Written by: Emily Vaden 

Our goal at AdventureWomen is to prepare you to expect the unexpected. Adventure travel is both exciting and unpredictable, but it’s those unexpected moments that can make the best memories – after the fact! We have compiled a list of our top five travel tips and tricks so that you can feel prepared when embarking on your adventures, whether that be to somewhere in the US like Utah, or an international destination such as Japan or Croatia. 

 

Here Are Our Top 5 Travel Tips:
 

Tips to be Comfortable for Long Flights and Walking Around

Bring an eye mask and ear plugs for the plane, bus, train, and even hotel room. Also, wear comfy shoes! Many of our trips involve a lot of walking, especially around cities, even on our moderate AdventureWomen trips. Bring a sturdy pair of walking shoes – they don’t have to be hiking shoes or boots, but they should be supportive for your foot type and provide ankle support. Make sure they are well broken in, too! 

 

International Travel Tip: Practice the Local Language

A few key phrases can go a long way if you find yourself in an unfamiliar setting. It’s also nice to know a little bit about the place you’re going, even if it’s in the United States! You’ll be one step ahead, and you’ll be able to get the most out of your local guide’s insider knowledge.
 

Invest in Travel Insurance

Here at AdventureWomen, we believe that travel insurance is the most important part of your trip even if you don’t think you will ever need it. We recommend it to all our travelers because it can provide comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong or the unexpected happens. 

Our team at AdventureWomen uses TravelGuard for our own travel needs, but we encourage you to shop around for the policy that best suits your individual needs and budget. Travel insurance policies differ greatly based on needs, preferences, and other factors. There are often several components of coverage, and different policies provide varying coverage levels for each of these components.  Coverage can include some or all of the following: 

• Trip cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances such as sickness or injury 
• Trip interruption 
• Trip delay 
• Missed connection 
• Medical expense coverage during your trip 
• Emergency evacuation 
• Baggage and personal effects loss  
• Baggage delay  

There are a wide variety of policies to choose from with varying coverage levels, and pricing varies accordingly. Insurance will not cover all situations, but it will give you peace of mind if you need to cancel, have delays, missed connections, or interruptions during your travels. 

AdventureWomen Pro tip: Take a picture of your luggage. If your bag gets lost, a photo will help to identify it more easily and speed up the process of having your travel insurance reimburse you. 

  

AdventureWomen’s Top Flight Tips

When you are booking airfare, make sure you leave ample time between connecting flights. How much time is a personal preference, but at least two hours is helpful. This gives you a buffer if your flight is delayed due to weather or a mechanical issue.  

Our second flight-related tip is to use Exito, AdventureWomen’s travel partner, to book your flights. This is a lifesaver if you would rather not deal with increasingly complicated routes and connections. Often, they can find better rates because of their airline partnerships, but the number one reason to book with them is that they always have your back. If your flight is delayed, cancelled, or rerouted; or if you miss a connection, Exito will work with you and with the AdventureWomen office around the clock to find an alternative. It’s a life (and stress) saver!

 

Collect & Share Memories From Your Trip

Google Photos has become our go-to app for uploading and sharing photos with your fellow AdventureWomen, and guests receive the link to their trip’s album prior to the trip. You can post pictures privately for your group and comment on the photos that you and others upload. This is great for solo travelers, as you can leave the trip with a bunch of great photos of yourself and the group. Best of all, you can download the pictures you want to keep once you get home. We love it! 

   

Happy adventuring!