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In just a few weeks I’m going to be heading off on my first ever overseas trip by myself, so while the weather is cold and wet, I am making travel plans. I’ve been travelling solo around NZ for years but it seems like a much bigger deal when you’re going overseas. This is really the first time I’ve travelled abroad as an adult (while I was in my 20’s last time, it doesn’t count because my dad took care of all the details), and I really wanted to share this with you in case you might be new to travelling as well!
The last time I travelled out of New Zealand was to Melbourne in Australia, about ten years ago, to celebrate my mom’s birthday. It seems only fitting that my upcoming trip is also to Melbourne, but this time it’s for something totally different. This time, I will be going over for Melbourne Fashion Week Plus, and I am super excited!
I’m a list maker, so when I started planning my trip, I made a list of all the really important things that I would need to do in advance so that I wasn’t stressing out about travel plans at the last minute and I could just enjoy the anticipation of my upcoming trip. Let me know if you have any tips of your own or if you think I’ve missed something out!
Make sure your passport is up to date
My passport expired while I was at uni and I never bothered to renew it because I couldn’t afford to travel while I was studying, so the first thing I had to do was get a new passport! I followed Shaaanxo’s advice and went for a makeup look that was relatively natural because I still wanted to look like myself in the photo (that’s essential if you’re going to make it through customs). The picture turned out okay, and now I’m ready to jump on a plane!
Book your flights
Organising the actual travel part of my trip was super easy – I went on House of Travel’s Mix & Match website, typed in when and where I wanted to travel and hit search. I like Mix & Match because it lets me compare prices from different airlines and meant that I got the best possible deal on my flights. I checked the seat width and leg room to make sure I’d have a comfortable trip (definitely one of my top tips if you’re flying while plus size!) and also made sure I pre-selected my seat so I don’t get stuck in the middle seat of a row.
Organise travel insurance
This one was a no brainer for me – I know plenty of people who have told me their travel horror stories and I wanted to make sure that if something went wrong while I was away from home I would be covered. I saw someone post on Instagram that they had sorted their travel insurance with Warehouse Money, so I looked into it and found that their cover was comprehensive, affordable (mine was under $40 for the ten days I will be away) and exactly what I was looking for. It was quick and easy to set up over the phone and they emailed me a copy of my policy straight away.
Plan your itinerary
Before I booked a place to stay, I thought about where I want to go and what I want to do while I’m there. Obviously I will have lots of things to do with Melbourne Fashion Week Plus, but I also wanted to check out the Degas exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria; eat delicious food; do some shopping and catch up with some of my friends who live in Melbourne. The reason I planned this out before booking my accommodation was that I wanted to make sure I was staying somewhere central to where I am going to be spending the most time.
Figure out where you’re going to stay
This is easily the biggest expense of my trip, so I had to make a decision about whether I wanted luxury accommodation (um, always!) or to be able to shop and eat while I’m in Melbourne. As much as I love luxe accommodation, a quick check of my bank account told me that I needed to keep those costs down. A few friends recommended airbnb to find a place, where I had the option of staying in someone’s spare room or renting a whole apartment, and I also used Wotif to check out what deals I could find on hotel rooms. I wanted something that was convenient to where the runway shows will be held, so I used that as the basis for my search. I ended up finding a great deal on a nice looking apartment super close by, and I’m going to share with someone else who is coming over for MFW+.
Cash or credit?
When you book a hotel, you need a deposit when you check in to secure the room and cover any incidentals. I learned the hard way when I went to Wellington Fashion Week that if you don’t have a credit card then you will need to have cash to cover the deposit. If you’re staying somewhere for a week that is a pretty pricey outlay, so I now have a Warehouse Money Visa Card to use just for this purpose! It’s also handy to have on hand for shopping or in case of emergency. I’ll be taking cash with me as well, to use on day to day things like food and travel, because using a credit card overseas means that you will have to pay an extra transaction fee.
Do you have any travel tips you think I need to know as a first time traveller?
Any “must do/see/experience” things for while I’m in Melbourne? Let me know below!
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I use packing cells and wouldn’t go away without them. So much easier to find things in my suitcase. I keep one for smalls, one for laundry and a couple more for tops and whatever else. If I don’t use them everything in my suitcase ends up in a jumble the minute I try to find something.
I’ve never heard of those, what a great idea! My suitcase starts out nice when I pack and then ends up a disaster zone five minutes after I arrive and want to grab one thing out, so I will definitely be looking for some packing cells! Thanks Linaire 🙂
These guys often have a 3-for-1 sale on them (delete if not appropriate) http://www.kathmandu.co.nz/accessories/travel/wallets-cases-organisers/packing-cell-v2-medium-fuchsia.html
Oh rad, those look perfect! Thanks 😀
Hello, Meagan ! One thing I always do is to check how to get from the airport to the city/my hotel or appartment. It is very useful to have a global idea on the various options before the arrival and it is usually easy nowadays to find all the tips on the web. Second tip : carefully prepare what you take with you on the plane (change of clothes, medicine, a cream, a scarf, etc). I do not know the rules in your part of the world (in Europe, for security reasons, liquids are restricted on board, etc), but it is useful ot have a few things with you in case your baggage is lost or just to be more comfortable on board. Have a nice trip !
Good tip Catherine – I was actually just thinking this morning about what I am allowed to take on board (in term of liquids etc) – I will have to plan my carry on carefully!
Agree with all these tips! Some of mine:
– As well as having some idea of what you’re gonna get up to, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time for just watching the city go by – best way to get to know a place is feeling its vibe/watching its people (non-creepily).
– Also, good thing to research is also how best to get around – obvs for Melbourne that’s the trams (free on the city circle if I’m not mistaken!)
Melbourne’s such a cool little city – you’ll have a great time! Can’t wait to hear about the shows from a Plus perspective.
Thanks Donna! I love Melbourne so much, I can’t wait to be back there. Good tip about the trams – I used them a lot last time I was there and it made getting around so easy!
Entertainment Book for your area of Aussie, we go to the Gold Coast every year and purchase one and over 2-3 weeks we easily save $500.00 +. This is more if you are travelling with two, as a lot of the food is buy 1 main, get a main free, as well as discount entries to places. I might pay to check one out, cause a lot of the discounts, also give you like 25% off if just 1 person. You can go online and check out the Melbourne one, and if it is worth purchasing, just order it though a foundation who supplies them, they can get one in, usually takes about a week to get one, or purchase one over there. We then pass ours onto friends who are going over to use, when we have finished :).
What a clever idea! Thanks Jackie, I’ll have to check that out
Ahhhh, I am so glad you posted this! I leave for New Zealand in four days! My fiancee was meant to come with me but had to cancel so I will be by myself!! Thank you!
Oh that’s so exciting Annaliese! Where in NZ will you be visiting?
Thank you! I will be spending most of my time in Wellington and Christchurch!
Make sure you bring lots of warm clothes to layer up – it’s very cold here at the moment! I hope you have a great trip x
Exciting, see you soon! x
I can’t wait! you’ll have to give me all the local tips 😀
Hi Meagan, excited for you. The fashion show will be great and can’t wait to see your posts. I travel to Melbourne every few months for work. Unfortunately I haven’t seen much of the city (cos of work) but I recommend going to Emporium (luxe mall). The food area is amazing – especially one called Supercharger. And don’t forget to ask for a “skinny flat white” and not a “trim flat white” – I asked for trim and got a weird look (if you drink coffee that is). They also don’t know what jet plane lollies are. Poor wee munchkins 🙂
Ooh, will check out Emporium, thanks babe! And I don’t drink milk so I think I’ll be all good on the coffee front – make mine a long black thanks 😉
I was just in Melbourne, and am currently packing for a trip to Queensland to see mum. I fly there 2-3 times a year so I’ve got quite a routine down pat now. My favourite thing to do in Melbourne is to just wander around the laneways and little streets, there’s so much to explore. Or catch the tram to st Kilda, Brunswick, Fitzroy – so many places to see!
I wish I was coming to Queensland! I miss my family and Melbourne is as cold as Auckland haha. I’m really looking forward to exploring a few different parts of Melbourne that I didn’t get to last time though!
This is so timely I’m currently traveling UK and Europe solo.
All the above is good, but the advice I would add is to have printed copies of all confirmations (hotel booking, trains, tours ect.) so you are not reliant on electronic devices and can prove when you get overcharged.
Tell your bank where you are travelling to so if you are using credit cards/debit cards they don’t think it’s fraud and block your account. Have more than one source of money packed in different bags
And take a good camera….
Enjoy Melbourne
I will definitely be printing out hard copies before I go! Good tip about the bank – I will let them know when I get more cash before I go!
A door wedge to go under your door. Email yourself copies of everything important (itinerary, insurance, tickets, passport) so you always have an accessible copy.
Okay, I am definitely going to email myself copies of stuff, what a great idea! I never would have thought of that.
I am a nurse who does travel consults for clients travelling overseas. No matter which country you are travelling to ensure that your tetanus status is up to date (and a current year influenza immunisation is just an added bonus) For more exotic destinations, consider immunisations applicable for your itinerary and length and purpose of stay. (backpacking, medical tourism, corporate travel, adventure traveller, study tours, exchange students, and travelling with children) For countries where rabies is present consult with your travel insurer whether they will cover the cost of treatment overseas in the event that you are bitten by a mammal that is suspected/confirmed to have rabies. Also check with your insurer that you are covered in the event of injury while partaking in what they may actually consider a dangerous activity.
I could go on for a very long time about travel medicine! So keeping it short today.
That is DEFINITELY an important thing to think about! I’m up to date with all my immunisations and am not going to be taking part in anything dangerous, so I think I’m all good (for Australia at least!). Thanks for the advice 🙂
Crikey – it’s only Melbourne and not the Congo 🙂 I doubt you’ll get rabies there – probably the most toxic thing will be uber hipsters on Little Collins Street. Enjoy
Hahaha that made me laugh so hard, toxic uber hipsters. Gotta love ’em. You don’t need as many shots for Australia but it does pay to make sure your usual vaccinations are up to date regardless of where you travel!
So excited for you! I haven’t been to Melbourne yet but it looks like such a great city.
Thanks Em! I can’t wait to go back, I know it’s going to be a completely different experience to travelling there with my family ten years ago!
One question: mixandmatch travel seems to work for NZ; does anybody know of a site like that for other countries? I like the concept of not having to check myself for the two one-way fares on different airlines that would make for the cheaper return fare.
Hey Chris, check out Webjet, Momondo, and Expedia – I know that they all have international versions of their sites.
These are all great sites, but not quite like mixandmatch insofar as they do the “traditional” return flights (might be a different airline, but everything I have ever seen on them is with the same airline alliance, so not really mixing and matching as they normally share codes and it really is like booking on one airline). I really like the mixandmatch concept and will have to do some searching for that.
Not so much a travel tip as a life tip: don’t try to type them while your kids are around. I literally was typing a reply for the past 45 minutes and my boys were driving me so crazy playing video games loudly that I closed the wrong tab after yelling at them, 🙁
Abbreviated repeat of what I was going to explain in more detail (I am too irritated with myself right now to start all over):
flights.google.com – great site for comparing fares, especially for changing dates and looking at nearby cities or even just to decide where you want to go (map feature is great – you can put in dates and then zoom in where you want to go anywhere in the world and it will show you the price)
seatguru.com – helps you choose seats for your flight
look for economy plus seating – upgrade can be worthwhile
be aware of limitations of business class if you have broad hips (like my wife) – seats are wider, but sides are rigid and don’t leave room to “spread”
tripadvisor.com – lots of great tips – be wary of individual reviews, but when large numbers of travelers all like something, chances are they are not wrong
use your debit card for cash (great exchange rates), but keep in mind your daily limits and how much you’ll need
get a good travel belt – I like Rick Steves’ (for one thing, the elastic belt itself is comfortable), but there are lots of good ones out there
don’t be over-ambitious – things will take longer than you plan for, and leave time for unexpected surprises
consider cancellation policies of places you stay – advantage of a lot of hotels is that you often times have until the end of the day before to cancel (unlike places like airbnb, where often times you cannot cancel at all once you have booked) – not saying this is determining factor on where you decide to stay, but it should be a consideration
I am terrified that I am jinxing myself by saying this (and something bad will happen next time I travel), but the one thing I disagree with Meagan on is travel insurance. Chances are that you are not going to get sick enough for it to kick in, and usually the penalties to make changes is not going to be as bad as you think. If you do get it, check what it actually will cover first to make sure you are getting what you think you need.
Think that covers it, even if only at a very high level.
– Chris
Some awesome tips, thanks Chris! I’m a stickler for travel insurance because I’ve gotten very very sick while travelling before and it was such a relief to know that we didn’t have to worry about how much it cost to see doctors/get tests/get meds! Plus the insurance I got covers a lot more than medical – it means if any of my stuff gets stolen while I’m travelling I don’t have to fork out for a replacement. I have my possessions insured while I’m at home in NZ so I definitely want to have those things covered when I’m away! I agree though – it’s imperative to check what the insurance you’re getting actually covers (and how much it covers).
I travel overseas all the time and the first thing I do after booking my tickets is buy travel insurance (I used to work in the travel industry too!). Its not only the medical (which I have had to claim in for my son) and covering your stuff but it covers you if you have to cancel your trip (ie a death of a family member or illness prevents you from going), if you need to return early for similar reasons etc. For those reasons alone, theres no way I would travel or have travel booked without insurance. Ive had close family be severely out of pocket when a family member passed away and they had to rebook and pay full cost for their flights because they didnt have travel insurance!! Its such a small cost for peace of mind (ie I recently spent $180 for 2 adults, 2 kids cover for our trip to America……if we had had to cancel or delay it would have been nearly $10,000 down the gurgler just in flights and accommodation).
Smart thinking Amy, that’s one of the main reasons I get travel insurance as well. It’s such a small price to pay but can save you so much and gives you great peace of mind if things go pear shaped!
Ok; I get what you are talking about. This is comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical, and I agree completely about that (though I get it through my automobile club which covers all medical insurance when travelling abroad). Travel insurance for flights/hotel I don’t bother with, as I don’t find it worthwhile for the reasons noted above.