The Foreign Traveler’s Checklist


Going abroad seems a very exciting thing to do, and it no doubt is. However any trip to a foreign land requires extensive preparation. Here are some tips on what to do if you plan to go abroad.
Medical Assurance: First of all double check and ensure that you have all the proper vaccinations before embarking on your trip. Check with the Center for Disease Control website to see if you need to be vaccinated against anything in particular depending on the location. Also renew all the essential prescriptions and make a copy of your medical history to take with you. In addition ask your travel and/or medical insurance provider if they cover damages incurred when you’re in the country you plan on going to. Remember not all travel insurances cover all countries. Make sure your plan does.
Make Backup Copies of Important Documents: Especially your passport. While it would be poor character to lose your passport abroad, it can happen and in that case it’s better to have a backup copy. Take a picture of it and leave a copy of your passport back home.
Register with your embassy: If there’s some trouble brewing, they’ll warn you in advance and get you to safety.
Convert the currency when the exchange rate is favorable: Do not convert your local money into the currency of the country you’re going to when the exchange rate is higher than usual. While they vary only by a few points, this difference can add up to a significant amount when converting large amounts of cash. So try to convert it when the exchange rate is below average.
Contact your credit card company: If you use your credit card abroad without informing your credit card company, they will block it. And since it takes around 24 hours to unblock it, you might get into a fix especially if you do not have cash in hand. So inform the company well in advance.
Always have local cash in hand: Not all places will accept credit cards especially in developing countries. So it’s best to have a decent amount of cash in your hand (local) since you’re definitely going to need it for places like trains and buses.
Check the entrance/exit fees of the country you’re visiting: Some countries require travelers to pay an entry and exit fee upon their arrival and departure respectively. Check them beforehand since they can go to upwards of $200.
Buy tickets/reserve places for attractions you want to see, it’s wiser to book a place beforehand or buy tickets In advance. This way you’ll avoid long lines when you’re actually there.
Guidebooks and Apps: Several traveling apps such as TripAdvisor and Yelp are amazing at being travel guides, download them before going. And also get a guidebook, they have details which are not available anywhere else.

0 comments:

Post a Comment