How To Prepare For A Big International Trip
Planning a trip is always an exciting thing, but even more so when you’re going somewhere far from home and that you’ve possibly never been before.
As exciting as travel can be, it can also be extremely stressful, and although planning is something you should definitely be doing, it’s just simply an unfortunate fact of life that, no matter how much you plan, and how well prepared you are, there are some things that will just go wrong.
In this post, we want to share some useful and practical tips with you for making sure your trip goes off without a hitch.
Make Sure Your Passport Is Valid
It may surprise you to learn that a shockingly high number of people have booked large trips and turned up at the airport only to find that their passport has actually expired. Most countries issue adult passports with a validity of between 5-10 years, however, it’s also important to note that many countries may refuse you entry at their border if your passport is due to expire within 6 months or less, so making sure you have at least a year on your passport before it runs out is definitely a good idea.
Make Sure You Meet The Entry Requirements
When travelling abroad, it’s important you make sure that you have the correct visa or entry papers needed to enter that country. If you don’t, you will be turned away at the border, and that’s really not an experience you want to be dealing with.
When deciding on your destination, you should check on the embassy or consulate website for that country to see what visa, if any, you need to apply for. It’s important also to be aware of the fact, that if you’re connecting from one flight to another in a third country that would generally require you to have a visa, then you’ll possibly need what’s known as a transit visa that allows you to legally enter the airport – even if it’s only for an hour.
Get Some Local Currency Before You Go
Although nowadays more people just use their bank or credit cards whilst travelling to lift cash in their destination, getting at least some local currency before travelling is never a bad idea because you just never know what could happen.
Some countries may not recognize your currency as legal tender – as is true with the Scottish and Irish pounds, the ATM may not work, or even your own bank can reject the transaction for security reasons if you’ve not informed them of your travel plans. You can exchange currency in most travel agencies and banks, and it’s definitely worth checking things like the TD exchange rate beforehand so you can get the best deal.
Do Plenty Of Research
It’s not just important to research the crucial things about the place you’re visiting, but also researching the best places to visit, where to eat, a bit about the culture and traditions, and even taking time to research things like the layouts of airports and railway stations and printing maps so that you don’t find yourself lost and missing a vital connection.
