Get Prepared
There is sooo much to plan for when traveling overseas it can get really overwhelming!
The fun part, deciding Where to Go and What You'll Do while there is what the rest of this site is for - but there are some practical essentials you may not have thought of if you're a relatively inexperienced traveler or that might slip through the cracks in all the excitement.
Here's a good guide to things you should definitely look into before leaving home:
Water, Food & Potty Breaks
Is the local water 🚰 safe to drink/ brush your teeth with? Check the Tap Safe 🔗 website to find out.
Do you have any specific dietary restrictions, allergies or require prescriptions 💊 that will need to be refilled during your travels?
Look into food and pharmacy options available where you're going, and plan to bring what you can’t easily get while there.
If you're traveling to a 3rd world country be sure to look into the public restroom 🚽 situations.
Some places require you to tip a bathroom attendant for toilet paper, or don’t offer it at all. You will want to always have a small . amount of local currency and/or your own handy-wipes with you when visiting those countries.
Even some European countries, like Germany, may charge at public restrooms.
Money, Money, Money 💰
What currency is used where you are going? What is the current exchange rate?
They are tons of online converters; I like Valuta Fx 🔗 - It's a nice clean list of country exchange rates.
Are they a tipping culture? How much? & What services expect tips?
In places like Egypt tips are expected everywhere, (even putting bags on an airport scanner!) Avoid accepting 'help' offered, as it's usually . just a ploy for tips🔍.) Others places, like Denmark, include gratuity in the bill.
Do most places at your destination accept credit cards 💳 ? Or will you need cash 💵 ? Do they accept Apple Pay? Google Wallet....?
What kinds of cards can they process🔍? Some European countries are set up for chip and tap cards, but not necessarily swipe.
Does your bank have branches in your destination? Does your Debit Card charge an ATM fees? Does your Credit Card have any foreign transaction fees? You may want to get a Travel Credit Card to avoid these fees, (you might even get some good travel rewards! )
What's the cost of living compared to your home? Knowing what to expect to pay for housing & dining is essential to planning a budget. My Life Elsewhere 🔗 compares costs between individual cities.
Getting Around Town
Will you need a car? Or is there good public transit in the city you are going to?
Does Uber 🔗 or Lyft 🔗 operate in your destination city? 🚕 (At the moment Lyft is only in the US & Canada but Uber is global.)
Is there a local equivalent ride share service where you are going? Some other international ride share apps include:
In Europe: BlaBlaCar 🔗 - offers between city ride shares, not just local taxis. (With the exception of a few Scandinavian countries)
They have also expanded to Brazil, Mexico and India.
In Asia: DiDi 🔗 (or DiDi Chuxing) - China centric but now also in Australia, Mexico, Brazil & Taiwan.
GRAB 🔗 - SE Asia Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar.
In the Middle East & Africa: CAREEM 🔗 - Dubai UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Pakistan, Kuwait,
Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Turkey, Palestine, Iraq, Sudan.
In India: OLA CABS 🔗; also in UK Australia and New Zealand. They can even be used for Rickshaws and Motorbikes
In South & Central America: EasyTaxi 🔗- Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia Chile and Columbia.
In Israel: GETT 🔗 (originally GetTaxi) also expanded to US, UK and Russia
Be aware, to communicate with your local driver on through any app you will need a local SIM card on your phone.
If you're like me, you'll do a lot of exploring on foot. Google makes this easy, but be sure to Download a City Map 🔗 ahead of time when you have internet connection so you won't have an issue in a part of town with bad mobile data service.
Hot Tip - Have a long layover and want to explore the city, but don’t want to drag your bags all over town?
Most airports & cities have luggage storage. Look up what’s offered at your airport's or in your destination city.
H0w you say... Language
Do people where you're going speak your native tongue?
I like to Learn a bit of the Local Language; "Hi🔍" & "Thank you" are a great place to start. But these days apps like
Google Translate 🔗 cover pretty much everything you need. The app has a camera feature that translates signs, you can of course, type . in words to translate & also record what you say and it will translate to both text and voice so you can have a conversation in real time.
Can you Phone Home? Or Make Calls in Country?
Will your smart phone work where you are going? Do you need to buy additional services?
If you want to make local call you'll likely need either an international plan with your provider or a local SIM card (they're pretty cheap, .~$10 - $30, and can be bought at airports and drug stores etc. You can purchase by the amount of data or on a daily/ weekly plan.)
Even though I travel full time I don’t have an international plan, and I rarely purchase SIM cards. My provider has free unlimited mobile . data and I get international texting for free (though those I text with may be charged depending on their plan.) I get by on WhatsApp & . Instagram messaging just fine (both are free and use mobile, not cellular data) though I do borrow a local phone from time to time at my ..hostels or hotels to call cab companies for example, but it’s rarely an issue.
You'll definitely want to call your service provider to see what your specific plan options include. But you can check out -
. Mashable.com's Make Sure Your Phone Works 🔗 & HowToCallAbroad.com 🔗 for info about international calling/ texting.
If you do intend to use local SIM cards make sure you get your smart phone ‘UNLOCKED’ so it can accept the new carriers SIM.
You can google your specific phone model to learn how to unlock it or contact your carrier.
Essential Research...
Hot Tip - I carry a second phone (my old cracked one) for the emergency of a 'lost or broken phone'. And if I ever need to
use a local SIM card I put it in the back up phone so I’m not switching SIM cards back and forth all the time.