VISAS, VACCINATIONS, oh and of course COSTS,COSTS and more COSTS! Suddenly that warm feeling turns into a massive knot of worry.
We have had massive discussion about costs, as we had planned so many exciting things to do and places to go, then it hit us, what about all the other bits we need to get/do to even get there in the first place.
Naive Number One
The Visa
FACT: A visa is a conditional authorisation given by a competent authority of a country for a person who is not a citizen of that country to enter its territory and to remain there for a limited duration.
Granted it's obviously for safety and a very important document, however its are also a blumming pain.
Not only is there a mountain of paperwork to fill in, along with having those awkward passport photos taken, but also the cost!
There are a few companies out there that will do all this for you, but again at a fee!
The visas we need range from £16 up to a whopping £125 for the locations/time we want to stay.
Now the company we were looking at using were adding a charge of another £50 to EACH yes that's right EACH visa, so even the cheapest of visas at £16 suddenly turned into £66!!
So we have come to the conclusion, as we are working to a very strict budget, that we have done the sensible thing and cut some locations from our journey and are going to do the paperwork ourselves. Tedious but more money in our pockets.
Naive Number Two
The Vaccinations
Now no one likes the thought of these but they have to be done for your safety!
Whether they are in tablet or injection form, they are a MUST.
We have done a lot of research into this.
Boots do a fantastic guide on their website where you type in all your destinations and they give you a list of all the things you need.
Now when we did this we found we needed SEVEN different vaccinations!
The look of horror on Suze's face was hilarious!
Now obviously they come at a price, however if you look on the NHS website you can get some of them for FREE: Cholera, Hepatitis A are just a few, and this will save us a lot of cash. May not be pleasant but better to be safe than sorry.
We are still having to fork out a good £500 for some others, one being Rabies (which you need 3 separate injections over the course of a month)!
Joy of joys.
Boots Website http://www.boots.com/en/Pharmacy-Health/Health-shop/Travel-health/Travel-vaccinations-and-advice/
And Naive Number Three
The Extra Costs
We have obviously sorted flight and accommodation for all our destinations but you also need to think of all the little extras.
Daily spending?
Food budget?
Activity budget?
Travel, buses, taxis etc?
Contracts to end before you leave?
It all adds up!
We have very much come out of 'Naive Dream Travelling Ville' and got our feet firmly on 'Sensible Cost Effective ground'.
After a lot of talking and number crunching we have had to do the unthinkable and scrap some destinations.
At first we thought it will be shorter, however we will just get to spend more time and have opportunities to explore the places we do visits for longer, so no need to panic.
We can't lie, we are a tiny bit heartbroken, but we aren't going to let this little hiccup tarnish our dream.
So fellow travellers please keep a sensible head on your shoulders through all the fun and excitement of the thought of travelling! Don't get caught out! You have been warned!
Suze and the Beard x
Sensible Cost Effective ground is definitely a travel neighbourhood for us, BUT think of all the amazing things you'll find by taking it a little slower :)
ReplyDeletei am really looking forward to your posts about your trips
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