Traveling is a beautiful thing, but if you’ve never ventured outside your neck of the woods, it can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you’re stepping foot onto a plane for the first time, too. There’s so much planning and preparation that goes into traveling that you might not even know where to begin! That’s why I’ve compiled this list of tips for first time travelers to help you navigate your trip with ease.

• Pack lightly.
  • When you’ve never traveled before, it can feel like no matter how much you bring you still might have forgotten something. However, chances are that whatever you end up bringing, you’ve still probably brought too much. Bring only enough clothes for a few days with the understanding that, when they’re dirty, you’ll wash them and wear them again. You also don’t need more than a pair or two of shoes throughout your trip, which can save you some luggage space, too.
• Bring your camera.
  • When you travel, you might be tempted to purchase tchotchkes and souvenirs to commemorate your trip. However, at the end of the day what’s really going to help you remember your vacation will be the pictures you take and the memories you’ve made. One of the best things you can bring with you when you travel is your camera, and extra batteries and memory cards won’t hurt either — you don’t want to have to decide what pictures to delete while trying to capture the perfect moment.
• Arrive at the airport early.
  • If your vacation includes flying, you want to make certain that you leave yourself plenty of time before your flight to get there early, get checked in, and have a nice window before your flight departs. While it may be annoying sitting in the airport for an hour or two before you leave, it’s definitely far more annoying to miss your flight and have your plans ruined because you didn’t leave yourself enough time.
• Go off the map.
  • When traveling to new places, especially in other countries, it can be comforting and easy to get stuck in the tourist traps and commercialized areas because they feel familiar. However, you decided to take a vacation and travel so you could experience new things and see foreign sights, so make sure you don’t forget to do that. Try eating somewhere off the grid that the locals enjoy. You’ll branch outside of your comfort zone, make memories, and might even find a new favorite dish!

Don’t forget to check out my upcoming post – First Time Traveling Mistakes to Avoid!