Tips To Help You Community Members Plan Their Overseas Trip This Summer
By Prithvi Rao
Planning an overseas trip this summer? Whether you’re travelling for a holiday, visiting family and friends, or attending a special event, there are a few important checks that could save you time, money and stress.
Research your destination
Familiar destination? Don’t skip the research. Even if you’ve visited before or have local tips from family and friends, travel conditions and entry requirements can change. Check the latest Smartraveller advice before you book.
Dual citizenship can affect your travel plans
You may be a dual national through birth, descent or marriage without knowing it. Your citizenship may affect which passport you should use when entering, leaving or travelling between countries. If you’re unsure, contact the relevant embassy or consulate before you travel. Allow plenty of time if you need to apply for or renew a passport.
Travel insurance
Every trip comes with risks. Travel insurance is essential, even if you’re travelling somewhere you’ve visited before or think is safe. Without the right insurance, unexpected medical bills, cancelled flights or lost luggage could cost you thousands of dollars. Make sure your policy covers all destinations on your itinerary, including stopovers, and any activities you plan to do.
Plan for delays
International travel can be disrupted by delayed flights, missed connections, bad weather or other unexpected events. Leave extra time between connecting flights, especially if you’re travelling through busy airports, and arrive early for departure. Check whether your travel insurance covers delays and cancellations and consider flexible fares where possible. A little extra planning can make it easier to deal with unexpected changes to your travel plans.
Help young travellers prepare
If you’re a young Australian heading overseas for the first time, or helping a young traveller prepare for their trip, TravelSmarts is a useful place to start.
Designed with young travellers in mind, the free interactive ‘choose your own adventure’ learning tool explores realistic situations they could face overseas and asks: What would you do?It’s particularly useful for people preparing for Schoolies, a gap year or another big overseas trip.
Visit Smartraveller and subscribe for updates
Smartraveller.gov.au provides official Australian Government travel advice for more than 175 destinations. Travel advice, entry requirements and local conditions can change after you’ve booked, so check the latest advice before you leave and subscribe to free email alerts to stay informed before and during your trip.
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