10 Things To Do Before Every International trip
10 things to do before every international trip, that most people skip!
During our six month sabbatical [we traveled to over 13 countries and both Ryan and I have traveled to 20+ in our life times, so we've developed several (what we consider) pro tips that we do before we travel.
Some of these things we definitely learned the hard way, like when I was in my 20s standing outside a hostel calling my credit card company to unblock my card, some we learned from friends and families and some we just made up along the way.
We have a list of 13 items we complete before we leave, but I am sure I will think of some more to add along the way!
Make sure to save this travel checklist and send it to your travel buddy first.
Visit Travel.state.gov to check visa requirements and check for any travel advisories before international travel
Normally before we book somewhere I like to take a look at the travel.state.gov website and search for the country I am visiting. I'll take a look at the travel advisory, any alerts and visa requirements. I've found that if you google visa requirements they are not always up to date and sometimes have misleading info, the US government website (should) have the most recent info needed as a US citizen. Obviously travel at your own risk and we take the travel advisories with a grain of salt + do our own research, but its a great starting point to understand what risks there could be. You can also see any required vaccines, how many months of validity on your passport, local laws/customs, etc. As mentioned, this is not our final source for information, but it's a great starting point.
Get travel insurance before international travel - we use SafetyWing
We have taken a better safe than sorry approach over the past few years on travel insurance. We did claim a few small things on our six month sabbatical (which was super easy to do with SafetyWing), but are thankful we didn't have to take care of anything big! Also, always double check your travel insurance to make sure the activities you are doing are covered, add any lost/stolen luggage coverage as needed.
Notify your bank and credit cards of travel dates + order local currency before you go
At this point, most folks know to notify their bank and honestly your bank probably caught on from the flights, but we also like to order some foreign currency to bring with us. Most people I tell, don't realize you can do this and it saves you a headache (and normally some fees), but having some cash to get started!
Decide on eSIM or international plan before international travel
eSIMs are honestly super convenient and make having data while you travel easy and cheap, but if you don't have an unlocked phone, it won't work for you. So, before you leave make sure your phone is unlocked (i.e paid off) if you plan to use an eSIM and we recommend setting it up before you leave, so you are ready to go once you land. We have a $3 off for Airalo! Check out our referral code for Airalo to save $3 on your next e-sim - use code KAYLIN5641
Check your converter works for the countries you're visiting
Always double check your converter is the right one and make sure it works. If you have high voltage items like a hair dryer you will need a more intense option - so check that out.
Create a Google Maps list with everything where I want to go + the accommodation we are staying at loaded
If you are not using Google Maps lists - you are missing out! I always start pre building a list with places I want to go & make sure to add the accommodation before I leave. It helps me see how far things are from my accommodation and also can bring it up right when I land. I also like to add everywhere we visit when we are in a place to the list, so when someone asks what we liked in a city - I'm ready with my list! Lastly, download maps offline for easier use.
Download local transportation apps like Grab
Make sure to understand what apps work where you are going and what are the best for transportation. I like to have at least somewhat of a plan on how I am going to leave the airport and having a ride share app downloaded helps!
Create a shared note with all confirmation numbers
My husband and I have a shared note on our iPhones, so we can quickly look at flight numbers, times and hotel information. We always keep the confirmation numbers there as well, so we aren't trying to dig through an email or spreadsheet. If you are visiting a lot of places and make changes, just make sure you actually change the info if you make a change or you'll end up at a wrong hotel like we did one time.
Save a copy/photo of your passport to the cloud and a physical copy
This may be old school, but I do like to make a printed copy of my passport that I keep with me in case of emergency. I try to keep it separate (and hidden) in case I lose my passport and phone.
Request books on Libby and download podcasts
If you aren't using Libby - you are also missing out. It's a free app that works with your library card and allows you to have ebooks + audio books. They are "borrowed", so I like to put in some books that have long waits ahead of time, so I'm ready to go. You don't even need an iPad or Kindle - you can read or listen right from your phone.
Make a detailed packing list
I don't want to forget anything, so I create a detailed packing list with everything I need, so I can check it off before I leave.
Set a daily budget before you land
When we started our sabbatical, we created a daily budget. This really helped us think about how to spend on food, activities and local transportation.
Vaccines / medicines
We like to make sure we research our destination to see if there are any recommended vaccines, current outbreaks and/or medicines that we may need. For example, in planning for Peru we were able to work with our doctor to get altitude sickness medicine.
That is "it" for now, but I am sure we will think about a few more things. Did you learn anything new from this travel checklist? Let us know what we are missing!
