It’s vacation time! You’ve dealt with the stresses of getting to and through the airport, and survived the horrors of flying in cramped conditions with noisy travellers. Now it’s time to disembark, stretch your legs, and finally begin your holiday!
But as you’re gathering your belongings from the overhead storage bins and beneath the seat in front of you, are you sure you have everything you need? What if your passport slipped out of your travel bag during transit? What if it’s raining? Do you know where you’re going? While many of these things are simple problems that will never affect you personally, it can be surprising how many people are caught off guard by simple problems once they reach their destination, and though you might be prepared with your passport in hand and your trusty windproof umbrella tucked beneath your arm, it couldn’t hurt to check through our list of the things you need to make sure you have on hand when you’re getting off a plane
Inside the Airport
Travelling is a surprisingly paperwork-heavy endeavour, requiring you to juggle a veritable library of important documents that can be the difference between a carefree, life-changing experience and a horrifying stay in prison. Of all the documents you need to have on hand when you’re getting off a plane, and at every moment during transit, it is imperative you keep your passport and visa within easy reach at all times.
Domestic travel within the borders of your passport (such as flights within the US for US citizens) will usually not require more than just your passport, but for international flights, travellers will usually be required to fill in a temporary visa during your flight, which must be presented to the immigration officers at your destination.
This can be a very stressful time, with so many scrupulous people watching over everybody’s movements and scanning everything with a skeptical eye, but keeping everything together and easy to reach can vastly mitigate this stress, and leave you feeling more at ease during this process.
Outside the Airport
You’ve made it through security, and you’ve gathered your luggage and are heading to the doors of freedom, but have you forgotten anything? Like when dealing with security, it is best to know where you’re going next, which can be easily handled by keeping information such as your hotel booking details on hand. Addresses and phone numbers for the places you are staying in will make getting transport to them much easier – especially in countries that speak a different native language to your own.
Further to this, it is always handy to keep items for the final leg of your journey in easy reach, such as snacks and drinks, for if you’re looking at a long bus or taxi ride, or wet weather gear such as light rain coats or a windproof umbrella if you must make it on foot. You never truly know what will greet you on the other side, so it’s always best to prepare for the worst!
