So many times when you click on something like a “10 Best International Travel Tips” you find yourself reading inane nonsense like “remember to bring your passport”. Because you & I can only dream of being that creative, let’s go with five international travel tips that don’t involve stock images of passports – although bringing your passport on an international travel mission might be a good idea, too.
- Notify Banks & Credit Card Companies: What is more fun than going somewhere only to find out that your ATM card doesn’t work, your credit card company has shut your cards off and the only way to remedy the situation is to find a phone and then make long distance international calls hoping that the time zone isn’t going to snuff your shot. In short, call the relevant companies for your ATM & Credit Card(s). Why? Because with all the new fangled anti-fraud technology, there is nothing a bank likes to do more than shut off your cards when they suspect unauthorized use. And when you make a hot dog purchase in New York on your credit card and the next day, that card is trying to purchase some internet time at a cafe in Beirut, Lebanon — you may succeed in duping the crafty credit card company computers which, in short, means you are standing like a fool in Beirut. It is usually called Travel Notification and some company’s make it easier than others — for instance — Capital One has a link online (once you log into your account) whereby you can create a notification. Whereas, last I checked, with Wells Fargo, you had to contact them and tell them you were going to be traveling with the countries you plan to visit, the date range and so forth.
- Research Bank & Credit Card Fees: Credit cards and banks like to award their executives with giant bonuses so that these executives can buy giant yachts and then they follow these international travel tips to buy more yachts. If you want to assist in their effort, you should skip to the next tip. Otherwise, it is a good idea to understand what fees are assessed against you for certain actions. For instance, if you withdraw money via ATM at another bank, does your bank charge you a fee? If so, how much? If you use your credit card overseas, does your credit card hit you with a fee? Last I checked, Capital One and Discover did not assess a foreign transaction fees for credit card usage. There is a handy chart here if you are timid or rushed for time. Note that there are two types of fees – the issuer fee, which is the fee assessed to you by your credit card company (e.g. Chase) and then there is a separate fee assessed by the network (e.g. Mastercard). Once you know this information, you can figure out which credit and debit cards to use during your travel. And, further, you can figure out the best way to pay for your transactions. Watch out for the ATM fees too, because even if you have a bank that isn’t charging you a fee to use an international or out-of-network ATM, the actual ATM machine you are using may.
- Have Numbers & Name Handy: I don’t print out many confirmations and have yet to really be burned (although I do print confirmations when in Asian countries because sometimes you can’t get past security to get to the ticket desk without them) but it is good practice (note: I now keep confirmations on my phone which seems to work quite fine), especially when the hotel tells you that you have no reservation. In any case, I always write down my ticket number and record locator (the six digit alpha-numeric string you get when you make a reservation), figure out which terminal I am leaving from (and that is the terminal of the operating carrier) and if I have time, figure out what lottery numbers will hit the jackpot that night. The record locator can come in quite useful at check-in if using a kiosk or changing things online and the ticket number is universal (although usually not needed) in case an issue pops up. Further, it is a good idea to have international phone numbers on hand for your credit card companies and airlines just in case you need them in a pinch, have dead electronics and need to impress yourself.
As far as names, it is a good practice to know your hotel or lodging address as it is often asked on visa forms. It also sorta comes in helpful when you need to know where to go.
- Be Cognizant of Time Change: If able, start thinking in the time zone of where you are going. So, if you are based in NYC and are heading to Paris for two weeks, you might want to start going to bed earlier and waking up later if able. If not, I find it quite helpful to set my clocks to the destination time when I get to the airport. If I am on the plane at 2000, then I think in my head I should be sleeping since it is at 0200 and try to make that adjustment. This is one of my issues with airlines — I feel like they should be setting you up for the destination timeframe, but that is a battle for another time
- Power Adapters and Sunscreen: Figure out what things you do and don’t need. I don’t say this in the obvious sense, but rather, say you are visiting the Caribbean, you should make sure you bring sunscreen (if you will be needing it) because it is something that is a luxury-tourist-item (assuming the locals don’t use much) and thus has the propensity to be quite expensive (and possibly a brand you will need to blindly trust). On the contrary, if you forget normal personal care items — say toothpaste or shampoo — it isn’t such a big deal as you can easily find those at “local” prices. Or if you are traveling internationally, research what the power plugs look like. It is better to buy power adapters locally at home rather than running around trying to find them at your destination. Why? Because generally, most people at your destination live there and have no need for adapters. And even if that weren’t the case, if you wait till you arrive, you then are tasked with finding a place that has adapters and are bent over the barrel which doesn’t sound like such a thrilling first day of vacation.
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