My Top Traveller Tips

I've been thinking a lot about my adventures travelling recently, which inspired me to run through some of my top tips for fellow travellers, based on my own experiences.

Cash Rules Everything Around Me

There's a limit to how far you can get without a reasonably healthy bank balance so be sure to budget budget budget! Looking after your money is paramount, as is keeping an eye on your spending. Always think before every purchase: do I need this and could I get/do it cheaper? You don't want to be calling mum and dad halfway through your trip begging them to transfer money online to your bank card.

Be Taxi Aware

Taxis are a bit of a cop out if you ask me, but I know a lot of people do end up relying on them for transport when in foreign lands. If this includes you, then be sure to do your research before setting out so that you know which taxis to look out for. Registered taxis to the city, state or country are the ones you want to be looking out for and not the guy who meets you at the station offering you a great price. Check Wikitravel for help identifying the taxis you can trust for the places you're visiting.

Communicate

Whilst you don't want to be living out of internet cafes or running up extortionate data bills from using your mobile, you'll still want to check in with home every now and again, if for no other reason than to keep your loved ones back home form worrying! If you're going to be in one country for a long time, you might want to consider getting a local pay as you go SIM card to get cheap messages and internet access without rinsing your own phone (which will sting you).

Be Insured

Boring but sensible - at the very least you should be covered by medical evacuation and emergency medical insurance to ensure you're prepared should disaster strike. Shop around online for the best deals before your trip. There are plenty of comparison sites who'll all vie for your attention, or alternatively speak to your bank as they may offer a competitive rate for their existing customers.

Do Your Homework

Although turning up in the middle of a city you've never heard of previously armed with nothing but a healthy desire to explore can be exciting, there are also times when you're better served by having at least a little insider knowledge about your destination. On a couple of occasions I left a place only to discover later that I'd missed out on something I would have absolutely loved and was subsequently gutted to have been so close and yet not realised.

Do As The Romans Do!

Embracing local customs and cultures is one of the best things about exploring the world and no matter how much you might be craving Marmite sandwiches or crumbly Stilton cheese, you're only doing yourself a disservice if you pass up on at least trying that local delicacy of grilled chicken hearts in garlic and sheep milk yoghurt! Get involved whenever you can because you may never get that opportunity again.

Your Results May Vary

Do you have any top tips for travellers to complement my own? Let me know in the comments or feel free to tweet me your thoughts on the post!