How to travel abroad and what to expect?

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It's a goal of mine to travel to different countries and I now have a passport, but I don't know where to start when it comes to travelling, particularly abroad. As a family we do not travel to different countries so I've never first hand experienced any holidays of such and I have no idea how the process works.
Like all the planning in advance like the right time to book a holiday, what things they need to bring for a week or more, transport arrangements, know exactly what to do in airport etc.
I also have anxieties about what if I can't find anything suitable to eat (I'm on a Vegan/Vegetarian diet) As well as what if I fall ill or need to see a doctor somewhere foreign with different healthcare system?

What are the things someone with ASD in particular should know when traveling abroad? Eg. coping with delays at airport.

Thank you

I recently travelled abroad (U.S. resident, travelled to the Netherlands).

I'll share one thing I wish I would have done: Plan out eating in advance. I had to travel for work and did not have much time to plan for the trip. I was travelling alone so I didn't have anyone to rely on. I didn't know how restaurants worked in the Netherlands (do I seat myself? Do I order at the bar?) and so I avoided eating and got really hungry. Eventually I pulled out my phone, googled Dutch restaurant manners, looked up restaurant reviews, and found good places to eat that way for all meals. Since you're vegan, finding places ahead of time might make things less stressful for you.

That is a fun goal. I can offer you some tips. I hope they are helpful.

A) buy travel insurance to cover you for accidents, accommodation problems, travel cancellations or rebookings and health injuries. This comes in one package. I personally buy mine from Royal Mail but I don't know who is best. With your travel insurwnce, the insurance company pays your hospital costs etc. If anything happens. But they are fussy about drugs and alcohol. Never admit to having taken drugs, alcohol or over the counter medication not prescribed by your doctor to your insurance company when making a claim and also don't mention it to the hospital who treat you. Best to drink moderately if you do at all, getting drunk is often when holiday hospitalizations happen! If you are doing any sport that is risky abroad check the terms and conditions of insurance policies carefully before buying

If you fall ill have a copy of your travel insurance to show a hospital. You just call the emergency number and go then. When you get back home the hospital should have given you or will send you a bill, which you send on to your insurance company. One reason I use Royal Mail is they have a policy that accepts people with autism/Aspergers. Be careful to look into that when selecting. Some insurers refuse to pay out to aspies/autistic people

B) are you wanting to book with any priorities in mind? Want quiet airports/ferry ports/trains/coaches? Don't go in summer. Or bank holiday weekends. I'd you travel in winter though it can be too cold, grey or rainy to be fun sometimes. So it is a question of what you can compromise on. I myself would probably book my next holiday for a May or June, or a September

C) you need something to entertain you and distract you from the sensory overload that airports can be. I recommend having q handheld game console you can play. Airports are full of people, stressed people, announcements coming from speakers, lots of motion everywhere, people coming and going, talking, laughter, eye contact everywhere

D) take underwear for every day. 3-4 t shirts/shirts and 3-4 trousers, pyjamas, a toothbrush, deodorant, soap, a laptop or tablet. A novel to read in case you get stuck somewhere. A handheld games console for airports

E) eating vegetarian is doable in most countries but vegan would be here to find. Some countries are massive fish and meat eaters though and it could be hard to find decent vegetarian food in Portugal, South Korea, Argentina, Hungary, Texas, Cuba and Bavaria in Germany. France and Spain have vegetarian food but they don't have vegetarianism as ingrained in their culture as here. Some restaurants will put fish in your meal for example, not understanding that isn't okay for a vegetarian. In some of these countries maybe staying in an apartment where you can cook for yourself is the best option

F) take trousers to wear that have pockets that are not easy to pick. Also take a bumbag to put money or valuables in and wear it under your trousers, over your underwear so it is hidden. It is harder for someone to pickpocket a bumbag because you notice more when someone puts a hand in front of you as opposed to a pocket on your side

G) be prepared to have to forcefully refuse aggressive beggars if you are staying in a major city like Rome, Paris or NYC. Sometimes aggressive beggars know exactly where tourists arrive and they have very well thought out speeches they make to you and they can request large sums of money, playing on your sense of pity and taking you by surprise

H) have your accommodation evidence and evidence of your return travel ticket ready to show customs when you are going through an airport or ferryport etc. They can get suspicious otherwise. Also rehearse something to tell them about why you are entering the country, most these guards don't have a sense of humour, so best just to tell them what they want to hear, I will be here to ski/see x/y/z sights/shop for clothes. Don't carry a laptop or pen drive with anything they can use against you. If they find anything on there suggesting you mignt overstay your holiday period that will raise alarms. Customs are always om the lookout for illegal immigrants. When they get suspicious they refuse you entry,

I) inform your bank before you travel where you are going so you can use your card abroad

J) book a seat on your plane/coach/train by the aisle so using the toilet doesn't involve having to ask someone to get up. I have had the aisle seat and the window seat, and I prefer someone having to ask me than the other way round

K) buy a travel adaptor so you can plug in your electronics like computer and phone

I adore traveling just about anywhere and just about any way.
Great suggestions so far, fifasy presented a wonderful list of tips!
Let me emphasize ! ! - no one in any airport, train station, or border crossing anywhere has a sense of humor. Do not jest , particularly about anything that might be construed as illegal or locally forbidden.
It is important to research where you might like to go. Your government and the government of your destination will offer important tips regarding safety and health. Go to travel sites like Trip advisor to get people's opinions.
Let your hobbies or favorite activities guide your direction.
I might suggest researching and joining a group with a guide on your first trips abroad. Depending on the type of group tour you choose- they will take care of transportation, hotels, some meals, activities, and keep you safe.
I've lived in the Western and Eastern and southern USA, Japan, Belgium, and UAE, and visited lots of other places. I'm sure no matter where you decide to visit someone here will have suggestions! Safe travels!

Ryanair and EasyJet take you to very diverse places in Europe for very cheap fares. Book well in advance, though.

The only trouble with them: you have to pack light in order to avoid luggage charges.

And make sure you validate your ticket (on those yellow validating machines) when you're on a train, bus, or tram; otherwise, you'll be fined. I was once fined 50 Euro for not validating my ticket on a tram in Rome, Italy.

Get the "day" or "weekly" passes when travelling on public transport.

I have travelled as both child and adult, and would never consider a packaged tour. Any place that requires reservations is probably too crowded for me. Now that I'm vegan, the world is full of distressing sights and smells. I am outfitting my car as a mini-camper with kitchen in hopes of visiting some distant cities. However, for travel, nothing beats a bicycle, IMHO. I started touring near my childhood home, and saw everything with a fresh perspective, from roads I'd have not otherwise enjoyed. I also did a two-month bicycle camping tour in a foreign country, and apparently was in more danger than I knew several times, but I enjoyed it all.
You may be able to use the 'net to find enough vegan restaurants for a bike tour. One US group used to ride around France, from one 5-star eatery to the next, packing in 5,000 calories a day without gaining weight. Some people prefer to stay in B&Bs or hostels, carrying only "a tooth brush and a drilled-out Gold Card." I hauled full camping gear over the Sierras, and was glad to have it all.
I also discovered that if I just want to get out of town for a picnic, a bicycle is just as fast as a car. If I ride 2 hours and stop, I'm there in body, mind and spirit. If I drive there, it takes two hours for everything to catch up and re-assemble there. It isn't how far you go; it's how much you see. I can stay amused for a long time, sunbathing face down and looking at all the little plants and insects and unique pebbles under my nose. A developer used to give free flights to persuade people that the desert was empty and not worth protecting from him. The opposition used to give walking tours to show all the life there.

You might be a bit careful about Ryanair and the like because of all the hidden fees. Do your homework if you want to use them.

If you're looking to eat vegan, Berlin is a great place for those kinds of diets. Wonderful place, full of culture and a historical past that is more present than other places. It's got lots of parks too.

I've traveled abroad four times in my life but never alone, so I don't know how much help I'll be... I can handle traveling in my home country on my own, mostly because I can ask for advice easily enough in my own language if I need it, but this would be different abroad, especially if it's not an English speaking country and whoever I talk to has a heavy accent and/or limited cabability of communicating in English.

Giving detailed information on how to book a hotel or a flight, what to do in an airport and such will actually be difficult if you don't know exactly what hotel you want etc. so I suggest looking these up with a friend or a family member and have them help you with the basics. That's what I would do if I had the courage (and money) to travel abroad on my own.

As for what you need to bring, it highly depends on what you want to do, where you go and what the weather is most likely going to be like. Are you interested in a beach vacation in Spain? City tour and sightseeing in Amsterdam? An active skiing trip to Lapland? If it's simply sightseeing in some city for, let's say a week, then first look up what the weather is most likely like before you pack. Even if it seems like it is going to be very warm, pack something you can use in colder weather just in case, too. Enough basics like socks, underwear and t-shirts. You don't necessarily need too many pairs of pants if you aren't the kind of person who gets them dirty easily, but make sure you have at least one pair. Also, if you're going to walk a lot make sure to take comfortable shoes. If you fly and have both carry-on baggage and a suitcase in the hold make sure to pack a change of clothes, your medicine if you have some and other things that are absolutely necessary to your carry-on in case they lose your suitcase. Also, bring cash, but don't keep everything in the same place in case you lose your wallet or it gets stolen.

As for your diet, which one are you again, vegetarian or vegan? From what I've understood vegetarians don't eat meat but have no trouble with milk, eggs or the like but vegans don't eat anything animal based. Isn't this how it goes?
If you're a vegetarian then it'll probably be easier than if you were a vegan... but if you're traveling to a big city then it is very likely that you'll find restaurants that have options suitable for you. However, you should look some up before hand. Aint nice to look for them when you're already hungry. Also, try to make sure that the hotel you book serves vegetarian/vegan food.

When it comes to healthcare, all I can say is to find a good traveler's insurance. I always go over the terms and conditions of my own before I go on a trip, but I don't really know how to advice on this since I've never gotten it myself and you probably have different one where you're from.

And one thing I have to ask is what languages do you speak? If the answer is only English, then you might want to start with a country where English is the main language. Even if lot of people can speak and understand English in big cities, can they speak and understand enough? What if they understand you well enough yet have heavy accents that make you unable to understand them? (This kept happening to me in Netherlands.) And what about buying food, especially since you have a lot of things you don't eat? What if a restaurant doesn't have a menu in English or it just doesn't have a proper or detailed explanation of what is in the food? And if you buy snacks or something from a store there isn't always a quarantee that there's anything in English on them. If you're a vegan instead of a vegetarian then it might get really hard.

And lastly, learn to change the local currency to the one in your home country. Not necessarily perfectly but at least with some accuracy so that you don't spend too much or pay a ridiculous over price about anything.

Probably only hospitals will see you while abroad. Medical practices and doctors want an address to register with them before they see you.

I don't have problems going to the toilet on aeroplane myself. I dont use public toilets much usually because I find it hard to go in them but because planes have an ambient noise all the time in them it seems easier to go.

I wouldn't fly Ryanair. So many hidden costs, like if you don't print off your boarding pass at home and take it with you then you end up getting hit with a big cost.

Overall I love travelling places. Haven't done so much in last 3-4 years but used to have a job that involved some foreign travel so all organised for me with a schedule.

I have to go away once a year with work for a big company wide meeting and I have been told I don't have to attend the next one. My AS issues have been bad the past year and last year I was unwell when away as I got so worked up and anxious about being there. My boss knows about my AS so she said I can stay at home.

It’s true about the “hidden costs”—but wouldn’t you want to print your boarding pass in advance so you don’t have to stand on those long lines? Especially if you have only “carry-on” luggage?

Airports have excellent bathrooms/toilet/WC facilities normally.

If you have to use the loo in an emergency, a McDonald’s almost always have public ones.

Make sure you have a debit card with a chip.

Yep...Ryanair tends to fly to “secondary” airports which might be farther away from city centers.

Before one sets off, one should definitely research the transport options. Try to make sure you have small change in the local currency. Some buses (like in NYC) require the exact fare, and don’t give out change. But this is becoming rarer.

The bus is almost always cheaper than the train, and far cheaper than a taxi.

Try to obtain at least $20/20 Euro/£20 in the local currency in advance. I’ve feit handicapped by not having local currency. Many small shops only accept local currency.