Whilst travelling abroad is something that barely registers a thought to the frequent traveller, those who have never ventured beyond their own borders can be very daunted. Different languages, different cultures, different foods - even different sockets for your chargers! It can be overwhelming if you let it, but to put it in context millions and millions of people travel across international borders every day and so in reality, it can't be that challenging, surely? The best advice is to make sure you've covered the basics and do so by creating yourself a simple checklist - do you have a valid passport? Do you need a visa? Do you need any inoculations? Have you arranged to have some hard currency available as well as a valid card for emergencies? Do you have valid travel insurance in place? This list is not exhaustive, but none of the items are particularly difficult or time consuming to arrange and confirm. They are all common considerations for travel, regardless of the destination. Once you're happy with this, try creating a more specific checklist for your destination. Have you made arrangements to get from the airport to the accommodation? Have you considered where you can eat if that's not included? Do you need to book any excursions and visits in advance or can you pay on arrival? Have you looked at some basic words and phrases in the local language that will help? Essentially, the more effort you put into some basic planning, the less stressful and more enjoyable the experience will be.
The tip that I can give is to make your travel plans flexible. You can always plan to take the essentials but having some room in your schedule can help to make the trip more enjoyable and stress free. Flexibility offers you the option of making changes whenever things go wrong. The flights can be postponed or the weather can or you can find something more interesting than what you intended. Open time in your trip enables you to rest and explore and also you can take advantage of the unexpected opportunities. On my personal journeys I once had a day off in Rome in the afternoon and had no particular plan. As I was walking I passed a local small festival in a local piazza where people were dancing and food stands were lined along the square. It was not written on any guidebook but it became one of my best memories of the trip since I managed to have a surprise.
If there is just one piece of advice I would give to someone getting ready for their first international trip, it would be this: Include buffer time - everywhere. Do not book back-to-back connections, or make tight transfers, or plan a packed schedule every day. Things will take longer than you think, and that is an acceptable occurrence - it is part of the experience. Some of my best experiences were created, in part, because of something that was totally unplanned - because I was not rushing. Also, have at least one good backup for essentials: a second form of payment, an extra charger, hard copies of your key info (flights, accommodations, and all). Machines malfunction. Wi-Fi drops. A physical back up in your bag can help when your phone or signal will not. Not too exciting, but when things go south - and things will go south, it will change the situation into a manageable calmly handle.
Learn a couple of the local phrases, get acquainted with the money, and familiarize oneself with some simple cultural standards. These little things count so much in the hassle-free and pleasant journey. Goodwill can be achieved immediately using local greetings or saying thank you in the native language. Visitors are appreciated when they attempt to reach out to people even in the most basic forms. Being aware of the currency prevents you being confused with the payments and the chances of being overcharged are minimized. Adhering to traditions like dress code in religious places of worship or local cuisines is polite and will make you blend. My initial visit was to Japan where I was taught a few phrases. A polite arigato or sumimasen when shopping or seeking advice most of the time resulted in great warm smiles and even more help. Such an organization simplified everyday communication and the trip in general.
If you are traveling internationally, you should notify your bank. I knew this, but I learned it the hard way during a business trip to Frankfurt. I had just landed after an overnight flight and went from the airport to the hotel meeting room to pay for a group lunch. When I tried paying with the card, it did not go through. I assumed it was the machine, so I tried again, but my card was still declined. Turns out, the bank blocked the transaction because they suspected there was fraud going on, since they did not know that I was in Germany. I had to call the bank from the lobby, wait for nearly half an hour on hold, and then the bank cleared my card. It is a stressful way to start an important trip. Ever since then, I have always logged into my banking app before I fly and submit a travel notice, with the countries and dates of travel.
I never expected how important it is to have a universal adapter while traveling abroad. On my first trip to Tokyo, I arrived with a laptop full of customer projects and a phone that was already starting to run out of juice. After checking into the hotel, I discovered that none of the plugs from Australia would fit. When I asked the lady at the front desk for one, I was told they'd run out of adapters. So I went outside to look for it, but all the stores selling them are closed. I spent the first evening in my hotel room carefully rationing my phone charge, knowing that when it died, I wouldn't be able to communicate with clients or even look up the train route into the city the next day. Since that trip, I have packed a good universal adapter that has multiple USB ports for charging every type of device.
If you're traveling internationally for the first time, I would recommend you carry physical copies of everything that matters to you, not just have these on your phone. I am talking about passport details, your visas, your flight confirmations, your hotel reservations and even important phone numbers. That's because phones die, Wi-Fi is sometimes unavailable and apps often do not load right when you need them. If you have some physical copies in your bag or your wallet, you will never be caught without an option if technology fails. While I was on my first overseas trip to Thailand, my phone completely died shortly after landing in Bangkok. The only place I had the hotel address saved was on my phone, and the taxi driver spoke little English. Luckily for me, because I had printed the booking confirmation and address, I was able to hand a slip of paper to the driver. Without that, I would have been stuck at the airport scrambling to sort everything out.
Make sure to get travel insurance prior to your trip, even if you think you will not need it. On my first trip to Costa Rica, I decided to take a day hiking in Arenal Volcano National Park. The trails were stunning, but after a quick rainstorm, I slipped and twisted my ankle badly enough that I could not put any weight on it. I had to get a ride to La Fortuna, where the nearest clinic took me in right away. They did X-rays, provided me with crutches and prescribed me medication. When the bill came, it was around $600. Luckily, my travel insurance paid the entire amount. Without that coverage, I would have had to either pay with cash or place the bill on my card and bring that financial burden home.
Anyone who wants to enjoy their international trip should learn how to get around the place they are visiting. This is something I learned the hard way when I got to Paris late in the evening and thought I could simply grab a taxi at the airport. The official taxi line was long, the drivers only took cash and I hadn't gone to the ATM yet to withdraw euros. So by the time I got everything figured out, had my cash and arrived at my hotel, I had wasted over an hour and was so exhausted. The same thing occurred again when I was in Tokyo. I got on the wrong train because I did not understand that there were multiple rail companies that operated separate sets of lines through the same station. I literally found myself far away from my hotel and had to traverse back through different sets of platforms until I finally arrived at my stop. Knowing how to go around is a must and this is something you need to master. You won't believe how many YouTube videos I watched just to learn everything.
Before undertaking your first overseas adventure, it is important to prepare to have access to money. It is hard to enter a foreign country without cash in it, and you have to get to an ATM to be able to pay off a taxi or a meal. It helps to have some local money on hand to get those initial hours out. Always call your bank before travelling to inform them about your dates and destinations, this prevents freezing of your card due to fraud. It is prudent to have two cards of different banks in case one of them fails. A credit card with no foreign transaction charges can be of great help to many travelers. Mixed and slightly using cash will allow you to be more flexible and have a backup plan in case of technology or local failures. This is a basic thing that will save you the stress and make your stay hassle free.
Learn about common scams in your destination country before you go. Most countries have the same patterns though every region may have its own variations, but if someone stops you to "help" or offers you an amazing deal, your common sense should kick in. There may be friendly locals who want to practice English then lead you to their cousin's overpriced shop, or the bracelet/flower scam where someone puts something on you then demands payment. Or, if you put your phone or valuables on the table in some parts of Europe, someone will distract you with a map or petition while their partner grabs your stuff. The "closed today" scam is also another one, in which someone tells you the attraction is closed but offers to take you somewhere "better" for a fee. All in all, your first international trip will go smoothly if you research the specific scams for your destination city, not just the country.
Being able to travel extensively to other countries I have witnessed a great deal of instructional elements. As far as your initial foreign experience is concerned, I can just suggest you to further the cause of study about your destination. This starts with the local culture, traditions and legislation. This will guarantee that you will not have to write anything faux pas with regards to the cultural aspect as well as potential conflict which might arise as a result of any legal measures, which your way might have to face. Budgeting is an activity that must be properly planned. It is not only the price of the flights and the place to stay but also transportation, meals and events. One should have an idea of the size one is comfortable spending without going on spending sprees in instances of excessive spending and falling into a financial trap in the foreign land.
I have traveled to quite a few different countries and my approach has always been to plan the most important aspects, such as where to sleep or how to get to one city from another, but I always leave blocks of free time in my schedule. This means that I make sure all the basics are covered, but I make sure I do not fill my day with tour packages. That's because when you are on one, you would feel as if you are getting rushed and you won't be able to enjoy the city. One time when I traveled to Italy, I organized my trains and hotels, but one evening in Florence, I left completely open. While wandering the streets, I stumbled upon a small, family-run trattoria that I didn't see in the guidebook or hear about. I spent $25 on dinner, I talked with the owners, and I even ended up being invited into their kitchen. That evening produced a lasting memory for me that was miles better than any of the larger museums I had planned to see.
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Answered 5 months ago
I learned this the hard way during my first international trio in 2012, which was a 3-week trip through Paris, Rome and Berlin. I thought I needed to prepare for everything, so I packed a huge 25 kg suitcase. I carried it up five flights of stairs to my apartment in Paris. I dragged it over cobblestone streets in Rome. The worst was at the airport in Rome for my flight to Berlin. The airline had a 15 kg limit and the bag that I had was over by 10 kg. I had to unexpectedly pay a whopping €100 fee for exceeding the weight limit, which obliterated my budget. Since then, I made a point to travel with only a carry. on bag or as little luggage as I could get away with.
If you're planning for your first international trip, my tip is to have a backup for your money. Most first-time travelers just plan for flights and hotels, but nothing will rattle your nerves abroad like having no access to your money. That's why I always travel with two debit cards from different banks, leaving one in my wallet and one in my luggage in case one gets lost or blocked. If anything happens to my main card, my second card becomes a backup plan. I learned just how valuable it really can be on my trip to Tokyo. After two days of use, my main card stopped working! Had I not brought my backup, I would have had to find a solution to replace the card or deal with no funds immediately. Thankfully, I walked to an ATM and had cash in under five minutes. That little habit saved me from having to deal with what could have been a couple of stressful hours.
This might be a bit underrated but if you are planning your first international trip, make sure you spend time researching the cultural norms of the place. When I traveled to Thailand last year, I did not at all research any local customs. I arrived at the Grand Palace in Bangkok in shorts and a tank top, expecting it to be fine for the hot weather. I was politely stopped at the entrance while other tourists were allowed to get in. I felt embarrassed and incredibly disrespectful because I was not accustomed to the culture. It ended up taking me almost an hour to sort it all out and I spent about 200 Baht on a pair of elephant pants and a shawl from a vendor before I could enter the Grand Palace. If only I had done my research, that wouldn't have happened.
If it is your first international trip, I recommend you to print the hotel address in the local language and keep it in you wallet. I began doing this after a trip to Guangzhou, China, when a taxi driver could not read the address in English that I showed him. For that reason, I spent around 40 minutes at the airport until I met an employee from the airport who was able to translate the address into Mandarin. Since then, I have kept the hotel address written in the local language in my wallet. In Tokyo, for example, I handed the card with my hotel name in Shinjuku, Japan, to the taxi driver, and he drove me right there. That was why I was in my hotel room in less than thirty minutes after I landed. Another colleague of mine, who didn't have a card with him, spent over an hour trying to explain to the taxi driver where he wanted to go.
This may sound strange to me, especially when most of my time is arranged to hard-money lender loans, but traveling at the international level trained me in financial discipline that instantly led to the enhancement of my financial advisory service. Kickstarter with a specific travel savings account months before you make any other reservation. I set up one to spend my first sum in Europe in 2018 and automated diversions of 200 dollars a week. It was within the reach of my finger by departure, and I had in deposit, with interest, $4,800. It is one of these automatic savings principles that I am recommending to the clients accumulating down payment money. Obtain a credit card that does not incur charges when making a foreign transaction and inform your bank about the traveling dates. I was forced to learn this when I had my card arrested in Barcelona. More to the point, carry cash as well as various payment options. In most places, the cash reigns supreme particularly among small sellers and tips. Book flights and flights separately unless you are getting a truly good package trip. I have saved hundreds as I book my hotel in the end after making comparisons and evaluating the prices through different platforms. Direct bookings are crossed into the loyalty points which are usually in form of room upgrading or late checkout. Allow budget 20 percent over and above what you believe you require. Each travel comes with surprise charges, transport cost or even a spontaneous outing. With that buffer, there is no stress of seeing every euro or yen saving and actually enjoy the experience that you spent so much of your money on financing.
My travels have taken me to different places both on business and vacation. Based on my experiences, the one piece of advice I could offer someone going on their first international trip, would be to search broadly the place they are intended to go visit. This ranges from cultural insights to local customs, and even legal guidelines in that country. Not only will the information help you avoid cultural faux pas but will also let you know if you will need something to enter the country, like papers or vaccines. Also, finding the safest and best areas to stay that have easy access to the major tourist locations is really the best thing to do here. With all the information that you can readily find, you will know what to do so that your experience will run smoothly on your first ever international flight.
Don't just obsess over itineraries but also over friction points. The first international trip usually derails not because someone missed a landmark, but because they underestimated tiny stressors: no offline map when Wi-Fi drops, not having cash for a cab, or realizing your credit card blocks international charges. The best prep is setting up backups: download Google Maps offline, carry a local SIM or eSIM, have a debit card that works globally, and stash $50 worth of local currency. If you reduce friction, you'll actually have the mental bandwidth to enjoy the trip.