Passport

As obvious as it may seem, we speak to far too many people who have been let down before their journey has even begun because they forgot to check that they either had packed their passport, or had enough time before it expired. Make sure that your passport is 1) valid for the entire duration of your trip and 2) it has more than 6 months date left before you leave, some borders are funny about this, so better to be safe!

Money

Again another one that you don't need to be told, make sure you are a little bit clued up on the basic living costs in your chosen destination, you don't want to get a shock at high prices found in some locations, you’re accommodation is probably already booked with Flugtube, but you still need to eat and enjoy your holiday. Budgeting is always a good idea and some simple calculations can immediately take away any worry of being left short at the bar.

Insurance

The amount of friends we come across that haven't prepared with the correct insurance is a little worrying, there are plenty of companies and providers that offer comprehensive travel insurance for all eventualities for extremely affordable prices. If you're from the U.K, we have the luxury of never having to worry about medical bills, but that can be wholly different in the rest of the world. Best to be safe and prepare before hand!

Mobile Network and Navigation

In our home countries we take for granted that we are always connected to the internet and any information we might ever want. Travelling around the E.U has vastly improved, so you're likely to be ok there, but once outside of Europe and the E.U. mobile data can become obscenely expensive, or even mobile signal may be obsolete in some destinations.

Simple precautions can be taken in order to avoid any mobile related issues arising. Go and buy a local pre-pay sim card when you arrive at your destination, you may not even need it, but keep it in your pocket for the time you do and just switch over when needed. Many airports even have vending machines by baggage claim which provide these.

Load any maps or data related activities when you are at the hostel and have wifi, or quickly go and find a cafe that also has free wifi. Try choose a friend or family member that you can notify periodically about your whereabouts and wellbeing, just to give people back home peace of mind. Even better, give them a video call at the hostel and tell them about the awesome time your having.

Clothing

Remember to check the weather of your destinations ahead of travelling, climates obviously can vary greatly and you don't want to be caught out, especially when space is so precious.Often a set of thin waterproofs can roll-up tightly and make for some great emergency protection should you get caught out in a storm.

Furthermore, don't under-estimate the power of the sun, everyone wants to feel the warmth and maybe get a great tan to take back home, but don't put your self at risk of heat stroke, from our personal experience it’s truly unpleasant. Take a hat and always use sunscreen, the sun is more enjoyable with it!

Take appropriate footwear, if you're planning to do a lot of walking, maybe on uneven ground, sandals might not be most suitable. You don't need hiking boots which weigh a ton, but a pair of trainers can go a long way in all scenarios.

Food

The importance of food is unquestionable, of course, however when travelling it is important to bear in mind that not all locations have easily accessible safe food, if you are in South-East Asia or example, you might want to take extra care when eating from a road side vendor. You will also not want to be ordering your refreshing drink with ice ideally, many countries in the developing world don't have the same rigorous water and food standards we have in the E.U. Fresh fruit which needs to be peeled can be a great choice, but make sure you have the ability to wash the outside and your hands before peeling and eating.

We recommend to carry a bottle of sealed water and a cereal or protein bar, just stuff it at the bottom of your bag and it will be there incase you need it. Maybe you have a 12 hour bus ride with limited stops, its always good to feel full.

Luggage

Never under-estimate how much space you will need, we’ve all done it. Purchasing everything we can afford along the trail, only to find out that we’ve got no space left.

Just take an extra minute to think about your luggage situation, if you are going to one city and staying in the same hostel you might not need to worry, but once you start adding multiple destinations and some being on the less travelled path, you might find that you need more clothes for different scenarios, and the souvenirs start to resemble that of a hoarder, thats fine, but pack smart, plan to use the washing machines provided at the hostels to limit your need for multiple sets of clothing.

Don't necessarily take the biggest bag you can find as it often just leads for an excuse to pack more unnecessary items, remember you've got to carry that bag around!

Visa

If you're taking advantage of our multi-stop travel platform make sure you check for any visa requirements in the different countries you’re visiting. Often visas need to be applied for in your home county, however some can be obtained upon arrival. In future we will be adding this functionality into our platform to tell you if you need a visa or not, but until then we urge you to check the requirements within ample time before travel.

World Time Changes!

Remember to keep an eye on the time-zones your crossing, in Europe alone we have seven. If you have your data turned off on your phone you might not realise that the time has changed, this can be something to think about if you have a check-in time at your hostel or you have a flight to run to.

Pillow!

Ah the humble pillow, so inconspicuous yet so majestic. Sometimes we forget that over a third of our lives are spent with our heads buried in one. Something as simple as a familiar pillow can easily bring a peaceful nights rest no matter where you find your self. While a pillow can take a lot of space in your luggage, there are options such as travel pillows, which take far less of your precious souvenir room.

We suggest getting one and sleeping with it at home for a while before you travel, then when you use it on the road it can help you drift-off peacefully with a calming memory of home.

Hammock:

If you’re planning on doing some off the trail hiking or exploring, a travel hammock can role up while taking almost no space and provide a comfortable nights sleep, especially if there are some bugs lurking on the ground.

Of course our easy solution to avoid this is to book your accommodation in one of our many hostel options!

First Aid Kit:

We’ve been surprised at some of the things we can find at home, but are simply not available else where. For example, in many european countries you can only get paracetamol and ibuprofen at the pharmacists, which usually close at 6pm. In England we can get them at petrol stations.

Filling a small pill bottle with a few essentials such as headache medicine and plasters can make a great waterproof first-aid kit that will always be accessible for those times when you really need it.

Toilet Paper!

Another one of those things that is all too easily taken for granted, until you don't have it that is. We’ve come across many a place all over the world that didn't have those essential 3 pieces of compressed paper at hand.

Packing a roll in your luggage can be a great perk to improve the comfort of your stay, of course your hostel will have it, but maybe somewhere along the journey it might come in handy.

Bonus Toilet Paper Hack!

When you finish your toilet paper, don't throw away the roll. Keep it, and along the length of the roll cut a rectangle the size of your mobile phone to make an awesome speaker to keep the party going wherever you are :)

Your countries Foreign Office website will probably have very good up to date information on specific safety information for any destination you could ever travel too.

But as always common sense prevails. If you are in a large touristic city, the busy areas are likely to be hotspots for pickpockets, this doesn't mean you have to become a victim, just take some precautions while enjoying wherever it is you are. Don't keep your wallet exposed in your back pocket for example, or in the front pocket of your backpack. And never leave your belongings anywhere out of sight, if they are not stolen, the local police may take some interest themselves. Could be a while before you get anything back.

Some countries are notorious for organised crime, we recommend to read up on local travel advice about the specific area, in anywise you can always ask at reception of your hostel and they will happily give you the best possible advice.

Just to make sure you don't have any problems make sure you read up on local laws too if you're unsure of anything, some cities it is illegal to drink on the street while others it is normal and acceptable. Sweden fro example have a zero tolerance drug policy, if you are suspected to be inebriated on an illegal substance, they are legally allowed to test you for this even if nothing is in your possession. You can subsequently be charged for an illegal substance offence if you fail the test.

Just keep your wits about you and you’ll only have nice memories of your trip!

The concept was born out of personal frustration, having endless tabs open trying to work out the best deals on multiple websites, while keeping in mind the best way to get to and link each destination together.

In the end we usually just ended up going to one destination to avoid the headache of it all, we knew that we couldn't be the only ones and there had to be a solution.

Our proprietary algorithm is based upon open-jaw technology which allows you to take a multi-stop trip often for the same price and sometimes for less than a conventional round-trip.

We wanted to simplify the process for you, the other options we found where companies specialising in round the world trips, with remade routes and itineraries, whats the point in have a life-experience if thousands of other people are experience the exact same thing?

With our platform you can either choose from our pre-made ideas or simply just try different combinations of destination that work for you. It is not necessary to choose and Australia package or a South America package, you can go from Phuket to Panama with a stop in Madrid on the way, its all so easy with Flugtube.

Couching surfing can most definitely be fun, the element of excitement and embracing the true nomadic spirit is truly attractive to some. But thats just it, in our experience you never really know what you're getting yourself into. It can also be a lonely endeavour if you get there and decide you really don't enjoy it, maybe you love it but you really don't enjoy the host and you're stuck. Furthermore, sometimes you can really end up on a couch, and small couches aren't always that comfortable to sleep on for a few nights in a row.

Hostels are for people, and people that want to meet more people. You’re never going to be lonely and you’ll always have something to do, that being said there is always plenty of opportunity for alone time should you need it. The international hostel community is made up of truly inspiring people, and we at Flugtube love to be inspired. You make friends for life and often you end up with a couch to sleep on in your new friends home countries. Hostels often provide the best place for information on the town whether it’s nightlife or activities. Think of it as similar to a secret club, the Flugtube club is the one you want to be apart of. At a hostel you usually know exactly what your getting, with a vast selection of real reviews and pictures, its easier to make judgement on where you're going to call home for the next few days.

So while thats just our opinion we strongly prefer the hostel lifestyle above anything else.