When you’re traveling within the EU or to North America, chances are that the preparation required for your trip will be a lot less than if you are planning on travelling to many places in the rest of the world. However, if you’re travelling outside the EU, you’ll still need to do some basic preparation, like checking changes in visa requirements, booking single trip travel insurance, and other more simple tasks, like packing appropriate to your destination’s weather and arranging accommodation and transport.

This article will give some suggestions for going to places that might have more complicated pre-travel requirements, like countries that require vaccinations and proof of single trip travel insurance before visas can be issued.

Tip #1: Keep an Eye on Embassy and Travel websites

Keeping an eye on the UK’s Foreign Travel Advice website is a good idea, especially if you think the area to which you want to travel might be effected by anything that may impact your journey. You can get good advice about areas that are safe to pass through, or other areas that you should avoid. For most countries and regions, this won’t be necessary, but if you’re unsure, it’s always a good idea to check.

Tip #2: Book Single Trip Travel Insurance

If you don’t travel outside the EU very often, it might not be necessary to invest in a yearlong policy, and you can simply opt for booking single trip travel insurance. This is normally only necessary if you’re leaving the EU, since health cover within the EU is normally covered; you just have to get an insurance card, which can usually be obtained at your local post office. For some places, showing proof of cover is a requirement in order to be approved for a visa.

Tip #3: Understanding the Language

Don’t be sure you’ll be able to find English speakers everywhere you go; learning a bit of the local language can really make people feel like you’re making the effort to make the most of your trip and respect local traditions and cultures. It’s polite to learn common courtesies like greetings, please and thank yous in the language of the place you’re visiting.

Tip #4: Be aware of visa and vaccination requirements

This is sometimes unnecessary, and many places don’t require any strict pre-visa requirements – some visas can simply be purchased at the border for a small fee. However, some places require that you apply beforehand and also might require a health check. To travel to Turkey, for example, you can just buy a visa at the border, but now to travel to the USA visitors are required to register and pay for a visa up to several weeks before boarding a plane.