Traveling the world is one of the greatest ways to open your mind and experience the world, and here at Sparksight, we often have the privilege of traveling to new and exciting places for work. Recently, that has even meant international excursions abroad. Whether for work or fun, international travel is an exciting opportunity to experience new cultures, food, and locations. Take advantage of each moment you have to explore, but be sure to be prepared! These tips will help you make the most of your adventure and avoid any international travel mishaps.
1. Learn Laws/Traditions of International Destinations
Familiarize yourself with local laws, driving styles, safe/dangerous areas, and languages if possible. Stay in hotels that are recognizable and make sure to ask your concierge to order you taxis, suggest places to visit, and identify places to avoid. They’re trained to make your stay as head-ache free as possible, so any question you may have, head to them for help!
If possible, reach out to folks you know in that area for more additional tips and help. Even consider paying a guide to immerse yourself in the culture off the beaten path.
2. Check Your Gear
Consider the equipment you’re bringing, including the necessary power adapters. Most of our electronics nowadays, have built in power inverters (that square shape object between your plug and the power connecter on your MacBook), however make sure you have the necessary power plug adapters to plug in your electronics to the outlets in the country you are visiting. These devices are available via Amazon or your local hardware stores.
If you’re dealing with older equipment or other equipment that does not have a power inverter, either leave it at home, or purchase a power inverter that will convert the voltage (100-240V) and the frequency that the electricity runs on (50-60Hz) in the country you’re visiting. American items run on 120V 60hz, so make sure you buy one that will convert appropriately for the country you plan on visiting. Check out a more detailed list of international power standards by country here.
3. Keep Your S**t on Lock
The absolute worst case scenario is to find yourself without identification on international ground. Keep track of your personal belongings, passports, visas, IDs, and international driving licenses (if required). Make sure your IDs are up to date, and order them far in advance if you need to update them. Passports can easily take up to a month or longer during busy times, although you can expedite them for a much higher cost if you need to rush them.
Keep in mind that some countries have a ‘Six Month Rule’. The US will let you use your passport up to the date of expiration, but some countries will deny travelers entry if the passport expires within six months. International drivers’ licenses are easily obtainable at your local AAA for a small fee on same day instances usually, although these aren’t required for most places you plan on visiting, they’re handy to have to translate your ID into different languages.
Just in case, make sure to map out where the nearest US embassy is in the country you plan on visiting in the event things go awry or you lose something of importance.
4. Spread the International News
Notify your creditors/cell phone company know in advance of your international travel to avoid being pinged for possible fraudulent use. Also highly consider purchasing either an international data plan for your cell phone OR a SIM card in the country you’re visiting (often cheaper than purchasing an international data plan for your cell phone). You’re going to need your GPS and it’s going to get VERY costly if you skip this step.
Consider a hotel that has free wifi. You will be eating through your data quickly if you plan on using it to translate and guide you around your destination. Use the free wifi at your hotel to map out your day and do all the necessary preparation to make your day successful.
5. Take it Easy
International travel can be stressful for the sheer fact that everything, even the little things around you, are different. For the best international experience, don’t forget to pause, breathe, and smell the roses!
Let your body get acclimated to the time zone to avoid jet lag and carry back up medicines. Try to stay up late/go to bed earlier to slowly acclimate to the time zone you’re traveling to, or give yourself a day or two before working to rest up and prepare.
International traveling can be tough on your immune system. Keep a small bag of NyQuil, Imodium, toothpaste, etc… on you JUST in case. The last thing you’ll want to do in a foreign country is finding out how to translate ‘nausea’ at the local drugstore.
6. Skip the Kiosks, Save $$$
To exchange your currency, head straight to your bank. Kiosks specifically used to exchange currency are usually an extremely expensive option for international currency exchange. Notify your bank ahead of time and get your money exchanged there to avoid costly transaction fees. Most banks will do this for free and exchange it at the current exchange rate of the market.
7. Cash or Credit?
Keep in mind that a lot of countries use different types of credit cards/debit cards, so your VISA/MasterCard/AMEX may not work in every country around the world. Always keep a reasonable amount of cash on you to avoid these headaches. The best amount to carry is enough to get you out of a bind, but not enough to break the bank if a pick-pocket does get the best of you.
Get to know which cards are accepted (if any) in the country you plan on visiting. Beware of ‘foreign transaction fees’ that some credit cards surcharge you on when using your credit card abroad, keep those cards at home, and only take those that offer freedom from those fees.
Set up a PIN on your credit card. A lot of countries don’t offer just a ‘signature’ when you swipe your card, and will often ask for a pin as well, even if it isn’t a debit card.
8. When it’s Over
Your last day abroad, and you have all this leftover currency? Apply those funds to your hotel room if possible, this will not only unload all that currency that isn’t useable anymore to you, but will save you the additional job of exchanging that currency later on.
We hope these tips will help bring you smooth sailing on your next international journey. If you have experience with international travel share your words to the wise in the comments section below!
