I found this excellent article on the guardian online.
Definitely worth sharing.
As Liverpool celebrates its year in the European spotlight, Ian J Griffiths traces his home town’s continental influences… Read more…
In part one, we explored travelling for gigs. In this post I questioned Geography student Sam about her trip to Sri Lanka for 5 weeks charity work. Slightly different, but some tips are universal.
1. What made you decide you wanted to travel?
I travelled to complete some charity work. It was a summer after the Boxing Day tsunami and I travelled to Sri Lanka in order to help repair some of the damage, teach in school, generally help out where I could.
2. Did you plan it…or just ‘up and leave’?
It was well planned, in respect that we booked the flights months in advance and booked the first local hotel but all the accommodation was booked whilst we were out there depending on where we were needed and how long for.
3. How long did you travel for?
Travelled for around 5 weeks, just over a month really
4. Did you travel on a budget?
In the sense that I took a certain amount of travellers cheques with me yes. Due to the locations we were in you couldn’t always get money as there were no banks in the middle of the tea plantations or mist forests.
5. Where did you go?
Travelled the lower half of Sri Lanka, political conflict prevented us going too far north, and we only ventured there once. So the lower east, west and southern coast as well as some of the mountain regions in the centre.
6. Did you stick to said budget?
Things are relatively cheap out there. I spent the same amount on the flight as I did living out there for 5 weeks. I even came back with change, but I tend to be overcautious.
7. How?
I lived amongst the locals and so lived as they did. With it being a very poor community it was cheap as they also spent little money. Accommodation can be really cheap if you stay with locals rather than hotel complexes. I didn’t splash out on luxuries as they are expensive as not many people can afford to buy them.
8. Would you do it again?
I would defiantly do it again, maybe once the civil war dies down and the country is a bit more stable. It wasn’t a holiday as such and you get such a buzz knowing that you are making a difference to these people and they are so appreciative.
9. If so, is there anything you’d do differently?
I would carefully chose who I went with. I went with, effectively a group of strangers which was fun at first but we soon started to annoy each other. I would go with a group of people I know I get on with and try and avoid all of the arguments. I would also try and be more relaxed about everything; you will always find somewhere to stay, even if you have to move on the next night.
10. Finally, any tips and tricks for other potential travellers?
Don’t fall into the tourist trap, if you go to exotic places, yes go and experience some of the main attractions but also spend some time living as the locals do. Don’t ignore the local culture. Also, although the hotel complexes look nice and welcoming you don’t have to stay there. Look for independent places, run by locals, but make sure that they are recommended in for example a travel guide. Don’t just stay in a stranger’s house. As for the luxuries, most of the hotel complexes allow you to use their facilities on a daily charge, so if you get a day to relax, have a day of luxury. Ensure you have your visa sorted well in advance as well as any medical certificates for injections etc.
If you are going to conduct charity work creates links with a local group who have contacts in the UK, for example a local rotary club. It is slightly more organised and you get more done. Also means you have a base contact if you are stuck or in trouble. Most of all, don’t let homesick get the better of you. It may be a long time but enjoy every minute because not many people get to experience what you are.
Tips from other students about sticking to a budget - part 1
So many of us say we’re going to go travelling over summer, but how many of us actually go through with it.
When I went last summer, a 4 week jaunt around Europe, mostly following Pearl Jam, but also sightseeing, it took a lot of planning. Cheap flights were easy enough to find, as was cheap (but nice) accommodation… but that all important spending money budget was the most difficult.
It’s not so bad when you’re only going to one country, but when you travel through 4, 3 of them having completely different currency’s, it becomes much harder to manage your money.
People travel for so many different reasons too… I mostly do it for gigs, and therefore sometimes spend more on tickets than I should. Others travel just to see the world, or to do charity work.
I asked some fellow students who’d also been travelling their thoughts:
Paul, is a student from Manchester:
1. What made you decide you wanted to travel?
Three reasons:
i. A lot of my friends had been travelling and had lots of fun stories to tell. It made me feel a tad boring in comparison, so I decided I wanted to do something weird and semi-spontaneous too.
ii. I wanted to do things my way. All the gap year kids ranting on about how they ‘found themselves’ in India bored me to death and to me that’s not what travelling is about. It’s the fun of what’s round the next corner.
iii. If not now, when would I have to chance to do travelling? Too many people plan things that never happen. As Alex Garland says in The Beach, buy the plane tickets and everything else will sort itself out. Plan too much and travelling will always be something that you’ll get round to next time.
2. Did you plan it…or just ‘up and leave’?
I semi-planned. Doing things spontaneously is a bit too wreckless for my liking, but on the other hand there’s a certain point where planning becomes dreaming. I usually buy the travel tickets kinda spontaneously (within a week or 2 of having the idea), then everything else I’ll plan when the time comes. Of course it’s nice to sort out accommodation etc. but the travel is the important thing.
3. How long did you travel for?
A bit over a month stop and start. A few times I went home for a few days and then set off to another destination. It’s nice to sleep in your own bed once in a while.
4. Did you travel on a budget?
Not particularly. I had a rough budget when it comes to travelling costs etc. but I pretty much travelled with an open wallet. A lot of the time the travelling tickets are booked so far in advance that the total budget is difficult to work out anyway. It’s all a lot of spending over the span of a few months or so. To tell the truth, I don’t really know how much it cost me, but I’m not broke so it doesn’t matter.
5. Where did you go?
All round Europe. Germany, Poland, Ireland, Denmark, The Netherlands
6. Did you stick to said budget?
Give or take.
7. How?
Resist the urge to visit the ATM! Take out the money you need to try to stick to it. The minute you say “Oh I’ll get a few more euros out to pay for that”, the budget is gone. It’s a slippery slope! Of course, I’d say it’s best not to stick to the budget. The little extras are what makes travelling fun. I’d rather come home with my wallet a little lighter but with more stories to tell.
8. Would you do it again?
Again and again and again. Travelling isn’t a one off experience, it’s a bug. There’s always somewhere to visit.
9. If so, is there anything you’d do differently?
Plan less. I’d love to work more on impulse. Buy my plane ticket in and out, and then improvise the rest. It’s a romantic ideal, but I’m not sure how practical it would be.
10. Finally, any tips and tricks for other potential travellers?
Just do it. Don’t plan too much or it’ll never get done. Book the plane tickets and then you’ll be forced to book the rest. Afterall, plane tickets are about the only thing that’ll rise in price as you get nearer to the time so might as well get that over soon as possible.
From: 1000 tips for trips
Advice for Traveling Alone
- Traveling alone can be an intimidating experience, especially for those who don’t do it often. Knowing what to expect and thinking about the challenges solo air travel throws at you ahead of time can make it an easy and efficient experience.
Avoid checking a bag. This is true of any air travel really, but I find it’s much easier to be a self-contained entity when alone, leaving as little responsibility to the airline as possible. There’s nobody to search for the right baggage claim with you or to help you talk to the agent if a bag gets lost. By keeping everything with you, there’s less chance of error.
Along those same lines, don’t be afraid to gate check a bag (usually signified by yellow tags put on the bag as you board). This works differently from normal bag checking, as any gate checked bag is only given to the airline as you board the plane, and is retrieved right as you exit the plane. The bag never actually goes through the whole luggage system - that invariably ends misplacing things.
Traveling alone seems to increase the chance of you being searched at security, particularly if one is not obviously on a business trip. Just assume you will be searched and pack accordingly.
The biggest advantage of traveling alone is usually the ability to get an exit row seat. If the airline you are flying with allows online check-in (usually available 24 hours before departing time) exit row seats can usually be obtained there. If not, make sure to ask at the gate, as most of the time there will be the odd one exit row seat that nobody has taken because they want to sit with their traveling companions. They get company, you get leg room. Sometimes a book and being able to stretch is better than someone to talk to.
3-Jan-2007 Joe McGrath ID2028
Times online article about eco-trips.
20 classic green holidays
It’s so hard to be green and enjoy yourself, isn’t it? Not with these 20 corkers from the past year…
Read more.
Article courtesy of The Guardian/Observer:
Small is beautiful: 20 British festivals you’ll never have heard of:
More and more people are rejecting big, commercial festivals for a new breed of smaller events which showcase local food, drink and entertainment. Map out your summer with our guide to the best… Read more.
Seems pretty straight forward, but you’d be suprised at what people forgot.
Helpful website with some basic packing advice:
What to take abroad?
Useful article from The Guardian online:
“Most of us fantasise about waking up one day, packing a bag and setting off on an unplanned adventure. Few of us have the nerve to do it. DBC Pierre explains why we should take a leaf out of his book and let spontaneity be our guide…” Read more.
While browsing the web in my usual fashion, came across this useful link.
Full of travel tips and tricks:
Rick Steves’ Europe: Travel Tips.
Some of these may seem terribly obvious, but you’d be surprised how often people forgot them:
1 ) Always get to the airport early…Give yourself as much time as possible.
2 ) Watch out for pickpockets - they really are everywhere, and there’s nothing worse than realising you’ve lost your wallet/mobile or even your passport.
3 ) If you are afraid of being mugged, keep a spare wallet with a little bit of money in in your pocket but keep your real wallet hidden away somewhere so, if you are unfortunate and get mugged, you’re not losing all your money.
4 )That being said, Always make sure you keep your handbag where you can see it when you’re out.
5 ) Taking travelers cheques instead of large sums of money.
6 ) Photocopy all your documents and credit cards, and leave a copy at home. It makes it easier if you need to get things cancelled.
7 ) Always confirm your flights. It’s something many people don’t bother doing.
8 ) Always keep an itinerary - I always keep an A4 folder with all stuff in it - tickets for ticketless airlines, flight details, hotel bookings, places of interest and all that jazz.
9 ) There is no such thing as being too prepared!!
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