Top tips for the international traveler newbie
It can be intimidating to consider international travel destinations when it’s a new experience. There is something comforting about traveling within your home state or country. When you branch out and explore other places, it is bound to create opportunities and memories you otherwise wouldn’t have by staying stateside.
Build your confidence in choosing an international destination by checking out these tips:
Identify what you want to experience on your trip: Are you looking for historical tours? Adventurous expeditions? Want to spend your days in museums and gardens? Create a must-see and must-do list to help cater your trip to your heart’s desires and budget.
Start researching well in advance: Whether it’s the exchange rates, budgeting, or getting your first passport - give yourself enough time to be curious and thorough to help lessen your stress when planning your trip.
Buddy up: You don’t have to do it alone — the traveling or the planning.
Consider small-group travel: Perfect for the traveler who would prefer someone else to do all the planning as you dip your toes in the international travel pond.
Choose a destination with a common language: Intimidated by differences in language? You can experience cultural differences in many other places without a language barrier. Stick with what you know so you aren’t fumbling with Google Translate while traveling.
Chat with someone with international travel experiences: They can answer questions and share what worked well and didn’t work well for them when they were in your shoes as an international traveling newbie.
Netflix and chill: Start your travels early by watching documentaries related to the nation(s), people(s), and history/histories you’re interested in exploring in real life. Don’t have Netflix? Not a problem! There’s YouTube, PBS, and even your local library.
Save up credit card points: Help lessen international travel's financial burden by saving credit card points towards hotels, flights, and/or car rental services. Don’t have a travel credit card? Talk to a financial advisor about the costs and benefits.
Utilize the alert function on booking sites: Make it easier for yourself to track flights and pricing by setting different alerts that go straight to your email inbox.
Start small: The saying “go big or go home” doesn’t apply to international travel. Intimidated by long flights or large price points? Try a shorter trip to a neighboring country as your first international adventure. Remember time zones so you allow yourself enough time to adjust and recover from jetlag.
Take a small group walking tour on your first full day: It will orient you to the area and give you a sense of where to spend your time. You might also meet other travelers with shared interests and make some friends along the way!
Master some key phrases if traveling to a country with a different language: Use a language app to learn how to say a few polite things - “Please” and “Thank you,” and necessary phrases - “Where is the bathroom?” and perhaps, “May I have more wine, please?”
Don’t spread yourself thin by trying to see too much: Limit yourself to a few spots close to each other to reduce your transit time. Try to spend at least four days in each place, and be aware that you must allow a couple of days to adjust to the time zone, especially if the time change is drastic.
Use your social media powers for good: Follow travel accounts specific to your destination. It will give you an overview of some cool experiences, and you can get familiar with local tours and/or tour operators.
Double-check embassy and state department websites pre-travel: Not only is it great to know where the local embassy is in the country you’re planning on traveling to, but it’s also important to make sure there haven’t been any travel regulation changes that might impact your trip.
What other advice do you have for an international travel newbie - leave them in the comments!
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