Summer is just around the corner and with it comes the period with the highest concentration of trips of the year.
Summer vacations are also usually the most desired because they usually involve longer stays and, on many occasions, in dream destinations, so we all want them to go smoothly because we have been waiting for them for a long time. Although it is impossible to guarantee that everything goes well, we can at least try to minimize the risks or inconveniences that are in our hands.
Here are 7 recommendations so that your next vacation – and, in general, any present or future trip – is perfect or, at least, leaves a good taste in your mouth.
Before traveling
Any journey begins with a wish, with a moment of reverie in which we decide where we want to go. Sometimes it is not something so obvious and, more than a destination as such, we are thinking of an area or type of trip – “I feel like a beach”, “it is time to go on a cruise”, “everyone speaks well of Asia”,… -. In these cases, various actors come into action, such as family and friends – to whom we go to tell us their own stories -, and travel agents – generally highly trained and experienced professionals who will do everything in their power to interpret our words to offer us the best possible option – and, lately, perfect strangers that social networks bring us closer in the form of blogs, profiles of this or that mobile application, or YouTube channel,
In any case, none of them are encyclopedias that know each and every one of the details that surround a vacation, so anyone who is planning a trip is ultimately responsible for knowing everything that is necessary for its correct development. And I start like this with the list of tips:
Find Out About the Country You Are Going To Travel To
You should not only find out if you are going to need a visa – although it is not necessary, it is usually mandatory to have a certain period of validity in the passport – or to get certain vaccinations, the currency, the language, the climate – which, in many destinations, determines the best time of year to visit – or even the electrical current and type of plugs used. It is also important to know in advance some uses and customs that can avoid more than one misunderstanding (whether or not tips should be left for the services received, whether haggling is okay or not, whether this or that gesture is considered offensive, etc. .)
It Is Also Convenient To Find Out About Possible Local Festivities Or Temporary Circumstances
That may condition our stay in the destination – although in return we will be fully immersed in the culture of the place -. For example, if you travel to Israel you should know that from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday the so-called Shabath is celebrated, and life in the country practically comes to a standstill. Or that during the Chinese New Year the largest human movement on the planet occurs in the Asian giant, which can greatly complicate travel, something similar to what happens in Japan during the Sakura Hanami Festival(the flowering of the cherry trees), in which prices also skyrocket.
You don’t have to go very far to understand this either: well-known Spanish festivities such as the Fallas in Valencia or Holy Week in Seville, to give just a few examples, can condition your stay in these cities.
Also, large musical or sporting events can make a destination less recommendable during those days. Keep in mind that many of these events and holidays do not have a fixed date on the calendar.
Arab Countries Have Their Own Idiosyncrasies
That should also be known beforehand because they tend to be very strict when it comes to respecting their norms and customs. For example, alcohol is totally prohibited and can only be consumed in certain places – normally in the bars and restaurants of international chain hotels -, so its consumption on the street is severely persecuted and punished. The Ramadan period is not the best time to visit these countries.
They are also very strict in everything related to religion, so you have to be very respectful when visiting their temples or even when taking photos. Forget about going into a mosque like visiting churches or cathedrals here, which often seems like we just got up from the towel on the beach and go as is “to do a bit of tourism”. You must dress decently and take off your shoes.
Beware of public displays of affection, which are not very well seen – something as simple as walking hand in hand or kissing can arouse the anger of the most intransigent people, I won’t tell you if it’s people of the same sex -. I know a married couple who, during a stay in Dubai, had a medical problem and was about to die because the hospital would not accept to treat her until they proved that they were married (they did not have the family book with them, and only when they sent a copy of it by fax from Spain they agreed to enter it and, finally, it could be saved). And that is a destination that receives millions of tourists from all over the world! Do not be surprised that, in some of these countries, you are not allowed to stay with your partner in the same room if you are not married.
Be Careful When Driving When Traveling by Car
Both to go and return (if you use this means to get around), as well as on short journeys to the destination – which are the most dangerous and where the most accidents occur because we tend to trust each other-. It’s important to get a good night’s sleep before a long trip and avoid heavy meals – no need to mention alcohol or any other banned substance, right? -, check the vehicle and make stops every two hours. And no cell phone while driving!
Okay, right now I look like the DGT with one of its campaigns, but it’s true. We still have many more vacations and trips to enjoy in our lives than to end due to rushing or bad decisions driving.
Enjoy the Destination Responsibly
It is not only about the most obvious – respecting the uses and customs of the place, not damaging the monuments or natural places that we visit, and, in general, behaving in a civilized manner -, but about trying to soak up the destination we are visiting, its culture, its people, its gastronomy and history, but trying to cause the least possible impact.
You are in a different, new place, from which you can learn many things. Do you really need to find a restaurant where they serve you paella or potato omelets? If it is that what they do out there can be called that… Does not having Spanish television channels really ruin your vacation? I admit that for me it is a fundamental part of the travel experience to enjoy the local cuisine, but I feel embarrassed when I see our compatriots complaining in foreign hotels because they cannot find Spanish food. Or the TV channel. For that to have stayed at home or in a national destination, which we have many very interesting. But hey, that also happens to me when foreigners come to our country to eat at a junk food restaurant.
Do Not Rush Until The Last Moment To Return
I am one of those who have even returned to work directly from the plane – you can imagine my degree of productivity in those circumstances -, but it is not exactly the most appropriate. Experts advise returning with enough time to acclimatize again (especially if there is jet lag involved) and to properly prepare for re-entry into our normal lives.
Travel Again!
Because travel opens our minds, makes us more tolerant, allows us to discover other realities, and, why not, value what we have more? In addition, thinking about the next vacation always helps to overcome the hardship of finishing another one.
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