How To Prepare For International Travel – 11 Tips To Get You Started

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Are you ready to travel internationally, but aren’t sure what to expect?  Thanks to my free-spirited parents, I took my first trip to Asia when I was only 1 and since then have traveled to over 38 countries on 4 continents.  Fair warning: once you start going overseas it may become an addiction!  Here are some tips to help you plan an international trip.

Passports and Visas

The first thing to take care of before you even book your trip is to obtain a Passport and determine if you need a visa.  You can use the handy tool below to find out each country’s visa requirements.  If you DO need a visa for your destination, you can easily obtain one through iVisa.

Packing

• No matter how long your trip is, pack for ONE week at most and plan to do laundry (pack travel size laundry soap and you’ll be good to go!).  Bringing too many pieces of luggage (or heavy luggage) is going to make you miserable and cost you extra money, not to mention not leave you any room for bringing back gifts for family and friends.
• Pack a change of clothes/underwear in your carry on bag just on the off chance your checked luggage gets lost.  We also like to use packing cubes to keep our clothes organized.  I love this packing list to keep me from forgetting any essentials

Accommodations

Book the nicest hotel of your trip for the first night you arrive. We love hostels and Airbnb, but when you’re tired from a long journey, it’s nice to have your own room and your own shower.  Look for hotels that will allow early check-in or that will store your baggage because with red-eye flights usually being the cheapest way to get you across the pond, you’ll often be arriving before the standard 2:00-3:00 pm check-in time.

Airplane Sanity

Download your entertainment of choice on your device, whether it be movies, podcasts, audiobooks, TV shows or games.  Since many airlines no longer have seatback screens, this will help to keep you from going crazy on the plane if you’re not able to sleep.  Some airlines will rent you iPads to watch movies on, but it’s always best to be prepared!  Also make sure you have the proper adapters, headphones and USB cords packed.  You can check out my Travel Essentials post to see the ones I use and love!

Personal Care

Public restrooms often don’t supply you with toilet paper, so it’s best to bring travel-size tissue packs with you – they have saved me many times!   For long flights, bring a washcloth in your purse or hand luggage.   I like to run some warm water in the bathroom and use it to freshen up during the flight.  My other recommendations are dry shampoo and/or a headband for times you won’t have access to a shower for a while.

Transportation

1. Avoid taxis.  With some exceptions, most parts of Europe and Asia are well connected to public transport.  Sometimes if you’re pressed for time, a taxi will be necessary, but for the rest of the journey, take the trains and buses! You’ll save so much money and also be able to experience life like a local instead of a tourist.  We’ve found the public transportation to be efficient and easy to navigate in almost every country we’ve visited.
2. Air travel in Europe is incredibly cheap and efficient (sometimes as low as $20 for a ticket!)  From our experience, it’s going to be cheaper to fly between countries than to take the train, with a few exceptions.   We love using Rome2Rio to plan our itinerary – it shows you all possible modes of transportation with cost and timetables included.

Navigation

Grab a map from your hotel or hostel to have as you explore each city.  If you prefer digital, Maps.me is also a great app that doesn’t require an internet connection and will allow you to download the maps for cities you’ll be in.  Most importantly: chances are you WILL get lost at some point.  Don’t panic.  This is just part of the adventure and you’ll find your way back eventually!  Take note of your surroundings and commit landmarks to memory – this is often easier than trying to find street names (we found this out in Morocco).

Language

Make use of a language app like Duolingo to learn some basic phrases in the local language – “please”, “thank you”, “hello”, “goodbye”, “check, please” and “toilet” at a minimum.  Though you’ll likely find plenty of people that speak English, it will be much easier connecting to locals and their culture if they see you’ve made an effort (even if your pronunciation isn’t perfect).  Also, WC = water closet, aka the toilet.  Get used to seeing this everywhere but the US 🙂

Money

Look up local customs on tipping before you go. Many countries outside the US are not in the habit of tipping (or it may be automatically included in your bill), so it pays to know before you go.   You may not need much local currency for many countries since credit cards are so universally accepted now, BUT it’s a good idea to have some coins on hand.  Shocking as it may be, many places in Europe and Asia charge for the use of public toilets and many only accept coins!  Spend your coins before you leave the country though because currency exchange will only accept paper bills.  There are also donation receptacles in most airports if you’d rather donate your coins that you don’t use.

Meals

1. Try being adventurous and eating at restaurants off the beaten path.  It’s a great way to escape the crowds and eat like a local.   If you are dying to try a popular or highly rated restaurant like this one we hit in Helsinki, but can’t get a reservation for dinner, try going during lunchtime.  They are typically much less crowded, and the prices are generally cheaper too, so it’s a win-win!
2. Be aware that you may not have the same style of service you’d expect back home.  Mealtime is seen as a longer relaxed social event in many countries (Europe especially), so the server may think that it is rude to offer to bring you the check until you specifically ask for it.  Non-verbal cues and empty plates don’t get the point across.  You have to actually ask.

Apparel and Accessories

When traveling, think about comfort and practicality before fashion.  Heels are not your friend, ladies.  You’ll be walking a lot more than you’re likely used to, and cobblestone streets are not forgiving.  Comfortable shoes like these Merrells are my go-to for travel. Also, a purse with a long strap is useful to keep your hands free for carrying luggage and for taking pictures!  I like the Travelon brand for purses that are functionally sound for travel and have RFID blocking capabilities.

I hope you’ve found these tips useful as you plan for international travel.  This post just scratches the surface; just remember – the most important thing is to embrace the adventure!  Be sure to check out the credit cards I use to earn free flights, how to stay safe in other countries and how to find free lodging along with many other tips here: FREE travel resources.

Before you go, head over to my curated travel essentials for healthy and active travel.

Thank you for reading!  Be sure to follow along with my active adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

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Emily