Flying, driving and living away from home: What to research before departing home
If you’ve never been to the country you’re about to visit before, you can’t really be sure of what you’ll find there. There can be a lot of great things waiting for you, but some rather awful experiences as well. It’s for you to decide which side of that coin your trip lands on. What you can be certain of is this: The only way in which you will be completely satisfied with your trip is by researching all the important details before leaving home. Nothing beats odds of failure like preparation. Just like you would prepare your usa esta before trying to get into the U.S., so should you prepare before landing on whatever exotic beach or fascinating mountain countryside you want to visit.
photo Ged Carroll
Driving regulations, are there any?
This is a very important matter if you decide to take your own vehicle overseas. Some prefer to just rent a car but there are also some that can’t be separated from their “baby”. If your car is very important to you and you’d like it to be part of your travels, you should inquire about a couple of things before actually shipping it abroad or driving it there.
- Which side of the road do they drive on?
- Are there any other drastic traffic rules that are different from the ones at home?
- Is my car legally eligible for using the local roads?
- Do I have the necessary insurance and paperwork to ride my car over there?
Drinking can be a fun time, but it can also be a bad time
Whether or not you will regret drinking abroad or clap for yourself after a terrific night out, you should know that alcohol is a strong theme that constantly pops up across all country laws. What this means is that different countries may have different opinions on alcohol, but they usually do have a strong opinion about it. One way or another, you might be confronted with the issue of not being able to drink, or only being able to drink under specific circumstances. This is both an inconvenience and a high legal risk. And since being the target of the local authority’s frowning gaze is probably not your purpose, you are better off not drinking at all. If you can avoid it, do it. If not, research beforehand and find out whether or not you are legally allowed to drink.
What to take away from this
Hopefully, you were able to take something away from all this. But if you are only going to take one thing and one thing only away from this entire piece, make sure it’s this: All travels have the potential of being fantastic and miserable at the same time. Understanding the laws that govern your travel destination is the key to safely treading unknown territory and making the best of your time spend away from home. If you just wing it or show no interest in how the place you’re visiting applies the law, you might be in for some unpleasant surprises later on.
Author: Huzaifa Javaid
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