Are you traveling out of country? Besides the obvious needs like getting a passport and being familiar with the language, here are our best travel tips for those who want to prepare to travel internationally.

1) EXCHANGE RATE$

Even if you have a credit card, sometimes there may be fees involved (Make sure you call your bank to say your are going on a trip – so they don’t think your credit card has been stolen!). It’s best to have a credit card that can be used internationally with no fees and able to put cash in your pocket. When traveling internationally or not, it’s good to have cash, just in case. Especially when traveling out of country, carrying cash is important. You never know when you’ll need it, especially in case of an emergency. From experience, transportation in most countries only accept cash. Before going to another country, research where it’s best to exchange money to obtain the best exchange rate. Make sure to know where to go in your home country or when you get to the country you’re visiting.

2) PLUG ADAPTER

In this day and age, I’m sure everyone travels with some form of electronics. You will need to make sure you have the proper plug adapter and/or voltage converter because it may be different in the country you’re traveling to. Purchase before traveling because it might be cheaper and will definitely save some travel money.

3) MAPS | GPS

Most times, using a smartphone to navigate is best. However, depending on the carrier, the service might go in and out (from our experience) and data can be expensive. That’s where a dedicated GPS will come in handy. A great tip is to download maps or apps that allow you to navigate without the use of services (as in, ‘offline’ mode maps) – basically maps without live traffic or use location data. You can always go the vintage way and bring a paper map and navigate your way around, which is also a great experience in traveling – helps you to ‘get to know’ the location.

4) CELL PHONE PLAN

Don’t forget to call your mobile company and see what options are available for out of county service. Charges for international calls, messaging, and data usage can be extremely expensive. Renting a phone while traveling abroad is another option which is very easy and economical if you have the time to stop by a cell phone shop. You can also consider purchasing an internet-pocket wifi. This will help with communication because you can download any messaging apps to communicate with others.

5) MAIL | PACKAGES

Do you get mails and packages daily? You don’t want your mailbox getting stuffed and packages left in front of your door! This will let people know you’re not home because your packages are piling up. Make sure you let your local post office know, USPS offers a hold mail service and will deliver your mail when you return.

Making a checklist of things to do has helped us fully prepare for when we travel out of country. Last thing you want while sitting on an airplane is contemplating on forgetting to do something on this list. Hopefully these tips helped prepare you before going on your international trip!