Tips 0061-0080
Tip 0061 Ways of saving
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You definitely need money somewhere along the track for travelling but not as much as you might think.
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Top tip here is "have a goal."
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By this we mean have your bucket list written down with your most achievable note at the top of your list. So this is your first goal. If you don't have sufficient funds for this first goal, start a separate list of how you can achieve this goal. What is more important to you, the goal, or what you're prepared to let's say sacrifice.
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Sacrifice doesn't necessarily mean what you think it means. for example, working an extra shift, is a sacrifice of your own down time but is a medium to obtaining your goal. In the same way, eating out once a week instead of twice, is a sacrifice but are you sacrificing your travel because of it?
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When you get your mind around, are you sacrificing your travel for an extra splurge here and there then the sacrifice is your travel experience.
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Now we are not talking becoming a nun or a saint but prioritising is a big part of your goals and you saving towards them.
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There are basically two ways of saving. One is out of your income, the other is finding ways to supplement your income.
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With your income, you can look at streamlining your spending and the best way to do this is like a business. Do a financial plan to see what your actual expenditure really is. See whether the surplice is growing or reducing.
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To supplement your income, look at differing ways of earning more money. Like extra work shifts, local work for the neighbours, do it yourself at home instead of getting in a tradie, use your property to bring in some income, use some of the positive equity on your property rather than use your credit cards, have a car boot or garage sale or sell off all the stuff you never use.
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If a travel experience is worth more to you than possessions you never use, certainly don't go collecting more.
Tip 0062 A coffee a day is AUD $1300 a year.
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Story 21
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It's true just one bought coffee a day would pay for one good travel experience a year.
If you love your coffee then maybe something else lol. This of course is a generalisation and could be anything from a bar of chocolate to a brekkie down the cafe.
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Most of us without even realising have certain indulgences that we don't even think about. If we're reasonably comfortable and are not looking day to day where your next buck is coming from we tend to squander quite a lot without even realising it.
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Again prioritise what is more important to us and set a goal to work towards. Also if you're busy researching and planning for your pending trip, you won't have time for the odd this or that and have your finger on the pulse.
Tip 0063 Life is full of big pleasures also
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Remember the bigger things in life as well as the small things and this is closely related to tip 0062.
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Keep focused on the larger things like travel. They seem expensive but really they are not that unachievable.
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It's easy to think that next travel experience is still too far away and worry about it nearer the time but we find that the whole process of the build up to the next travel experience is all part of the process and certainly when you have concerns on costs.
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Another way of making travel affordable is to cut costs at the source. Again we can't emphasis enough, if finances are an issue of any kind then research and planning is the key.
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Organising, booking and actual travel is a lot easier and more affordable if done by yourselves.
Tip 0064 Impromptu travel
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This is a great way to travel and mostly very affordable.
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If you have a job with flexibility then you are in paradise. If you can go at a minutes' notice or whenever you like, start looking for deals out there.
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Look for year in advance deals, last minute deals and fill up your diary.
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Research which companies offer deals and when. Some do end of week bargains and monthly deals, some do advance bookings and others do spur of the moment deals. The key is to get alerts direct to your computer or mobile but be quick.
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If you book anything make sure you book your insurance, especially far in advance bookings. A lot can happen before you go and you may need to make changes that end up more costly than if you booked normally.
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Make sure you compare prices still and the more you research the more you will get an idea of what's a bargain or not.
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Another great tip is ask around whilst you're actually travelling. If you like where you are and think you might go back another time or on your return leg, there's no better research than asking locally or on location.
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Also return or repeat customers usually get a reduction in price.
Tip 0065 Budget for travel
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Top tip here, don't get carried away with your budget. It's so easy pre-travel and during travel to think, oh well where doing it anyway so let's add a bit here or a bit there. Before you know it you've exceeded your budget and when you add it all up, you might have been better off going on the all inclusive luxury holiday you thought was too expensive in the first place.
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Remember what you were after when you first set off.
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Also there's nothing worse than under budgeting, when you find you come back, it wasn't that bad and you could have gone on that plane flight over the Grand Canyon, or that extra dive where you missed out on that whale shark experience that everyone else was talking about.
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Top tip here is "Stick to your budgets."
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If you are under budget, you will feel good about the experience and have some left over for the next one. If you go over budget you may not enjoy the travel experience because your worrying all the time how you are going to repair the fall out when you get home.
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Try not to get carried away in the moment.
Tip 0066 Stay on track
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Set your goal and stick to it. Try and see it as a New Year's resolution, a new gym membership or commencing a new diet. If you're saving for that special travel experience, set a plan to allow you to save for it.
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If you're giving up say a coffee a day, or a dining out experience once a month, spend that time researching your pending travel experience.
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Get together with friends and family that have been travelling and go over experiences to get you in the mood.
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There are so many social sites you can join, with like minded people that have either been there and done it, or are going to the same place before you or even at the same time.
Tip 0067 Little by little
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Yes it's the ole save the pennies and the pounds will come.
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Remember most people think about their next travel more than a year in advance. So every penny you save now adds up to a big fat lump sum by the time your trip comes around. Even if it just goes towards your spending money whilst away, it all counts.
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When your laying on that sun lounger in the Bahamas by the pool, you won't be thinking this margarita is stopping me from having a coffee in the local cafe back home.
Tip 0068 Third world travel
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Top tip, embrace new cultures and societies.
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Go with an open mind.
Try not to be too judgemental especially if you are only going for a short time. You really need to live somewhere, or certainly stay for more than a few weeks to really start to comprehend what other countries have to offer their own people.
We are all born into our own initial culture and probably are a little insular if not discriminatory from our own countries propagandize. We all like to think that our own country is the best and why not.
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Think about this statement. If every country in the world is the best, then there would be 196 best countries, so Getoutgotravel and enjoy them all. They all have great attributes otherwise no one would live there, you just have to find their attributes.
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Some people are scared of so called third world travel and for the life of me, I really don't get it. They hear stories of dirty, unhygenic, disgusting and dangerous places and the mere thought of enjoying time in places like this, let alone travel there, is beyond comprehension.
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Well let me tell you. You are missing out on some of the most exotic, beautiful, aromatic, scenic, wonderful places in the world. Yes of course there are inner city areas of filth, no more so than some places we have been to in the western world. There are also suburban ghettos and of course poverty like you wouldn't believe and this can be quite upsetting if you're not prepared but the positives far out way the negatives,
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Travelling the globe is not only a pleasure but a privilege and should be taken as so and enjoyed and shared as much as possible.
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Of course there are differing types of travel and sometimes you need to get away from it all to recharge those body and soul batteries. You may not want to experience poverty, or cultures and just want you time. So it's a good idea to categorise to avoid disappointment
Tip 0069 Travel further stay cheaper
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There could be massive savings here and a very affordable travel experience to boot.
Too many people do not think outside the box. They see far away or distant places as far too expensive to get to and dismiss these options altogether.
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With more and more affordable budget airlines and competition from the majors, flights to distant shores are getting cheaper and cheaper. You really do need to do the math, even if just as an exercise, before you rule out long distance travel.
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If you've already been to third world countries, you will know the advantages of how far your buck goes and already have this tip well in hand. If not we highly recommend you spending the time and effort researching yourself to see the savings all-round you can make.
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There is a down side in travelling to faraway places and that is, time travelling to and from. If you're time poor and only have say a week, then think about how much of your actual travel will be at your destination.
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Also bare in mind, if the actual travel part of your experience is not pleasurable, then think about the pros and cons. Personally the getting there and back is all about the experience for us and we love all aspects of travelling.
Tip 0070 Free accommodation
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Yes you heard it here first! There is such a thing as free accommodation and you don't need to think outside the box. More and more people with the power of the internet are realising that they can travel more affordably with research planning and collaboration.
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We mention just three tips here for you to think about, research and see if this works for you.
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House swap
There is a whole world of travellers all leaving home to go on far away adventures. That's a whole load of empty homes sitting there doing absolutely nothing but stagnating. Well now there's a way of harnessing so many homes as free accommodation. Just check out online the various sites and get connecting up with like minded travellers worldwide.
Now this may not be for everyone but for those that are a bit more adventurous, this not only gets you free accommodation but a whole load of other alternatives, like free car, local information, increase of social networking and practically a home in any country you desire to travel to.
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House sitting
There are also lots of fellow travellers that for one reason or another would like their homes occupied whilst they are away, like worried about burglary, watering the plants, pet sitting and a whole list more.
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Now here you get free accommodation for a small service and this could be as little as walking the dog in the mornings, feeding the cat at night or just being there every night for security of the premises.
Couch surfing
Couch surfing is relatively new and is great for stopovers and short stays from single travellers to whole families. Most of these homes offer a little bit more than just a couch and many offer one or two bedrooms to use.
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This is a great way of social interaction with other people from all over the world.
So many benefits here also, like learning another language to networking for when you travel to their countries.
We look into more elsewhere on this website.
Tip 0071 Get out go travel
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We won't go into detail here as we cover this elsewhere but we just identify that you can pretty much travel with nothing, a little or a lot in the bank.
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If your undecided on your future at the moment, what a great time to start travelling. You could work your passage and time travelling the globe with little start up cost.
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You may have sufficient funds for your annual holidays that doesn't interfere with the day to day life you lead at the moment.
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You may not realise it but you could probably already travel for ever on the income you receive, either on investments, positive equity on your property or by using your home to fund your travelling whilst your away by renting it out.
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Or you can just quit work and getoutgotravel but are too busy to realise you've got to the point you have been working for all your life and that is to stop working.
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Top tip here is, also think about this. Is your rainy day lump sum needed when you're gone. You may need say AUD$400k when your 60 years old but will you need $400k when your 100 years old?
Tip 0072 You don't need much to travel
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We talk here more about the gap year student, between jobs or a change of life situation.
If you are able to work or have some skill to offer, there are a variety of ways and means to getoutgotravel.
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Living at home doesn't necessarily mean where you live now. Your home is like your hat. Where ever you go can be home, it's all a matter of perspective.
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Sometimes you have to go out to find opportunity for your potential. Jobs don't usually pop up out of the blue, you have to go find them and they don't need to be on your door step either.
Tip 0073 Blow your money.
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Top tip here again is budget for your travelling. So many times we hear stories of people both young and old who have done their dosh before the end of their travels and either have to cut short their trip or drastically modify it to last the distance.
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It's all too easy when in holiday/travel mode to forget all your troubles and party away, why not, this is what you came out for, but remember there is always consequence for an action.
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Be disciplined, stick to your budget and if you wander off slightly, remember to quickly get back on track before it's too late.
Tip 0074 Exit plan
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Try not to get yourselves in a situation that is difficult to get out of.
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Now this can be as simple as not going into a ghetto on your own to being stranded miles away from anywhere but as we have come from the finance section, we will talk about exit strategies for financial reasons.
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Top tip here is to have a return ticket. Even if you are off on a world trip, try to make sure you have a flexible return ticket unless you are quite affluent.
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Remember as a tourist, you have more rights at your embassy or consulate than if you are working abroad.
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Try to keep a little of your savings, or float money for extenuating circumstances.
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Make sure your internet banking is up to date and access to it is readily available.
Inform your credit card provider that you will be going travelling out of your country, where to and for how long.
Tip 0075 Additional income
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There are lots of various ways of supplementing your income to allow you to travel and we mention just a couple here. These are all whilst you are at home.
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Take in a lodger or student. There are many student exchange programs that look for people with a spare room to rent out. Try contacting local universities as well as schools. You might also try looking at the notice boards for accommodation or even just ask around. You'd be surprised how many friends and family have either done it already or knows about someone needing a spare room.
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Airbnb, makes use of a spare room which you can get a modest income for having someone stay for a short period of time.
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Subletting your home, is also another way of getting extra income in for your travels, or anything else you might like to do.
Tip 0076 House swap
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To be read in conjunction with tip 0070 on free travel accommodation.
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This is really a win, win situation and should be given some serious thought, as it not only helps you and like minded travellers to get around the world very affordably but the additional benefits can be enormous.
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Most people have a vehicle of some sort, be it your car, second car, motor or pushbike, kayak a even a skate board. If you are prepared to share yours then it will be reciprocated tenfold. You can also organise the use of say, your surfboard/boogie board, tents and a whole load of other things that can compliment yours or some ones stay.
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If you have great neighbours that could show travellers around or you could just make up a folder of great things to do in your area. Get some pamphlets of local attractions. Also the concessions that local people get can be passed on to your swap travellers and visa versa.
Tip 0077 Travel forever
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Here we seriously talk about travelling forever.
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Again we go into more detail under reasons for travel but we give just a couple of tips here.
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Of course if you can work whilst travelling then you're already half way there.
Obviously work is the main consideration, you may think you can't give up work but this is often not the case.
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If you are a home owner you have options, even if you have little to no positive equity in the land or property.
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A lot of people down size eventually, so why not downsize now.
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Thought about diversifying? How about sell one house and buy two flats. Rent one and live in the other between travelling. Or rent both and when your back in the country whilst waiting for one to become available, go on a domestic camping travel extravaganza. Finally go to the places you have never been to on your own doorstep.
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There are so many ways to be able to travel for ever but our biggest tip here is:-
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Take little steps. See if you really love travelling before you do something drastic. The idea sounds wonderful but there are a lot of things to consider before making lifestyle changes.
Tips 0061-0080
Tip 0079 Give plenty of notice.
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Being employed gives a different outlook for travel. You may be coming up for long service leave, just an annual holiday or taking time out for a splurge on travel.
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Obviously giving plenty of notice to your current employer goes down a treat and many seem to be a little scared of informing their bosses. Trust us, the more notice you can give the happier your bosses will be. Employers need good communication with its staff.
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If you look at Employer and Employee as a partnership, then courtesy on both sides is the best approach. Now there are some employers that believe that workers should work 24/7,52 weeks of the year but we now live in a more social world and there is legislation protecting the workforce.
Tip 0078 Email your CV to yourself
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Just imagine getting contacted about a possible job coming up in the near future and you are in the middle of your travels. Or even whilst travelling a position becomes available where you are. There could be a number of reasons why emailing your own CV to yourself would be a great advantage. Also make sure you have contact back home whilst away.
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You can always apply for a position whilst travelling by sending in your resume and setting up your interview on your return. Many employers are not put off by this and in fact this could be a benefit. An employer will know that you have already had your travel time for a while and know that they are taking on someone fresh, that will probably not be heading off for a while.
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Having your CV to hand whilst travelling is great too, if you intend working your passage of travel. You never know when an opportunity raises its head.
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There are many job opportunities whilst travelling, paid or voluntary but make sure you are allowed to work with the visa's you apply for. Many countries have reciprocal working holiday maker arrangements dependant of where you originate from.
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Don't get caught out with the wrong visa if you intend to work whilst travelling. This could end up for a very short trip.
Tip 0080 Nothing to be scared of.
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Well there may be some if not all of you first time travellers that might be, let us say, a little more than apprehensive about getting out of your comfort zone and this is totally understandable.
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Please don't feel that you're the only one here, as everyone doing something new for the first time will have maybe a few butterflies in their tum tums.
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The key here is to bite the bullet and jump. How high you jump, is totally up to you and we recommend, as with anything, take small steps first of all.
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The more you do it, the easier it all becomes and less daunting.
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Truth is most first timers, do it better than experienced travellers because they plan and research much more. When you've been doing it for a while you tend to try and cut corners and get blasé about it all. This is where mistakes happen and can turn a pleasant trip into a nightmare.
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Top tip here and we mention this a few times on this website. Make sure you have adequate travel insurance.
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Always have a plan "B" i.e. If you miss your bus back to the cruise ship, have enough for a taxi.
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Have an exit strategy and this can be as simple as making sure you have enough fuel in your car to get you home.
