The current crisis has seen countless would-be travellers shelving their globetrotting ambitions over the past few months. And while we may not be able to travel freely for some time yet, it’s never too soon to start planning for your next adventure, especially if, like many others, you have found a renewed sense of wanderlust after spending so much time cooped up at home.
Whether your next adventure is a family excursion to a sunset destination, the trip of a lifetime to a bucket list hot spot, or even a business venture, you will want to prepare well in advance to ensure you make the most of your travel experience.
Whether it’s learning the language or planning for an action-packed visit before your set off, we’ve come up with four of the more important ways to prepare and enjoy your next adventure.
Learn the language
Too many travellers assume they can comfortably skate by on holiday without learning the local language. In some places, this is technically true, particularly in heavily frequented tourist hot spots where many locals will tend to speak multiple languages and signage will often have English translations. But relying solely on your native tongue can seriously limit your enjoyment and makes it more difficult to connect with new people on your adventure.
For this reason, additional languages are an absolutely invaluable skill, especially for the travelling professional, as it can be a networking tool that helps to build rapport with potential business connections. It’s also useful if you tend to revisit the same locations on holiday, whether for work or leisure, but bear in mind that many languages are spoken far beyond their country of origin. For instance, there are over 20 countries that count Spanish as an official language.
If you’re not sure where to start with your learning, Teachers To Your Home offer one-to-one sessions for all age groups, with online classes available from tutors in a range of foreign languages. This kind of support is a great way to get your learning off the ground.
Extend a work trip
“Are you travelling for business or pleasure?” You’ll have heard this expression many times, of course, but who says it can’t be both? If you’re away on a work trip but don’t want to miss out on the local sightseeing potential, why not add an extra couple of days onto your journey to make the most of it? You’d be surprised at what you might find to see and do, even in the most unexpected locations.
If you’re someone who travels frequently for work, taking advantage of these opportunities in this way can also contribute to a healthy work-life balance, after all, business travel should be a perk, not a punishment.
Pack wisely
Whether it’s for two nights or two weeks, every traveller feels the temptation to overpack, but more often than not, this leaves you lugging around more baggage than you actually need. To prevent this scenario, think seriously about how much (or how little) you really need to take with you.
For instance, if you’re someone who enjoys a little luxury shopping whilst on holiday and you’re heading to a major retail capital, you can probably afford to cut back on a few sartorial staples as you may well end up buying a whole new wardrobe anyway.
As always, planning is the key, and co-ordinating your outfits ahead of time rather than packing random articles of clothing in the hope that they might be of use is a much more efficient way to utilise your suitcase space.
Plan ahead
When you’re on holiday, you don’t want to waste valuable time wandering aimlessly to find the best places to eat, or squander hours searching for ways to spend your day.
But in your haste to make the most of your time, it can be tempting to settle for the first café you encounter, or a hastily made recommendation for a sightseeing spot that turns out to be about as interesting as watching grass grow.
Checking out hot spots in advance of your trip allows you to plan ahead, making sure that you enjoy every moment of your holiday. Take some time to root out the Michelin restaurants, top spas, and best landmarks before your travel to ensure yours is the holiday of your dreams.
