But as many of you already know, international travel can be a stressful and harrowing experience if you are not prepared!
So to make sure that you are a slick, savvy and satisfied traveler we have compiled list of some lesser-known tips and tracks for travel abroad.
1. Buy a SIM card for your cell phone when you land:
If you travel with your in-country SIM card when you travel overseas, most phone companies will charge you at expenses international rates. This means that if anyone calls you, or if you call anyone from your regular cell phone, it will be very pricey.
However, almost all international airports have stores and vendors where you can buy local, pre-paid SIM card for as little as $5. In fact, at places like Heathrow Airport in London, for just $15 you can pick up a local SIM card with unlimited data.
It’s a great way to save money and hassle. It also means that for friends and colleagues in country with you, they will just be paying a local cell call to stay in touch with you.
2. Scan all of your important documents and save them to a free e-mail account
When traveling things can go wrong, so you have to be prepared.
And nothing is worse, or harder to sort out, than losing important official documents like your passport, visas, travel itinerary, plane tickets, travel insurance and important phone numbers.
But one way that you can always have access to these important documents no matter what happens is to scan them into a digital file such as a .jpg, .pdf etc. and then send them to one of your free e-mail accounts. Just make sure that you set up a free account that is accessible from anywhere like Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail.
3. Take Melatonin to beat jet lag
Melatonin is a dietary supplement that you can buy at any drug store in the USA. It helps you to naturally overcome jet lag and get your body clock in line with your new time zone, much faster than you could normally.
This is a must-have, especially if you are travelling into a major time difference.
4. Don’t Keep All Of Your Eggs in One Basket
When you are travelling, you are cut off from everything except what you have on you, and what you have packed in your luggage. So don’t put all your eggs in one basket by keeping all of your cash, traveler’s cheques and credit cards in the one place like your wallet, because if you lose your wallet or are robbed, then you are in serious trouble and left begging for help. Definitely not ideal!
The best technique is to divide everything into two or three and store it in separate locations. Keep some money and cards on you, some in your luggage and some in your carry-on.
That way, if anything is stolen or lost, you still have enough money to get a cab, get to a hotel and sort the whole darn thing out!
5. Research Your Destination Airport
Don’t presume that the airport that you are traveling to has everything that you need or is the same as you have back home. It’s best to check in advance so that you don’t get stuck in a difficult situation.
Some airports close much earlier than they do here, or you may have to book hire cars in advance so make sure you know what facilities are available before you depart.
You don’t want to arrive to find out that the money-changer is closed or that all the rental cars are booked out leaving you sleeping on a bench!
6. Your international travel tip…
These were just some less-common travel tips that we have helped save us time, money and frustration. Hopefully these little ideas will save you some time and hassle the next time you travel.
But what about your travel tips? Comment here or tell us on FaceBook what your clever little tricks are to stay in control and happy when traveling.
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