15 Tips on International Travel

To make your grand travel plan a success, you need to remember the little things behind it. These are clever tips you should follow before you travel internationally. And wise women and men always take good advice.

1. Check with your travel company/visiting the country's website whether a vaccine is required.

Some countries have a mandatory requirement of proof of vaccination for certain diseases, like yellow fever or polio, at arrival. Getting vaccinated will develop your immunity, help keep you safe and strong while you’re travelling.  Travelling in developing countries and rural areas may bring you into contact with more diseases, which means you might need additional vaccines before you travel. You gotIt would be best if you the vaccine from authorized centres at least 4 to 6 weeks before you travel. This gives the vaccines time to start working. If you missed taking the vaccine, expect a quarantine period upon arrival at your destination.

Important Read:  10 Tips for Travel During COVID-19

2. Ensure your passport will not expire within 6 months of travel

This is the most important thing to travel abroad, of course. The pandemic has skewed our sense of time, and many of us have stopped keeping tabs on the months. So now, take out that almost forgotten passport and check its validity. Most countries only grant a visa or allow entry to travellers whose passport has a further 6 months validity after the final travel date. In other words, if your passport is expiring in 6 months, you must renew it as soon as possible. Otherwise, you cannot travel internationally.

3. Check to see if the country you’re visiting requires a pre-approved visa

In addition to needing a passport, many countries require that visitors obtain a valid visa before entering. In some countries like Turkey and Thailand, you can pay directly for the visa upon arrival at the airport. However, countries with strict immigration laws require that you submit a visa application well in advance. Every visa processing unit in your home country will have the guidelines and pre-requisites mentioned on their website. Make sure to follow them.

4. Make photocopies of your passport

It's simply good sense and responsible travel to carry a photocopy for your valid passport & Visa when travelling abroad. In case your passport is lost or stolen, you will have a copy that will prove your citizenship in the embassy and allow you to get back into your home country. 

5. Register with your country’s embassy

Many overlook this point, but your own embassy will be a big support to you in case of emergencies when in another country. This is another sensible practice wherever you go, especially important if you’re travelling to a country with a high crime rate or political/social discontent. By registering with the embassy in your destination, you’ll have a contact who you can reach out to should such a situation arise.

6. Get a credit card with no overseas transaction fees

This is positively one of the top tips on international travel. Buying currency and its exchange could be time-consuming and may incur some money loss in exchange, not to mention the burden of carrying a large amount of cash. I highly recommend getting a credit card that offers no foreign transaction fees, so you won’t have to worry about international transaction fees. Another upside is you can collect travel rewards points that you can redeem for future trips!

7. Make sure your credit card works internationally

If you already have a credit card and done multiple travels abroad, this may be not so relevant but not to be overlooked. Before you travel, make sure you give your credit card issuing company a call and inform them that you are travelling abroad and there will be an overseas transaction on the card. Often, the companies decline the overseas transaction for security reasons categorizing it as suspicious activity.

Another important point to remember is that some countries in Europe, for example, accept a card with chip and PIN technology. If you’re using a magnetic strip, ensure that establishments in your destination will accept it before you make any transaction.

8. Follow the exchange rate before arriving at your destination

Before you leave for your travel, be sure to acquaint yourself with the exchange rate. Whether you’re paying for street food or shopping for souvenirs, do quick mental math. It’s a good idea to understand the local currency's conversion rates so you won’t get ripped off.

9. Always carry local cash

Even though credit cards are widely accepted and cover most of your expenses, you should still carry local currency when visiting a foreign country. Not all establishments take credit cards, tiny local shops and food joints. It's always practical to carry local cash.

10. Withdraw local currency from an ATM in your destination

You will get a better exchange rate when you withdraw from ATMs locally. But select the ATMs judiciously; ATMs in tourist places levy heavy charges. Instead, withdraw from a bank ATM or ATM, where there are no hidden fees beyond what your card company may charge. Always take the money in local currency.

11. Pack extra clothes in your cabin luggage

This is one of those international travel tips that is being prepared for contingency. If you have multiple bags for luggage on your flight, distribute your articles evenly in all check-in bags and carry some in your cabin bag. If at all there is a likelihood that airlines mishandle your checked luggage, you will have something to wear along with other essentials.

12. Self-check-in & Print your boarding pass 

Although electronic files in the form of a boarding pass are enough these days, what happens if your phone dies? So print one as a backup. It’s always smarter to have a physical backup. Ensure the flights you are booked have luggage included and know their check-in policy. Many airlines, for example, Ryanair, required self-check-in well within the time limit or else they charge you extra.

13. Bring an international travel adapter

This international travel tip is the most useful, especially when using cell phones, laptops and cameras to film everyday adventures.

Remember that many countries around the world have different voltages and plug patterns. You can't buy one for each, so a universal travel adapter/converter. “One adapter to rule them all.”

Note – continental Europe takes two round prongs, India takes 3 round prongs that form a triangle, US outlets work on 2 flat prongs, and the UK on three rectangular prongs.

14. Purchase tickets for attractions in advance when it’s a leisure travel

The attractions that you absolutely will visit; buy their entrance tickets in advance. It will save you time on arrival and this way you can spend more time inside looking at what you came to look at instead of standing in line waiting for your ticket.

15. Wear a money belt to protect your passport and valuables

However, it is advisable to keep your passport in the locker in the safety of your room and carry a photocopy along. Also, you may keep your passports as a security deposit at the reception. You get two things out of it – one, your passports are safe, and it's the hotel's responsibility to keep it safe, and they do. Second, you don’t have to shell out cash for the security deposit, which you can utilize for shopping instead. Be alert with your backpacks and wallets because places like the Eiffel tower is ripe for wallet picking.

Important Read:  10 Tips for Travel During COVID-19