Before you go:

•    Plan early!
•    Research your destination thoroughly before you go; buy a good guidebook e.g. Lonely Planet, Rough Guide or Footprints Guide.  Also look at the advice given by the Foreign Office (www.fco.gov.uk).
•    Be aware of the laws, customs and dress code for the country. Your guide book should provide all this information.
•    Online banking is a great way to manage your finances while you are away.  But many internet cafes are slow and access may not always be easy so don’t leave important transactions until the last minute.  Set up Standing Orders for key items (eg credit card minimum payments).
•    Calculate how much money you will need for your trip and make sure you have some extra.  Find out if you can use a credit or debit card to withdraw money at your destination.  It’s best to have a combination of credit/debit card, travellers’ cheques, sterling and some US dollars.
•    Visit your doctor for advice on vaccinations and medication needed.
•    Contact the relevant embassy or consulate for advice on obtaining a visa.  Many have online forms.  And often visas can be obtained on arrival although having one in your passport ahead of time can be comforting!  If you plan to visit lots of countries, make sure your passport has plenty of blank pages, or get a new one well before you leave.
•    Shop around for travel insurance and make sure you are covered for everything you intend to do e.g. white water rafting.
•    Make photocopies of your passport (including visa pages), insurance details and plane tickets.  Leave copies with family/friends and take copies with you.  Better still, scan them and send copies to your email address!
•    Make sure your family or friends at home are aware of your travel itinerary.
•    If you intend to use your mobile phone, contact your operator to check whether you will have coverage.  If not you will need to take it into a shop to have the phone ‘unlocked’.  Warn friends not to call your UK mobile while you are away; you will be paying for all incoming calls from abroad (but see below for alternatives)!
•    Take a good international plug adaptor (or two).  And if you plan to be in a remote location, consider a portable solar charger.
•    If you are volunteering with an organisation ask for the contact details of the most recent volunteers on your project.  They will be able to give you the best advice about what to expect on the project.
•    Consider fundraising to cover the programme costs.  MondoChallenge provides a handy sheet of top tips for this kind of activity.
•    Let the local papers know.  They need news and you will be making it!  Possibly a weekly or monthly diary could be emailed to them from abroad?
 

On arrival:

•    Register your details with your embassy on arrival. This can simply mean sending them an email to inform them that you are in the country.
•    If you are volunteering with an organisation ensure that local managers are aware of your plans e.g. if you decide to go away for the weekend.
•    Keep your photocopies of important documents (passport, insurance info, plane tickets) in separate bags from the original copies.
•    Take advice from your local manager about your personal safety and where best to keep your valuables.
•    Keep your valuables out of sight.  Combination locks are useful for your bags.
•    Ensure you respect local customs in regard to dress code, personal relationships, smoking and drinking alcohol.  It is important for you, the organisation you are with and the other volunteers that you do not cause offence.
•    If you are staying in one country for several weeks, consider getting either a cheap local mobile phone or a local SIM card for your UK mobile.  Don’t forget to alert friends back home to the new number!  Local texts and calls tend to be very cheap and incoming calls from abroad are free, which avoids the massive charges when using your UK mobile.  Even better, ensure your UK contacts have the special access codes available for low cost dialling to your country (try Telediscount or Just Abroad).