6 Tips for International Travel Preparation

If you have never traveled outside the United States, now is a great time to start! Before you do, make sure you are ready and follow these 6 tips for international travel preparation.

Tip #1- Get your passport!

If you want to leave the country, get your passport first! The process is fairly simple but you don't know how long it will take to arrive so get your passport in your hand before you book or at least give yourself plenty of time if you are booking months in advance. Even if you are going to Mexico, you must have it! Find official passport application instructions here.

Once you get your passport, I recommend making several color copies of it. I put one copy in each piece of luggage including my backpack and purse. It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. For example, if it was to be lost or stolen, left it in the hotel safe and need to show ID, could be used for identification if luggage was lost, etc.. I fold it up and stick it in a side pocket.

Tip #2- Do Your Research!!

I often hear of people, booking a flight that is on sale then never thinking about it again until it's time to pack. Get with the program loves! The internet has made all sorts of information a few clicks away, take advantage of it! (Which I can tell you are if you are reading this, so good job!)

The internet is filled with all kinds of information, reviews, travel blogs, and now you can even go to places via street view on Google. I recommend exploring TripAdvisor.com for advice and reviews on your possible destination of choice. I personally research BEFORE I book a flight.

You should also dive deep into some travel blogs. They are extremely good resources for very specific information and ideas on activities or places to stay. I also consider them to be the best resource to find out the relative safety of an area. You will be able to tell how at ease someone is in a place by what they say and the activities they report doing while there. Some blogs get extremely specific, this can be helpful if you are going into a country where you don't speak the native language or if you are traveling alone. For example, when I first went to Peru my spanish was terrible and I was alone, I was so happy I did extremely thorough research ahead of time as when I came to one town and had to switch buses I had already read online in a blog that the route was not well marked and which way to go. It literally said "the second station is difficult to find and does not have a sign, you will go out the station doors turn right for 100 feet until the giant tree then go left for one block." I was able to feel confident in my journey and not feel so vulnerable thanks to the thoroughness of travel blogs and the research I did ahead of time.

Tip #3- Familiarize yourself with the local currency

The dollar is not used everywhere in the world. Wherever you are going will more than likely use a different currency. You will want to know what it is called and the exchange rate. I personally find the free app, UNITS PLUS, an extremely useful tool to have when traveling abroad. Not only does it have updated currency exchange rates but also the conversions for weight, land area, measurements, speed, etc. I like to keep this app handy so I can do quick conversions even when offline.

You can familiarize yourself with the currency before you get where you are going but I will recommend once you get there and exchange your money take the time to actually look at the money. Theirs will not be the same as ours. Sometimes they have 1, 5, 10 "dollar" coins instead of paper money or they will have 200, 500 "dollar" bills. It won't take you 5 minutes in your hotel room and it will make it much easier for you once you are out in the world trying to pay for things on the spot.

Taking advantage of exchange rates is one of the luxuries of being American and traveling abroad. The dollar is quite strong compared to many countries' currencies and you can make your money go much farther if you play your cards right.

Note: Only exchange money at the airport if you have to, you will always get the worst exchange rate at airports. Sometimes I will exchange just enough for a couple days and exchange the rest later when I can get a better rate.

Tip #4- Visa Requirements

Most places allow persons holding a United States passport to come right in, but don't just assume! You may or may not realize that many visitors to America have to apply for a tourist visa months ahead of their visit and many times get denied. We are very blessed to have such strong governmental agreements made with other countries that we can just show up and walk in but be sure before you go! It won't take you 10 minutes to google "[your destination] tourist visa requirements". Sometimes it will just be a notice that you will have to pay a small fee upon arrival and you can be sure to have the exact amount in cash when you get there. Other times you may just need to be aware that they will ask you when you are leaving the country. If you do need to fill something out ahead of time you will be glad you checked.

Tip #5- Foreign Language Destinations

If you are traveling to a destination where you do not speak the language, it is always recommended to familiarize yourself with at least a few key phrases. You should not leave the country assuming everyone speaks english. A few phrases like "hello, "good morning", "good afternoon", "please", "thank you", "where is the bathroom?", "where is an ATM?" will take you a very long way. You can probably search "[your destination language] key phrases" on youtube and find a free video to teach you what you need to know with the correct pronunciation. Not only will it make the locals more welcoming to you but it can also serve you in a time of need.

Tip #6- Know how you will get from the airport to your first destination

The last thing you want to do after a long day of traveling is have to fight the crowds of people in the airport "taxi! taxi! taxi!" worrying which taxi is safe, which one has enough room, or which is going to not rip me off. There are many ways to plan your airport transfer ahead of time and usually the easiest way is to have your hotel, hostel, or airbnb host plan it for you or give you a recommendation.

Traveling abroad can be an enriching, life-changing experience. It has changed who I am as a person for the better. I have learned to appreciate what I have and see things in a different way. I hope you enjoy your time abroad as much as I do!

Check my other blog posts for ideas on destinations.

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