How to Travel Abroad

Traveling in foreign countries requires you to make smart decisions on the fly, to stay unruffled in the face of things you don't understand, to find comfort in a situation where every possible thing is foreign in every possible way--and to enjoy it all. Follow this basic road map.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Before you leave

1. Make reservations at least two to three months in advance during high tourist season. Be aware of hurricane season (late summer and early fall) in the Caribbean. Prices are much friendlier at this time, but expect the unexpected as the trade-off. See 465 Prepare for an Act of God.
2. Look into adding extra medical insurance to your policy if traveling to remote or primitive areas. You might want to tack on evacuation insurance (yes, there is such a thing), which covers the expense of bringing you--or your remains--home in case of a serious injury or illness. Review 440 Get Travel Insurance.
3. Renew your passport if it's not current. Apply for any necessary visas. Go to travel.state.gov/passport_services.html for more specifics.
4. Get required vaccinations two months in advance. Refill prescription drugs and keep them in their original containers. Bring proof of immunizations. (See 441 Get Immunizations for Traveling).
5. Research cash options. Find out if you can use your ATM card, credit card and travelers' checks at your destination. Don't exceed your credit limit on your cards--Americans have been arrested for this. Also know that toll-free numbers do not work from abroad.
6. Don't assume everyone speaks English. Prepare in whatever way you can, whether it's taking a class in the country's language or buying a phrasebook.
7. Clean out your wallet of unnecessary credit cards, Social Security card, library card and other items that could put you at risk for identity theft.
8. Create and carry a personal first aid kit with over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen; cold, antidiarrhea and antacid medicines, antibiotic ointment plus sunscreen, insect repellent and prescription medications.
9. Make two additional copies of your passport's identification page, your airline tickets, your driver's license, and any credit cards you are bringing. Leave one set with family or friends at home; pack the other separate from your valuables. Do the same with a list of the serial numbers of your travelers checks and cross off the numbers as you cash them.
10. File a travel plan with your family as well as with the local embassy if you are going to a remote or politically unstable area. See 439 Plan a Trip to a Politically Unstable Region.

While you're there

11. Check into your hotel and get to know the concierge. He or she will help you find the local treasures and arrange transportation as well as keep an eye out for you.
12. Have your hotel write its name on a card in the lingua franca for cab drivers.
13. Learn the local words for "help," "police," "food" and "bathroom." You never know when these might come in handy.
14. Wear sunscreen with a SPF above 30, even higher for kids. Wear a T-shirt over your bathing suit.
15. Eat only hot, cooked foods, and avoid ice and tap water, including foods that might have been washed in tap water, such as vegetables and fruits (see 437 Forage Abroad). In hot, dry climates, pack at least 1 gallon of water per day per person.
16. Ask before taking photos of people you don't know or of public or government places. Officials may confiscate your film and/or camera if they think the photos raise a security issue.
17. Research local customs first, particularly when traveling to Islamic countries. Do not bring cigarettes, alcohol, pornography or non-Islamic religious materials into the country. See 436 Plan a Trip to a Different Culture.
18. Take precautions. Tourists are easy targets for pickpockets and other nefarious types. Hide money, identification cards and credit cards in money belts or in a pouch around your neck. If you intend to sleep on a bus or train, use your backpack as a pillow. Don't read maps or guidebooks while standing on street corners.

Tips & Warnings

• Dress and behave so as to not draw attention. In many countries, your American back-slapping, enthusiastic, cut-to-the-chase mannerisms may be offensive to locals. Learn to be patient, to be quiet, to wait, and not to force things to happen. See 436 Plan a Trip to a Different Culture.
• Pay off your credit card balance before you go.
• Visit travel.state.gov for upto- the-minute specific entry requirements, inoculations or safety information.
• Countries that require sponsors for a visa may also require exit permits.
• Reckless behavior and drug use in another country can do more than ruin your vacation-- it can land you in a foreign jail (or worse).
• Use official taxi stands. Cruising cabs could be a front for robbers.
• In Africa, do not wade or swim in fresh water because of the risk of schistosomiasis (aka bilharzia or snail fever), a parasitic disease that leads to chronic ill health.
• Some Arab countries will not permit entry if you have been to Israel previously.
• Minimize the risk of kidnapping or terrorist attacks in unstable countries by scheduling direct flights and avoiding high-risk airports.