It’s natural to want to make the most of a first visit – there’s always that little voice warning you might not be back, so you’d better see everything you possibly can. But if you try to tick off too many boxes and cover too much ground, you’ll end up frustrated, exhausted, and chances are you won’t really be absorbing anything around you. Remember to slow down, take a breath, and smell the first-timer roses. Consider it a first date. You wouldn’t be going unless you were interested, so take your time, get to know your date and experiment with your chemistry.
Here are the other general travel tips that can apply to almost anywhere you’re headed:
1. Research your trip on the web. Get some great guidebooks. Talk to friends who’ve been there. Post questions in online forums. Learn what you can about where you might like to go before you go, and you minimize the risk of feeling rushed or that you’ve missed out on something you would have loved. If you have an itinerary and a plan, run them by someone who’s been to that place to see if it sounds doable.
2. Take a tour around the area. If there’s public transport, ride it around to see where it goes. Find a (slow) way to get a sense of where you are, with the help of a local or a guide if possible. There are a lot of wonderful tour options out there that can be the perfect way to meet a new destination. Once you have your sampler, then you can decide where to take a bigger bite.
3. Challenge yourself. You know your comfort zones. You might be the adventurous type, or you might be travelling alone for the first time and everything seems pretty intimidating. Stretch yourself a little, based on what feels comfortable. Try your hand at some local words and phrases. Sample some food that might be exotic to your palate. Give yourself a gentle shock to the system and you’re on your way to a unique, memorable adventure for your tastes.
Airfare, hotel accommodations and rental cars may be the holy trinity of travel preparation, but nailing down these aspects of your vacation is only the beginning of the trip planning process. If you want to achieve a smooth, headache-free trip (and who doesn't?), taking care of essential tasks like researching activities at your destination, managing your finances and getting your home in order is the key.