Visiting a foreign country is a beautiful experience, but there are a few things you should always do before your trip. In order to have a pleasant vacation abroad, here is what you must remember to do.
Check Your Passport
Even if your passport is still valid, you might not be allowed to enter certain countries if it is going to expire soon. Keep in mind that you will not be permitted to enter a lot of countries if your passport is set to expire in the next six months. On the other hand, some countries will deny access to visitors whose passports are valid for less than three months after their scheduled departure.
Apply for Necessary Visas
Depending on where you want to go, you might need to apply for a visa to enter the country. It’s important that you do your research on whether you need a visa before you make your travel arrangements. Note that it will take several days for you to get your visa approved, so make sure you apply on time.
Make Sure the Destination Is Safe
Photos of a certain city or country may look beautiful, but that doesn’t mean you won’t encounter any problems while you’re there. If you’re not careful, you might end up going to a destination that’s not particularly safe for tourists. Before you book your flight, research the destination and learn whether you’ll be safe there.
Keep in mind that you should only focus on finding out if tourists are safe in the place you want to visit. Don’t look only at crime stats, because they might deceive you. You probably know that there’s a lot of crime in Rio de Janeiro, yet millions of people go on vacation there every year. Similarly, people often wonder “is Cape Town safe?” Although there is crime in both of these cities, tourists are completely safe as long as they stay in the urban areas and don’t visit poor neighborhoods.
Get in Touch with Your Bank
Before you go on your trip, you should get in touch with your bank and let them know where you’ll be to avoid any financial problems. Know that banks might sometimes freeze your credit cards if they notice sudden foreign charges.
Get an International Driving Permit
Renting a car will allow you to explore the destination more, but you won’t be able to do this if you don’t obtain an international driving permit beforehand. In order to stay safe on the road, make sure to get familiar with the driving laws of the country you’re visiting.
Bring Appropriate Outlet Adaptors
Depending on the country you’re visiting, you might need to bring appropriate outlet adaptors to charge your electronic devices. In case you plan on traveling to different foreign countries in the near future, you should consider getting a universal travel adapter.
Learn Basic Phrases in the Local Language
Don’t expect the locals to know English. To make sure you can communicate with other people on the basic level, it’s recommended that you learn some simple phrases. If you can’t learn them, at least type them in your Notepad app or print them out.
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