What You Need As A First-Time Traveller

There’s no shame in being a first-time traveller, no matter what point in your life you find yourself at. You could be struck by wanderlust at any moment; there’s no reason that your first trip away from your home can’t be in your late twenties or even into your middle age or later!

If you are embarking on a trip for the first time, however, it can be difficult to remember everything you need. As ever, you should ask people around you to help you put together a checklist, but just in case you need it, here’s our guide on what you’re going to need to take with you as a first-time traveller.

More than enough money

There’s a delicate balance when it comes to how much money you need to take with you on holiday. This will, of course, depend on where you’re going; there are some places where a £3000 loan from a good provider will cover your entire travel costs, and others where that amount probably wouldn’t even pay for decent accommodation!

With that in mind, make sure you’re well-equipped with all the money you think you’re going to need. Look up the average cost of a holiday in the place you’re going to, and allocate just above that amount if you can. This will ensure you aren’t caught short and that you’ve got enough money to have a good time.

Medications and other essentials

Packing clothing may come naturally to you, even if you’ve never travelled before, but what about your medications? Forgetting those could be a life-or-death affair, and yet medication often comes in such tiny bottles that it’s one of the easiest and most common things holidaymakers forget when they travel.

Talk to your doctor prior to travelling in order to make sure it’s safe for you to do so. While you’re having that conversation, ask if there’s a way you can get extra medicine just in case you need it. They may not be able to sign off on the request, but if you don’t ask, you’ll never know!

More than enough clothes

In much the same way that you need to take an abundance of money with you when you travel, it’s also important to pack more clothes than you think you’re going to need. The necessity of this should be obvious; if clothing gets damaged or lost while you’re travelling, it’s good to have spares.

This goes for everything you’re taking. Try taking twice as much clothing as you think you’re going to need, including underwear, trousers, shirts, and anything else you’re taking with you. Outerwear like coats and hats should be considered as well, if you’ve got the suitcase space for extras!

Essential documentation

Of course, you won’t get very far without your passport, so you need to make sure you’ve got it with you when you travel. Don’t wait until the very night before to pack your passport; make sure it’s the first thing that goes into your suitcase, and do this well ahead of time so that you know you aren’t going to leave without it.

Depending on where you’re going, there may be other documents you need, and it’s essential that you pack these too. Don’t leave without any travel visas you might require, for example, and obviously, you should also make sure that you have any plane tickets or other transportation passes that you need.

A travel itinerary

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the first-time experience of travelling and to forget what you set out to do, so the best thing to do in order to remedy that is to create a travel itinerary. Write out exactly what you’re looking to do and make sure that it’s itemised and efficient in terms of timings.

Of course, it’s also important to leave gaps in your itinerary, or to make sure that it can be moved around without losing too much. You’ll inevitably get sidetracked or distracted as you explore your destination, and if you keep too strictly to the itinerary, you may miss some once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you can dine out on for years.

Electronics and chargers

These days, it’s hard to imagine living without our smartphones or our tablets. Of course, there was once a time when nobody had access to this technology, so if you’re travelling to get away from your phone and its incessant notifications, you’re not alone. However, if you can’t live without your devices, make sure you take them with you.

Obviously, this also entails taking your chargers and anything else you might need. It’s a good idea to invest in a high-capacity power bank that you can take with you. After all, you never know when you might be caught out without being able to access a charger, and if you’re relying on your phone for things like maps, you can’t afford to let it die.

A home that’s prepared for your absence

This is an element of travel that many people forget, but it’s no less essential than many of the other things on this list, even if it is a little less glamorous. It’s important to ensure that your home is prepared for your absence, and that it’ll be ready for you when you come back.

What does this entail? Well, first of all, empty your fridge of any food that’s likely to go off while you’re away. Secondly, make sure the house is clean and tidy before you leave so that you’re not worrying about this while you’re away. Thirdly, ask neighbours to collect your post for you if this is possible, and if you trust one of your neighbours, ask them to visit your home and tend to it. This is extra-important if you have pets.