International Travel Tips

A lot goes into traveling internationally. Below is a list of some of our favorite international travel tips. This list will help you have a smoother experience while traveling abroad. We will be sure to keep this post up-to-date with our favorite tips. Remember to set up the following items before traveling internationally: Cash & Credit: US Currency is not accepted anywhere. It can be more difficult and costly to bring cash and exchanging it there. The banks are also closed certain hours and days that you wouldn’t expect. There are however, ATM’s all over the place. It is very common to walk up to the ATM – access your checking account and withdrawal at the current exchange rate into the local currency. The easiest way to get currency is upon arrival. Since some banks charge a fee for each withdrawal, we recommend budgeting a certain amount and do one to three withdrawals.

Our second favorite option is to use a credit card that does not have any foreign transaction fees and rewards you with points. This gives you the most current exchange rate as well as keeping your checking accounts safe at small retailers. Some bankcards charge 3% for every swipe in a foreign country and this can add up fast. Nowadays there are plenty of credit cards for frequent world travelers. Keep in mind some countries/regions don’t prefer the use of credit cards, it is always best to have cash on hand just in case.
Most importantly, call your banks and credit cards or go online and set your accounts up for international travel by letting them know the dates that you will be gone and every country that you will be in. If you do not set them up and need to use your accounts they can freeze your account for suspicious activity…that is not fun on vacation.

Phones: Call your cell phone company and set up an international calling plan to cover you for the duration of your time abroad. Other options are to get a travel phone set up or get a SIM card for your unlocked phone. Please note with a new SIM card you will not be able to use your current cell number. Passport: Make sure that your passport is current and not expired. Passports can take months to process so be sure it will be valid. **Attention New European Union Laws: Passports must be valid 3 months after your trip end date. If your passport expires within 3 months after your trip, please note you should contact passport services right away to renew your passport due to the new laws. TripIt: We highly recommend using the TripIt app for all your travels. TripIt organizes your travel plans in one place and you can easily sync all your travel plans into the app. This app can store emergency numbers related to your trip at ease keeping all your travel plans rights at your fingertips. The app is available for iphone and android users. www.tripit.com