Travel Goals

1. Climb to Everest Base Camp.
2. Climb Mt Kilimanjaro.
3. Learn to Scuba Dive.
4. Visit every continent.
5. See the Galapagos Islands.
6. Sail down the Amazon River.
7. Climb Ayer's Rock.
8. Ride the Trans-Siberian.
9. Go into space.
10. Go wild at La Tomintina.
11. See the sunrise from Mt. Fuji.
12. Gaze at Borobudor.
13. Visit the Pyramids
14. Safari in East Africa.
15. Go to the World Cup!
16. See Machu Picchu.
17. Join the Century Club.
18. Visit Antarctica.
19. Do development work.
20. See Petra Jordan.
21. Backpack the Eastern Block.
22. See the Northern Lights.
23. Vegas Baby! Vegas!
24. Greek Island hop.
25. Cycle Tuscany.
26. Visit India.
27. Lounge in the Seychelles.
28. See Morocco.
29. Oktoberfest!
30. Caravan across the Sahara.
31. Visit Tibet.
32. Fly first class.
33. Go to Israel.
34. Carnival!!!!
35. Mardi Gras!
36. Cannes Film Festival.
37. Sundance Film Festival.
38. Eat a sushi meal at NOBU
39. Pacific Island hop.
40. Spend a night in the Ice Hotel.
41. See Glacier National Park.

Book Your Travel Here!!

How to Travel the World, Part 1: Pre-Trip

October 6, 2008

The toughest thing about traveling around the world is not the logistics but motivating yourself to get on the road. However, once you have made the decision to travel, you have to figure out the logistics. Most travelers are overwhelmed by this. They don’t know where to begin or what to do. Don’t worry though- they aren’t as hard as you might think. In fact, once you put everything on paper, it’s quite easy. This three part series will take you through the logistics and steps needed to travel the world from beginning, middle, and end.

Pre-Trip Planning
Over the years, you’ve accumulated lots of stuff that needs to be dealt with. What are you going to do with all your things? Your apartment? How will you pay your bills? Car? How do you handle money? There are many things that need to be done before taking off around the world but not as many as you might think:

Money

Bank Accounts- It’s important to get your finances in order before you go away. Beyond just having money to travel with, it’s important that you organize it properly. Before you leave you should set up two ATM ready accounts and one savings account. Why two? Because in case one card gets lost or stolen, you’ll want to have a back up. Moreover, pick global banks. You want to minimize the number of fees you have to pay abroad. You don’t want to be paying $10 dollars every time you need money. Additionally, find banks with partnerships agreements and visit those ATMs as it is another way to reduce fees. HSBC is a good bank as they have branches all over the world. Moreover, they use a four digit pin and, in many parts of the world, machines don’t except a pin larger than four digits. Use the savings account (internet accounts pay the best) as a way to transfer money between checking accounts and as a way to earn some interest while you are gone.

Credit Cards- Once you have made the decision to go, picking the right credit card for you so you can start getting some travel freebies, either its cash back, airline miles, or hotel points. It will help save money on the road. While traveling, get a credit card that do not charge foreign transaction fees. Most credit cards charge a 3% fee for use overseas. However, Capital One and Discover do not charge this fee and also use an exchange closer to the market rate meaning you will get more for your money without having to pay for it. Make sure to get two so you have a backup!

Bills- You don’t want to have to worry about mailing in checks or checking ten different online accounts while away. Automate all your payments and put them on one card. (Use an existing card that you won’t travel with so you don’t have more on the card than you can afford.) It is much easier and quicker to log in and pay one card then log in and pay ten.

Wills/Insurance- If you are older, married, and have assets, make sure that you write a will and get proper life insurance. If something were to happen to you on the road, it is important that your family will not have any problems taking care of you or your assets. You don’t want them dealing with a legal limbo.

Planning

Airplanes- Airline tickets are a long topic and I have delved into them in greater detail here on how to find a cheap flight. However, the cliff notes version is that if you are doing a simple route and have no airline miles, get a Round The World (RTW) ticket. If you are planning a complicated route, are unsure how long you want to be somewhere, and have a few airline miles, it is better to pay as you go. That way you can take advantage of air deals, low cost regional carriers, and your airline miles.

Insurance- Travel insurance is something you will need on the road. You never know what could happen and most insurance plans won’t cover you overseas. Check your health care provider to see if you are covered. If you are not, you should get travel insurance. One of the best insurance companies is World Nomads. They are very reputable and claims are quickly and fairly processed. When deciding what insurance company to get, consider the following: 1. their costs, 2. how much will they insure you for, 3. do they have medivac?, 4. do they cover lost or stolen goods?, and 5. Will they cover trip interruptions?

Route- Everyone has different places they want to go but there is still some advice to be given in determining how to tackle those places. Pick a route that follows one direction. This will cut down on travel expenses and doubling back. Moreover, many travelers love to see as much as they can in a short amount of time. Three days there, two days here. They try to see it all. It is easy to see why people want to do this (they might not get another chance) but in travel less is more. Slow travel allows you to drink deep the culture you are in and really get to understand a place. Travel isn’t a check list. Most experienced travelers will tell you the same thing- slow down. The more you rush, they less you will actually see.

Travel Discount Cards- There are a number of travel discount cards available to travelers. If you are eligible for any or all of them, get them before you go. These cards can save a lot of money on tours, hostels, and transportation. Sometimes even restaurants will give you a discount. The major travel discount cards are: ISIC (student card), YHA (hostel card), HI (hostel card), VIP (general purpose card- used in Australia and NZ). You can check them out at STA Travel, where they are sold for around $20 dollars.
Vaccinations- Make sure you check with your local doctor for any vaccinations you may need. The last thing you want is to get sick on the road. Typhoid, Hepatitis, and Tetanus are very good shots to go get and if you are going to a malaria zone, make sure you get those. For more information, consult your doctor before you leave.

Your Stuff

Selling Your Stuff- Get rid of it all! When you come back you’ll find you have a new appreciation for simplicity and you’ll be amazed at how much stuff you had that you didn’t really need so sell everything. Many times people go away and end up staying away. Better to get rid of what you can than worry about. A garage sale, or sites like Craigslist and Gumtree can help facilitate that process. Many stores by old electronics- check your local yellow pages for such companies. You don’t want to be in Nepal and thinking “I hope my TV is ok.”

Choosing the Right Backpack- It’s important to choose the right backpack. You’ll want a backpack with straps, padding, an internal frame, and that is proportional to you. See the link for more information.

Packing- Pack as little as possible. You only need half as much as you think (but double the money!). The bigger the pack you buy the more you will be temped to fill it. Before buying a backpack, write down what you’ll need to bring. Surprisingly you will find it is very little. Essentials to pack: Toothbrush, razor, shaving cream, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, sun tan cream, any medicines you need, jeans, shorts, a few pairs of underwear, a long sleeve t-shirt, socks, flip flops, shoes, a bathing suit, a jacket, and a handful of t-shirts.

Mail- Everyone gets mail and if you are away for a long time, it will start to pile up. You certainly don’t want to come home to a small Mt. Everest of mail on your doorstep. There are a few options to think about: automatic bill pay, send it home, or a mail service, such as Earth Class Mail. Automatic bill pay is the easiest. Not only do you save some trees, but you save hours opening envelopes when you return home. Since you may not want mom seeing your credit card statement or want to deal with receiving mail, I strong advocate the first option.

One last thing, make sure you makes copies of EVERYTHING. Give your family a copy of your passport, airline tickets, insurance, and whatever other documents you might have. Keep two copies of everything, You never know what might happen on the road and it is always better to be safe than sorry.

As you can see, there isn’t too much to do before you go travel the world. Just a few days of solid work. The next installment will be about taking care of logistics on the road.

Liked what you read? Use the icons below to share with others on the web:

Posted by NomadicMatt | Filed Under How to

Comments

24 Responses to “How to Travel the World, Part 1: Pre-Trip”

NomadicMatt on October 6th, 2008 2:35 pm

Everyone: I finally got Twitter! I have fulled embraced web 2.0. You can add me by clicking the button below my RSS feed!
Priyank on October 6th, 2008 3:15 pm

Very comprehensive Matt. I haven’t left on a world travel yet but someday I have to! I guess the second biggest hurdle after you are motivated enough is the (lack of) a rich old uncle.
soultravelers3 on October 6th, 2008 3:57 pm

Great one Matt!

Truly, the hardest part is making the decision ( and in our case deciding to sell our dream home).

Less is more for sure and slow is the key. If at all possible taking time to reflect, immerse deeply in another culture can do wonders. We love the style of traveling slow for 6 or 7 months and renting a luxurious, but super cheap place for 5 or 6 months where we can walk to everything. Saves money and is good for the soul.

Too many people think a year is a long time, but it goes by so fast and the world is too big to see even in 10 years. World travelers need to watch out for burn out and the biggest luxury is time and freedom.

You will change so leave plans open for that.

The hard part is prep, but if one preps well, then it is VERY easy once you jump!!
satria on October 6th, 2008 4:16 pm

hei… I read your information from begining to the end and I think that is interesting information.. I think i will tell this information again to my friend and I hope this information will be usefull for them… oh yes I suggest you to check my blog on http://www.toptravelinsurance.blogspot.com , I hope the article on my blog will be usefull for you… and we can share each other. thank you…
jamie on October 6th, 2008 6:54 pm

Matt:

Hilarious product placement with “The Four Hour Workweek” in your packing pile! Do you really bring weighty, hardcover books when you travel? I bet you don’t.

Jamie
Taylor Davidson on October 6th, 2008 8:36 pm

I find myself taking less and less every trip… and yet always not using something.

Route, time and the planning (or non-planning) that goes into it could be an entire post. I’ve always made the mistake of planning too much… until my last trip to India, where I had far more fun planning out where to go, how to get there and what to do just by showing up at bus stations and talking to people.

Leave time for serendipity…
Geoff on October 6th, 2008 9:34 pm

You need to make sure your insurance covers everything you want to do though - I’ve just found out World Nomads don’t cover rock climbing, and as I plan to do a fair bit I shall have to look elsewhere. Nothing worse than having an accident and finding you’re not covered because you didn’t read the small print!
trang on October 7th, 2008 4:10 am

Hey Matt,

I think this is my favourite yet! Thanks for all the helpful tips! Especially about selling our stuff. I just finished selling my car. Now I’m off to sell all of my electronics and books and clothes!
Amatay on October 7th, 2008 5:03 am

Thanks for that advice m8, its a great help. Im a poker playing bum atm and make decent money from it and have decided to go travelling from Jan onwards. Im prob gonna let my flat out. Do you have a house back home with a mortgage etc? If so how do u manage wat with bills etc
NomadicMatt on October 7th, 2008 12:19 pm

I’m glad everyone enjoyed the tips and advice!

@amatay: No I don’t have any bills. You can rent your house out or automate your bill payment.
Quickroute on October 7th, 2008 9:26 pm

Very comprehensive list!
Just reminded me I need to explore the old Will thing - thnx
Karie on October 7th, 2008 11:15 pm

You make it look so easy Matt! I guess it is once you’ve done it once or twice.

The only thing I would add to your list is researching if any countries require visas in advance. U.S. citizens are privileged to be able to enter most countries just with our passports, but there are some exceptions. I had some friends that had a visa to enter Russia, but not to another country that their train would be passing through, so they weren’t allowed to board the train. They eventually got to Russia… a couple of days and two expensive plane tickets later!

Hope you’re having fun out there!
wendy-escape ny on October 8th, 2008 1:51 am

Another comprehensive well researched post. I bank with HSBC for the reasons you mention above.
NomadicMatt on October 8th, 2008 2:02 am

@karie: It is easy. People just think its this overwhelming thing that is a lot of work. When you put it all down on paper, it’s quite easy. It’s just a check list. The hard part is motivating yourself to go.
nicoleantoinette on October 8th, 2008 5:40 am

Ah yes, the decision making. I haven’t gotten past that hurdle yet, for so many reasons…
Boris on October 8th, 2008 6:30 am

Nicely explained, Matt. Good article! As for the banking, get rid of your old dusty ‘normal’ bank account and go for a pure internet bank. If you look around you’ll find that some of them won’t charge you anything worldwide for taking money out of atms. In fact I don’t pay any fees whatsoever. Plus I get 3% interest on my credit card account.

“They try to see it all. It is easy to see why people want to do this (they might not get another chance) but in travel less is more.”
So true!

Personally, I think RTW tickets and travel insurance are overrated. One way tickets are the way to go for maximum flexibility. And in many countries it’s cheaper walking into a pharmacy, pointing at the body part that hurts and buying some medicines for it than to contact your insurance provider…
Craig on October 9th, 2008 1:57 am

I wrote a long comment and the internet ate it.

In short:
*I hate HSBC. Never banking with them again.
*I only use travel insurance for high-risk parts of my travels
*Found you on twitter - I’m @ITPodcast
How to Travel the World | Nomadic Matt's Travel Site on October 13th, 2008 1:06 pm

[...] that you have finished your pre-trip planning, booked your cheap flight, and have landed in a foreign country, what do you do? Well, the truth [...]
NewWrldYankee on October 15th, 2008 4:14 pm

Matt, this is a great article. Thanks for the cc tip and bank tip - very useful for readers of my blog! Def linking back to this one. I will research more into it, and quote you as my financial inspiration.
m.ann on October 17th, 2008 11:41 pm

Re. make two copies of everything… scan your IDs, passport, insurance info, etc., etc., and email it to yourself. If you can get to the internet, you’ll always have the info on hand.
Greta Polo on October 21st, 2008 9:51 pm

I’m so glad I found this site! I’m starting to plan my RTW trip for August 09. You make it feel manageable!
The Best Credit Cards and Banks for Travel and Living in Europe | Yankee in a New World on November 5th, 2008 8:01 am

[...] reading this article at Nomadic Matt’s and these articles here and here, about International Transfer fees, I decided to share with you [...]
How to Travel the World, pt. 3: Coming Home | Nomadic Matt's Travel Site on November 10th, 2008 11:53 am

[...] you’ve done it. Congratulations. You planned your trip, went out on the road, traveled the world, and now are home. Pretty awesome huh? You’ll have [...]
Part 1 of a series of posts on how we are preparing for a nomadic lifestyle. Finances on November 14th, 2008 3:44 am

[...] How to travel the world, part1 - pre-trip [...]