When you decide to set off on a trip, short or long, it is always wise to be organised in order to avoid unpleasant surprises along the way. If you intend to travel to the other side of the world for a few weeks, the best thing would be to begin preparations at least two or three months in advance. Ideally you will have already chosen your destination and perhaps even bought your flights :) Purchasing the ticket well in advance allows you to save considerably on cost. The first thing to check is your documents: verify that your passport has at least 6 months of validity; virtually every country now requires this, and the 6 months are counted from the moment you request entry, so it is a fundamental prerequisite you cannot overlook. Find out which visas are necessary, whether you need medical insurance, or whether you need any vaccinations. Very often you can request these documents online or at any travel agency, regardless of whether you bought your ticket or trip through them. Study the country you will be visiting: its culture, customs, what type of electrical voltage they use; perhaps learn a few words of the local language. Depending on the time of year you choose to travel, find out about the climate you will encounter so you can pack appropriately; if you also plan to go diving, find out about the water temperature: having a 3mm wetsuit in 20-degree water will leave you very cold :) If you are going to a tropical country, check whether you will be visiting during hurricane season; for this you might also need a windproof jacket to shelter from the rain or a lightweight waterproof.
If you intend to hire a car, verify that your driving licence is valid; if you book online I recommend using a credit card exclusively for this. Almost all companies “block” the entire credit limit on the card until the day you return the car. It would not be pleasant to arrive at your destination and be unable to pay with your credit card :) Don’t carry too much cash — 200/300 euros can be a good amount for small things such as quick lunches, taxis, etc., or for paying where you can’t use a card or debit card. Check which credit cards are accepted and if possible bring a couple of different kinds, perhaps including prepaid ones. Check the currency; find out whether it makes more sense to exchange money before leaving, upon arrival, or not to exchange at all and simply withdraw from an ATM. Always keep your withdrawal and payment receipts — they could come in useful if any problem should arise. Check the roaming rates for your mobile operator; consider whether it is more convenient to buy a local SIM, and whether you can do so.
If not, and if you have a smartphone, disable all notifications or those applications that automatically connect to the internet; you could find yourself with a very steep bill when you return :) (Editor’s note: experience is a good teacher!) Prepare a rough travel itinerary, at least for the first few days; do your research online and bring a guidebook. Personally I get on well both with Lonely Planet and with Rough Guides: they are up to date, precise and genuinely useful. If you plan to take many photographs, don’t forget any of your equipment and really think everything through; what might come in handy includes: a netbook, even a 10-inch one, on which to download your photos from time to time and perhaps, why not, write a travel diary; USB cables to connect your camera or adapters for memory cards; a spare battery both for the camera and for other devices. Finally, if you can, try loading up your backpack or suitcase a few weeks beforehand; check whether you are within the weight allowance of the airline and if not, eliminate the truly superfluous items, since excess kilos are charged at a premium nowadays. If you are planning a long trip this summer, perhaps it is already time to start thinking about where to go ;-)