PREPARATIONS

It’s really easy to just walk into a travel agency and pay for an all-inclusive package, and then just say where you want to go.
I spoke to tourists who just wanted to know when they had to be at the departure airport.
The guide chosen by the agency always has a flag so as not to lose the tourist, and is responsible for delivering the airline tickets, accompanying the tourist to the hotel and then up and down from the coach to quickly photograph some of the local attractions.
They also visit various selected attractions, eat in the restaurant typical dishes from their country (so they don’t feel too far from home and everyday life), and at the end of the trip, take group souvenir photos, thank you and goodbyes at the airport.
The “flag group tourist” is the polar opposite of my way of travelling, but if you can relate to this, don’t leave my site just yet.
However, some travel agencies get that their customers are different and do their best to create a customised trip.
Find the inspiration for your next trip and ask me how to organize it, so as to make your trusted agency’s job easier.

Get some ideas for your next trip and let me know how I can help your plan.
I’d love to inspire you to see the world with your own eyes.

If you’re interested in this type of travel, I’d recommend starting with these steps:

CHOOSE WHERE TO GO

The first question is: where would I like to go?

Travel following your interests, your passions, your dreams, your follies.
As you travel more, you’ll see that the world gets smaller, landscapes look more similar, and it’s getting harder to be amazed.
But there’s time for these thoughts. And there are thousands of miles to go.
Write down some destinations you’re interested in, even ones you think are out of reach.
Keep that sheet handy so you can add a goal that has caught your eye from watching a video, seeing a photo, or reading an article.
When you come back from that trip, erase that dream come true.
In a few years, you’ll look back and see where you started and where you haven’t arrived yet.

Now that you’ve got some goals on your list, make sure you give them a priority.

For a traveller, time is an enemy against you have always to fight.
I had to postpone a trip I had in mind because the days available were not enough for my projects.

If you have a weekend available, go to a city.
If you have a week you might be able to see even two or three.
If you have one month you could visit a lot of cities in one country.

I have learned that seeing lots of cities or countries in the same trip, and doing lots of transfert, makes you feel free for much longer than you’ve really been away from home.
Sometimes, travelling for one month can feel like a year.

Then it’s true, mine are never vacations but rather a real tour de force.
In just one month, I travelled around six different countries.

But I love travelling like this.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

Once you’ve chosen your destination, it’s essential to know what documents you’ll need.
Is your ID card enough for this?
Do you need a passport or a visa?
If something unexpected happens, are you covered or do you need to get medical insurance?
Do you need a sub patent to dive with sharks in the open water without a cage?

While ID card and the health card are always useful, they might not be enough in some places.
It’s worth planning ahead if you’re going to need a passport, as it can take a few days to get one.
Otherwise, you might have to change your destination
Some destinations actually require your passport details when you’re booking your flight.

Some countries also require a visa in addition to a passport.
In this case, a visa is a sticker that the embassy or consulate puts on your passport.
Sometimes it’s put on the border (it happened to me in Cambodia, Laos and Egypt), but it must usually be in the passport when you board the plane.

Each country has its own policy, so it’s important to be aware of them in advance.
Official embassy websites are more credible than websites of your country of residence.

Depending on where you live, it might not be easy to go to the embassy or consulate in person.
There are agencies that can help you with this.

Medical travel insurance is also required to visit some countries.
In the event of an accident, you may have to pay a lot for your care.
Annual multi-trip insurance is available for less than € 100,00.
As well as accidents, you’re also covered in case of loss of luggage, theft or cancellation of travel.

Anyway, I always take my driving license and diving licence with me.

I also like to have a copy of all my reservations and other printed documents.

Lonely Planet was the must-have guide for any traveller.
Recently, though, it’s not as useful as it once was because the advice isn’t always up to date.
But it can always be useful to you.
There’s (something) more to it than just the status symbol.

HOW TO GET TO DESTINATION

Now it’s time to make a booking. Pick the transport that suits your needs and your budget.
The search may take a little longer than you’d like but it can be fun.
I usually start my search for flight connections on Momondo.
I begin by entering my home city and my first destination.
If you exclude low-cost airlines, you’ll find that return flights cost less than one-way. So, it’s worth trying to make long routes with the same airline or with companies that are in partnership.
Direct flights cost more than those with one or more stopovers.
Don’t consider only the airport closest to you as a starting point but also think about those reachable by car, train or low cost flight.
The airports in Europe with the most routes are Madrid, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt and London.
If you’re travelling to Asia or Oceania from Europe, you’ll probably have a stopover in Moscow, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Istanbul or Dubai.
You could also consider Doha, which has lots of flights to Africa.
I always avoid US airports.

To find the best combination, it’s also a good idea to calculate transit time.
Once you’ve found it, do the same search for the second and third destinations that were previously “ranked” (you might even want to try the fourth, fifth, etc.). See how long you want to spend on the final choice.
Sometimes I had to change my entire trip because the flight prices had gone up so much that I had to reschedule everything to a different time, booking for what was once my second or third choice (or even fourth or fifth).

TROLLEY OR BACKPACK?

We’re getting close to leaving, so it’s time to think about our luggage.
Should I take it with me or load it in the hold?
I started travelling with a trolley.
At first glance, it’s easy to choose wheels and not weight carrying on yout back.
But is this always the case?

Have you ever had to carry your trolley up a steep and endless stairway with all its weight on one side of your body and then been completely unbalanced?
Yes, I’ve experienced this on the metro in Paris and in many other places…

Have you ever been in the flood in an area with sand roads and the wheels of the trolley are just another slowdown?
Yes, I’ve experienced this in Isla Holbox in Mexico and in many other places…

These misadventures led me to start travelling with my backpack.
Or, better yet, backpacks.

I have always had doubts about the airport baggage delivery so I try to avoid carrying the backpack.
But this isn’t always possible, especially when I’m coming back.
So I’ve found a solution that works for me: 2 backpacks with different uses.

Small backpack

I have a special relationship with certain clothes: some t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters and scarves have travelled around the world with me. They symbolise who I am everywhere.

Then there are a pair of trousers, the swimming costume, the mask and the snorkel.
I don’t think of my phone as an essential item while I’m travelling.

I like to take photos, so I always have cameras with me:
One is a Sony HX60: small, light, quick to shoot, 60x zoom, 4k video.
The other is a GoPro and I need it for videos at the beach, diving or when it’s raining and I don’t want to use the Sony.
I never leave home without some SD cards and an accessory that has saved me on more than one occasion: a portable solar panel with multiple USB outputs to recharge anything.
I use recycled paper but I always prefer to print reservations and copies of documents.
You could to use a pen.
Don’t forget to pack some medicine, a rope and, if you are not able, a whistle.

Big backpack

It’s important to choose a travelling partner whose company you’ll enjoy for years to come.
I use a Ferrino backpack with a built-in waterproof cover.
This is where I stow my towel, slippers, trousers and gearboxes.
When I’m just beginning a trip, I put the small backpack inside the bigger one, so I only have one piece of hand luggage.
On the way back I’ll use the space for souvenirs of this trip.

WHERE TO SLEEP

Just because you’re travelling at night doesn’t mean you’re going to get a deep sleep. Every day has its own rhythm.
Tomorrow, it would be useful have the hotel breakfast, the location of the hostel, fast airport check-in or not to waste time and sleep on the night bus?

– Night train or bus: I often optimize my times by using them to make long journeys. In this way you save the money for a night in a hotel / b&b / hostel and getto your destination in the morning, ready to start a new day.
The seats on night buses are so big and comfortable that they can almost look like real beds.
Just remember to be respectful of those sitting behind you.
You may have chosen the fully reclining seat, but if it means hurting those behind you, understand it without having to get into a fight all night.
On a recent trip to Peru, I had an unfortunate experience with a very ignorant man who was trying to recline his seat completely, even though he was banging on my legs.
Neither of us slept that night…

– Airport: I spent about a hundred nights in around thirty airports and several stations, waiting for the first public transport in the morning.
You might think it’s a bit strange, but spending a night in a comfortable airport space, maybe somewhere dark with a nearby charger, can be a great choice for both saving money and improving your comfort levels.
If you’re still not convinced, the sleepinginairports.net web site will show you that many airports are reviewed based on the needs of an “airport bum”.

– Hostel: If you think you have to spend the night with your eyes open and your luggage under the sheet because the other guests in the room are there to rob you, you have the wrong idea about hostels.
Many hostels have private rooms with private bathrooms, so you don’t have to share anything more than you would in a hotel.

If you choose a bed in a shared room, it’s probably true that you’ll find the other beds occupied (but someone might free his bed at 2 am, or someone might arrive at 5.00 am).
Those who choose this accommodation want:
1) save money
2) tell in the room or in the common areas
3) get to know other people with whom to share part of the journey
(and not everyone wants to go beyond the first option, you are not obliged to speak).

I’ve never had any problems at hostel.
Try to be respectful (don’t make too much noise if you have to leave the room in the middle of the night and don’t turn on all the lights if you come back into the room at night) and tolerant (everyone gets snoring, don’t wake up with cushions who disturbs your sleep).

– Hotel: You might come across a cheaper hotel option rather than a hostel.
In this case my main priority is always the area: proximity to the metro, buses or points of interest.
I just book breakfast for the first night. If it’s good, I’ll pay next breakfast at the hotel.

– B&B: prices are usually more in line with hotels than hostels. I don’t often opt for this option.

– Couchsurfing: hosting or being hosted for free (usually in exchange for small gifts, cooking help, etc.) is another way to travel knowing the city with your eyes and the experience of those who live there.

LANGUAGES AS A BARRIER TO TRAVEL

Many people avoid a challenging journey on their own, thinking they won’t be able to overcome the obstacle of the unknown foreign language.
Do you speak any languages other than your native language?

I was taught English at school, but on my first trip I quickly realised that my English skills were useless for travelling the world.
I’ve always had a mental repulsion for English.
I understand it by reading, I speak it well enough to understand and be understood, but I never accepted its superiority given by an “anglo-united-states-centric” worldview.

I’ve never studied Spanish but people tell me that I speak it almost perfectly.
I think this is because of the influence that the Aragonese had on Sardinia and therefore in the Sardinian language, and also because of the lots of trips I’ve made around the Iberian peninsula and in Latin America.

I did just one language course, Russian, organised by the Belarusian Consulate in Cagliari.
I’m sure this excellent course helped me when I visited Russia, but it’s not an essential knowledge to go there.

It’s definitely an advantage to have at least a basic knowledge of the local language or, if you’re going somewhere else, English.
As I previously mentioned, when I first started travelling, I had only ever spoken English at school.
To be honest, it really didn’t help me much at all.

You learn languages by talking to people, and you learn to travel only by travelling.