Tommy and I are wheels up, headed to Italy on October 16th so I am trying to prepare as much as I can before we take off! I have never been to Europe, so I’m EXTREMELY excited to experience a different culture, taste the yummy food, and experience a new part of this beautiful world. I never realized how stressful traveling to a different country is until I started to plan this trip. I’ve been scrambling to make sure we’re ready and have everything done before we leave. Thankfully Tommy’s parents and brothers are well-traveled in Europe so they’ve been giving us tips and reminding us of things to have ready before we go.
While getting ready to leave, I’ve been making note of everything I’ve done and started a checklist to help you all in case you’re traveling to another country and are unaware of what you should have prepared! I know I’m very fortunate to have his family for the guidance but some of you may not have close friends or family who’ve ever been out of this country, so allow me to help you! ☺
I am breaking this down into two different sections, the first section is 10 Things TO DO to Prepare for your International Trip and the second section is A Glimpse Inside my Essential Travel Bag. If you have any questions, please shoot me a message or drop a comment ☺
10 Things-To-Do to Prepare for Your International Trip:
- Obtain your passport. This is the most crucial because if you don’t have a passport,
sorry to break it to you, but they won’t let you in their country. Make sure it’s up to date and that you don’t forget it on your way to the airport! - Notify your health insurance company of your travel. This is something that is often overlooked but actually very important to think about. If you were to get injured on your trip, you want to make sure you’re covered insurance wise. This is just a simple call to your agent telling them the dates you’ll be gone.
- Call your cell phone carrier for service/minutes. Whether you think you will be using a cell phone for communication or not, another thing you may want it for is google maps. Getting around in a country where your language isn’t the normal one is difficult, having google maps makes everything that much easier getting to restaurants, excursions, etc. I have Verizon for my phone carrier and elected to do the daily plan for $10 a day but they also have monthly plans if you’re gone for a longer time.
- Notify your bank of your trip. Most banks have some type of fraudulent alert system built into the credit/debit cards where if your card has activity on it from another country, it will get flagged as fraud and could even get shut off. This again is just a simple call to Chase, US bank, etc. letting them know the dates you’ll be gone.
- Get any currency/cash you need ahead of time. Just to be on the safe side, you want to make sure you always have cash on you in case something goes wrong with your credit cards or other forms of payment.
- Plan out your transportation once arriving at the airport. Are you having a private ride, taxi, renting a car, etc. If you’re thinking of relying on Uber, just be cautious because what are you going to do if your phone doesn’t work? Something to think about!
- Tell your close friends or family where you’re going/staying and the number of the resort. In case there is any sort of emergency and they need to reach you, this is always a good thing to do.
- Double, triple, quadruple check your plane departure time and make sure you’re at the airport early enough. International flights aren’t something that you can easily rebook a flight in like it is in the states. The last thing you want is to miss your flight!
- Put together an “essentials bag” to have in your carry on in case your luggage gets lost. My essential bag and other things that go in my carry on are below!
- Research cultural basics of the country you’re staying and try to learn some of the body language, terms, etc. they use to prevent you from offending them. Pick up a mini translation book to carry with you in your purse to refer to in times of need
Now onto the essential travel bag! I keep this bag in my carry on at all times, no matter where
I’m traveling, in case something was to ever happen to my checked bag. Retrieving a lost bag is a pain, especially in a foreign country. So, making sure that you have some essentials with you in your carry on is important!
Below are a few of the items I stuff my essential bag with! Click HERE for the extended list 🙂 A few extra items that aren’t included that I make sure to always have in my carry on are; a change of clothes, a blanket, a pair of socks, and snacks!
Until next time.
Peace and Love,
