain your visa? Most times it is a case by case waiting time.
• Also check how long a rushed delivery will take. This will give you a leverage in the instance that you forget. (Don’t though..)
• Start the visa procedure on time! I cannot stress this enough, since it is taken case by case. Some waiting periods are longer than others. Before booking a trip make sure you know for sure that you have enough time, even for trouble.
• Double check every paper that you fill in and make copies for your own administration so you know what you filled in, in case trouble wants to say hello!

Where to find this information:

• The Embassy of the country you are visiting. The necessity of a visa depends very much on your nationality, destination and what contracts the two have. Type into google ‘’ x embassy y’’. With ”x” being the country you are traveling to and ”y” being the country where you are from. Mind you, if you are residing in another country you need to check which one to use. Especially with EU ID-cards. You can’t fly with all off them! I know this sounds weird but trust me on this one, seen it happen first hand. Not fun!
• There are also lots of companies willing to do the visa application for you. A google search will give you a good list. You send in all your paperwork and they will do the rest. Word of Caution: Be careful with this procedure since it is very sensitive information you are giving up. I would definitely screen the company profusely before accepting their services. Also doing it yourself is not that hard. ‘’That hard’’ being the keywords!

3. Vaccinations

It’s better to be safe than sorry, that’s all I have to say.

• Check with your general practitioner what the recommendations are for your destination. The ones you need will depend on your own medical history and destination so do not follow blindly in the footsteps of a friend or a recommended online list! You could get ill. Seriously DON’T, I can’t possibly stress this enough.
• Time is your friend. Some of the vaccines, such as DTP (tetanus), need to be taken a month in advance so really check well in advance before booking a trip which ones you need on time.

Where to find this information:

• Your GP. (The internet just tells you which ones you need in general. Your personal practitioner can tell you which ones are good for you because he/she will have your medical history which is very very very important in this case! Cannot stress this enough)

Read more about how to stay healthy here.

4. Budget

Before booking a trip I make a budget to see if the trip doesn’t break the bank. I love traveling, that’s why I’d like to continue doing it more than once upon a blue moon, making a budget a must! Many people get caught by a lot of unforeseen costs, even though there are many ways to avoid these. Here’s a short list of how I eyeball how much I will need for my trip. (I only included the things that generally tip the (my) budget over, well.. before I absolutely knew what I was doing!)

• Costs of living at your destination. Things to check are:

1. Transportation; public transport, taxi’s and/or car rental
2. Restaurants; fine dining, local dishes and/or fast food
3. Bars; so you can have a drink*

• Things to do: Cultural events such as musea, concerts and/or plays
• Excursions, in general it is said that it is best to book these at your destination, however most of these companies have websites where you can view and potentially compare prices. It will give you a good overview of two things, what there is to do and how much it will cost you. (The entire point of this section!)

Where to find this information:

• Tripadvisor is where I go to find information on bars, restaurants etc. A general google search is just too wide for me, I feel like I will get lost in the amount of information. I love the top 10 lists that you can find per city. Also works for things to do by the way.
• Most likely your destination has a webpage dedicated for tourist/travelers, it is a good place to get general price information about transportation, museums etc.

Need help making sure you have the budget to do all the fun activities you discovered? Check out my eBook: ”Saving Effortlessly” . It’ll present you with a savings method that won’t cancel your lifestyle while still enabling you to enjoy your vacation the way you want to.

I hope this list helped you as much as it helps me. Hopefully you’ll be well prepared for your travels, before booking a trip! Good Luck and have fun exploring!

Love,

DCPR.

*If you drink, drink responsibly and always respect the legal drinking age.