Travelling can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience, but sometimes things can go wrong – don’t let them ruin your holiday!

As someone who has travelled to more than 20 countries around the world, for both work and pleasure, I’ve learned lots of little things that can make travelling easier and more enjoyable.

All of these tips have been gleaned from personal experience and will help make travelling more enjoyable for you.

Documents: Have important documents such as travel insurance and your passport with you, or at least a scanned copy, and keep them in a safe place, better still, take an electronic copy on your phone/tablet.

Travel Insurance: Make sure you have a good, comprehensive travel insurance policy. ‘Good’ and ‘Cheap’ do not go together with travel insurance. Make sure you disclose all existing medical conditions.

Make sure you’re aware of the excess – zero excess is best. Make sure you have an Overseas Emergency Assistance card and it's best if the Emergency Assistance team are based in Australia.

Passport: Most importantly, when going overseas, don’t forget to take it with you. Your passport must have 6 months validity on it from your return travel date. Make sure you don’t leave it in a room safe during your travels.

Money: Make sure your credit card providers know you are going away and be specific about which countries you are visiting. This prevents them from cancelling your cards if they see unusual overseas transactions. Don’t rely on a single credit card – some local currency is always recommended as is a Travel Money debit card - Travel Money Oz at our Charlestown and Kotara offices are the real experts here.

Electronics: Investigate the cheapest way to use your mobile (including internet) while away. Vodaphone offer full use of your phone while you’re away for $5 per day – this is hard to beat. If you’re carrier does not have an affordable overseas solution, best to turn your ‘data roaming’ off. Whilst on electronics, take noisecancelling headphones for the plane, or for when you just feel like some quiet.

Practical stuff: For short all travel, avoid long waits at baggage claim by taking carry-on baggage.

Pack light! As obvious as it seems, you don’t want to be lugging a heavy suitcase around. Stay in Sydney the night before any morning departures – this saves Sydney peak-hour traffic angst.

Take a photo of your packed baggage as this can help with identification if it gets lost. Have a change of clothes in your carryon luggage, including a jacket or wrap for the plane, which can get very cold due to air-conditioning.

Your destination: Speak with someone who has been where you’re going, and, more importantly, enjoyed themselves while they were there. Be sure to try local specialities when you visit new places: this is where you will find the real gems in terms of food, fashion and culture.

Have fun! Remember to enjoy yourself. Sometimes things go wrong when you travel - shake it off and enjoy the ride. Be sure to schedule some lazy days in your itinerary to relax and take it all in.