The Comprehensive Checklist For When You First Arrive In a New City
The first day in a new place is always the most difficult. This post is about securing vital information that might prove to be necessary within the duration of your stay. Whether you ask these things from a local tourist information booth, your hotel concierge, your hostel front desk or your host, I can guarantee that knowing these things will help.
1. The address and contact details of your accommodation written in both your native language and the local language.
There will be a possibility that you will have a hard time finding your accommodation, especially on the first few times you try to locate it. Knowing the translation of it is also useful, because sometimes locals only know the names of places when in their own language. It is also good to ask for landmarks that can help you easier find your place, which can be helpful at night when there will be no one to ask for directions.
2. A map of the local area marked “places to go” and “places to avoid.”
It’s very easy to wander around and end up in a sketchy place. Knowing beforehand the areas that are less safe is a good way to keep yourself out of unnecessary danger. It’s also good to ask where the best places to go are from a local, because a city isn’t limited to it’s popular tourist spots. You can ask your concierge or host regarding all of this and they will most likely be able to mark out the areas they have had personal experiences with.
3. Local emergency numbers.
Know at least the country’s equivalent of “911”. You will never know what could happen, whether to you or someone you encounter that would require swift action by the police or medical professionals.
4. Public transportation connections.
Ask for the most efficient way to get from one non- negotiable (places that you absolutely must see) point to another and buy the necessary cards (single trip, whole day, 10 trip, etc.) depending on your need. Get a hold of a metro/subway/train map if it’s not included in the local map you have procured, so you know when to switch lines going from one point to another.
5.The location of the nearest supermarket.
This is especially true for travelers staying in a city for an extended period of time or those on a strict budget. It’s very expensive in any country to always eat out, and it is always, always cheaper to make your own food. Once you know if your accommodation allows cooking, has a refrigerator where you can store food, or at least a microwave, you can figure out how to plan your meals.
6. The location of the nearest pharmacy.
Good to know this incase anything happens that would require you to buy medication that you have not brought with you. It is also best to bring the doctor’s note of your prescribed medicine, because you might have difficulty pronouncing the name of the medication in such a way that would be easily understood by someone who may not be used to your foreign accent.
There you have it. If I think of anything else, I will add some more. I hope these were useful to you as they are to me.
