10 Tips To Travel More In 2024.
I woke up today and realized, it’s the 1st of December 2023. This means we just have 30 days left in this year. As I started to reflect, I realized 2023 has been a great travel year for me.
Same time last year, I made my travel goals. I had only hope to visit 6 countries this year. Looking back, I have visited a total of 15 countries, 8 of which I visited for the first time.
Planning on my next year travel goals, I decided to share the lessons and tips I learned from this year that could help you travel more and achieve your travel goals in 2024.
1. Be intentional.
Just as the meaning of the word “Intentional” done on purpose or deliberate, highlights that you have to make travel a need and not just a want. Do not only desire to travel. Take proactive actions (some listed below) to make it happen.
2. Inform yourself about travel.
Many people don’t travel because they have no idea how to go about it. In this age of social media, travel has been made more accessible to everyone. All the tools you need are online. Read blogs like mine, watch YouTube videos, inspire yourself on Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok. Ask that friend you know who is always travelling how they do it. You might just learn a thing or two that will help clear all your travel doubts. Travel knowledge also provide you with better, cheaper and more safer ways to travel. Travel hacking is the key word here to note.
3. Make a travel plan.
Every great adventure starts with proper planning. List all the places you wish to go to, then group them into different categories. For example grouped by cost, distance, culture, ascending order of favourites etc. This will enable you choose which destination to visit first when it is time.
4. Set a travel budget
Travel can be expensive and requires some financial planning to achieve it. To travel more, means you have to set aside more money from your disposable income. If you have challenges setting aside extra cash for travel monthly because of other immediate financial committments, you might want to consider ways to generate extra income such as a side job. Also, to prioritize travel, you might have to cut out on some other less priority leisure costs. Try as much as possible not to let travel increase your debt liability by exceeding your credit card limits or borrowing to travel.
5. Make a research on travel cost.
To set aside a realistic travel budget, you have to be aware of how much travel to your chosen destinations will cost. Research on all the relevant travel cost, such as flights cost, hotel prices, acivities, the strength of the currency compared to your home currency, other transportation cost, insurances, visas etc..
6. Start travelling near you
Arthur Ashe said, "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can".
Travel does not always have to be in a far destination or to another country. A drive to the next city for a day tour or a weekend trip is also considered travel. Most of us travel far away and have no idea of what the next city in our own country look like. If you have never travelled before or you are not a seasoned traveller, i recommend starting near you. This will prepare for that next next destination abroad.
7. Utilize the public/bank holidays.
Planning your travel around bank/public holidays, gives you more days to travel for less Paid Time Off (PTO). For example, if you live and work in Germany and there is a public holiiday on the thursday in a week, you can take the friday as a PTO and visit Bologna, Rimini and San Marino over the extended weekend. You will have a total of 4 days to travel but just 1 day of PTO to loose.
On this extended weekend, you will fly into Bologna and spend a day, spend another day in San Marino and 2 last days in Rimini. See how you can spend a 4 Multi city Itinerary for Bologna, Rimini andd San Marino in my next post.
8. Make multi city/country trips.
I have now become a fan of multi city or multi country trips. There is no way I am flying 16 hours to Asia just to visit one country. If I am flying to Thailand, I am either making a longer layover in the home country of my airline or I am visiting a neighboring country. Say you want to visit Italy, why visit just one city when the next is just a train away.
Always look for the neighboring city or country and combine them with your primary destination of choice. This not only makes travel more exciting, saves you money in transport cost, but it also makes you travel to many different places.
9. Travel in the off season
Avoid travleling to any destination during their peak seasons except you must. Summer is one of such peak seasons for travels as everyone want to benefit from the great weather conditions.
Firstly, prices of flights, hotels and activities are always rediculously high during peak season. Also, the service quality drops as the service providers are working overtime. Moreover, the crowds can make it sometimes unbearable to visit a major touristic site. I remember visiting the Vatican museums in August and I could barely stand in the hallway. The rooms were just so pacjed that I ended up hurrying out because it became diffiuclt to enjoy the artworks on display.
If you live in Europe or plan to visit Europe, May/June and September/October is the best time to travel.
10. Travel with a friend or a group travel
Having a travel companion always makes travel more enjoyable as there is someone you can share that experience with. Apart from the companionship, it is also very good for the expenses as you get to share some of the cost. If you are travelling with a friend and staying in a shared double or twin room, the room rate will cost you only half the price. Whereas if you were travelling solo, you would have to pay the full price.
I am also fully aware that having a friend who also shares the passion to travel can be difficult. Sometimes their availaibility might not align with yours making it difficult to plan a trip together. The good news is, many Influencers now have travel companies and provide group trips for like minded people. You can follow the ones whos travel content you like and join on such trips if you find one that aligns to your dates and expectations.
I am hopeful that these tips are helpful to you.
The world is beautiful, go see it for yourself!