Planning for an international trip
In my last post, I covered tips on how to get started on planning trips. There are some more things to keep in mind if the trip is an international trip.
The last post covered how to create an itinerary and book flights and hotels. This post covers items that may not be obvious if you have never traveled internationally.
Tips to Prepare for an International Trip
- It seems obvious but make sure you have a passport. Some countries require at least six months before the passport expires. Additionally, some countries require at least 2 unused pages. Check requirements for your destination. If your passport is full but far from expiring, you can have extra pages added.
- Check to see if you need a visa for the country you are going to. If you do, keep in mind that visas can take weeks or months to obtain. Give yourself enough time. If you can get the visa on arrival, then you can book travel at short notice.
- You may be required to have the Yellow Fever vaccine especially for travel to/from certain parts of Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Upon getting the vaccine, you will be given a stamped yellow booklet as proof. The booklet is called the International Certificate of Vaccination. Without proof of the vaccination, you may not be allowed entry into some countries. The vaccine lasts for 10 years.
- If you are traveling to countries in the malaria zone, get anti-malarial tablets. Malaria is treatable but it will ruin your trip if you get it.
- Have the address of your hotel handy for immigration at the destination. They may also want to see proof of when you will be leaving their precious country.
So, these are my recommendations. They are born from years of international travel. If you have tips to add, please use the comments section. Live young and travel!
