Tips 0101-0120
Tip 0101 Can't be bothered
​
Yes, you'd be surprised how many of you hardly travel through laziness. Let's face it, there's nothing more satisfying than a lazy or snuggle up PJ's day. This also is a must but don't let it become the norm on your days off.
​
Top tip here is, make your down time count.
​
It is all so easy just to "wait and see what comes up," only to find you've probably waisted a good opportunity to travel.
​
How many times have you thought, well I've wasted today, this weekend or a whole week off work and then try and convince yourself, well I needed some precious me/our time anyway.
​
The issue is, when you don't travel often the whole process seems like a good idea at first, then you start thinking about all the negatives, like the costs, practicalities and hassle of sorting it all out. When in actual fact the more you travel the easier it all becomes.
​
As we have said time over, travel is all about planning and research and this also includes making sure you make the most of your limited down time.
​
Use your calendar to plan your time out days/weeks or even months. This also gives you an added excitement factor of anticipation.
​
There is nothing more rewarding than having a full calendar of itineraries and looking back over the previous year with all the ticked off items from your bucket list.
Tip 0102 Backpack at the ready
​
Simple but effective tip here is, have a prepacked backpack or carry on bag at the ready.
This helps not only with the impromptu trip but takes a lot of stress out of pre travel.
​
Top tip here would be to have mini bags or compartments already made up for both carry bags and checked luggage. A vanity bag, place for medicines, insect repelant and sun lotion and a document holdall for say, passport, currency, insurance and travel itineraries.
​
Having these essentials already prepacked helps in many ways and when used for air travel they also can be weighed for luggage allowance reasons. Knowing your likely weight category at booking or pre travel, can greatly save you money and time at the airports
​
Nowadays so many airlines have basic minimum luggage allowances for both carry on and checked in, to be competitive.
​
Remember to have the right items in your checked luggage as well as your carry on luggage.
Tip 0103 Save on food
​
Many travellers look to travel on a budget and food can work out to be a big slice of the cake excuse the pun.
​
Think clever, it's easy to get carried away in the heat of the moment and just splurge when travelling.
When in Rome! Obviously some countries cost very little on food and drink and your savings here would be substantial, so a good tip here is spend more on getting there and less once there. It's not false economy to think about travelling further to save money.
Your spending money goes a whole lot further in third world countries and you can save a bundle here.
​
Here are some more great tips on saving on food.
​
Eat before you leave! If you're out for the day from home, tuck into a heavy meal either the night before or a big brekkie before you set off.
​
Try not to eat out in airports before your departure flight, especially if you have an in flight meal. I'm guilty of this myself and think, "well I'm on holiday" then get on the flight and struggle to eat on board.
​
Only have one meal out per day. Let's face it, you probably will be travelling around in the daytime, so take a packed lunch or snacks and energy bars.
​
Use local grocery stores and stalls. You get fresh local produce at a fraction of the cost and can easily and quickly make up sustenance throughout the day.
​
Eat with the locals. Hotels, restaurants and even fast food chains are often a lot more expensive than eating on the streets with the locals and more authentic too.
Tip 0104 All too difficult
​
Travel is very simple indeed and the more you do it the more experienced you become and less daunting it all appears at first.
​
The world is such a small place to get around and within a day, you could have booked, packed and gone halfway round the world.
​
Try not to get too confused. Yes ideally you need to research, plan and organise but really all you are doing is organising a trip, going and coming back. The rest is just padding and if you're going out of season you could pretty much wing the accommodation as you go.
​
The four musts! Travel Insurance, up to date passport with necessary visas, credit card and appropriate vaccinations.
​
Tip 0105 Mix it up a little
​
The more ways you travel, the more comfortable you become. Try and experience all types of travel from hiking, cycling, kayaking, to trains, cruising and flight. If you are concerned on any form of travel, take small steps. Go for a one hour sail, walk, or even a ten minute bus ride. Build it up as you go.
​
The more forms of travel you experience, the less likely you are to miss out when you travel far.
​
We have met so many people that miss out on visiting say a nearby island because of the fear of a five minute boat ride. You really never know what can come up on your travels and there are some places you really don't want to miss, especially if you've come such a long way.
​
Also if you just fly everywhere you will most certainly miss out on 99% of what is on offer out there.
Tip 0106 Pin up a map
​
Apart from having a map to know where you're going, it's a great tip to actually pin up a map. This could be to assist yourself with compiling your bucket list but more importantly to give you a sense of perception. Maps are a great way of working out terrain, distance and timings.
​
This is so important in your planning for travel. Scale over differing terrain is the key to perception. How many times have you thought, "That's easy to get to" only to find it has taken you twice as long as you thought.
​
If you get your travel time and distance wrong, you will either end up rushing or missing out. Plotting a course once travelled and transferring to another location, doesn't necessarily mean it will take you the same amount of time.
Tip 0107 Familiarisation
​
We can't emphasise how important it is to be totally familiar with your surroundings. No matter where you go, our best tip is do a little research of the location and surrounding areas. You never know when you will need to change plans and the reasons could be many. Also getting lost in unfamiliar surroundings is really easy.
​
Short cuts can end up being a nightmare but change isn't all bad. Often weather can be a big game changer and having a plan "B" works wonders. Even a change of mind mid flow can make for a more enjoyable travel time and a hike in the hinterland could end up a picnic on the beach, if you know where you are and the options you have.
​
Don't be afraid of change! Change is good too. Generally there are always more than one way of travelling. Try not to be too fixed on your itinerary, be more flexible. There will always be some that go clockwise and others that go anticlockwise. You can mostly get from "A to "B" via "C,D,E or even Z.
Tip 0108 Card and licence
​
Might sound silly but you'd be surprised the amount of times people set off without either both, one or the other.
​
Basically travelling domestically, all you need is your bank/credit card and drivers licence. With these and a little money in the bank of course, you can do almost anything.
​
Best tip here is make sure you have both with you when you set off. No matter how much you prepare for your travel, invariably you will forget something. These will get you out of most sticky situations.
Tip 0109 Rest stops
​
Again another must do tip. You WILL get tired when travelling. We are not in the business of scare tactics but you must take rest stops whilst travelling, especially whilst driving on your own.
​
A twenty minute break from self driving transport will save lives, yours and those travelling with you.
​
An awesome travel experience can and will turn into disaster if you aren't sensible about this. If you have driven for more than two hours, take a short break even if you don't feel tired.
​
Be aware of your designated driver. If there are more than two of you in the car, try and have the passenger next to the driver stay awake. Make conversation frequently.
​
Don't try any tips you've heard for keeping yourself awake, like driving with the windows open, air-conditioning on your feet, sugar hit drinks, coffee or any medication. Simply take rest stops, share the driving or don't drive.
Tip 0110 Top tip First and last 5 minutes
​
This is actually one of our best tips. It is a little known fact that you are more likely to have an accident in the first 5 minutes of setting off on your travels and the last 5 minutes of returning home.
​
This is because you are still thinking about "have we got everything, locked the front door or did we turn the iron off etc" and on return you are thinking "can we be bothered to unpack tonight, can't wait to get into bed or must be beer o'clock."
​
Sadly this tip will be acted on the least but we hope if anything, you try to remember this tip over all and travel safely, so you can "Getoutgotravel" time and time again.
Tip 0111 Set the adventure first
​
Our top tip for “would be” group travel/event planners is, set the adventure first.
If you just come up with the idea of people travelling together and try to get people interested, you are destined for disaster.
​
Of course the idea of travelling with a group of friends, mates or associates sounds great and initially everyone will seem keen and put their hand up for it “BUT” and there is a big but here. So many of you out there, when asked do you fancy a travel adventure would instantly say yes, who wouldn’t? The simple fact is that when the nuts and bolts of it all start appearing people start to become less interested.
​
You might think a ski trip to the Alps sounds great and then you find it is going to cost you $10,000 because the group is going first class or you find out that the whole group are novices and you may end up on the green slopes for a week.
​
Be aware of the type of peoples situation in regard to likes, interests and above all finances when you plan and organise such an event.
​
Compose a clear, concise and accurate description with a detailed itinerary, preferably in written form so everyone knows exactly what the travel is going to be all about.
Tip 0112 Get money up front
​
It may all seem a bit crass to ask for money up front but this is the only way you will get definite numbers for your planned travel adventure.
​
On average, if you ask 20 people about going away together, you will get probably 18 say yes and only 5 at best actually go and two of them will be others not out of the original 20!
​
Giving everyone plenty of time to schedule in a travel experience as a group is helpful for getting actual numbers but the key tip here is, getting a sizeable deposit from everyone either before you book or at least the cost of any cancellation fees. This will determine the definite and the dithering.
Tip 0113 Confirmation of numbers
​
You are always going to get, “are they coming, or is this person going.” As the event organiser, this is not your problem unless you particularly what someone or certain people to go.
​
When you have someone strongly influencing you, you really need to step back and decide who it is organising this trip.
​
Many people will say is it okay if I invite so and so to come or people you may not even know. You really must think of the whole group and of course discuss this with the group as a whole too.
​
Once you have a good group that appear relatively happy, stop right there. Adding after this point can and will most definitely cause problems for some.
​
Also don’t be surprised if the original people or person you wanted to go with pull out and you end up going with a load of other people you don’t even know.
Tip 0114 Set a firm date and stick to it
​
This is an important tip, changing your dates will cause disruption and could even jeopardise your whole groups travel. You really must stick to your dates and adopt the philosophy of those that cannot now make it, can always come along next time.
​
Don’t be afraid of being the ogre here. You are the one tasked to organise this trip and if you feel uncomfortable at any time, seriously think about if you should be the one running around doing all the work.
​
If you are a people pleaser, then your task ahead is very tough. If you like to be liked then maybe this is not for you. The responsibility of organising any event is heavy and quite often detracts some of the enjoyment whilst actually travelling.
​
Resign yourself to the fact that you almost certainly will not enjoy the travel as much as the others. Of course there is nothing better than being the one that organised a great travel adventure but there is also nothing worse than being the one that organised a nightmare.
Tip 0115 Be aware of spending other people’s money
​
When organising any event, you really have to know your people! Try not to impose ideas on anyone, so more as to try and let it evolve. You need to set a benchmark that everyone going is likely to feel happy about.
​
Think about affordability of all aspects of the travel adventure. Think about splitting some of the schedule or itineraries. Some could fly business class and others economy. 5 star hotels combined with 3 star accommodations can work well. Everyday excursions and rest days combined works well. Powered sites and unpowered sites, the list is endless.
​
You can nearly always find a solution dependant on how much work this all takes.
Tip 0116 Make sure there is enough freedom if you need it
​
Whenever you go or organise group travel, you really must make sure you can get away from it all if you need to.
​
Travelling in groups is so much fun but you can become overwhelmed or even overpowered by the whole group.
​
Our top tip here is, make sure you are free to break away at anytime whilst travelling.
Tip 0117 Delivering the goods.
​
Make sure that what you see is what you get! Everyone will be expecting and hoping for a great time and there is nothing worse than going travelling and being disappointed. You can be sure if you are there, you will be the sounding board of all the problems arising.
​
Try not to over exaggerate or distort to make people come along. Also be realistic in other peoples ideas of what they will be expecting.
​
You could have even been to this destination or area before and had the most wonderful time. It doesn’t mean that everyone else will love it and places change also, so don’t be shocked if it is nothing like the last time you went there.
​
Be pragmatic and careful in your description of what’s in store and always remember, not everyone is the same.
​
Try not to organise too much whilst on your travels. A jam packed travel adventure
leaves no time and things can go drastically wrong. You need space for recovery and down time and this also helps to keep on track.
​
Be aware of your own and everyone else’s abilities and capabilities and always tailor each item to the slowest in the group.
Tip 0118 Saving on group bookings
​
This is where travelling in groups comes into its own with more affordable deals on offer. Shopping around will get you some really great deals and make it very affordable for all in the group.
​
Don’t get caught up in the moment and put the one goes free in your own pocket. You haven’t been tasked to make money from your friends, pass on any deals throughout the group so you all benefit from travelling as a group.
​
Always check out the prices for single and couple travels to compare and see that you really are getting a deal or not.
​
Top tip here is, you have more bargaining power than you think. Ask for the moon and you might just get it.
Tips 0101-0120
Tip 0119 Make the most of it
​
Hey, it’s party time yeay! Get out there and have fun.
​
It is easy to get carried away though and no one likes a rowdy bunch of reprobates, so please be aware of your sudden impact on those around you. Noise levels will be up and conversing over a long table for example, is certainly louder than chatting to your neighbour.
​
When you’re having a blast, time seems to stand still. Your whole travel experience will go a lot quicker than usual. No more so than day to day and night time comes very quickly. Please be mindful of the time whilst you’re in the group. It is easy to sit up into the early hours chatting and having fun whilst others may be trying to sleep.
​
There are a lot of people that are extremely intimidated by large groups and will be too afraid to tell you what they really think of you all disturbing their peace and quiet. By the time they have plucked up the courage to come and ask you to tone it down a little, it will probably be too late to be apologetic and tempers may already be heightened.
​
Within the group itself, try to be aware of other members too. Remember you are all there for the same reasons and take care of one another. One person in the group struggling could bring the whole group down. Remember to body count and buddy up.
Tip 0120 When is it time?
​
Good question. When is it time? We are talking about when to have a major life change, retire and travel, have a baby, you name it, when is the right time to do anything?
​
Well the truth is there is no right time, it is all up to the individual/s. Everyone's life circumstances are different and we can't give you advice on this but what we can do is try and give an insight to how people make some pretty important decisions in their lives.
​
So we put to you again the question. "If you were told you only had 3 months to live, would you continue employment or running your business till you drop or would you try and do something with what's left in your life?" I have yet to hear the response of, " I love my work/business more than time out with family, friends or even time to do what I really want to do."
​
None of us can see into the future and so the dilemma seems a pretty big one for most. We can procrastinate as much as we like but the truth is, we all would like to complete our bucket list before we depart and so at some point we have to make that ultimate decision or carry on till we drop.
​
There could be three scenario's here. We work till we can afford to retire and travel, we already have enough and haven't realised it or we have retired but haven't done anything about it yet.
​
The last scenario is fairly easy, stop procrastinating and "getoutgotravel." The first two are a little more complicated.
​
Our main tip here is, self assessment. Only you can find the answer but of course you need to think about financial security, age, health and a desire to lead a full life not just one of work and stress.
​
Health of course can have a major impact on travel and the desire to be away from the security of a home environment but like anything in life, you are only restricted by your own limitations and often certain health issues can be overcome or travel can be tailored to suit.
​
Now assuming you are of good health and the possible issue is financial only, the chances are you're already in a position to pack up and start travelling without even realising it.
​
Top tip here is assess whether or not you can either supplement or create an income from what you already have in life and how to create life experiences out of possessions.
​
There will be a lot of you that can already achieve your goals with little change in security or home life.
​
Those that have to do a little more like downsize or use positive equity, savings or compromise will need to look at the pros and cons to work out if "say" a life of travelling is worth the change or risk.
​
So many of us live with so much positive equity and never enhance the real value of what you hold until it's either too late or you've missed the boat so to speak.
​
There are also a lot of people that do not realise the power/value of their own positive equity and there are also a vast amount of us that believe we need this equity until we drop. The biggest tip here (if not the whole website) is, the simple truth is the equity should decrease as we get older, not increase.
​
Travelling for long periods of time actually becomes cheaper the longer you travel, therefore we need less. Try not to equate your annual "say" a two-three week vacation to what the actual costs of permanent travel is. You could spend anywhere from AUD$2,000 to $10,000 for the annual vacation but this would probably last you several months when travelling the world permanently.
​
So the main question of "when is a good time to travel" becomes an easy one. The answer simply is, when you are ready and when you decide that life can be different to what you have evolved your life into at this particular moment in time.
