Travelling abroad can be a daunting task for those who are not well prepared for the complete culture shock they might be jumping into. But it doesn’t have to be. Good preparation goes a long way into enjoying your vacation and not feel like the entire experience was a nightmare that won’t end. This article focuses on the most common tips and tricks one must know to ensure that their trip will be as enjoyable as possible.
- Hotel Business Cards
It is a good practice to obtain a business card of the hotel you are staying at. This way if you find yourself lost, you have this card to rely on to get you home if you have trouble with the local language. It’s just a little extra insurance and that never hurts to have.
- Passport Renewal
If your passport expires in the next months, its good practice to get it renewed. It is not uncommon for countries to deny you entry if it does. This is on the off chance that, due to unforeseen circumstances, you may stay in the country after it has expired. Trust me that is way more trouble than anyone wants. If you travel a lot, try to align the passport renewal in the downtime between travels so your schedule is not affected.
- Fraud Alerts
Notify your credit card companies that you will be leaving the country and duration of your trip so when you do use your card, it doesn’t get flagged and blocked when you need it the most. Also, keep in mind countries you may be visiting on a layover to completely protect yourself while using your credit card with confidence.
- Carry medicine
It might be wise to carry around regular medication for common illness as a just in case. It is a headache to find a drugstore and find the medicine you are looking for sometimes because of the language barrier. You never know when a bout of the flu or diarrhoea might hit especially third world countries.
- Cheaper Flights
It is smart to check the local airlines in the country you are visiting because you might be getting a better deal. You can end up paying literally half the amount if you are willing to go through translating the pages using a service like Google Translate. These services have gotten to a point where it has become so reliable there is no reason not to use them.
- Unwanted Local Currency
One of the best ways to get rid of the local currency is to give to the hotel when you are checking out. Give out all the local money you have and then pay the rest with a card. This way you won’t have a bunch of loose change leftover.
By following these tips you can make your international trips a little easier and more fun. The lesser you have to worry about small things, the more you can take in from your hard earned vacation.