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Once you’ve decided what you wish to do and where you want to travel to, there are several important tasks that will prepare you for your journey.

Of course it’s vital that you ensure that your passport is up-to-date and isn’t likely to expire before you are due to return. You should also make sure that you have the required visas and appropriate travel insurance.

One of the things that helps me to prepare for a journey is to research my destination and other places that I may visit on the way. I don’t just mean finding out about the best hotels and restaurants (although I do that too!); I mean looking into the local culture, seeing if there are any environmental issues and getting to know something about the local political climate.

Taking time to learn something about the places that I intend to travel to helps me to settle in much more quickly, alerts me to any local problems and helps me to be aware of local customs. I also like to become familiar with enough of the local language to get by during the first couple of days of my visit. Even just knowing the words for hello, please and thank you can make a big difference to how you are seen by the locals.

Time invested before the journey can pay huge dividends and make your trip so much more enjoyable.

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