The days before setting off on a trip, whether long or short, are always a little chaotic, because there are so many things to do before you leave. Once you are on your way, if everything has been organised properly, that slight pre-departure “worry” gives way to the excitement of a new journey and the places you will soon be visiting. If you set off on a tour organised by Guiness you can rest assured that visits, transport, the places not to be missed, hotels and meals will be taken care of down to the last detail, and all you will have to do is enjoy the moment. There are, however, a few things to pay attention to before you leave, so as to avoid problems on the day of departure or during the trip.

Check the weather before you leave

Whether your destination is the warm Mediterranean or you decide to brave the cold of the Nordic capitals in winter, always check the weather before you leave. That way you can choose the most suitable clothing to pack and be equipped for high temperatures, rain or snow. To make the most of the visits you have planned, whether museums, archaeological sites or breathtaking landscapes, remember to pack comfortable shoes suitable for walking and for the temperatures at your destination. If you have visits to churches or other places of worship planned, take a garment you can keep in your bag and put on when needed.

Make sure you have all your documents

It may seem unreal, but it often happens that travellers, even the most experienced, arrive at passport control with a document that has expired or is about to expire (before the end of the trip). In such cases the problem is not easily solved. Before you leave, check that all your documents are in order: passport, identity card and driving licence. During the trip, especially if your itinerary takes you outside Italy, it is best to keep your essential documents in different places (wallet, document holder, hotel safe); that way, in the unfortunate event that you fall victim to theft, you will still have a valid document for repatriation and avoid a visit to the local consulate or embassy.

Think about medicines

On holiday we always hope to stay well and not fall ill, but it does happen, especially when travelling with children, that someone feels unwell; so before you leave it is a good idea to draw up a short list of the medicines you need and, if necessary, consult your doctor (also with regard to your destination). If you take medication regularly, remember to bring it with you: abroad it may be hard to find.

Calling from abroad

Although in recent years it has become easier to phone from abroad and telephone companies guarantee affordable rates throughout Europe, make sure your phone works at your destination too, and that your tariff plan includes calls and messages.

Currency

If you are travelling internationally outside the EU, remember to check the exchange rate and set off with some cash in the currency of the country you are visiting. It is true that there are cash machines, credit cards and bureaux de change, but having some cash can always come in handy.

Capturing memories

When you get home after a trip you want to relive the emotions of the adventure by looking at the photos and videos that capture its most exciting moments. Before you leave, remember to take your camera, if you have one, and its charger, or make sure you have enough space on your phone to take new photos and videos. Do not forget your phone charger: nowadays you can find chargers for every model of phone abroad, but you will have to look for a shop that is open, and that could cost you time.

Customs and habits at your destination

Every place has its own characteristics: some may be very similar to yours, others may be completely unknown to you. Before you leave it is a good idea to find out about local customs, from whether tipping is expected in restaurants to the consumption of alcohol. A few simple notions will save you from embarrassment.

Choosing your luggage

Finally, and no less important, think carefully about which luggage to take: depending on the trip and the means of transport you have several options (hard-shell case, holdall, trolley case); if you have to check in your suitcase (or load it into the coach’s luggage hold), prepare a light bag to keep with you with your personal belongings. Do not forget to bring a rucksack or a comfortable bag that you can use during visits to carry everything you need.

Guiness Travel Tours

With tours by Guiness Travel you can book your trip and then relax, because Guiness Travel really does take care of every last organisational detail, so that all you have to do is enjoy the cultural atmosphere of the places you will visit. For Guiness, travelling is an educational opportunity to be savoured in every pleasant moment, and it means being pampered with every kind of comfort; the only way to guarantee the well-being of participants and respect for the places visited is to open the tours only to a limited number of carefully selected participants. All the itineraries in the catalogue are 100% independently planned and are carefully designed and tested, allowing the product to evolve constantly and reach a high, wide-ranging cultural level. This is why we created the Exclusive Guiness Tour, a unique travel experience, attentive to sustainability, which will give you significant advantages:
  • organisation;
  • attention to detail;
  • carefully selected services on the ground (designed to give you maximum comfort, leaving you free to think of nothing but enjoying the moment).
Thanks to the Exclusive Guiness Tour you will return home with a bag full of new and wonderful memories, immersed in the beauties of the world, thanks also to the many UNESCO World Heritage sites included in all our programmes. In fact, in all our itineraries you can see immediately how many and which UNESCO sites you will be able to visit, thanks to an intuitive user-friendly icon in the catalogue. This way, travellers know which UNESCO sites are included in their travel programme.

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