Car Rental Dc - Prepare For Long Term Travel

Preparing For Long Term Travel

). Anyone, you must walk a fine line between over- analysis and not-so-blissful ignorance (summer in Sudan, when planning your dream trip? And perseverance to endure, courage to enact, it requires intellect to plan. Traveling abroad is an art.

And the most important will be deciding where and when to go, there are several things you should consider before booking your travel.

Where to Go

The main factor in deciding where to go is your budget, if you intend for your systems to pay for your travels. It's a personal choice and there are amazing places to see and experience all over the globe. Most people already have a pretty good idea where they want to go, after working in a cubical and day dreaming about traveling around the world.

But not much else. . . And a TV, a bed, towels, shower, hot water, we're talking rooms with a bathroom. Most people mature enough to run a business want a little more comfort, while it's certainly possible to rent a $3 room in Cambodia. Basic accommodations, you stay in clean, second. You travel slowly (no more than one out of every four days), firstly. How Much the World Costs
These numbers assume a few things.

You will want to travel somewhere that your systems can afford, however. Far more reasonable than what you may be currently paying back home, expenses can be very reasonable, visas and overland (usually local) travel:
o Southeast Asia: $50
o UK and Ireland: $100
o Australia and New Zealand: $80
o South America:$55
o Africa: $60
o Western Europe: $90
o Eastern Europe:$65
o Indian subcontinent:$40
o Japan: $90
As you can see, toiletries, laundry, room, the prices below are for two people and include food.

Their calculations have been fairly close to my personal experiences, all in all. And the transition from first to third world will be as eye opening as the transition from worker to entrepreneur, you will no doubt be ready for a change, when you board that plane. If you're reading this you are probably raised in the Western world, chances are. There's another more powerful reason for going third world initially: a new perspective. My wife and I are still a long ways away from living it up in London, though we've visited the UK several times! You can escape home faster and live better if you visit third world areas such as Southeast Asia and India.

Money Saving Tips

Many ways to stretch your budget: there are many, These are some tips I've learned from both working as a travel agent and personal experience.

. . But come on, patrick's Day. It was an Irish pub on St, true. I found myself contemplating buying a can of Guinness in Thailand for more than it cost back home! 7-11's), you can drink cold beer or local spirits for cheap from bottle shops (or oddly enough. What you should avoid are bars. There are far better ways to save a dollar while you're traveling. One of my largest grievances with budget travel writers is their silly notion that you should sacrifice a cold beer in the name of saving money. O Change your drinking habits. . . Following this approach you only miss a shower for one day at a time. The next morning we showered and hit the road. We cleaned up and had a good time, once we arrived at our room for the night. We camped two nights, simple: for every one night in a great location. How did we do this? And yet we stayed in quality bed and breakfasts (including an old Irish castle), my wife and I cycled across Ireland without breaking the bank. Then go all out, o Slum it. You should take it, but when the opportunity arises, no. Did you plan on going to Hungary? Last minute, there is currently a special discount flight to Hungary from San Francisco for three hundred dollars, for example. Purchase last minute if you don't, here is my rule of budget travel: purchase tickets ahead of time if you know where you want to go. When they should have bought the damn thing months ago and saved a bundle, so many people lament over rising flight costs. Or last minute, o Purchase tickets ahead of time.

Health: Avoiding Problems

Vaccinations

Diphtheria and tuberculosis
o Rabies
o Tetanus
o Typhoid
o Yellow fever get the combined vaccine)
o Japanese encephalitis
o Polio, (if possible, Here's a short list of the most common vaccinations required (or highly recommended) for global travel:
o Hepatitis A and B. Spaced two to three weeks apart, several inoculations require three or four visits. You need to start getting some of your vaccinations at least two months before departing on a trip.

Malaria

You can also learn more at www.malaria.org. Check with your doctor to see which prescription is right for you. There are a number of anti-malarial tablets you can take to help combat the disease (though none of them is 100% effective), while there is no vaccination for malaria.

Talk about a severance package! I was able to save over $700 on vaccinations thanks to the health insurance provided by my previous employer. Check if your benefits will cover vaccinations, if you're currently employed. Visit your local travel clinic or speak with your physician, to get these vaccinations.

I follow a few simple rules: food
When it comes to food,

The only two times I've been sick abroad were shortly after a three or four course meal at a high end steakhouse. You'll feel a hell of a lot worse than if you ate a smaller portion, if you stuff your face with contaminated food. Don't over eat. 3. Consider bringing vitamin tablets if you're not getting enough fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables that you can peel are a safer option. Try to avoid any raw vegetables and raw fish. Eat cooked food. 2. It probably means the food is fresher. Eat at restaurants with a lot of people and high turn over. 1.

Water

A common cause for getting sick among travelers, keep in mind it doesn't work with ice. Though it isn't cheap- retail is about $130- the Steripen is both lightweight and effective. This wonder tool can purify one liter of water in one minute using an ultra violet light bulb and lithium batteries, the same size as a screwdriver. I use The Steripen Adventurer UV purifier. You might need to bring a water purification system, depending on where you travel.

If the plastic seal is broken- and it often is - you probably don't want to drink it. Keep in mind that many merchants refill used water bottles with local water and resell them, if you're planning on buying bottled water over seas.

Traveler's Diarrhea

Contact a doctor, any more than that. Symptoms should clear up within a few days. Lay low and let the good- or bad- times flow, drink lots of water, take over the counter anti-diarrheal medicine or antibiotics (rather than something that just plugs you up). The best thing to do? It's natural. . . Don't be surprised if you're leaking out both ends, in other words. And is often accompanied by vomiting, traveler's diarrhea claims 30-50% of tourists abroad within the first two weeks.

They are imperative for long term wandering, while most of these steps aren't necessary for short term travel. Tying Up Loose Ends
Before you hit the road you'll need to close up shop.

This gives you time to handle any cavities before you leave. And optometry appointment for one month before you go to make sure you have a clean bill of health, doctor, o Book a dentist. Most people interested in furnished accommodations are working abroad for a year or more: perfect for your intentions. And moves you one step closer to paying off your mortgage, this saves you the hassle of storing your belongings. Consider renting out your residence furnished. O Determine how to handle your living situation. Check if your employer's health insurance covers them before you quit! O Visit your doctor or travel clinic to get vaccinations. O Book your airplane flights. O Three - Six Months Out:
o Get a passport (if you don't have one).

O Get travelers insurance. And optometry appointments, doctor, o Go to your dentist. Make sure they get insurance and to draft an automobile leasing contract. O Find someone to rent your car while you're gone. Box in your name. O Set up a forwarding address with the post office to a friend or a P.O. O Sign up for Online Banking (if you don't already have it). Banking accounts and department store accounts). O Close any unnecessary accounts (e.g. And other miscellaneous items, credit cards, o One Month Out:
o Set cancellation dates for all insurance policies.

O Get a visa if applicable for your first country. Look into a storage unit, if you can't sell your stuff. 500 of two days work selling our stuff- worth over a month of travel in Southeast Asia, my wife and I made over $1. Have another garage sale following week, if you don't manage to sell the majority of your belongings. O Have a garage sale. O Notify your bank that you'll be making purchases in a foreign country with your credit card. O Get travelers checks and email the security numbers from those to yourself. And any other important information you might need while you're away, credit card, insurance policy, driver's license, o Email yourself copies of your passport. O Two weeks out:
o Give your two weeks notice to your employer.

A truism that applies to a crucial step in preparing: packing for long term travel, you don't need half of what you may think you do, remember.

Travelers checks and US dollars
Photocopies of important documents
Youth hostel card
Scuba diving certification (if applicable)
Passport photos (1 or 2 per country)
Money Belt
One small day pack
Sunglasses
A good book
Pen and notepad
Laptop and headset for Skype
Two pairs of light weight pants
One pair of shorts
Three shirts (one for going out)
1 Pair Sandals
1 Pair Shoes or Boots
Underwear
Swim suit (if applicable)
Toiletries
Silk sleep sack (not a sleeping bag)
Sewing kit
Nail clippers
Ear plugs
First aid kit
Swiss army knife at a maximum you should include:
Passport
Drivers license (international if possible)
Airline/train tickets
Credit cards, What (Not) To Pack
Prior to departure: create a checklist of items you need to take.

But it weighs you down a lot more than you think, it's a great way to document your experiences, sure. Let's say you purchase a brand new digital camera before your trip (chances are you will), for example. Possessions will only tie you down.

Strangers become potential threats. Crossing a river could potentially destroy it. You have to think twice about swimming in the ocean for fear someone will steal it.

Preventing you from ever really gaining anything at all, this effectively removes you from your surroundings. Is that it prevents you from truly experiencing a place before reaching for your camera, and most common, the worst. And these are just the tangibles.

Einstein proved that your friend's clock would seem to tick more slowly than your own. Imagine a friend whizzing across or solar system in a spacecraft while you remain here on the Earth, for example. Why Einstein Was Wrong - How to Travel
The theory of relativity states that time slows down when as speed increases.

My advice is to travel at the speed of smell. Which is why you shouldn't try to travel at the speed of light, speed is not better. This must be Rome" syndrome, they develop the classic "If it's Tuesday. But shown off to others, an experience not to be savored, locations become nothing more than a check box on their itinerary. People who travel near the speed of light- or at least sound- arrive home seemingly unaware of where they had just visited. The opposite is true when traveling, sadly.

It takes much longer to "feel" it out, while guidebooks may offer walking tours that allow you to "do" a city in a day. You must slow down, in order to really experience your surroundings. The smell of pho boiling over and the sounds of locals conversing is something I wouldn't have noticed on a five day whirlwind tour of Vietnam. There is a large Vietnamese market going on less than five meters away, as I write this.

Don't go to India. Can't stand witnessing first hand poverty? Forget the Superdome, if you don't like sports. Skip the Museum of Modern Art, if you aren't interested in art. But out of some misplaced obligation, and art galleries not out of personal interest, museums, churches, temples, people visit pagodas. We lost the point of travel, somewhere along the line.

It's about experiencing those that affect you the most. It's not about seeing the most acclaimed sights.

Your First Night Abroad: Make It a Soft Landing

Smells and time zone, just unplug and rest while your body adapts to the new sights. . . Or any other logistics, budget, your first few nights shouldn't be concerned with travel plans. And sleep comfortably for the first few days, this will help you acclimate to your new surroundings. Book your hotel prior to departure and stay there for at least two nights; don't throw yourself into the mix right away. Your first two days in any new region should be seen as a transition period.

Several people I've spoken to swear by No Jet Lag, though I have no personal experience with them. There are additional over-the-counter pills that claim to help with jet lag. O Pop some pills. Exercise also helps. So the more the better, the sun helps you set your circadian clock. O Sunshine. ). Anyone, try eating on your intended destination's clock a few days before departure (dinner at 10 AM, if this seems like too much? Your body will adjust much more quickly, by not eating for 12 hours or more. Studies have shown that your liver takes longer to adapt to a new time zone than any other part of your body. Here are some ways to battle jet lag:
o Don't eat. While my wife takes it in stride; it takes me over a week to adjust, it certainly hits some people harder than others. A common problem among travelers, how to Deal With Jet Lag
There are several ways to combat jet lag. Lunch at 4AM?

Here are several crucial tools to maintain your systems abroad. You'll need to monitor your systems and stay in touch with loved ones, staying Connected
Now that you've freed up your time and location.

Get the address of the main post office in whatever town you're in (or will be shortly) and have people address your mail to the following: Poste Restante
A great way to pick up care packages from home.

Country general Post Office
Town, first Name
Poste Restante, lAST NAME,

Generally post offices around the world will hold mail up to two years. Simply present your passport as identification and you'll be able to claim your mail, when you arrive at the post office.

And engage other people visiting your blog, leave comments, people who were really interested in your trip can check up on you whenever they like, this way. Which always come across as forced and rather generic, you are able to avoid sending out group e-mails, by creating a travel blog. Both are free and can be set up in a matter of minutes; you can do so with free services such as Blogger.com or WordPress.com. Blog
A great way to keep in touch is to start a travel blog.

All of which provide a great scrapbook after your travels, maps and a whole host of other customizations, international clocks, polls, video, you can include pictures. Blogs allow you much more creative freedom than sending emails, also.

Does it, so logging into your accounts to make sure the money's coming in doesn't seem like too much of a hindrance? . . And water coolers, commutes, cubicles, free of fax machines. Completely free of employees, let's face it: you're now able to create systems that pay for your lifestyle. And massages, swimming pool, so you might as well get used to ranking "free internet" higher than amenities such as free breakfast, connecting to the Internet will only become increasingly important, as time progresses. Word of the Year: Wifi
Wireless is the name of the game.

You may want to consider traveling with a laptop depending upon your goals, seeing that your business is Internet based. Expect internet cafes to run around $1-2 USD an hour.

Though working amidst Chinese computer gamers ain't what it's cracked up to be, you can use internet cafes, if you intend to just monitor or expand your existing systems. And keep tabs on your expenses and revenue streams, conduct phone interviews with prospective freelancers, you will need to upload webpages to your sites. A laptop is necessary, if you intend to develop more systems while traveling. Laptop: Luxury or Necessity?

Monogamous relationship is one of the best ways to avoid viruses, a trusting, to paraphrase sex ed teachers. You don't know what kind of spyware (programs that remember your keystrokes for future use) might be on some random computer. Laptops also provide more security.

I spent thirty minutes in search of an international phone to call my bank for a phone call that lasted two minutes, for example. And can save you a lot of time if you need to call people who don't use Skype, cell service is getting better all the time, cell Phone
Though I personally don't use one.

Though banks and credit card companies are still behind the curve, more and more businesses are jumping on the bandwagon. Get your friends and family back home to sign up and you can chat through your laptop for free. And Skype provides just that, skype
You can't go wrong with free international phone calls.

Would you buy a product from a company that requires you to call East Timor with questions, after all? It pays to list a domestic number, if you handle customer service questions. An additional feature that may be of some use is the ability to forward calls from a US based phone number to your cell phone abroad.

An added bonus is that you can use the microphone and headset with Skype. I'm able to "write" at about 120 words per minute. And the ability to dictate to your laptop, headset, for less than thirty bucks you get a microphone. This book would never have been written, dragon Naturally Speaking
If it wasn't for this software.

And a handy USB allows you to backup your work, there will be times when you won't be able to access the Internet with your laptop. USB Card
An absolutely essential tool.

Use what you've learned and hit the road! Wattage and a slew of other technical requirements by country, it breaks down voltage. O World Electric Guide: This site is a life-saver when it comes to handling electronics abroad. This universal adapter works wonders around the world. Though it can be a hassle if you're exploring several different regions, o Universal Plug Adapter: I've purchased adapters in several countries in order to power our digital camera and laptop. Which will determine the phone you purchase for travel (and perhaps home), good explanation of which GSM frequencies and "bands" function in which countries. O World Electronics USA: Get information on global phones. Making this a better solution for short term travel, you'll have to pay for internet connection along the way, just remember. This is the way to go, if you are abject to traveling with a laptop. Other Technological Marvels for Working Abroad
o GoToMyPC : This software allows you to access your home computer from any other computer in the world.