Reservation Tips & Tricks

Know before you go!

1. Travel Insurance

For most people, this is really only necessary if you are traveling outside of your home country.

There are a variety of travel insurance plans and options, but they typically cover emergency medical coverage, evacuation, lost luggage, and trip cancellation.

The best place to start for finding a plan right for you is World Nomads.

2. International Drivers License

Not every country requires an International Driver’s License, but it is a good idea to have one in case you run into any issues.

Plus, it’s super easy to get an IDL.

If you’re an American, you can go to any AAA and they can set you up with one.  Just bring two passport photos and $15 and you are ready to go.

3. Passport Pages

This may seem obvious, but depending on how much you travel it is important to be sure you have the correct pages available in your passport, especially if you need any visas.

Most countries will not put a visa on a page other than a visa page, meaning an “amendments page” will not work (something we learned the hard way).

Also, if your passport expires within 6 months of your trip some countries will not allow you to enter.

4. Visas

Obvious?  Yes.

Often overlooked?  You bet.

Every day, people are turned away from a country because they don’t have the proper visa, and if this happens, you cannot even leave the airport.

You’ll be forced to leave the country immediately on the next available flight, which means this “little mistake” could end up costing you thousands of dollars.

To learn more about visas and passports, check out our interview with the founders of Allied Passports or head directly to the Allied Passports website.

5. Getting Shots

It is always a good idea to visit your doctor before taking a trip to make sure you have any prescriptions you need up to date and filled and to discuss any other medical measures that need to be taken.

Depending on what country you are going to, you may also want to get certain vaccinations.

6. Pre book one night’s accommodation

Depending on what type of traveler you are – adventurous and spontaneous or carefully planned and structured – we recommend you have at least one night’s accommodation booked in advance.

If you arrive at a new destination and don’t have a place to stay you, sure, you’ll eventually find a spot…but not without some stress involved.

We’ve found it’s worth it to book something in advance and put your mind at ease that first night.

Then, you can always explore the area the next day to find a better location if you’d like.

7. Printed copies of your accommodation

Although almost everywhere will accept a copy of a reservation on a smartphone or laptop nowadays, it never hurts to have a hard copy.

This way if you don’t have cell service or wifi, you don’t have to worry.

You are prepared and that makes everything much easier.

8. Printed copies of your tickets

Sometimes, it will not always work to show a digital copy of your reservation.

We’ve had this trouble on trains quite often, and the result – buying a whole new ticket while on the train even though we had a confirmation number and digital copy on our smartphone- was not only frustrating, but also super expensive.

Let our mistakes be your guide and don’t let the same error happen to you (glad we could be of service)!

9. Make copies of your passport.

Better safe than sorry, and making a copy of your passport is good for two reasons:

1.  If you lose your passport, at least you have a copy.

2.  Some accommodations may require a copy.  While most places have a copier, there are some instances, such as Airbnb, where we have had to find a place to make copies to give to our host.

10. Give a copy of your itinerary to a friend or family member at home.

In the event of an emergency, it is wise to have someone at home know your whereabouts.

This also puts your family’s minds at ease knowing what parts of the world you are in.