Travel is as easy or as hard as you want it to be.
Travelling from place to place is always exciting, but it’s also important to make sure you’ve packed up everything properly and haven’t left anything behind (especially anything valuable) in your current accommodation before leaving for transport to your next destination.
Because you’re a curious traveller wanting to better yourself, learn more about the world and ways to travel smarter, here are some basic sense check questions to ask yourself before leaving your accommodation.
Always try and pack your things into your bags the night before you travel to a new destination, especially if your transport, be it a bus, train or plane, is early in the morning to minimise your stress. If you’re in a hostel dorm situation, packing the night before also means less noise and annoyance to your fellow dorm guests who are still sleeping.
The last thing you want is scrambling out the door and realising you’ve forgotten something (especially if it’s valuable) half-way through your journey to your destination.
Do you have your passport?
It may sound like a no-brainer but it can happen when you least expect it, or when have totally forgotten about your passport in your rush to the airport, train or bus station! You don’t want the awkward situation where you’re approaching a border checkpoint and only just realising you’ve misplaced your passport.
Always double-check that you have your passport on your body (such as in a zipped pocket) or secured within your bag.
Have you looked under the bed?
Things can have a habit of falling slipping down the bed without you knowing. Such common things can be eye masks, ear plugs, paper tickets, cash, and clothing.
Use the torch/flashlight function of your smartphone, bend down, and visually check if anything of yours has made its way underneath the bed (besides monsters).
Have you left anything in the fridge or food cupboard?
It may not matter if you didn’t plan on taking any food with you that you didn’t want – but make sure to take the food you need for your journey.
If you don’t want to take your food, be sure to mark it as “free” (and date it so people know how long it has been there) so other guests can use it – waste not, want not after all!
Have you got all your clothes?
It doesn’t hurt to check if you haven’t left your favourite shirt or scarf behind (such as in the wardrobe, on the bed or resting on a chair).
Also check that you don’t have any laundry left hanging somewhere or still in the wash.
Have you cleared everything out of your locker (or safe)?
Use the torch/flashlight function of your smartphone to visually check and make sure you’ve gotten everything of yours from the locker or safe, especially valuables like your wallet of cash and passport.
Special mention:
Have you picked up your travel adapter/plug?
When you’re leaving your accommodation to travel to another destination, always do a sense check to make sure you’ve packed and gotten everything of yours. Ask yourself:
- Do I have my passport?
- Have I looked under the bed in case I’ve dropped something underneath it?
- Have I left anything in the fridge or food cupboard that I want for my journey?
- Have I got all my clothes?
- Have I cleared everything out of my locker (or safe)?
- Have I picked up my travel adapter/plug?
Are there other things you should check for before you leave your accommodation to travel to another destination?
Comment below to let other travellers and myself know!
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