The travel bug is obviously particularly itchy this year, since events of 2020 forced it to hide in the corner until the swatter that was the Coronavirus Pandemic was finally put down. Things are finally getting back to normal, and there’s no doubt that plenty of people are waiting on the latest updates to find out when they can travel with ease from one country to another. 

This means that while you might have a lot of ideas, you might not have a lot of time to do planning before you rush onto travel sites and start booking flights, so here are some great ideas for setting up your adventure with little time to spare.

Know the Rules

In the not-very-distant past, one of the biggest concerns about travelling to a more exotic or slightly dangerous place was whether or not they would let you in the country in the first place. It meant waiting at customs for a rather long time while they looked over your passport and visas and any other accompanying papers, and you knew that there was a chance that even if that all seemed to be in order, there could still be something you missed and be told to get back on the next plane out (which might be a pretty damn expensive ticket, and suddenly you have to become a straight or trans sugar baby to afford it).

The same is true once again, but it is for the lingering effects of Covid travel rules. One country might be open for business as usual, but one of their neighbours might be lifting lockdown resections very, very slowly.

Some countries will let you in but expect you to go into self-quarantine for several days before you are allowed to leave the hotel or residence you’re staying in. Yes, the adventurous type will want to rebel against these rules, but hey, it’s their country, not yours, and don’t be surprised if you get confronted by authorities if you’re out at a museum when you’re supposed to be sequestered for the safety of everyone else. A good traveller is a good guest, and you aren’t either of those things if you can’t abide by the law.

Double Dip On the Big Names

Chances are that if you love to see new places, people and things across the globe, you’ve already got the greatest hits under your belt. You might smile politely when friends and family tell you about how great their trip to London, Tokyo or Sydney was because you’re all ‘been there, done that, and even did the out of the way stuff only locals know’.

However, with travel finally coming back, checking out these big global cities can be a good start to get your footing once again. Not only that, but considering how much the lack of tourism affected destinations great and small, going to these alpha cities and spending money in the familiar museums and restaurants can give a badly needed economic boost for the area and its citizens. 

Besides, you might see or experience something you never noticed in these cities, and even just making a place like Paris your base for plenty of day-trips can be quite worthwhile. It can even be pleasing going to the most very popular of landmarks once again because if you are quick on the draw and travelling when few others are, the Louvre or Eiffel Tower can be surprisingly empty. Which is a situation every tourist dreams of.

Pack Smart

Obviously, if you can help it, don’t check any baggage, and a seasoned traveller knows how to pack everything they need in one carry on, and have their very basic in a small enough backpack so they can get two pieces of luggage into the plane with no additional fees and a no waiting at the baggage carousel.

While bringing certain health items and medicines might be a better idea than ever, make sure they are packed properly and that you have the right documents for them, as certain countries might not recognize prescription drugs. If you find yourself in need of some more medication, visit a website like streetrx.com to find out the street value of Percocet (or whatever medicine you need). One thing that has remained that same is in regards to electronic devices, as certain countries will ask to see a laptop or phone (meaning they might have brief access to your social media accounts and know if you visited that squirt gay site).

Get Cheesy

One of the big no-no’s for hardcore travel veterans is the package tour, but that just makes it seem like you kind of want to avoid any sort of Group Fun. After over a year of social distancing, a great way to experience the rest of the world is with other people, and you might be surprised about how much more flexible a lot of these tours have gotten.

It’s no longer the ‘rushing through the museum to be at the restaurant at five-fifteen, and a lot more a la carte. Besides, there are some places in the world where you will save yourself plenty of headaches if you put all the transport and lodging concerns in the hands of a professional service. 

Once you get a taste for it, there is also a tendency to take certain aspects of travelling way too seriously, without considering the consequences. Scoffing at the idea of going to big-name tourist destinations and thinking that only small towns and long-forgotten ancient ruins will create an unnecessary wedge between you and the tourism industry that has treated you well. So for every Japanese fishing village you stroll through, try at least one karaoke bar to balance it all out, okay?