It’s so exciting to plan a trip to anywhere really, but traveling abroad is just a little more special to my heart. 💖 But, it can be daunting when I think about planning my next trip. That’s why I am giving you my tips for traveling abroad. There are so many things to consider:

• What hotel should I book?
• What attractions should I book ahead of time vs when I’m there?
• How do I navigate the city? Will I be on foot or budget for taxis/uber/etc.?
• How much can I see each day? Should I schedule downtime?
• What is my budget?

The list goes on and on.

Over the next few posts, I share my experiences in various cities abroad. You will learn what I liked and didn’t like about my travels as well as some more insight into each city. Below, I compiled my top 3 basic tips for traveling abroad.

Tip 1 – Hotel Selection

Unless you are going to spend a considerable amount of time in your room, don’t worry about booking the best hotel. Here is what to evaluate:

• Location – Central to the attractions you are planning to visit and access to transportation.

• Safety – Choose a hotel that you feel safe in. Check out the surrounding areas, read the reviews.

• Price – Don’t break the bank on something that you will likely only sleep in.

In my post on London, you will see what happens when you don’t pay close attention to the booking dates. I made a big boo-boo. Even a planner like me can make a mistake now and then. The best thing to do is to keep calm and see the humor in the situation!

Tip 2 – Don’t Overpack

You might be pulling your luggage by foot and that can get tiring. This has happened to me too many times to count. I never pack more than one large suitcase and a backpack. On a work trip I took last year, I had multiple stops and was gone for 12 days. I was able to fit everything into those 2 items by rolling my clothes. 😉 In my post about Germany, you will see what happened when my travel buddy’s luggage never arrived. Yikes!

Always bring a rain jacket (that fits) if you are in a potentially rainy area or during a rainy time of year. See the faux pas I made in my post on Traveling Alone in Amsterdam. 😳

Tip 3 – Manage your Time Wisely

If you have the luxury of time, use it. If not, book as many things as you can fit in. In my case, I’m not sure I’ll ever get another chance to return so I try to see as much as I can without driving my self into the ground. Although, my family might think I still book too much for each day. 😂

It might seem contrary to all other travel blogs out there but if you aren’t sure you will have the opportunity to return, book yourself to the limit! I’m not saying that you should try to cram everything in but as much as you can. You will be tired but you won’t have regrets.

My strategy is to book excursions that are near each other and in order of distance. I told you I was a planner right?! For instance on Day 1, I’ll look for all tourist attractions in a certain area of the city and estimate how long I will need at each attraction based on the duration listed and reviews. I also consider the time it will take to get to the next location and add in padding for each. Finally, I put them in order of closest to furthest or vice versa. That way I’m not backtracking.

Final Thoughts

I have traveled alone, with family, with friends and co-workers. There are are so many scenarios to consider, like coordinating travel when you are booking separately. I will cover these topics in my posts on Paris and Ireland.

I hope these tips will give you the tools you need to get started planning your next adventure! Certainly not foolproof but these tips for traveling abroad will help.

For more tips not covered here, check out this article from Travel + Leisure.

Happy travels! Follow my blog for more travel experiences and whimsical heart stories.