You need a preparation when you travel to a place for the first time. First is the kind of food that they can offer, the transportation, places of interest, and your accommodation. Don’t be surprised, it is better to know what to excpect. Where before, we just order food that looks good in the picture of the menu, we now know what it is because of the research. With places of interest, we always have a list of where to go particularly tourists spots near our accommodation. It’s good to have knowledge about the place so you can make adjustments and avoid roaming with no direction.
One piece of advice I could offer would be to look online for community forums relevant to the destination you're headed to. Make friends with active members and see if you can't pick their brains for the good places to eat and find recreation. Every major city on the planet has the same fast-food tourist traps. You need to go down the backstreets to find the good stuff and having a local's advice on that is invaluable.
I do research on the places that I am going to travel to. I look for things to do and what amenities the place has. I like to go to the destination's website and look for areas of interest so I know if they offer the types of things we like to do and whether it has family friendly activities. I find it much easier to create an itinerary when I do research of the area we are wanting to visit.
If I am going somewhere that I have not been to before, I usually have been reading about this place for a while before I even think about going there, and have some good reason for the trip. Before I would go anywhere, I also would learn as much as I can about places I want to see and things that I want to do when I am on the trip, and this way, I can enjoy as much of the natural sights and scenery as is possible during a short trip. it is also good to know what the weather is going to be like when you are there so that you bring the right kind of clothes for the temperatures.
I would only go to a new place if I have read somewhere online that it's a good place to visit. Then I try to make some friends online that stay near the place and others who also want to travel there. Since I already have people who know the place and where to find good food and accommodation, then it won't be a big problem anymore.
Travelling to a new place for the first time is always very exciting and fun. I have so many wonderful memories of this. Especially if I travel as part of a group like family or friends. There is this child-like happiness at exploring new places. However, it is very important to plan ahead for things like emergencies. It is a new place and if anything goes wrong, it will be easy to get or find help quickly. Also very important, never go on a trip alone without letting someone know where you are going and when you are expected to be back. They can be aware if you don't arrive at the planned date that something is wrong.
I agree, research is essential if you want your travel to be well organized. You also stand to save money if you research the prices of food and hotels and go for the best bargains.
Research definitely is a very good idea. I like to go with a group of people from home, so you won't be alone. It's hard when the country you go to speaks a different language too, so I like to go with a tour group that the agent speaks English. I thing it's nice to go to places that is modern for I don't like to go to countries where they don't have hospitals, safe food and friendly people, I'm not that adventurist. I'd rather ride a taxi than a camel, lol.
Travelling somewhere for the first time is not easy at all. I mean one need lots of preparation. One need to know about food items, sight seeing places , transportation and many more. Normally I love to travel alone with my planning to save money. But if I am going somewhere for the first time and all things are quite new for me then I will spend more and go with package touring where all things are pre-planned with eating and transportation. By this way I may have to spend more money but it seems more convenient.
I guess an important thing to consider is if you are traveling alone, with someone, or with a group of people. I think your decisions will differ greatly depending on these situations. Traveling alone is the most difficult in my opinion. You have to do everything yourself and it's much more scary to go somewhere for the first time. You have to take care of yourself. But from travels, I learned that it is very important to have your valuables with you all the time. Close to your body so won't lose it. I always have a small body bag where my passport, money, and cellphone are. Of course doing a little research about the place will help so you can make plans, save time, and know what to and not to expect.
I do a little research before I go so I have things to look out for, but don't forget not everything is online especially in smaller towns. You can find hidden gems by asking locals or walking around and seeing a local restaurant that is busy, which usually means it's good. I do always print out a map so I know how to get back to my hotel, and I don't stray too far and take the number of a cab company just in case I need one.
We have always opted for package tours and so the nitty gritty of planning the itinerary per se was not there But the excitement was certainly there visiting any place for the first time. We had several firsts as we have gone on many holidays.
For me it's not a problem to travel to unknown places as it's part of my job and either I have my contacts in those places or I get used to the local traditions. As far food is concerned I am a vegetarian so I have learned the ways how to live even if where people eat mostly non-vegetarian foods. I can live on bread, butter, milk and fruits for a long time without making any complaints. As far local places the modern technology allows you to find your way around.
