Whether you are traveling for the first-time, or whether you’re a seasoned traveler, we can all use reminders on taking full advantage of our limited time traveling. Here is our Top 10 tips for first-time international travelers:
- Ensure you have good Travel insurance. Why?
- Lost luggage – travel insurance could help cover most of the costs to replace your items.
- Illness or injury while traveling – travel insurance can help with reimbursement. Also, health insurance often doesn’t apply in foreign countries, unless you have the right travel coverage. In the case that you need to be flown to a hospital or evacuated from a danger zone, helicopter transport could cost you thousands of dollars and travel insurance may cover these type of costs.
- Loss of a friend or family member – with a trip cancellation coverage, you may be able to cancel or postpone your vacation in the event of a tragedy.
- Early returns – if you need to fly home immediately and cancel the rest of your trip, the airline could charge you for your flight changes and travel insurance may help reimburse you those fees.
2. Passport & Visa: Check your destinations requirements. When traveling, ensure you have hard copies of your passport, visa and flight ticket in a secure place, different from where you put the original documents. Also, have stored copies in the cloud or on e-mail you can access from anywhere in the world.
3. Bank cards & Money: Contact your bank to advise them you are traveling Internationally to ensure your bank cards are in working order. Ensure you have some local currency in cash, at least just for the first few days.
4. Check luggage allowance and pack only the necessary, also called Minimalist Packing. A personal tip from us lady travelers… If you’re only going to wear it once, don’t bring it. A suitcase space is precious (and limited), make room for a piece that you know you can create multiple outfits with.
5. Keep electronics to a minimum, but remember chargers & international adapters
6. Luggage tags – Attach name tags with your contact details to your luggage. In case they go missing, they can be returned to you as swiftly as possible.
7. Use a local guide to provide valuable authentic immersive educational experiences. Get out of your comfort zone. Eat, drink, and do things you wouldn’t go near in your normal life.
8. Save bag space for holiday purchases
9. Learn a little of the local language, you’ll be surprised how far even just “please”, “thank you” and “sorry” can get you in daily life.
10. Airports – allow enough time for check-in. Arrive earlier rather than later, nothing worse than missing a flight causing unnecessary stress.
Have an open mind, relax and have fun! Especially when you’re in our Grosvenor hands!
