Planning your first international trip? I’m excited for you! The planning part is actually fun so don’t let it overwhelm you. Even if this isn’t your first international trip, these 10 tips on how to plan an international trip will give you helpful information as you prepare for your trip. Depending on the type of trip, there are a few things to think about as you start planning out an international trip.
You may already have an idea in mind of where you’re planning to travel. If not, that’s where you need to start first. If you simply want to see a different country and explore, then start to think things like, what kind of weather you prefer for your trip, whether you want to explore a country only or are you looking for some beach time, or both?
Once you’ve decided on your destination, below are some tips to consider before your travels.
1. Research country entry requirements and general logistics ahead of your trip.
Country entry requirements can include things such as whether a visa is required to enter the country, whether any vaccinations are required, Covid requirements or restrictions, etc. Keep in mind that there are times where you can get a country visa at the airport when you arrive to your destination, but other times where you need to get this ahead of your trip.
Other logistics include general information about what is and is not available in the country you are visiting. For example, research whether Uber is available in that particular country/city, how much a cab should generally cost from the airport to your hotel, whether tipping is customary in that particular country, whether restaurants take credit cards or if it’s a city that mainly accepts cash only, etc. I
By doing this research ahead of time, you will save a lot of time and will look more knowledgable (and less likely to get ripped off). If you’re taking a cab, know how much it should cost to get from the airport to your hotel. Many times the meters are not running on cabs and it’s really up to the driver on how much they end up charging. The more you know, the more you can negotiate a better price.
2. Get currency before your trip
One of the first things I do once I’ve decided where to go is to my local bank before my trip to order foreign currency. This will help you save the most on currency exchange rates and avoid international transaction fees.
Look up the country’s currency (pesos, Euro, etc.) and go to your bank and ask to order that currency.
A question a lot of people ask if how much money you will need during your trip. This depends on so many things but I would suggest to have a daily budget in mind. If you’re solo traveling, this might be $100 dollars per day. It all depends on your budget and what kind of trip you’re taking. Are you trying to make the trip affordable or are you looking to go to trendy restaurants?
Do not get currency at the airport once you arrive to your destination. While this is tempting because it’s convenient, they will charge you more fees and the exchange rate will be less favorable than if you were to have ordered the currency at a bank. The other reason to not exchange at an airport is that this will take time and instead of spending your time waiting in a line after a long trip, you could be heading to your hotel and getting ready to start your trip instead.
Keep in mind if you didn’t bring enough cash on you, you can always take out cash once you’ve arrived to your destination. Unless you’re in a country where that’s not possible, say Cuba for example, in most places you shouldn’t run into this issue.
3. Know the basics of the language –try to learn a few words or phrases of the country’s language prior to your trip. As Americans, we have a huge benefit on our side that the English language is the universal language across the world. However, not everyone knows the English language and at the end of the day, we are visiting another country with another language. Knowing the basics of the language will not only make things easier during your travels, but locals love when we try to speak their native language. I will never forget when a Moroccan friend of mine told me that when you speak in someone’s native language (or at least try to), you are speaking to someone’s heart and that goes a long way.
4. Research your cell phone international plan or explore other options – most of the larger US cell phone carriers will offer an international plan to use your cell phone for calls and data during your trip. AT&T and Verizon offer an international day pass for $10 a day. While this might be fine if you’re traveling for a week, this starts to add for anything more than that.
When I traveled internationally for three months, I ended up switching my cell phone plan to GoogleFi and chose the Unlimited Plus plan which allowed me to keep my cell phone number and use unlimited data. Googlefi isn’t a long term solution though as it’s meant to only be used in the US and they will shut down service is you’re traveling outside of the US longer than 3 months. The most economical option is using a local SIM card. You can buy a physical SIM card or eSIM.
5. Know which credit cards are best to use during your travels – if you plan to use a credit card during your travels, make sure you use one that doesn’t have a fee for using the card internationally. Simply just call them and find out if there is an international transaction fee. I will only use my cards that have no international fees during my travels. I typically use my card a bit during my travels since I like to make sure I’m only using my cash when I need to. I’m big on making sure I don’t have credit card debt though so I would only suggest you do this if you know you can pay all your expenses back within a month or two.
6. Bring an adapter/converter – make sure you bring an adapter with you to plug in all your devices. With certain electronics, check to see if you need a converter. I learned this the hard way and ended up burning out my hot rollers in Japan because the voltage was too high. My curling iron I use during my travels is US 110-240 V so it works great during traveling since it goes up to 240V. A Dyson hair dryer on the other hand, the American model is 110-120V so you will need to buy both a converter and an adapter. Always check your appliances for the voltage before you travel to keep from ruining your appliances!
7. WiFi speed – this is especially important if you are working remotely during your travels. As a digital nomad, this was one of the most important things I had to research prior to my trip. Find out the Wifi speeds in that country in general. Ask your hotel or Airbnb for their specific Wifi speed. I work on a lot of video calls so a strong and steady Wifi was really important.
8. Know your duration of stay requirements – as a US citizen, there are usually restrictions on how long we can stay in another country. For example, Europe is part of the Schengen area. For a US citizen, this means we only have a maximum of 90 days to stay in these countries. After 90 days, we either need to return to the US or travel outside of the Schengen area. I recently met an American during my travels who planned to travel within Europe for awhile and didn’t know about the Schengen rules. We laughed about it but I’m sure it wouldn’t have been funny if he overstayed his stay and had to pay a fine!
9. Make copies of your passport and ID – in the event you lose your passport while overseas, it is so important to have a copy on hand should you have to get a new one while traveling. If you’re traveling domestically in the US, the airport representative will ask for copies of IDs in order for you to travel back home.
10. Connect with people ahead of your trip – my last tip is to take the time to connect with people BEFORE your trip! This is so important especially during solo travel. There are so many ways to meet people nowadays with social media but I mainly use Facebook groups for this. Type in your city destination name and “friends” or “travelers”. For example, Lisbon Digital Nomads. For female travelers looking for girlfriends to connect with, try the city name and “Girl Gone International”. For example, Barcelona Girl Gone International. This is a ladies only Facebook group where you can connect with other women who live and travel abroad. Don’t be afraid to put a post up introducing yourself to the group. You will meet so many people this way!
Many of these groups also have Whatsapp group chats to keep everyone connected. I’ve met many great friends this way during my travels.
After you’ve figured out the logistics above, the planning of your actual trip is the fun part! Incorporate anything you want to do, whether it be exploring tourist spots, getting lost in neighborhoods, great restaurants, meetups, tours, beach time, nightlife, taking pictures, the list goes on and on. Hope these 10 tips on how to plan an international trip help you has you plan your next trip. Happy traveling!