Are you dreaming about traveling the world and becoming a professional traveler, but are unsure how to go about it?
If that sounds like you, this post has got you covered.
I’ve been traveling with my family for over 14 years now and along the way have learned a thing or two!
Whether you want tips on how to travel like a pro or a list of money-making ideas to make world travel a reality, read on!
As Helen Keller said;
What is a Professional Traveler?
You can define the term ‘professional traveler’, one of two ways;
- A long term traveler who knows all the tips and tricks of traveling and is, therefore, a travel ‘pro’
- Someone who makes money as a professional traveller (gets paid to travel)
I’m going to be covering both aspects in this post, however I have another post detailing 16 ways to get paid to travel around the world if you’re looking specifically for ways to start a travel career.
10 Tips to Travel Like a Professional Traveler
1. Be Prepared
A professional traveler is always prepared.
- They know they have well over 6 months left in their passport.
- They’ve researched the visa and entry requirements to the countries they’re visiting and have completed all necessary paperwork.
- They have spare passport photos for countries with visas on arrival.
- They have some cash in local currency and a travel card which doesn’t charge for international transactions (see point 3)
- They have adequate travel insurance (see point 2)
- They’ve downloaded Express VPN or something similar to their phone (see point 7)
- They’ve unlocked their phone so as to use local sims to save money (see point 8)
The chances are they’ll also have a pre-prepared packing list for their travel essentials and know exactly what to take for which climate.
I’ve been caught out multiple times by forgetting my contact lens solution or glasses and once I went to Spain on a trip with my Mum and forgot all my underwear!
Of course, you can buy almost anything you forget, but it’s best to be prepared.
2. Have Adequate Travel Insurance
A professional traveler will always ensure they have adequate travel insurance for the countries they’re visiting and the activities they will be undertaking.
My recommended insurance company for professional travelers is;
3. Have Some Local Currency & a Travel Card
Although very much in the minority these days, some developing countries may not have an ATM at the airport or a way to get cash.
In fact, when traveling home to the UK during the pandemic for a family emergency, the ATMs at Heathrow weren’t working and I was unable to access cash at a major UK airport!
Luckily I had some cash reserves with me and of course my debit and credit cards, but it pays to be prepared when it comes to traveling to unknown countries.
It’s best to go to banks, credit unions, or exchanges in your hometown before traveling to the airport as airport exchanges notoriously charge more to exchange your funds.
You can exchange funds online but again the rates are less favorable.
Recommended travel cards that give you the option of paying in the local currency (using the Interbank Exchange rate, as opposed to an inflated exchange rate set by merchant), include;
4. Travel Lightly
A professional traveler travels lightly. A couple of years back my sister & I made a 3 week trip across Nepal, India & the Maldives with nothing more than a 7kg backpack each.
I guarantee you need less than you think you do!
Traveling lightly means not having to wait for your luggage when you get to your destination country, no lost luggage issues and you have everything you need in one simple bag.
5. Take Minimal Liquids in Clear Bag
A professional traveler always ensures they have minimal liquids, pre-packed in a clear bag they can access quickly and easily when traveling through airport security.
NB: This matters less in developing countries, however, the big airports are very hot on separate liquids.
6. Know How to Access Lounges
A professional traveler knows that even if they’re not traveling business or first class, they can pay to access most lounges in airports. Therefore on a layover of 3 or more hours will likely take advantage of the airport lounges to eat, drink & freshen up before their connecting flight.
Some of the travel cards mentioned above also give discounted access to airport lounges including Revolut & Monzo.
7. Know When to Board a Plane
If a flight is not busy, a professional traveler knows to wait until everyone has boarded so they can spy any empty rows or better-spaced seats to make the flight more comfortable.
If the flight is busy, a professional traveler knows to board early to ensure they can stow their bag in front of them and not get stuck trying to retrieve their bag from behind them when the flight lands.
(The devil is in the details! 😉)
8. Have a VPN Downloaded on Your Phone
When traveling across the globe you’ll very likely be working in public places, need to view local sites in English, access bank accounts, need to stream Netflix from your home country and all sorts of other reasons that make having a VPN handy.
I’ve tried a few VPN providers over the years but Express VPN has repeatedly outperformed them all.
Here’s a more in depth post on the best VPNs for Nomads.
9. Purchase a Local Sim or Esim
Depending on where you’re from and what phone operating contract you have determines your roaming rates.
In my experience roaming rates are extortionate and there’s a far cheaper way of staying in touch and accessing WiFi while overseas.
In most countries around the world, you’ll likely be offered a local Sim as you move through the airport. If not, there’ll be a phone store not too far away!
In French Polynesia, we were sailing in the middle of the Pacific and had to get a prepaid mobile dongle to access the internet. Where there’s a will there’s a way.
Depending on the kind of trip you’re taking, sometimes it’s nice to not access the internet and have a bit of a break. But if you’re running an online business as we are, then access to the web is essential.
Most local sim providers are cheap and reliable, but it pays to do a bit of research before you head to the destination country to ensure you get the one with the widest net reach.
Nowadays you can use an esim provider like Airalo. Download the app, and purchase your sim package before you’ve even boarded the plane, then just turn it on when you get there. I’ve used this now for both Singapore and Japan and it worked a treat!
Just make sure your phone isn’t tied to your home country contract and can be used with another sim.
10. Have the Hotel Name Written in Local Language
Either use Google Translate or as soon as you enter the country or even on the plane, or find someone local who also speaks English and get your hotel name written on your phone or a piece of paper in the local language.
Trying to tell a poor Vietnamese taxi driver the name of our hotel when we arrived late in the evening, and then having to use google maps in the dark to attempt to direct him was enough for me to always do this when arriving in a non-English speaking country.
11. Learn a Few Words of the Local Lingo
A professional traveler will have studied the basics of the local foreign language, such as “hello’, ‘goodbye’, ‘thank you’ and ‘please’.
If you’re a true professional you’ll also have learned how to ask for a cold beer, but that’s another post!
When my sister and I were on one of our annual ‘sisters on tour’ trips, we’d adopted a habit of asking the airport staff as we entered each country how to say ‘Hello’.
On arriving at Singapore which is primarily an English-speaking country, my sister duly asked the immigration office ‘how do you say hello here?’. He looked blankly back at her and said, ‘Hello’.
She went a shade of pink I have never seen and we both laughed our way out of the airport.
Still, it always pays to ask!
12. Only Book 1 or 2 Nights Initially
A professional traveler who is moving from town to town or country to country in fairly rapid succession will only book a hotel for one or two nights initially to ensure they’re in the right place and that they like the area.
Arriving in Bagan, Myanmar some years ago, we found we were in the middle of a dusty building site quite a way from where we wanted to be.
Luckily we had only booked one night and the next morning while on a sunrise hot air balloon ride, I spotted the hotel I wanted to stay in from the air!
Right in the middle of all the temples and stupas, it was magical and we had an amazing stay.
It wouldn’t have been so fabulous if we were already booked and paid at the other place!
13. Research Forums & Groups to Find a Local to Be Your Tour Guide
There are two ways a professional traveler will approach sightseeing and exploring the local area.