12 Tips to Make International Travel Easier
They can be in a strange, stimulating and revealing place. Some of my favorite travel memories include one morning along the Danube in Budapest, a tour of the Angkor Wat temples, drinking drinks and late-night steaks in Uruguay.
There were also many business trips where the only places I saw were those visible from the window of my hotel room, because I was very busy running from one meeting to another.
No matter what type of trip you make, there are many steps you can take to facilitate your trip abroad. Here are 12 of my favorite international travel tips:
Hotel business cards. The first thing I do when I arrive at a hotel abroad is to get a business card from reception. In this way, if hit, gotta have the name and address of the hotel in the local language. A large number of people speak the English around the world, but having something in local language can show locals and taxi drivers is extra insurance.
Passport base for six months. The expiration date of your passport is actually a bit misleading. The United States allows you to use your passport so far on the cover. However, several countries will be denied entry to passengers if the passport expires in less than six months. Why? If you are stuck abroad for an unexpected reason longer than planned, you will want that state to ensure that you have a valid passport to travel in the end to the United States. To avoid any problem, always renew my passport during the inactivity period of the trip, ie almost nine months before the expiry date.
Getting cash The way to get cash is usually an ATM machine, but many US banks. They charge high fees for using ATMs outside the network. You can get large cash at the ATM at the airport, so pay only once, but it is never advisable to carry large amounts of cash. In addition, you face the risk of having a lot of local currency remaining at the end of your trip. Charles Schwab and Fidelity provide checking accounts that do not have a minimum balance requirement and pay all ATM fees, including fees from outside.
Read More: Best Place to visit on the international tour
Credit cards are often best to find the exchange rates using your credit card. However, many credit cards will add foreign transaction fees, sometimes up to 3 per cent. It is a useless rate that the traveler should not pay. Chase Sapphire Preferred and Platinum American Express are two non-chargeable ways. Also, you do not have a hotel or restaurant converting dollar fees first. It's a bad deal.
Fraud Alerts Report the fraud section of your credit card company to the country you are visiting and on what dates. That way, they will not think your card has been stolen and stopped only when you need it most. Consider the countries that may be changing aircraft. You may have to charge during your stop, especially if there is a delay.
Credit card chips. American Credit Cards. They are based on magnetic strips on their backs sliding into vendors. In Europe, cards contain a chip embedded in them, when combined with a PIN code, used for purchase. It is a safer way to collect goods, but it has not been adopted in the United States. Most overseas sellers can still pass their card. But ticketing machines, service stations and other devices where we pay without interacting with someone often refuse stolen cards. Get a chip and PIN card from a US bank Hard. But many credit cards now come with chip technology and signature.
Drug I always wear an eye mask and earplugs in my medicine bag because you never know the shape of a hotel room. But I also carry Advil, Nice well, Imodium A-D, Toms and a handful of other major drugs. Yes, even the most historic European neighborhood has a pharmacy. But would you like to pass through Germany late at night, trying to translate "diarrhea"? If you go to third world countries, it is important to store appropriate medicines. Many travelers fill up a prescription for ciprofloxacin with antibiotics in advance and take them with them immediately.
Travel Alerts It is a good idea to check out travel warnings and alerts issued by the State Department. It is also smart to print the address and contact information of the local embassy.
Locations of foreign airlines. If you have a tight budget and do not need to book through your company's Travel section, check the locations of foreign airlines in your country of origin. I recently booked a ticket from southern Italy to northern Italy in Alitalia. Location of the United States airline UU. I wanted double the price of the Italian site. I do not speak Italian fluently, but Google Chrome has translated all the pages. I paid in euros using a credit card without transaction fees abroad.
Data roaming Configure your mobile phone to avoid roaming international data. Many business travelers have an international communication and data plan. But the rare travelers do not. High costs may come from data transfer. I was in a remote part of South San Diego last summer and my cell phone provider sent me a textural alert welcoming me in Mexico. Apparently, he had jumped into the cell tower in Tijuana. You've turned off Roaming data instantly, and only turn it on once when you're outside of this area.
Google Maps I have a great sense of direction and rarely need a map. However, I know that others are not very lucky and have become dependent on their mobile phones to navigate. If you do not add a data plan to your phone when you're abroad, you can still set up an approximate version. Using Wi-Fi at your hotel, plan out some of the routes you intend to walk that day. Then take a screenshot of those maps. Later, you can find the image, zoom and follow the path. It is not ideal, but it is an alternative solution.
Unwanted local currency. Last night, I deduct the amount I will need and then keep the remaining amount. When I leave the next morning, I take this money and ask the hotel to apply it to my bill, then pay the remaining balance with my credit card without foreign transaction fees
