Travel Safety Advice For Arriving At A New Destination

There is nothing quite like arriving in a new country at the start of a big trip. You have spent months planning, saving and dreaming about this, and now you are finally there. But a long journey can leave you tired, stressed and disorientated, however excited you are to get started. Making those first couple of days easier on yourself is a deliberate strategy to reduce risk and protect your wellbeing, giving you time to rest, get your bearings and properly enjoy the adventure.

I have been backpacking for more than 25 years across over 150 countries, and when I am travelling through a country I have no problem turning up somewhere new, using local transport and walking into a few hostels or guesthouses to negotiate where I will stay that night. And most of the time that is exactly what I do. But arriving in a country for the first time is totally different, and even I would not recommend doing that under those circumstances.

You have probably just dealt with twelve plus hours of airline nonsense, crushed into your seat thanks to an inconsiderate recliner, eaten nothing but gassy airline food and barely slept. You are stressed, exhausted and ready to crash. That is not the time to be dealing with a screaming mob of taxi mafia touts and trying to find accommodation in a city you have never set foot in before.

This is especially true when your carefully timed plan to arrive mid-morning has been blown out of the water by airline delays and four hours at the luggage carousel because the baggage handlers apparently decided on a long tea break. By the time you are ready to leave the airport, it is two in the morning and your enthusiasm for adventure extends about as far as finding a bed.

I have lost count of the times that has happened to me. On one trip, delays pushed my arrival well past midnight, the hostel I was staying in was not the easiest to find, and I was in no mood to trek around a strange city looking for it. These were circumstances I would normally try to avoid, but sometimes things happen on the road and you have to adapt.

Arriving at night can raise your risk profile, but regardless of what time your plane lands, the big safety issue is that tiredness, stress and unfamiliarity can all affect your awareness and judgement. You are carrying your belongings, trying to work out where to go and dealing with people approaching you, at precisely the point when you have the least energy or patience for any of it. Even straightforward tasks become harder, and it is easier to miss something or agree to an offer you would normally question.

This is why it is important to have a strategy in place before you arrive to reduce risk, protect your safety and wellbeing, and give you time to rest and get your bearings. Most arrivals pass without any serious problems, and there is no reason to expect yours to be any different. You are simply making those first hours easier and safer for yourself after a tiring journey. That starts with having a plan.

Book Somewhere To Stay For Your First Few Nights

Even if you prefer to keep your plans loose and find accommodation as you go, book somewhere for your first two or three nights before you arrive. It doesn’t have to be a fancy international hotel, there are so many accomodation options out there that you should easily be able to find a good boutique hotel or guesthouse for a reasonable price that won’t destroy your budget. Having a definite place to head to takes away the pressure of finding a room when you are tired, carrying your backpack and trying to make sense of unfamiliar surroundings. You can check the location, read reviews and choose somewhere suitable at home, when you have the time and energy to make a decent decision.

Two or three nights also means you do not have to drag yourself out of bed the next morning, pack everything again and check out just as you are beginning to recover. Arriving late, sleeping badly and then having to find another room by eleven hardly gives you the best start to your trip. Give yourself at least a good nights sleep and a good full day to rest. You can then enjoy the next day simply getting your bearings, acclimatising to your new home for the next month or more and explore at your own pace, knowing you have somewhere to come back to.

There is no backpacking rule that says you have to be on the move immediately, and booking a few nights at the start does not mean organising your entire trip down to the last bus ticket. Once you are rested, you can look around for somewhere cheaper, negotiate a longer stay or move on whenever you feel ready.

Treat Yourself To A Private Room

Even if you plan to spend most of your trip in hostel dorms, budget for a private room for your first couple of nights. A little flashpacking at the start gives you somewhere to properly recover from the journey. After hours of being surrounded by people, noise and airline announcements, being able to close a door, put your bags down and finally have some space to yourself can feel like a luxury in its own right.

Have a proper shower, change into clean clothes, spread your things out and let yourself relax. You do not have to make conversation, work around anyone else or keep track of your belongings every time you move. You can call home, read for a while or just lie on the bed and enjoy the fact that nobody is asking you to put it in the upright position.

That space can be particularly welcome if arriving brings a wobble of nerves or homesickness alongside the excitement. You have been looking forward to this for months, but suddenly being somewhere unfamiliar, a long way from home, can feel overwhelming when you are exhausted. Give yourself time to decompress and take it all in. You do not have to head straight out exploring or introduce yourself to an entire hostel before you have even worked out where you put your toothbrush.

Hostels are great for meeting people, but a dorm is not always the best place to recover from a long journey. You might be desperate for an early night while your roommates are getting ready to go out, or finally dropping off when someone starts rummaging through sixteen plastic bags. Having your own room means you can rest without fitting around everyone else’s routines, giving yourself a better chance of starting the next day with some energy, patience and enthusiasm.

Even if you still want the atmosphere and community of a hostel straight away, look at getting a private room next to the dorms so you have the best of both worlds, and you can still head to the common room when you feel like some company. Allow a little extra in your arrival budget and give yourself a comfortable start. There will be plenty of time for dorm life once you have caught up on sleep.

Budget For An Official Taxi On Arrival

Budget for an official taxi to take you straight to your accommodation when you first arrive, especially at night. I am normally a big advocate of using local transport more often with taxis as a back up option, but after a long flight this is one expense I recommend allowing for. You are paying to remove a whole layer of effort and uncertainty at the point when you are tired, stressed and least familiar with your surroundings.

Getting dropped at the door means you do not have to work out an unfamiliar bus network, manage connections with your backpack or discover that the station described as ‘nearby’ involves a twenty-minute walk through streets with no lights and a questionable bum arguing with a bin. It reduces the time you spend outside with all your belongings, trying to navigate while distracted and exhausted. You can get acquainted with local transport once you have slept and have somewhere to leave your pack.

Check the airport’s official taxi arrangements before you travel so you know exactly where to go for the official taxi stand and roughly what the journey should cost. Allow for any published airport charges or night supplements, and make sure you have a suitable way to pay in small, local currency. Knowing the likely expense beforehand makes it part of your arrival budget rather than something you resentfully try to avoid at two in the morning.

Another option is to ask whether your hotel or guesthouse offers an airport shuttle or can arrange a pickup. Confirm the cost, whether it is shared or direct, and whether they can collect you at your expected arrival time. A shared shuttle that leaves you waiting for another flight to arrive may lose some of its appeal when the whole point is to get to bed.

If you arrange a pickup, get clear meeting instructions and confirm how you will identify the driver. Give the accommodation your flight number and ask what happens if it is delayed, including whether they monitor arrival times, how long the driver will wait and who to contact when you land. Agreeing those details in advance lets you leave the airport with far less to think about and get on with the important business of finding your pillow.

Do Not Let Touts Rush Your Decisions

If you are getting a taxi, go straight to the official rank or authorised booking desk. You have already worked out where it is and allowed for the fare, so there is no need to get drawn into negotiations with someone who approaches you in arrivals. A polite but firm ‘no, thank you’ is enough. Keep control of your bags and carry on towards the stand.

In some airports, the taxi mafia will put considerable effort into convincing you that this simple process is actually terribly complicated. They will block your way or intercept you before you get there. The official rank is closed, it has moved, the queue will take three hours, or the helpful gentleman waving you towards the car park is apparently the only person who can get you to your hotel. The aim is to confuse you and steer you towards their taxi before you have time to question it. Follow the airport signs, and if you need directions, ask at an official information desk rather than relying on someone selling you a ride.

Watch out for other common scams too. Other familiar lines include claiming your accommodation is closed, fully booked or terrible, followed by an enthusiastic recommendation for somewhere else. Conveniently, somewhere that pays them commission. Keep to your booked destination and contact the accommodation yourself if there is any genuine uncertainty. You do not need to change your plans because a stranger has suddenly developed strong opinions about your guesthouse.

Most of this is an attempt to get more money out of you, and recognising the routine makes it much easier to brush off. There is no need to arrive suspicious of everyone or turn a sales pitch into an argument. You can be friendly, decline an offer and keep walking. Having your arrangements sorted beforehand simply means you can get on with reaching your room instead of spending your remaining energy debating with a man who insists his cousin’s hotel is the finest establishment in the country.

Take A Moment To Get Organised Before You Leave

Once you have collected your luggage, take a few minutes in a suitable staffed area of the terminal to get yourself organised before heading outside. Find somewhere to sit where you can keep your bags close and see what is going on around you. Have a drink, take a breath and give yourself a moment to catch up. You have just finished a long journey; there is no need to rush straight into the next part.

Put your passport and travel documents securely away, close your bags properly and get your accommodation address and transport details ready. Keep enough money for the fare accessible without having to open your main wallet or rummage through your pack at the taxi rank. If you need to check directions, contact your accommodation or find the pickup instructions, doing it here is much easier than trying to juggle your phone, bags and paperwork outside while people compete for your attention.

This is also a good opportunity to send a quick message home to say you have landed and are heading to your accommodation. If you need cash or a mobile connection for the journey, sort that out before leaving, while you have airport facilities and staff available to help. Keep your bags under your control while you do it, particularly when your attention is on a screen or cash machine.

The aim is to leave the terminal with your belongings secure and your next step clear. A few quiet minutes getting ready can save a surprising amount of stress, and make it easier to pay attention to your surroundings as you head towards your taxi or arranged pickup.

Keep Your Belongings Under Control

When you are tired, having a simple system for your belongings makes life much easier. Give your passport, phone, wallet and booking details their own secure places in your pack or zipped pockets before you travel, and get into the habit of returning them there after use. You will know where everything should be without having to empty half your bag every time someone asks for a document.

Keep the things you need for arrival accessible, with enough money for the taxi somewhere you can reach easily. Put everything else securely away. The fewer things you have to take out and juggle, the less chance there is of leaving something on a counter or dropping it while trying to shoulder your backpack. Take your time putting things away, too. Whoever is behind you can survive the extra few seconds it takes to zip up your pocket.

If you sit down, keep your bags close, where you can see and feel them. Your pack between your feet with a strap around your leg is easy to keep track of while you have a drink or check your phone. You can relax without having to keep turning around to check a bag behind your chair.

At the taxi, load your main pack into the car yourself and keep your smaller bag with your valuables beside you. When you arrive, get out, collect your luggage and check the seat and footwell before paying the driver. Having your bags out of the vehicle before you settle the fare means you can finish the journey with everything accounted for, rather than trying to check your change, retrieve your phone and remember what is in the boot all at once.

None of this needs to become an elaborate security routine. You are simply giving yourself fewer things to remember when your brain is ready for bed. Familiar places for your essentials and a quick check whenever you move make it much easier to keep everything together and get yourself settled.

Allow For Delays And Have A Backup

Give your arrival plans a little breathing room. Allow enough money for a later taxi, an alternative transfer or, if necessary, a different room for the night. You do not need to predict every possible inconvenience, but a small contingency means a delay is something you can work around without having to choose the cheapest option regardless of how tired you are.

Before you travel, identify an alternative to your main transport arrangement. If you have booked a guesthouse pickup, knowing where the official taxi desk is gives you a straightforward second option. If your accommodation has limited reception hours, ask whether late access can be arranged and make a note of a suitable nearby hotel with overnight reception. A saved address and contact number are enough; this does not require a second itinerary.

Keep those alternatives realistic for an exhausted version of yourself. A backup that involves three buses, a long walk and an optimistic interpretation of the timetable is unlikely to make your arrival easier. The aim is to have another simple way to reach a bed if your original arrangements become impractical.

Most of the time you will never need any of this. But knowing you have options takes some pressure off, especially when a departure board starts adding hours to your journey. You can adapt, spend a little extra if needed and get yourself settled, rather than feeling obliged to struggle through a plan that no longer suits the circumstances.

Give Yourself Time To Rest And Get Your Bearings

Keep your first few days loose enough to settle in at your own pace. You do not need a full sightseeing itinerary for the morning after you land, or a tour booked so early that getting up feels like another airport departure. Leave yourself time to recover, let someone at home know you have arrived safely and enjoy the fact that you are finally there.

Once you feel up to heading out, start with your immediate surroundings. Have a wander around the streets near your accommodation, find a local food stall or food court you like and sit down for something good to eat. My very first time in Thailand on my very first gap year, I found a stall selling Pad Thai and ate so many bowls I think I nearly cleaned her out! Finding a good food spot is a great way of making a new neighbourhood feel familiar. You do not need to cross the entire city to have your first memorable experience.

Those short outings help you get your bearings without putting much pressure on yourself. You begin recognising landmarks, working out where things are and getting a feel for the pace of the place. Ask the guesthouse staff where they like to eat, find somewhere to pick up water and enjoy watching everyday life go on around you. With your room nearby, you can head back whenever you have had enough rather than face a long journey across town when your energy runs out.

Over the next couple of days, you can gradually venture further as you feel more rested and confident. What felt unfamiliar when you first arrived starts becoming easier to navigate, and you have more attention to spare for the things you came to enjoy. Giving yourself time to acclimatise lets those first lazy days become part of the pleasure of travelling along with the adventure.

Be Prepared, Not Scared

Arriving in a new country should be something to look forward to. Most travellers get to their accommodation without any serious problems, and most people you meet will be friendly, ordinary people getting on with their day. Being tired and unfamiliar with a place is a temporary part of arriving, and a little preparation makes it much easier to manage.

There is no test of your backpacking credentials waiting outside the airport. A little bit of flashpacking is okay. Spending a little more on a taxi, enjoying a private room and taking a couple of days to settle in are sensible ways to look after yourself. After more than 25 years of travelling, I am quite happy to make life easier for myself when I need to, and I recommend you do the same.

You have worked hard to make this trip happen. Give yourself a comfortable start, take care of your safety and wellbeing, and let yourself enjoy those first discoveries at your own pace. There is a whole adventure ahead of you, and you will be in a much better position to appreciate it after some food, a shower and a decent night’s sleep.