When planning your first trip abroad, you’re likely to feel a mixture of excitement, joy, and nervousness. It’s exciting to explore new cultures and landscapes, but you may also feel intimidated. With the right preparation and some insider travel tips, you will soon find that international travel isn’t as daunting as it seems.
It can be as simple as travelling within the United States, depending on where you are going!
Your First International Trip
You should consider some things before booking your flight. This travel blog will be helpful to you no matter what stage you’re at in planning and booking your first international trip.
Tips for International Travel
Before leaving, there are a few things you should do to ensure that you are well-prepared for your trip and minimize mistakes. I’ve compiled my top 10 international travel tips.
I will also include specific differences from the United States, such as currency, voltage, and language. I will also include some tips on packing, airport logistics, and finding accommodation.
We learned a lot of these lessons the hard way during our travels. You don’t need to!
Book International Overnight Flights
Booking overnight flights is one of the best ways to avoid jet lag. Most long-haul flights to Europe take place at night. We prefer to fly at night, around 9 p.m. or so. We want to be as tired and able to sleep on the plane as possible.
Thanks to the time difference, a flight in the evening will get you to your destination by lunchtime. For example, if you leave Atlanta at 8:30 p.m. and arrive in Paris around 11:00 a.m. the following day, it is a good idea to depart at 8:30 p.m. We can get through the day and go to bed early.
You don’t always have the “time” you think. With good tailwinds, for example, a flight of 8 hours and 20 minutes from Atlanta to Paris may look like it is only 8 hours.
Most airlines also serve “dinner” not long after taking off. It’s not uncommon to board the plane at 9 p.m. for a departure at 9:45 p.m. and then have dinner served at 10:30 p.m. It’s not mandatory, and you can go to bed right away, but it can be disruptive.
When flying from the US to Western Europe, you can expect to get about six hours of “good” sleep. On international flights, we like to take Melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime.
#2 Plan Your Airport Exit
It is important to know this! Our family is a seasoned traveller, but this year, we were confused when we left the Cancun Airport for our Mexico Spring Break. It cost us because I didn’t do my research! We were stressed out and ended up paying four times as much for a shuttle than if I had pre-booked the transportation with the resort.
While airports in Europe are different, you will almost always be greeted by people holding signs for taxis or shuttles as you leave baggage claim. You don’t know whether you should or can trust them. The answer is usually no.
Do your research well in advance. Find out if Uber or any other rideshare service is an option. Should you take a taxi or Uber? Do some more research, find maps and look at pickup and terminal areas. In these moments, even when I’m sure I have a good plan in place, I still feel uncertain. Here’s one of my top airport tips for international travellers!
Our Airbnb host provided an airport transfer as a bonus on a few trips. We were greeted by a sign displaying our name when we arrived. This made the process so much simpler. This was something I did twice in Greece, and it was a great experience. The cost was about the same as that of a ride-sharing service. Consider doing this on your first trip, whether it’s to Europe, Asia or South America.
#3 International Plugs & Voltage Adaptors
It’s important to know which plug type is used in your destination. The UK, for example, uses Type E, while the majority of Europe uses Type C. Other international destinations also use different versions. Plug adaptors that work with various versions are available. One example is the Tessan Universal Power Adaptor.
There is a blog post on European Travel Essentials with links to my favourites and more information. This includes my favourite travel wallet to hold our travel documents. It’s what we use every time we travel overseas!
When travelling abroad, the voltage can be different, and you will need a converter to use hair straighteners or blow dryers. You can find those details above!
#4 Order Foreign Currency In Advance
It’s not something I hear people talk about often, but this is one of my favourite little tricks. We always order foreign currencies online before a trip through Bank of America. We get the best rate, and it is delivered safely and quickly to our home. I always put this at the top of my checklist before going overseas.
Avoid using the currency exchange in airports or tourist hotspots. These places often offer the lowest exchange rates and charge extra fees. It is not easy to use ATMs in actual banks. We specifically searched for a bank in Playa del Carmen to use our ATM cards, but they charged a 20% fee.
Leave a Reply