Here’s what you need to know before taking your first trip abroad

Traveling abroad for the first time is always an exciting prospect, but it’s also something you need to prepare extensively for.

Planning well in advance will keep you from getting overwhelmed.

 

Taking your first trip abroad?

 

The prospect can be as exciting as it is intimidating.

 

A new country means a new culture, unique cuisine, and sometimes even a new language!

 

What’s there not to like?

 

With so much excitement, however, it’s easy to miss a few key details that can complicate your trip.

 

Luckily, we’ve got you covered, and we’ve compiled a list of tips to help this trip start and finish as successfully as possible.

 

Let’s get started!

 

Don’t leave your passport for last!

 

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by how many leave acquiring their passports to the very last moment!

 

If you’re planning to go abroad, no matter where you go, this should be the very first thing you acquire. Yes, even before your plane tickets or making reservations in a hotel.

 

As of 2019, once you’ve finished all the steps necessary, you can get a passport in a little over two weeks.

 

Once it’s in your hands, then you can start planning.

 

Find out whether you need a visa.

 

Not so fast!

 

Some countries out there require you to get a visa, so once again, before you start making any serious plans, do a little research on this subject.

 

Sometimes you can get the visa in advance; sometimes you need to go to your consulate and sometimes the country you want to go to will let you acquire a visa at the airport.

 

The process can be very different from country to country, so it pays to do your research well in advance.

 

Choose your destination wisely.

 

Now that you have your passport and visa, the world is your oyster. All you need to do is choose your destination.

 

First-time travelers tend to want to stick close to home, so they choose countries they can get to in just a couple of hours; Others are a bit more adventurous and cross entire oceans to get somewhere else.

 

Regardless of where you want to go, ask yourself these questions:

 

  • Do I know the local language?
  • Do I know anyone in the country I’m visiting?
  • Do I know anything about the local culture?
  • Do I have a way to communicate with my friends and family?
  • Do I have access to an interpreter?

 

Answering no to these questions shouldn’t stop you from traveling abroad, but the more of these questions you can reply with a yes, the easier traveling will be.

 

Get familiar with the currency.

 

Before you leave your country, make sure you understand how the currency of the country you’re traveling with works.

 

You don’t want to depend on the kindness and honesty of strangers.

 

Get familiar with the bills, the coins, the value of each, and the average costs of basic things; If possible, exchange your money before you get to the new country and practice with it to really get the hang of it.

 

While you’re at it, you should also find out whether you can use your credit or debit card there and whether you can use the local ATM’s.

 

The more knowledgeable you are about this subject, the easier it will be to move around.

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