19th March 2014
Even with the best planning, trips abroad can go awry. Thinking through possible problems first makes it much easier to solve them if they occur and means they are much less of a worry – not just for the traveler, but also for people back home. With good preparation, most common problems can be sorted out quite quickly and without causing serious interruption to travel plans.
MISSING CONNECTIONS
Delayed trains or getting stuck in traffic mean that even the best organized travelers sometimes miss connections. This can feel like a disaster, but it’s usually pretty easy to fix. The first thing to do is to go to the ticket desk. Train companies will usually exchange tickets with no fuss if another train caused the problem. Travelers who were simply late can sometimes negotiate discounts on tickets for later trains. Late airline passengers will usually be transferred to the next available flight. This is sometimes free and certainly worth haggling over.
LOSING DOCUMENTS
It’s a good idea to keep photocopies of all important documents in case they are lost or stolen. This can help with getting things like airline tickets replaced. If a passport is lost, it’s important to call the embassy straight away. This will decrease the chance of it being used for criminal purposes and the embassy will normally be able to provide emergency travel documents.
LOSING LUGGAGE
To decrease the risk of luggage going permanently astray, it’s important to make sure it’s properly tagged, with more than one label per item. Most of the time, if it does go missing, it will turn up in the right place after a couple days, so it’s best to tell the airline about the problem immediately and then keep calling to enquire. It’s always a good idea to carry a piece of hand luggage containing a change of clothes and any vital items like medication.
FALLING ILL
A good medical insurance arrangement will include cover when abroad and often this can be negotiated in advance of the trip. Most countries provide emergency care at no cost or present a bill afterwards rather than requiring money up front. Developing countries may not have strong regulations around the sale of medicine, however, so it’s best to get prescriptions filled at a hospital or in a major city pharmacy to be sure of getting the right thing.
RUNNING OUT OF MONEY
Even carefully planned budgets sometimes prove insufficient when unexpected expenses arise, and sometimes overspending by small amounts becomes a habit that’s only noticed when there’s nothing left. Arranging an overdraft or extending a credit card limit from abroad can be difficult. How long does it take to transfer money? Services like Trans-Fast money transfer provide a speedy solution by enabling friends or relatives back home to send money quickly in an emergency. This could be enough to pay for an early ticket home or to make it possible to complete the planned trip after all.
Having this information and planning accordingly means that problems don’t have to turn into crises and concern doesn’t need to become panic. It means that travelers can focus on what really matters – the thrill of the journey.
