Get Prepared
There is sooo much to plan for when traveling overseas it can get really overwhelming!
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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.
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Here's a good guide to things you should definitely look into before leaving your home country:
Water, Food & Potty Breaks
Is the local water 🚰 safe to drink/ brush your teeth with? Check the Tap Safe 🔗 website to find out.
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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.
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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 currency converters out there. 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?
Some countries, like Egypt, expect tips for everything, even putting your luggage on the x-ray machine at the airport, so it's best to
not accept offered 'help' whenever possible, it's really just a ploy for tips. Other, like Denmark, include the 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 ATM fees? Does your Credit Card have foreign transaction fees? You may want to get a Travel Credit Card before heading out, you might even get some good travel rewards!
What is the comparative cost of living (measured against your home country?) Knowing what you should expect to pay for housing & dinning is essential for planning your budget. My Life Elsewhere 🔗 compares costs between individual cities.
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Getting Around Town
Will you need a car? Or is there good public transit in the city you are going to?
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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 Sharing throughout Europe, not just local taxi rides. (With the exception of a few Scandinavian countries it includes most of the EU region) 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, Morocco, Jordan, 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
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Be aware, to communicate with your local driver on through any app you will need a local SIM card on your phone.
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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. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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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?
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I like to Learn a few phrases of the Local Language. "Hi" & "Thank you" are a great place to start. But these days apps like
Google Translate 🔗 covers pretty much everything you need. The app has a camera feature that will translate signs, you can of
course, type in words to translate. But you can 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?
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If you want to use your phone for local calls you will likely need either an international plan with your provider or a local SIM card
(they're are pretty cheap, usually $10 - $30, and can be bought at airports and drug stores etc. You can purchase them by the
amount of data or on a daily/ weekly plan if you will be in town long term.)
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 messaging on WhatsApp & Instagram just fine (both are free apps and they use mobile, not cellular data) though I do borrow local phones from time to time, at hostels or hotels to call cab companies for example, but it’s rarely an issue.
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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.
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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.