Post-secondary is a time where you might find yourself traveling more than you ever have before, whether it be for traveling between home and school, or for a fun trip during break.
However, for someone who’s never traveled on their own, or at least not without the company of their parents, it can seem quite daunting and overwhelming. If this is you, we’ve curated a list of tips and tricks that will leave you feeling as prepared for your journey as a well-seasoned traveler!
Pre-departure:
- Assign someone to be your group leader, or have somebody take on the responsibility of being the “travel agent”.
- Figuring out where you want you stay:
- Airbnb: better for bigger groups and looking for the more affordable option.
- Hostel: if you’re looking for a cheaper option and are either by yourself or with one other person.
- Hotel: If you only plan to be there for a couple of nights and are looking for an easier option.
- Staying with friends and family for convenience and affordability.
4. Do some research on the area and plan activities ahead of time, but don’t overplan
- Make yourself an itinerary with one main event per day.
- The airbnb app usually has activities you can look at as well.
5. Packing:
- Invest in packing cubes. Thank us later.
- Less is more, bring the basics.
- Bring 1 or 2 pairs of shoes max (one pair of sneakers and one nicer pair).
- You can usually buy a lot of stuff in another country (shampoo, soap, etc.).
- Consider packing in a carry on if you can. Check-in bags cost a lot and usually are not ideal to drag around.
6. Checking in at the airport:
- Usually there are apps compatible with the airline you’re taking, make sure you check-in 24 hours beforehand.
During:
- Live in the moment! When going on a trip with your close friends or family, it can be easy to get caught up in taking pictures of everything. Make sure you also remember to live in the moment and enjoy things without a camera on hand!
- Consider everyone’s wants! Make sure when you’re traveling with friends that you take everyone’s wants into consideration. If one of your friends wants to go to a restaurant and another wants to go to a museum, ensure everyone has a say and gets to pick out a few places. You may not have time to do everything, but try to make a few compromises so that everyone stays happy.
- Try to immerse yourself in different cultures. Choose to eat new foods, learn basic phrases in the language that you’re going to, “thank you, welcome, can I please get etc…” If you’re traveling to a new country where people might not necessarily speak English, it is your responsibility to immerse yourself and learn the language to the best of your abilities.
- Ask locals for their recommendations! No one will know the city better than the locals there!! Ask for their advice about the best places to eat, places worth seeing, and places that aren’t worth the hype. Keep on the lookup for little “hole in the wall” types of places.
- Bring a good bag/purse (very important!)! When you know you’re going to be doing a lot of walking around, it’s important to have a good purse or bag that will hold all of your necessities. Also, make sure that it has zippers that are secure for places where pickpocketing is more common.
Adora’s Sample Itinerary for Portugal!
Day 1: Arrive in Lisbon
Time out market: Grab snacks from the vendors & then try out the best pastel de nata.
During the day: Walk around and explore the Praça do Comércio, Praça Júlio de Castilho & the Santa Justa Lift.
Main activity: A great way to explore the city is on a sailboat cruise, you can usually find it on Airbnb activities!
Sunset location: Riberia Das Naus
Day 2: Take the train to Cascais/Monastery
Great breakfast location: Nicolau Lisboa
Main Activity: Take the train and spend your day at Cascais exploring & on the way back, check out the monastery in Belem.
Night Activity: Go to pink street and & explore the bars there; Jam Club is a great little bar!
Day 3: Sintra Sintra Sintra!
Great cafe spot for pastries/coffee: Paul’s or Copenhagen cafe (try the Raspberry bun!).
Main Activity: Take the train to Sintra Castle.
When you get to the Sintra train spot, make sure you take the bus/rickshaw to the top of the Sintra castle.
Evening Bar recommendation: Shoes & Booze!
Day 4: Take a train from Lisbon to Porto (about 3 hours on the way there and back.)
I would recommend leaving on the first morning train, around 6am to have the maximum time in Porto for a day!
Best brunch spot: Zenith’s. Period.
Main activity: Go visit the Bolsa Palace
