Do
Please do a little extra homework on your flights even if you have a travel agent looking after it for you. Better yet, just book it yourself. I booked through an agent who quo
ted me for a flight which I found cheaper online - same flight. The difference was just under $100 and I got the agent to match it. HA. Get foreign currency BEFORE YOU LEAVE. The exchange rate at the airports are shocking, I know from experience (Amex at Heathrow exchanged 10 aussie bucks for little over 3 pound. But I needed water badly...). If you're more of a plastic person there are debit cards out there where you can fix a currency to the card, and credit cards that do not charge currency conversion fees. Even better, take both.
Pack light (I never thought I would say that in my life). Seriously, unless you plan to safari around the Savannah or go trekking in Nepal, you don't need all that crapola - the multitude of hair products, the stilettos (just in case), the 3 pairs of jeans (the good smart pair, the casual pair, and the 'round the house' pair), or the 3 different coloured beanies to go with different outfits. There are funny little things called shops in other countries; they sell goods, you give them money, you keep goods. Really it saves on baggage weight to do all this once you hit your destination.
As you might have guessed, I did pack all of the above, but I have now seen the light (and no I was actually never over the luggage weight, the travel fairies were on my side).
Keep your seat UNreclined during mealtimes in the plane. Please. Don't make me 'accidently' knee the back of your seat again.
Learn a little bit of foreign lingo when visiting a non-english speaking country - the locals will love you for trying. And yes they are laughing at you, not with you, but who cares :)
Bring a good book. Think again if you're thinking of bringing Shantaram or similar with 1000+ pages - while it is a fantastic, beautiful, genius read, you may as well be putting a brick in your carry on (maybe I should put this in the don'ts?).
Buy an Oyster card in London. Paper 'buy per ride' tickets are rips and alot of the machines at tube stations don't give change.
Don't
Over pack. Enough said on that.
Give your camera to anyone who asks if you want a photo taken, unless of course you think you can out-run them.
Go anywhere without a good map. You are not Bourke or Wills.
When traveling within some countries, don't buy a train ticket and expect first class means you will get a seat - sometimes it's first in best dressed! But traveling in the aisle of a train isn't so bad if you have a comfy bag to sit on.
Finally don't be too organised with your travel plans. One of the best things about traveling is the spontaneity, freedom and surprises. You want to be flexible, especially if you like a place well enough to stay longer.
Stay safe and happy travels!!
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