More and more of us are travelling overseas these days, and it’s not just to Bali or Fiji. We’re venturing further afield to the continents of Europe, North and South America and even to Africa. We’re jet setting off to exotic destinations that some of us never dreamed would be possible. However when it comes to travel the exciting part, but also the most difficult part, is planning and preparing for an overseas holiday.

Back in the olden days we would seek the services of a Travel Agent and they would arrange everything from flights, accommodation, car rental, train tickets, visas to group tours. However these days with the assistance of the internet, Google and the plethora of travel booking sites, many of us are making our own travel arrangements. The advantage of this is that it can give us better deals, more flexibility and the ability to plan our own travel itinerary.

Here are my tips for planning and preparing for an overseas holiday:

Booking Flights

Once you decide on a travel destination you can either spend hours looking at individual airlines or search for the best deal on flights with an airfare comparison website. The beauty of this is that the site looks for the best deals on air fares and allows you to compare, combine and book the best domestic and international travel flight deals. Also some of the sites offer great travel package deals.

Booking Accommodation

Decide on what type of accommodation you would like and work out your budget. There are plenty of options to choose from including, Airbnb rooms or apartments, hotels, holiday apartments, B&Bs, holiday home rentals, guesthouses, house swapping, housesitting, hostels or motorhome rental, if you want to move around.

If you’re on a strict budget you can look at house swapping or housesitting, where the cost of your accommodation is nil. There are plenty of reputable websites that provide this service. I personally know of a couple of housesitters that have travelled all over the world utilising this option.

Otherwise if you want the flexibility of moving around a particular country or countries, with both transport and accommodation combined, then a motorhome may be a good option for you.

Once again, there are plenty of accommodation booking sites that compare hotels, but I would also consider getting a price directly off the hotel, because they can be more competitively priced.

Booking Travel Packages

If you’d prefer packaging your overseas holiday, with everything included, like air fares, accommodation and tours, then there are some fantastic Webjet exclusives travel packages available. The beauty of this is that it takes the headache out of making all of the decisions and arrangements yourself. Generally travel packages are first-class and offer luxury accommodations, flights with reputable airlines and the best tours and attractions.

Preparing for Your Overseas Holiday

Once you have all your travel plans sorted, type up an itinerary and ensure that there are no gaps in the dates and that they correspond with the dates on your airlines tickets and accommodation booking confirmations.

Other things to be considered prior to overseas travel include:

• Is your passport up to date? Most countries require that your passport is valid for at least 6 months.
• Do you need a visa for the country you’re visiting? If so make sure you apply for a visa in plenty of time prior to setting off.
• Do you need any vaccinations as a precaution for the country you’re visiting? Check if these are required.
• Check your luggage restrictions and weights prior to packing. All airlines differ.
• Organise your money so that you have some cash in the local currency and/or a travel cash card.
• Check dress standards for certain countries and also the weather forecasts to ensure you pack the appropriate clothing.
• Arrange travel insurance as you never know what may happen.
• Book car rentals and train fares at your destination if you’re intending to travel between cities in the countries you’re visiting. Anyone hiring a car abroad should be aware of overpriced additional ‘excess’ charges from car rental companies. You can save up to 70% if you purchase independent Car Hire Excess Waiver Insurance.
• Ensure you have all of your travel documents in order and with you in a folder or travel wallet.
• Prepare yourself for a long haul flight ensuring you have all your necessary items like, mobile phones in custom phone cases, a warm jacket, socks, small amount of toiletries to freshen up, medications, sweets, water bottle (refillable), book, magazines, etc to get you through the flight.
• Once you arrive at the overseas airport you may require transport from the airport to your accommodation. It is sometimes easy to jump on a train or bus, or otherwise book a car with a reputable company. Having a driver waiting for you at the airport is a blessing in disguise.
• You can pre-book tours at your destination prior to travel, however I prefer waiting until I arrive as it gives you the chance to shop around.

When You Arrive At Your Destination

Once you get off your flight, get your luggage, jump on your transfer transport and check into your accommodation, but don’t go straight to bed if it’s still daytime. I know how tired you’ll feel after a long haul flight and jet lag may set it, but try to stay up and awake to reset your body clock to the local time. Take a short stroll and explore your area, have a meal and plenty of water, (as you may be dehydrated after the flight). Getting your body moving after being sedentary for such a long length of time is one of the best things you can do.

The thrill of arriving in a new overseas country is incredible. It’s a whole new world opened wide for you to discover. It’s new smells, new sounds, new sights, new textures and new flavours! With good planning and preparation it can be the holiday experience of a lifetime.

This article is a Webjet paid promotion and was written in collaboration with Webjet. As always, all opinions are my own.

This post is part of the Lovin’ Life Linky with a Lovin’ Life Team of the “ageing positively” kind who love to promote a Lovin’ Life mindset.

The Lovin’ Life Team includes:

Lyndall from SEIZE THE DAY PROJECT