Travel

As my family and I walked off the plane to travel to our new destination, my body vibrated with excitement. The sun’s rays beamed down warming me to my core. A contagious smile overtook me and was soon transferred to my hubby, mom, and my little bundle of joy. Abruptly, a gasp left my body as I gazed at the beautiful views of the ocean. Since we traveled to Marbella, Spain as a family, we decided to rent an apartment, and luck would have it that it’s common to rent apartments in Spain.

Our week swept by fast, but we learned so much since this was the first time, we had traveled out of the country with our little 1 year old. When you plan a trip abroad, it’s best to think over all the important things that you may need to do before you travel. I explain this in more detail below, so your next trip should run a bit more smoothly. But don’t forget, you can’t plan everything when you’re traveling. So, it’s okay if an obstacle gets in the way. Stay calm and it will work out. As I travel, the most common thing to happen is unpredictable things that could never be foreseen.

What is Needed to Travel?

When traveling abroad, a passport is an essential item. If you don’t have one, then say goodbye to traveling to another country. Another item that you can’t pass up having is an ID, or a driver’s license. Especially if you plan on renting a car, you’ll need a driver’s license (and a credit card). If you don’t plan on driving, then you don’t need to worry about having it. But, I still suggest having at least an ID with you, just in case. Plus, many countries you need a visa. So, this is something you should look into prior to flying there and some places you may need a vaccine or other precautions.

Toiletries

Now, having your own toothbrush and toothpaste is essential, especially if you plan to camp out or you’re traveling to a poor country. The same goes for shampoo and conditioner since these can be seen as luxurious items in certain places. While I have traveled, I have found that having toilet paper has helped on several occasions. This was valuable while I traveled in Cambodia! As you wander to a new place, it’s a good idea to pack some hand sanitizer as well.

Phone with Helpful Apps

When it comes to gadgets to bring, your handy dandy phone can be a great commodity. On it, you can have a translator app, the Road.Travel app (for itineraries), Lonely Planet app, and google maps. These could be very beneficial as you travel in a foreign country, especially if they speak a language there that you don’t understand. If you want, you could bring a physical book for translating the language or a Lonely Planet book. But these would weigh you down as you travel when it’s much easier to have these on your digital device.

What Should you Bring

While you Travel?

Many of the items that you want to bring may differ depending on the country you plan to visit. But for me, I always travel with my metal water bottle. This helps me remember to take a swig and hydrate myself. It can get stressful with traveling and having that already with you makes life just a little bit easier. Usually when I travel, I like to have just the essentials such as snacks, rechargeable head lamp, phone charger, solar battery, and a collapsible day bag.

Water Bottle is a Must!

No matter where or for how long you’re traveling, I highly recommend that you bring a water bottle. You never know when thirst will hit you when traveling since you can be overwhelmed by the beginning of traveling. Plus, having this will be more Eco-friendly than buying plastic bottles. But this too depends on the country because some countries they don’t have drinking water, only bottled water.

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Traveling with Kids

Things change when you get a little one and with it, you travel with so much more. You have to think about more than just yourself and for me, it’s been an interesting thing to take on. You know your little one more than anyone. That gives you of an idea of what they like, how they can stay occupied, and what may be best to have with you for their health. For me, I learned from the trip to Spain that we should pack some medicine, just in case our little guy gets sick.

In Spain, we would have had to see a doctor just to get medicine for a cough. There’s no over the counter medicine there. Another thing that this trip had taught us is that having some kind of routine is helpful even when you’re traveling. We had some toys for bath time and one or two other ones for the road trip. Besides that, we brought a book that we tried to read every night to him, which didn’t work out as planned. But it sometimes helped while we traveled by plane or car.

If you want to bring a book with you on your travels, I highly recommend a kids adventure story. That way, the kids are taken on an adventure while they have to endure the boring parts of travel, like flying or car rides. Check it out here!

Family Travel by Car

It’s good to have some knowledge about riding in cars with kids before you travel. Check out this article to learn more tips!

Discover and save on things to do with your kids. Plus Reserve Now and Pay Later

Money

You may think, this is no big deal as long as you have money. This is something I have learned the hard way. When I traveled to Cambodia and Thailand, my card wouldn’t work. I didn’t tell my bank and they thought that it wasn’t me using my card. After a painstakingly hard night, I got it situated. Learn from my mistake and tell your banks about your trip. When it comes to money, many countries pay with cash. So, it’s a good idea to get their currency. You can do this at an airport or there’s usually stores in the country that do it (it’s usually cheaper than the airport). On top of that, don’t travel with just a credit card, make sure to have a little cash and a debit card.

Plus, when traveling, it’s always good to have your money in more than one spot, just in case. That way, if you lose a bag or something happens. At least you have a back up for some money.

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Pulpit Rock Trail, Norway, Dani

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Bohemian Paradise, Czech Republic

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Marbella, Spain

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Norway, Pulpit Rock, Travel, Scandinavian family holidays

Pulpit Rock, Norway, Dani

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Traveling Solo

Ladies, this article is for you. Lets face it, solo travel is different for a woman compared to a man. Which can make it difficult to travel in certain countries more than others. In the article, Why it’s Great to Travel as a Solo Woman, I talk about my experiences while mentioning the benefits of solo female travel. Check it out here!

Cyber Security

Any time you travel, you need to be aware of the internet that you plan on using and your surroundings. In this article, I break down security tips while you’re traveling abroad!

MUST-DO!

Rolling your Clothes is Essential

When Packing for a Trip!

How to Pack?

When it comes to packing, it’s best to plan ahead. For example, if you plan to go to a sunny place, you don’t want to bring a coat and if it’s just a quick trip, you won’t need a huge bag. The best way to have your clothes packed is to roll them. Something I learned while traveling is that it helps having a small bag that’s easy to pack for your dirty laundry as you travel. That way, you can have them separated. If you plan on bringing more shoes than what you have on your feet on your trip, make sure to pack things inside the shoes. Some people use travel cubes, but I’m fine with just rolling up my clothes. It’s crucial to pack travel sized toiletries pretty much for any trip, especially if you plan on flying and only have a carry on item.

Suitcase Packing Checklist is a Must!

Since now I travel mostly with my family, I have learned just how important it is to create a list prior to traveling. This is especially important when you’re traveling with a kid! Time and time again, making a packing checklist has saved me from forgetting things. Before I made this part of my routine for packing, I would always forget something. Now, I usually remember to pack everything! Yay! Check out my article that gives you some pointers when it comes to a suitcase packing checklist!

Travel Insurance is a Must for Any Trip to Another Country!

Travel Insurance

A smog overtakes the streets in front of you and then you hear a screech. Suddenly you slam on your brakes and smash into another car. It’s hard to plan the future. So, why not try to be prepared with travel insurance. I have written an article that goes into more detail about Safety Wing Travel Insurance. This will come in handy if you get into an accident, sick, or any kind of emergency happens. If you’re traveling with a family, then having travel insurance is even more important! Check it out here!

Health & Safety

Regarding researching a country, health restrictions and safety are a must. Certain countries might have a virus floating around or they might be having a war or riots. This is something that you need to look into and see if it’s a good time to go there. So, research the country before you pack your bags and book a flight.

Research Country

As I walked up to the monastery that sat upon a gigantic rock from the ground, I saw a sign stating that women must be wearing a skirt. My gaze traveled to the bin next to it filled with a variety of colored wrap around skirts. Reluctantly, I grabbed one and put it on just as some of the tourists in front of us had done. I respected their culture at Meteora, Greece and I try my best to have respect for other cultures.

A great way to do this is to research about the country you plan to travel to before going there. Their way of life might surprise you or be against the way you think. Researching beforehand can save you the shock of learning it while you’re there and it can prepare you for it. As you venture down the streets or in villages, don’t forget to be considerate when you take photos of the locals. It’s best to ask before taking photos of people and don’t be degrading to them on how they live.

Ways to Travel

Now, depending on the country, it may be best to travel through it or to it on a certain kind of transportation. As of now, we have found with our little boy that traveling by car in a country is best. Although, in Sweden we usually travel by train, bus, or by electric car. But this all depends on the country. When we traveled in Spain, we found that the locals were not so good at having baby seats for taxis. The train system isn’t the greatest in the area that we were at. Thus, we tried out taxis… Which I wasn’t thrilled with how they told us just to hold our little one in our arms as he drove down the streets. When we had our next trip to Czech Republic, that’s where we planned to rent a car, which made everything run more smoothly.

The Pros and Cons of Car Travel

One of the disadvantages of using a car would be finding parking. Some cities may be quite difficult to find a spot since they’re so busy. Plus, some countries’ roads may not be taken care of the best. But when you have your own vehicle, you get to call the shots. Meaning, you are the one saying where you’re going. On top of that, if you have a little one, then you don’t need to worry about their safety as much since in a rental, you would have a car seat.

Gas or Electric?

But another downside would be the price of gas. Even if you rent an electric car, in some countries it’s still difficult to find charging stations. If you do plan on taking a road trip, use Road.Travel app. There, you can purchase itineraries for places all over the world. In the plan, you’ll have places to eat, stay, visit, places to park and it offers itineraries for electric cars as well. I have created some of my own trips on there that you can check out if you plan on traveling to some of the places that I wrote about. I think it’s a great way to help people plan their next trip, especially if they don’t have the time to do all the planning.

Sailboat or Electric Boat?

Both of these options are more Eco-friendly since they use the wind and solar energy. But these options would take a long time to make it to a new country. I would say that this is a good way to travel for short trips and preferably in the same country. Regarding this, the downside would be that you might be out in the water for a day since there’s no wind. Which means that you would have to use the electricity and that will only work for so many hours. This is also why it would be best to use this option for visiting a place that’s closer to you.

Travel for Outdoor Adventures!

If you’re like me, then hiking and outdoor adventures are high on your list! You can check out more at Explore the Best of Scandinavian Hiking Tours for some of the best hiking trails. Don’t forget to have the right gear if you’re going to go hiking. Check out the best hiking gear list in this article.

Traveling to Nature

I think it’s worth noting that anytime you go out in nature, be considerate to the wildlife and tha nature. If you’re planning any other kind of outdoor adventure, be sure to take care of the wilderness, no matter the country you’re in. Another thing to remember is that going on a hike means that you should stay on the trails. Now, I know that not all trails are nicely marked and you might be in a country where you don’t have any trails. But still try to make less of a footprint as you can. Check out 7 Underrated Ways of Sustainable Hiking to give you pointers when it comes to hiking.

Icy Hidden Gem

One of the hidden places that’s worth seeing is Antarctica! In this article you’ll learn how to pack, things to experience and how it is in this icy place! Check it out!

Traveling for the Hikes!

Now, usually when I travel, I’m looking for the hikes. But something to always remember when you’re traveling is sunscreen. This is especially important in those sunny countries. Check out, Discover the Best Natural Sunscreen for Hiking Adventures article to learn about some of the best sunscreens for nature here!

Transportation Systems

Traveling by train one of my favorite ways to travel. I enjoy how you can walk around and even get a yummy treat while taking in the view from the train. Plus, taking a train helps the environment over driving a vehicle. If you want to take a trip by train, a country that’s well-known for its transportation system is The Netherlands. As I traveled there, it was so easy to travel by train. We didn’t need to worry about finding a train to our next destination since there are trains used all over that country.

Public Transportation

It’s a great way to travel depending on country. But there are countries where there transportation system is not the greatest. Those are the places that I wouldn’t recommend trying to only travel by train. You may need to take a bus, taxi, or boat as well. It’s just yet another thing to look into when you’re checking out information on the country that you’re planning on traveling to.

Travel by Airplane

Now, one of the fastest ways to get to a country is usually by flying. Especially if you’re on a time crunch, this may be the best option for you to arrive to your destination. Although, traveling by plane isn’t the best for the environment. Ways to make up for that is travel by a transportation system especially if you’re near the place you’re planning on flying to or invest in giving money to the environment. They are working on making more Eco-friendly planes, so the world is realizing that we should move towards caring more for nature.

Tips!

Another thing to think about if you’re booking a flight is that nonstop flights are better for the environment than taking several connecting flights. This is because cruising altitude doesn’t need as much fuel as the other stages of flying. Compared to traveling by plane, ferries are better. So, if you have the choice, take a ferry or another alternative than flying.

To Cruise or Not to Cruise?

Now, this option is the worst for the environment. Taking a cruise omits more CO2 than taking an airplane. Plus, it’s devastating for Sea life, oceans, and coastal communities. I highly recommend NOT taking a cruise because of this. Plus, on a cruise, you don’t get the feel of a place as you would if you traveled there a different way. If you want to learn more about this, check out the website FOE. Although, I’ve heard there are some more eco-friendly cruises. It’s something definitely looking into!

Advantages with Traveling

Traveling can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life, allowing us to discover new cultures, gain new perspectives, and create lasting memories. I’m passionate about travel and its many benefits, which is why I’ve written an in-depth article exploring the advantages of traveling. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or just starting out, my article provides valuable insights and tips on how to make the most of your journeys. From building new connections to improving your mental and physical health, my article covers it all. So why wait? Check out my article today and start planning your next adventure!

Explore Sweden

Good luck on your next trip and the most important thing in a new place is to have respect for others, nature, and their culture. Besides that, have fun and take care of yourself along with your family! I hope that this information helps you on your next adventure! If you want to have an adventure in Sweden, check out Adventures in Sweden.

Best European Places for Winter

It’s always good to find places that celebrate the holidays with a warm welcoming feeling! This article, The Ultimate Places for Winter Holidays in Europe is a must read. In it, you’ll learn about the splendid cities that are great for Christmas or the wintry weather. From places that are peaceful to some that thrive for the winter time. Check it out here!

Or, if you want a warm getaway for winter time, check out, The Best Warm Places to Visit in December in Europe. Here, you’ll learn about some of the lovely places that have nice weather and are sustainable spots!

Winter Hiking Destinations

If you’re a lover of hiking like me, don’t let winter stop you! There are tons of great places during the winter to venture to! They might have snow. But that adds to the beauty! Check out Top 5 Best Winter Hiking Destinations in the World!

Travel More Eco-Friendly

Planning on traveling, but you want to make an effort to care for the environment? You can contact me to set up a session so that I can help you. Or learn some of the easy steps that you can take on this post, The Best 10 Useful Tips for an Eco Traveler

Stay22- A Helpful Company with Travel Planning

Stay22 makes it easy and efficient to find accomodations and find flights. They’re especially great for travel bloggers since they make it smooth to add their link to your website. You can learn more about Stay22 here!