Congratulations, you’ve booked your trip overseas. Your airline ticket is in hand, itinerary is planned, and hotels are booked. You’re ready to go. Or are you? When planning your trip abroad, there are a lot of things to think about beyond the trip itself. We’ve found that if you do a little planning before you go, you’ll be prepared for any situations that arise. So before you fly, make sure you go through this easy checklist of things to be done before your vacation to ensure a happy vacation.
Cell Phones
Before you leave home, buy an international cell phone plan. While cell phone plans are getting better, there is still a long way to go before you’ll be able to use your phone at a reasonable cost anywhere in the world without planning for it. Before you fly, be sure to call your provider to see if you can add an international plan onto your current one. This will save you a lot of money in the long run. We have heard of people coming home to a $3,000 phone bill because they made calls and left their phone on during their trip.
If you don’t have an international plan, keep your phone on airplane mode to avoid roaming fees. Or do what we do. Buy an unlocked phone (or get your cell phone unlocked) and purchase a local SIM card once you arrive. Most airports in Europe and Asia have mobile phone stores located right in the airport where you can top up before you leave.
Suggested item: RFID Cell Phone Wallet
Banking
It’s important to call your bank before you leave the country to let them know you’ll be using your credit cards overseas. It can be complicated and embarrassing to pay for something only to have your card declined. You are then stuck making a long distance phone call to find out what has happened. Most likely, your bank locked your account because of suspicious activity. If you don’t travel a lot, making a purchase in another country is definitely a red flag.
Another good rule of thumb is to carry small bills in the currency of the country you are visiting. We always carry about $100 worth of small local currency for our arrival. This helps with tipping cab drivers and bellhops when we arrive at our hotel. It is embarrassing to arrive at your hotel, have someone carry your bags up to your room and have nothing to give to them. We usually give hotel porters $5 for their service.
Professional Tip: Don’t book tickets or doing any banking at a public Wi-Fi. If you have to, use a VPN that you can purchase before you leave home.
Read: How to Stay Safe Online While Traveling
Documents
Before we fly, we make copies of our passports, prescriptions, and other important documents. You can also keep files in your email account or on your computer. Whatever you decide, just make sure you have back-ups should you lose your wallet.
And never underestimate the importance of safety. Make sure to password protect your computers and cell phones so nobody can get into your banking information. And use travel bags that are difficult for thieves to get into. Pacsafe has a great line that protects your encrypted chip data.
Suggested Items:
Pacsafe Tote
Pacsafe Metrosafe Daypack
Flight preparation
Let’s face it; luggage has been known to go missing. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination with nothing but the clothes on your back. Make sure to pack a little care package in your carry-on luggage so you will have a little breathing room should your luggage go missing. We pack a change of clothes, our prescription medication, travel size toothpaste (less than 3oz) and anything else that we feel we can’t live without for a day or two.
If your luggage does go missing, don’t rely solely on the airline. We use the Trace Me luggage tags. All you have to do is register your tag before you leave, fasten it to your luggage and if it goes missing, Trace Me will notify you once it’s found. It gives us that extra peace of mind that it’s not just the airline looking for our luggage.
Electronics
There have been many times when we’ve watched uninformed tourists stand at the front desk of a hotel asking for an adapter only to be upset when the hotel doesn’t have one to lend them. It’s not up to them to supply plugs for your electronics; it’s up to you to have all the gear you need. In today’s world, it’s easy to have adapters on hand. Gone are the days where you need to carry a bunch of different plugs for different countries. The universal adapter works in all countries and it’s put together in one compact unit. Most of the time you don’t even need a power converter, since the majority of electronics have built in converters that work on all continents. Just make sure to check before your go. You don’t want to fry your expensive devices. Deb lost her beloved straightener last year in Italy.
Suggested Items:
Universal Adapter
All in One Converter
Read: An Electrical Guide for Travelers
Etiquette
When traveling, do some research on the customs of the country you are visiting. It can be as simple as looking up the tipping practices for waiters and taxi drivers, to learning how to greet strangers or how to dress in the Middle East. Don’t assume that all countries will accept the etiquette practices you use at home. Countries can be very different from what you are used to. You’ll have a lot more fun if you understand the customs and etiquette of your destination, and you’ll find that you’ll make a lot more friends too!
Travel Insurance
And finally, before you fly, look into buying travel insurance. It’s a small price to pay should something go wrong. Many people think that they will be fine when traveling and should anything happen, they can just hop on a flight and go home. I’ve heard people say that they only buy insurance if they are doing something adventurous or going somewhere remote. Take it from us, you need travel medical insurance. Anything can happen at any time. If you have an emergency, you will have to pay out of pocket. If you require a hospital stay, it can be pricey. If you need to fly home, you could end up paying for it the rest of your life. We always travel with insurance and we have used it more than once. Most recently, we needed to be flown out of the Amazon and air lifted home. That could have cost us $100,000. Don’t let that be you.
Travel is a time to relax, get away from the pressures of home and enjoy the sights of the destination you are visiting. Don’t let it be ruined by not planning for the little things. If you follow a few simple rules before leaving home, you’ll have a far more relaxing vacation and you’ll be prepared for any situation.
Read Next: How to Travel Light for Extended Trips
About the Author
Dave and Deb are well-known travel personalities in both online and mainstream media. Their highly acclaimed website, The Planet D, won Gold Medal for Best Travel Blog by the Society of American Travel Writers and best Photo Illustration of Travel. Dave and Deb founded The Planet D in 2008 after cycling the continent of Africa and have traveled to more than 100 countries on all 7 continents. They live by their motto “Adventure is For Everyone.” If they can do it, anyone can. Read more travel tips from Dave & Deb
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