As published in The Florida Villager.
Tips When Traveling Abroad
I hear more and more people telling me that after being locked down during Covid, all they want to do now is travel. They want to get away, explore and enjoy life again. Traveling is fun and exciting but it can be stressful for many reasons. Your flight gets delayed or cancelled, the hotel or Airbnb is not reflective of the picture on-line or a sundry of things that are out of your control, but there are things that can be stressful that you can control. Let’s take a look at those.
- Make sure you have adapters for the country you are traveling too. Some hotels will provide them, others don’t.
- A separate USB cord. The tour buses provide outlets so you can charge your phone.
- Bring a backup battery for your phone when you know you will be out all day. You will be surprised how fast the battery drains while taking all those fabulous pictures.
- Before you leave, notify your credit card companies where you will be and inquiry if they have transaction fees for out of the country usage.
- Exchange some money to the local currency. Even though most places take credit cards, there are some places like Jerusalem where most places only take cash. Also, in the UK, you can’t put a tip on the bill so if you don’t have cash, the waiter is out of luck.
- Download a currency exchange app on your phone. This will help you keep your spending in check. For some reason, it’s easier to buy something when you can’t see it in American dollars (lol).
- I find it easier to wear a watch when traveling. It seems I’m always juggling brochures, tickets, backpack and a water bottle so rather than juggle one more thing, my phone, I just flip my wrist over. Make sure you change the time though. I was at the airport and hadn’t switched the time from my previous trip and almost missed my flight.
- Comfort is key so forgo the fashion statement and wear comfortable, breathable clothes. Remember, you tend to walk more while on vacation so bring those sneakers!
- It is a good idea to bring your own over the counter meds. All countries don’t have what we are familiar with and even some of our most basic OTC drugs, you might not find or need to see a doctor to get. An example was my most recent trip to Israel. I got a stye and normally I would go to my nearest CVS and pic up an OTC stye gel. Nope, not in Israel. You have to see a doctor to get it. Plus, everything was in Hebrew and the brands were not the same so I had no idea if what they were recommending was what I wanted. Which brings me to my next tip.
- When traveling abroad you might feel more comfortable in some countries vs others because their ways or culture is similar to ours. Be mindful that each place you visit, you are the outsider and you need to assimilate, not them. For example, in Israel, the marketplace I first visited was very crowded and I was being pushed and jostled and no one was saying “Excuse me” or “Sorry” as we do in the states. At first, I took it personally until I stepped to the side and watched the interactions of everyone. No one said it to anyone, that was just their culture. Also, no one spoke English in the marketplace or the little stores surrounding it, so download a translator app and be patient. Another difference is we get receipts for everything here in the states, not the case there. Do not feel awkward asking for one. I think it’s important that you have them to compare with your credit card statement as to the conversion.
Traveling is meant to be fun, exciting and to broaden our world ,so enjoy and embrace the challenges that come with being in someone else’s world.