Now 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 is that time on the road is pretty much whatever you want it to be. Suggestions on where to go, stay, and eat will come at you from every direction. People will tell you about good or bad places, but, in the end, it is you who decides your path (which is how it should be!). However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t practical tips that can apply to everyone.

Part two – On the Road

Booking Hostels — You can book hostels ahead of time, especially if you are traveling during peak season. It is often possible to just turn up and find a place, but, with the proliferation of Internet cafes, most people book ahead. This means most of the better places are taken before you even arrive. If you know you are going somewhere on a certain date, book your hostel beforehand to be on the safe side. You’ll know where you have to go, and you won’t have to walk around aimlessly with your pack while you look for a place with open beds. However, in Asia, South America, or Africa, most guesthouses/hostels don’t use Internet booking sites. While some do and you can certainly book online, there are so many hostels in such a small area that turning up is sometimes the only way to go. For example, you’ll never have trouble finding a room on Khao San Road!!

Staying in Touch — The growth of the Internet has given travelers a plethora of options when trying to figure out how to stay in touch with friends and family while traveling. The best way to stay in touch on the road is via Skype. Skype is a free Internet service that allows you to make free calls to other Skype members. For a small fee, you can even use Skype to call mobile or landline phones. All Internet cafes have Skype, a webcam, and a headset. Just convince your friends (or at least your parents) to get the service and you will be video chatting in no time.

Getting Around — There are many ways to get around the world, and where you are in the world will decide which transport is best to use. Cheap flights in Asia and Europe can help you country hop easily. Europe also has an extensive rail system that is very effective and affordable. Buses work best in eastern Australia, while planes work best in the West. New Zealand is best by bus or car, as is the United States. South America also works best by bus. Ask other travelers for the latest deals and information about transportation where you are. You can also check the Internet for the latest updates.

Guidebooks — Guidebooks are not an essential part of travel. There’s no need to buy a guidebook for each country you visit. You will find that while on the road, you rarely open them. Once you get going, travelers will be the ones giving you leads. You’ll team up with people and head off to unplanned cities more often than you think. Pretty soon, the guidebook starts to collect dust and only comes out for a quick glance.  That being said, while guidebooks are not essential, they are still important and worth buying. They provide a good reference – maps, phone numbers, and train times that can be helpful when planning. Just don’t treat them like a bible.

Food — Often, people under-budget for food. Grand notions of cooking every meal and eating on the cheap give way to wanting to try the local restaurants and a desire to eat something different. Moreover, you didn’t come all this way to eat pasta every night. You came to experience the local cuisine. Save more money for food so that you can splurge every few days and enjoy the food of the culture. Because you didn’t travel to Paris to sit in your hostel kitchen — you came to experience French cuisine!

Travel Itinerary — Setting your itinerary is up to you. We all have different places we want to see, and no one list is better or worse than any other. I will give this advice on planning though: Too often, people try to rush to see it all. Constantly on the move, a few days here and a few days there, will burn you out. You can do it for a few months, but eventually the cities melt into each other, and just when you are getting comfortable, you are packing up again. With travel, less is more. You’ve come this far, don’t rush your way through it. Go city by city and leave when you feel ready. So what if you miss a few places here and there – that month you spent living on Bali will be something you won’t regret!! Take your time; you don’t have to be in a rush!

Visas and Immigration — Know the visa and immigrations rules of a country before you go. Visa rules and costs are different for everyone. You can find information on visas at the country’s website, or in a guidebook.

Photos — Everyone takes a lot of photos on the road. What do you do with them all? Constantly buying more memory cards is not practical. Internet cafes around the world will burn you a copy of your photos on CD. Or, you can upload them to sites like Flickr if you don’t feel like carrying CDs around.

Life on the road is different for everyone. We all walk away with a different experience, but, on the road, there are a few issues that all travelers face. Make sure you face them wisely. You want to be enjoying where you go, not worrying about how you are going to get there.