I don’t claim to have all the answers to make travel easy and pain-free, after all, isn’t working things out for yourself half the fun? Having travelled around the world more than once, I have a few tips to help you along. Here are our best travel tips for first-time travellers and new travellers, applicable to anyone hitting the road and unsure of what to expect out there. Tip number 5 is my favourite hack for saving a lot of money on travel expenses, but do read that post and find out how we once ended up stranded at an airport with no flights. Follow our travel tips and you should be fine! Travel is fantastic, and if you’re a first-time international traveller, I bet your first time won’t be your last time.
Tips for First-Time Travellers
First-time travellers need tips on money, safety, getting around, and how to pull off travel successfully. We were all first-timers once and there’s no shame in it, but there is much a new traveller should learn
Please check and double-check all the information we give you locally as times, places, dates, and services do, as we found, change often. Restrictions and closures may apply.
Tips For First-Time Travellers – Research Before Departure
Use travel blogs to research for your trip. Only trust travel blogs where it is obvious the authors have been to the destination themselves and spent considerable time there. This is my wife and son doing some research for our other site, World Travel Family.
I know it is obvious, but with so much information out there people rarely do enough research before they leave.
Don’t just rely on established travel guides and books. The web has an almost endless supply of information.
Want to know what it’s like to walk from one tourist destination to another in a foreign city? YouTube it and more than likely you will find someone has already put a video of the route online. This gives you a bird’s eye view before you leave home.
Uncertain about trains or buses? It will be on a travel blogger’s site somewhere, showing you all sorts of things no book or brochure will ever show you. Make sure the travel blog you rely on has been to the destination, look for first-hand experiences and original photos. Too many use stock images and AI these days.
I particularly like creating posts about getting from one place to another, including photos of buses, trains, and stations. This is vital information for first time travellers.
Want to know how much a cab fare should be? Give it a Google and you will know.
It’s useful to put the words “travel blog” on the end of your Google search, then you’ll bypass commercial sites and fake reviews.
Tips For First-Time Travellers – Book Your Tours
If you have must-do trips, tours or attractions in your destination, book them in advance! For some big attractions like this one, you’ll save a lot of time standing in huge queues!
When planning your travel itinerary, even a rough itinerary, it’s best to pencil in your big tours and activities for certain days. Book them in advance, online.
This means you won’t have to waste time at your destination hunting around for that particular tour at the best price, plus you won’t chance disappointment if the tour is booked out.
First-time travellers – handle your money wisely. Avoid theft, avoid charges, avoid being over-charged.
In a nutshell, the first-time traveller needs to understand how currency and cards are used in their destination country. For most countries these days, you barely need cash at all and you will need contactless payment.
For instance in London or Sydney, public transport requires each person to have some sort of credit card or device, fares are then automatically calculated as you swipe in and swipe out.
There are exceptions, in Japan you will need cash, as you will in market stalls or small restaurants all over the world. In general, you only need a litte cash. It’s very important to chack if you need cash to pay for your visa, and cash in which currency.
Banks love making a profit out of travellers. Don’t be one of their victims.
I’ve found the best way to save on fees, short of carrying a huge sum of cash with me is to use the Wise Borderless account.
Wise Borderless account is both a money exchange platform where you can send and receive money and if you’re from either the UK or EU and soon to be US an actual Mastercard debit card. All exchanges are done at the real exchange rate (like the one shown on Google) and any fees are clearly stated upfront.
You can hold and receive payments in 5 international currencies with local bank details including, AUD, USD, Euros, GBP, and NZD plus over 40 currencies where you can hold money in that local currency.
With some of the lowest fees of any travel cards on the market and significantly lower than banks you can make real savings. With free withdrawals of £200 or $250 per month and a low fee of 2% thereafter you can make some real savings compared to your home bank.
If you get paid in multiple currencies you can have them all under one account and switch money between accounts for less.
Make sure you take cash in small denominations. You don’t want to wave £100 bills around and you’ll find that most people won’t be able to change anything more than $20.
USD is still the most used currency in the world so check before taking Euros or Sterling that it will be easy to change and or use.
Credit cards can be evil money-sucking monsters but they have their place. I recommend taking one or two with you for emergencies. Many places will insist on having one, especially car rental agencies and for booking airline flights.
If you’re robbed then the credit card will be the quickest one to be replaced. If you do use your credit card on the road make sure that you check it frequently online in case it gets skimmed.
Tips For First-Time Travellers – Phone Maps and Paper Maps
While a smartphone can do everything with Google maps, it does need a good internet connection. Don’t use roaming as it will send you broke before you reach your destination. Also, do you really want to be pulling out your phone every few seconds and waving it around? With a paper map, you can show everyone from bus drivers, taxi drivers and helpful strangers exactly where you want to go. You can also draw on them, that helps.
Language Tips For Travellers – Write Down Key Phrases, Place Names and Words
If you don’t speak the local language write down the key words you will need for the day. Place names, approximate costs, foods you want to eat and of course your hostel address for when you need to get home.
Having it all written down in the local language and your own is much easier than pulling out a guide book each time. People may also think you know what you are doing, hopefully giving you better local rates.
Avoid Traveling Commercial Routes
Just because you want to go from A to B doesn’t mean you have to follow that exact route.
Research the cheaper options which may include nearby but lesser-known airports or transit stops.
For instance, flying from the US to Guatemala can be half the price if you fly to San Salvador, El Salvador, which is 4 hours away by bus. Likewise, London to Dubai is much cheaper if you go via Istanbul. Open this flight tool and start researching!
Nobody needs a travel agent, do it yourself and save a fortune. We haven’t used an agent since last century!
If time isn’t a problem you get to see another country en route to your original destination by breaking up flights like this.
Flights out of major cities such as, for instance, Brisbane, Australia are much more expensive than the Gold Coast, which is only an hour away by train.
It doesn’t always work out, but if you research both times and places you should save a considerable amount of money.
The old suggestion and number one travel tip for first-time travellers was to have a photocopy of your passport.
If you’re traveling for a long period this isn’t always best. Paper deteriorates and after a year or more isn’t going to be much good.
If you scan your passport and other documents such as travel insurance and email yourself copies, you have them forever and can also access them anywhere.
If you do get robbed or lose all your luggage you can access all the important documents from any internet cafe or Embassy if you need to apply for another passport.
Even taking a photo of them and having Google upload to your account (make sure it is set to private beforehand) means you can access them anywhere.
Doing this with the reverse side of your credit or ATM cards is also good, so again, if stolen you have the numbers to ring. I wouldn’t photograph both sides in case the bank holds you liable.
Travel Tips – Walk With Purpose
If you were just popping down to your local shops for a loaf of bread you wouldn’t have guidebooks, phones and an uncertain walk, would you?
It is the same when travelling, walk around as if you belong there. Not in an arrogant way, but with purpose.
There are, unfortunately just a few bad people everywhere, the reality is that they will prey on the easiest target. Make sure that it isn’t you.
It goes back to an earlier tip. Copy down on a piece of paper what you need for the day and just take that. If you have ever held the LP India guide you know it isn’t a small book.
I’m only 180cm and 73kg so anyone over 12 isn’t going to be intimidated by me but walking with a confident easy smile I blend in and so don’t attract undesirables that may be lurking.
Above all, be aware of your surroundings, people normally follow you first. I normally make eye contact briefly and with confidence which normally puts pickpockets off.
My wife and I spotted a pickpocket on a Malaysian bus and when he knew we knew, he hopped off. Even though he had paid his fare!
If you’re anxious about theft and will be in crowded cities, buses, or markets, an anti-theft daypack or other anti-theft bag could be a very good idea. These include slash-proof bodies, cut-proof straps and devices to attach them, secure them, and block RFID.
Tips For Travellers – Travel Insurance
Short holidays of just a few weeks that see you going from home and back again will be ok with normal or even your credit card insurance if you have it. But what about if you are going further afield and for longer?
You may not even be returning to the point of departure or may want to extend the holiday while you are travelling. Sometimes travellers change countries and plans mid-trip. Few insurance companies will let you do this. Most will require you to have insurance before you leave, stating all destinations with a return to point of departure.
These insurance policies are as limiting as they are cheap. This doesn’t fit with any nomadic traveller that I know of. Quite the opposite.
A travel insurance company we have used is World Nomads. With them we were able to start mid-trip and didn’t need to return to the same location we started from. Two key factors when buying travel insurance for long term travel.
We could also individually insure all our valuable items such as computers and phones so you have peace of mind when you set off. For altitude trekking and other sports we were able to purchase add-ons to our policies.
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Country-Specific Travel Tips
Of course, each country will have its own set of vital travel tips. The travel tips for Vietnam won’t be anything like the travel tips for Guatemala.
Be sure you know about any local scams to avoid, the best places to eat and so on, before you leave home.
Just Google, you will find travel tips from people who know these destinations well – the genuine travel bloggers.
Travel Tip- Do Some Research on Local Food and Where To Find It
Before travelling, find out which local dishes you should try, where to eat them, and how to eat them. Research local table manners and where it’s best to eat.
Always research local dishes and eating customs. Find a guide to Vietnamese food and know that it’s traditional (and good hygiene) to wipe your chopsticks on the pieces of paper provided, for instance.
Also, create a mental short-list of traditional local dishes you must try, you’ll find that local food is usually way better than anything you’ve tasted at home in restaurants.
Other Travel Tips for First-Time Travellers
This list is merely a beginning and I would love to hear about other tips and tricks people have for the first-time traveller.
How you should travel differs from country to country, and continent to continent. Let us know your best tips in the comments.
Chef is James Long, a professional chef, world traveler and endurance athlete. He has spent almost a decade traveling and working internationaly.
10 thoughts on “Tips for First Time Travellers”
Some great tips here. Travel card is a good one and I liked the ‘scanning of travel documents and emailing them to self’ idea too. Guess you would have picked up a few clues by now. It must be fascinating seeing El Salvador. How is the Spanish going?
Thanks for reading, yes you pick up loads as you move around. The Spanish has been picked up as quickly though :). Still have a few months to work on it.
great list james. i like how no one will rob you cuz you look insane. great tip! and yes, uploading is a huge help for us cuz we’ve been stuck before in situations where that is what saved us. looking forward to reading more from the chef! gabi
Thanks Gabi, I reckon looking like that, they would realise that the last thing I had was money lol. The uploading tip is also my favourite way of keeping document information safe and available when you need it. Working on more as we speak. James
Great tips; I definitely think it pays to do as much research as you can before leaving. In terms of bank accounts, for British travellers I’d recommend using Norwich and Peterborough, they’re the only bank we could find in the UK that doesn’t charge fees for using your card abroad.
Thanks for reading Amy. Might have to look at those banks when we hit the UK. Aussie banks charge like no tomorrow. Could explain why they survived the GFC :). James
Some very good tips here, and great to have a reminder.
I have been caught out by not following some of these tips. Agree it’s good to work with purpose and be particularly wary around cash machines.
Some great tips here. Travel card is a good one and I liked the ‘scanning of travel documents and emailing them to self’ idea too. Guess you would have picked up a few clues by now. It must be fascinating seeing El Salvador. How is the Spanish going?
Thanks for reading, yes you pick up loads as you move around. The Spanish has been picked up as quickly though :). Still have a few months to work on it.
great list james. i like how no one will rob you cuz you look insane. great tip! and yes, uploading is a huge help for us cuz we’ve been stuck before in situations where that is what saved us. looking forward to reading more from the chef! gabi
Thanks Gabi, I reckon looking like that, they would realise that the last thing I had was money lol. The uploading tip is also my favourite way of keeping document information safe and available when you need it. Working on more as we speak. James
Excellent tips! Where have you been hiding? I am looking forward to some food posts too.
Hi Heidi, Thanks for reading. Yes I know need to get a move on :). Just finding the time. Think I’ve found my rhythm so full speed ahead now.
Great tips; I definitely think it pays to do as much research as you can before leaving. In terms of bank accounts, for British travellers I’d recommend using Norwich and Peterborough, they’re the only bank we could find in the UK that doesn’t charge fees for using your card abroad.
Thanks for reading Amy. Might have to look at those banks when we hit the UK. Aussie banks charge like no tomorrow. Could explain why they survived the GFC :). James
Some very good tips here, and great to have a reminder.
I have been caught out by not following some of these tips. Agree it’s good to work with purpose and be particularly wary around cash machines.
Hey, I find those tips really useful. Many thanks.