International Travel Tips: What to Bring
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When you’re traveling overseas, it can be a struggle to know what to bring. First, you don’t want to load yourself down with too many non-essential items. After all, you’ll likely be carrying that luggage around with you at least part of the time. Second, with many airlines charging large fees for checked bags, over-packing can have financial costs as well.
With those things in mind, it’s important to make sure that you bring all essential travel items with you. Since international travel is much different than domestic travel, it comes with its own set of rules. The following list of international travel tips contains some of the must-haves for your overseas adventures:
Your passport and color copies
A passport is absolutely essential for international travel, but what if you lose it? Many travel experts suggest making color copies of your passport and keeping them in your luggage or somewhere safe. If you were to lose your passport, your copies may be the only way you’re able to prove your identity and return home safely.
A visa
It depends on where you’re going, but you may have to apply for a temporary visa in order to travel to certain destinations. If that’s the case, be prepared to pay a fee and complete all of the paperwork that your destination country requires. If you’re not sure whether your destination requires a visa upon arrival, check out Visa Central.
An alarm clock with batteries
No matter where you’re going, an alarm clock with a fresh set of batteries will surely come in handy.
Your chargers
When you’re traveling abroad for more than a day or two, you’ll need to let all of your devices recharge. Make sure to bring all chargers that you may need including cell phone and camera chargers, as well as chargers for electric razors or toothbrushes.
Voltage converter
When you start traveling abroad, you may quickly find that nearly every country has a different type of plug-in. Do some research ahead of time to see what kind of converter you need. Once you find it, locate a store who sells them or order one online.
A Phrase Book
Nothing is worse than being totally unable to communicate in a foreign land. To make sure this doesn’t happen, learn at least a few phrases in the local tongue. Some words, like “bathroom,” “coffee,” and “directions” can be particularly helpful as well. For the words you can’t learn in time, bring a phrase book along and keep it handy.
Vaccinations
Before you travel overseas, make sure you know what types of vaccinations are suggested for the area. Start with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s page for travel health and find your destination. Once you see what they recommend, you can take the proper steps to make sure you’re adequately prepared.
Credit Cards
Having some local currency is always a good idea. However, a credit card or two will likely come in handy. Before choosing which cards to bring along, check to see which ones charge a foreign transaction fee and which ones don’t. If you have any cards that don’t charge anything for transactions overseas, they should be your go-to cards for international travel.
Hopefully, these international travel tips will help take the stress out of packing for your overseas adventure. Be safe, have fun, and happy travels!
