Preparing for Your First Trip Abroad

Are you planning in 2012 to finally take that first trip abroad? And, by abroad, I don't mean walking across the bridge to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls or a weekend visit to a Mexican border town, which, though technically outside the U.S., hardly qualify as 'trips abroad.'

A true foreign trip should involve getting on a plane or ship and having to stand in an immigration and customs line at your destination, and then emerging into a totally new environment, where people are eating different foods, dressing differently, and totally speaking a language you don't hear at home.

Getting ready for that first foreign trip can be made hassle-free if you keep the following in mind.

Get Your Passport and Travel Documents in Order

If you've never been out of the country, chances are you don't have a passport, so this is the first step. While the U.S. State Department's Passport Agency allows mail-in passport applications, if you're applying for your first passport, you must apply in person at a passport facility or Post Office. For applicants over 16, passports are valid for ten years, and the following items are needed to apply:

Any previously issued passport

A certified birth certificate or Consular Report of Birth

Naturalization Certificate, for naturalized citizens

A current government-issued photo ID, such as driver's license or military ID

One 2-inch x 2-inch, full front view photo

Once you have your passport, and have decided on your destination, you'll normally need an entry visa, which can be obtained through the embassy of the country in Washington, DC. Some countries also have consulates in major U.S. cities, which can be found through directory assistance or on-line.

Planning Your Trip

This step is actually more of a process that should be taking place even before you apply for your passport. Get out a good atlas and start deciding where you want to go; the art galleries and restaurants of Paris, the Pyramids of Giza and a Nile boat trip, or snorkeling off the southern coast of Thailand; the world awaits you. Once you've decided where you want to go and some of the things you'd like to do, make a list. It might sound a bit anal retentive, but making a list helps you have a better trip, even if that list is only mental.

If your first trip is to a country where English is not the official language, it's helpful to learn a few phrases in the local language; 'Thank you,' is the first phrase you should master. Read up on the local culture and customs and some of the history of your destination.

Plan your budget and how you will pay for things. In some locales, carrying large sums of cash can make you a target for thieves, but in others, it's unwise to use a credit card, which can make you a target for thieves long after you've departed the area. Travelers checks and an adequate amount of local currency are the best bet when traveling in a country for the first time.

Check with the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs for up-to-date information about the country or countries you wish to visit. This is a good place to find out what shots or immunizations you might need before being allowed into a country, and it's a good idea to do this far in advance to ensure that your immunizations are current.

Have a Great Trip

Preparing for your first trip abroad is as simple as that. Thanks to computer technology, a lot of the guesswork and legwork has been taken out of getting information about the world. The links provided give you almost all the information you'll need to prepare for your trip, so the only thing left to do is pack and have a bon voyage.