Hi Everyone!  Today I have another collaborative post to share with you all!  This one is full of tips and tricks for making the most of your next long-term trip and includes some good ideas for things you can do before your trip, as well as things to do while you’re actually there.  As always, thank you for supporting this blog!

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When it comes to travel, you may find that you’re always rushed to do everything you want to do in a short amount of time. This is true for a lot of people- you’re not alone. There always seems to be something about booking a trip that makes people feel as if they’re forgetting something, or as if they’ve lost something, or just generally in a panic. It’s probably because you’re leaving your life and comforts behind – even when it’s not permanent. But then, throw in the idea of traveling for a long time and being away from home for more than just a couple of weeks, and it can definitely throw you off. Being organized helps put those feelings at ease, so that’s where some trip planning can come in handy.

When you’re traveling long-term, you may want to make sure that you’re able to fit everything in before you move on to your next destination, whereas when you take a shorter vacation somewhere, there’s not always a rush because you may just be heading out to relax. When you’re traveling to explore, traveling for work, or touring around different places, it’s nice to know that you’ve made the most of where you are. Let’s take a look at a few tips that can help you to do that.

1. Research Where You’re Going

First of all, you’re going to want to do some research. This is always the best thing to do. Yes, it can seem quite overwhelming at first, but it’s definitely a good idea to just get a feel for where you’re going. Maybe this would be planning out a road trip, or looking at what’s in the area of the location that you’re thinking of going. This is a good way to get a sense for what you want to do there and will help you organize your time.

2. Get A Feel For The Area

If you’re not decided on one set area, then your research will help you to figure out which one you want to go to, or if you rather move around and explore a lot of areas. Research is also a great way to get a better feel for the area, whether it’s quiet or lively, or what kind of facilities there are. This is often something that’s done when you arrive at a destination, but it’s definitely much better to be able to save time and do this beforehand, where you can.

3. Look Into Accommodation Options

From here, you’ll then want to see what kind of accommodation is available because this can really vary between locations. A lot of the time, you’ll instantly think about going with a hotel – because it’s the norm, but you can also look for different types of property for rent instead. Sometimes, a house or apartment, or even a chalet could be more suitable to your needs.

4. Decide Where To Stay

Now, you need to make the decision. Maybe you even want to stay in a range of places during your travels. Ideally, self-catering is better for longer trips, as it can be cheaper and more flexible. 

5. Consider The Best Flight Times

Next, you’re going to want to think about the best possible flight times for your trip. Because you’re going longer term, you may feel as if the times don’t matter, because you’ll adjust to the new timezone at some point (as we’ll see in the final point), but that’s not strictly true. When it comes to booking flights, you still want to make sure that you’re going to be comfortable and arrive at a good time. That way, you can just enjoy your trip from the moment you land.

6. One Way Or Return?

Another thing to bear in mind when you’re booking, is whether you want to book the return flight home or not. Sometimes, it’s best to leave it and wait because if you decide to stay on a little longer, there will not be any cost implications.

7. Research Sights & Things To Do

Next, you’ll want to get a little more specific about what you want to do when you’re there. And yes, this will involve more researching, but it’s always worth it. The last thing you will want to do is end up at your destination and find yourself losing out on days because you’re not sure where anything is or what you can do. When you’re traveling long-term, especially through multiple locations, it’s best to fit in all of the sights and things to do as early as you can.

8. Create A Rough Itinerary

It can feel spontaneous to just arrive and see what you feel like doing each day, but this isn’t the best way to make sure that you fit everything in. So now that you’ve done all of that research and you know what you want to do, try to pencil in a few dates and times for it all.

9. Try To Find Traveler Recommendations

It’s nice to read the travel providers website for tips on things to do, but you won’t always want to just go by the commercial recommendations. Instead, it can be much nicer to try and get more personal suggestions. Don’t worry if you don’t know anybody that has been to where you’re going- You can turn to travel bloggers for real, honest, and insightful information on what to do when you’re there.

10. Read Up Before You Go

It’s also quite nice to actually read up on the country or culture that you’re heading to too. If you know that you want to maybe learn a little of the language or understand the history, why wait until you get there? Sometimes, reading up is a great way to be able to put everything into context when you do actually get there. It’s also a fun way to prepare for it too.

11. Talk To Locals

When you get there, one thing that will really allow you to get the most out of your experience is talking to the locals. If you really want to make sure that you get to experience and see the best and most authentic things, it’s the locals that can recommend them to you. So don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation or to ask for recommendations when you’re out and about.

12. Be In The Right Frame Of Mind

It’s also really important to make sure that you’re in the best possible frame of mind for this experience. Remember, you’re not really going on a holiday to lay by a pool and do nothing. Instead, you’re looking to experience the best the country and the culture can offer you, which may involve you getting out of your comfort zone.

13. Adjust To The Time Zone Right Away

If you absolutely want to make the most of the time you have as soon as you get there, you should make sure that you adjust to the time zone. Jet lag can be so tough, but do not let it get the better of you. It’s easy to say that you’ve got plenty of time to adjust, but it can easily take precious time from you when you feel groggy and sleepy the first few days.  The sooner you can just adjust to the time, the better.

And there you have it. It doesn’t have to take a ton of time for you to do, but the more organized you can be, the better your trip will be. Not only that, if you’re able to plan ahead, and really think about what it is that you want to do when you’re traveling, you’re more likely to make it happen. So now that you know what to do, it’s time to start planning to make that long-term trip as perfect as possible.