So many of us have had our travel plans postponed due to the virus sweeping the globe (and for the sake of the tourism industry, please DELAY your trip don’t CANCEL it).
So if you’re bottled up wanderlust is raising your blood pressure, or if your itch for travelling is not being satisfactorily scratched, we have some tips that will keep you going whilst the rest of the world goes mad around us.
- Learn a new language
What better chance do we have to finally learn some of that language you’ve always wanted to speak? We don’t know about you, but we HATE being in a foreign country and not being able to say at least a few words. Learning a language online or through mobile apps like Duolingo will help you get to grips with the lingo, and save any embarrassing fumbling through phrase-books or turning to Google Translate.
Our top ten words and phrases to learn before visiting somewhere new; ‘hello’, ‘thank you’, ‘excuse me’, ‘please’, ‘how much..?’, ‘where is..?’, ‘goodbye’, ‘toilet’ (!), ‘yes’ and ‘no’, and (always regretfully) ‘do you speak English?’
- Watch the telly
You can get some great inspiration for your next holiday just from watching the TV, and we’re not just talking dedicated travel shows like Richard Ayoade’s ‘Travel Man’.
‘The Beach’ will make you fall in love with the islands of Thailand (at least, until the film goes off the rails), ‘The Inbetweeners 2’ tours Australia, whilst ‘Eat Pray Love’ sings the virtues of long-term travel. Even National Lampoon’s European Vacation might make you reassess London… There are countless films and TV shows that will make you ready to push off the sofa and escape as soon as we’re able to again.
- Reminisce about your last vacation
Go through old photo albums or social media posts and relive some of your earlier travel experiences. Re-read your travel journal (if you don’t keep one, you should give it some thought for the future), dig out those holiday knick-knacks. Why not track down friends you made whilst travelling on social media and give them a call? We live in interesting times and everyone across the globe is being affected by the same issues right now, and its bringing the world just a little bit closer together.
- Plan your next holiday
Sounds obvious, but just because your current plans are delayed doesn’t mean you can’t plan for the next one. Make a list of your dream destinations. If you’re self-isolating with family, get each of them to make a wish-list in secret and then see where you match up.
When you’ve chosen a destination, check online for things to do whilst you’re there. Phone our travel teams up (trust me, they’d LOVE to hear from you) and get some prices. They can also give you a heads up on hotels, activities, and travel costs.
Planning early will whet your appetite, and when it’s eventually clear for you to head off, you’ll be better prepared than ever.
