Successful Travel to a Foreign Country

The most essential part of making that long dreamt of journey to a foreign land is research. I know, I know ~ you've planned that trip to Paris since seeing your first wartime movie or Broadway play. But, there is more to your trip than which sights to see. And, as someone who's traveled a great deal, I would like to share with you some of the things I've learned over the years. Let's begin with the language barrier.

With the exception of English speaking countries, it's never wise to rely on there being English speaking people where you travel. It's widely known that many countries teach their children English in their early years. But, if your dream is to visit the more remote areas in China in order to learn meditation and other ancient practices, chances are very slim that the mountain folks will speak anything but their own language. And, what you'll find very quickly is that buying a quickie phrase book won't help you at all if it's in the wrong dialect! So, the very first step you should take is to research the area or areas that you'll be visiting and find out exactly what language and dialect is spoken in that region. Imagine my surprise (while planning a trip to Romania) when I discovered the predominant languages spoken in the region I was researching was German and Hungarian! That would have left me looking foolish and helpless had I not double checked. And, even cities like Paris or Rome are less likely to have English speaking folk than one might expect. Always, always make the effort to learn as much of the native tongue as time allows before you fly. No matter what you've heard about the French, the locals will actually be much more forgiving of your errors solely because you've at least made the effort. Just remember how things are in the United States. We tend to also be more tolerant of those visitors who make the effort to communicate with us in English. No one wants to be viewed as an ignorant American, but that is exactly what will happen if you arrive and expect to hear nothing but English.

There are some really good audio CD's that will enable you to learn what you'll need. Checking on Amazon.com and Ebay.com are generally the best first places to look. Amazon is a great tool, not only because of the security involved in ordering from them, but they also (typically) offer incentives like free shipping. They also have a search built into their site that offers suggestions for related items. If you look up a specific language CD, their search engine will also recommend other language courses for sale and books on the subject. Utilizing this feature, you just might find something even more suitable for you and your trip. Just remember, speaking a new language is very difficult, but trying will make the people around you more inclined to help you when you need it.

Well, I suppose we should get all of the "bad" stuff out of the way first, and this next tip is extremely important! Are you traveling to Jamaica or the Czech Republic or any other exotic place? Do you know how their health system works? This is something no one wants to think about before leaving for a wonderful holiday, but accidents and illness do happen. While on a trip to Jamaica I was told of a young boy who'd broken his leg while cliff diving. The poor young man wasn't prepared for the need to be treated in a local hospital, so he spent a great deal of time in pain not knowing that he had to pay for each and every treatment up-front. That means every aspirin, every x-ray, every Kleenex. So, before you step foot in the airline terminal, it's imperative that you have at least a rough idea what the emergency protocols are for the area. If you can, even find out before hand where the nearest hospital is to your hotel. Yahoo maps usually has a pretty reliable search engine for services near to the area you input. Or, simply look up the immigration website for the country you're visiting. There you will find the "how's" of getting medical treatment as a foreign visitor. Just do not leave these sorts of things to chance, especially if traveling with children. My young daughter has a knack for becoming ill whenever it's the worst possible time. No matter what needs to be removed from your suitcase in order to make room for cold and flu medicine ~ chuck it! Don't make the mistake of being forced to play charades in order to find the children's Tylenol. (Of course, in today's climate, make sure you check the items or else they won't be allowed on the flight). Countries like New Zealand will cover your costs for emergency room treatment, but a lot of others do not! If your trip is to China and you need to seek treatment of any kind, you'll find that each requires payment first - and you might get charged twice! Make sure you know how the system works before you need it.

Which brings me to the next tip. Always find as many reviews online as possible. Reviews for hotels, for restaurants, for cafes, even for hospitals. There is nothing worse than spending 10 hours on a flight, staggering exhausted to your hotel and finding that it's idea of "upscale & modern" translates to "scary with hookers" in English. We are all cost conscious when traveling, but if the hotel you find in your price range doesn't have reviews, it may be a crap shoot that leaves you demanding your deposit back and starting at square one in a strange city. When I travel alone I don't worry so much about the neighborhood of my hotel. But, when traveling with my family, I want to make sure that my hotel isn't in a neighborhood that's known to the locals are a high crime area. This is not something you can tell from the hotel's website, obviously. So, the reviewer who says "The room was nice, but I got mugged outside the building" will save you a lot of headache! Just remember - the closer you are to tourist attractions, the higher the crime rate will be. Piccadilly Square may be on your sight seeing list, but also may not be the best place to stay with 5 to 12 year old's. I actually had this exact experience while moving from the west coast to the east cost. It was late when I spotted a cheap hotel from the highway and pulled us over for the night. After my kids and I checked in I immediately discovered the bathroom ceiling was in the bathtub in a crumbly, wet pile. We were given a new room, but by morning check out I rushed my small children through several clouds of marijuana before fleeing the area.

Now, on to the food. If you're one who wants to see the Eiffel Tower but aren't too big on French food, the more that you look for American friendly places to eat, the fewer arguments you'll have. The biggest pet peeve I have is someone who leaves their hometown on vacation and proceeds to complain endlessly that things are "different". For most people, I think, that would be an obvious thing. But, we are all susceptible to culture shock. Most American's are aware of how different US Mexican food is from the food served in Mexico. But, even for the most worldly of mind, the food commonly served in China or Japan will most certainly not resemble the take-out we're used to.

No matter how adventurous you plan to be when it comes to dining in the country you visit, it's still a very good idea to check out the places that cater to Americans. Like it or not, we're not exactly used to the spices used abroad, and could find that adventure gets quickly pushed aside by stomach problems.

Packing. This can be a huge pain, especially with certain airlines restricting what you check more than ever before. A tip that I learned several years ago has never let me down when it comes to bringing everything I'll need without lugging four or five suitcases. The trick is simple - lay all of the clothes (flat) across the open suitcase, on top of each other, and fold in the over-hanging bits. Begin with your blouses and tops, then stack pants and shorts (folded in half, long-ways only) on top. Bring up the arms to fold loosely around the pants, then fold up the legs to top it all off. You'd really be shocked to see how NOT folding each piece separately will not only save you space for everything else, but will keep your clothes nearly wrinkle free! Most of the time (I kid you not) I can easily pack only one suitcase for each person traveling.

The next is packing related, but deserves it's own section. You may know that your electric razor won't work in England, but do you know that it's often not wise to simply ask an American retailer what you'll need? When I bought a new power cord for my laptop, I made sure to request one that could be used in the UK. Apron receiving it I discovered that it only was compatible when it comes to handling the change in wattage. But, it did not contain the actual converter I would need. So, unless it's an item you simply cannot live without, buy or rent it when you arrive. If it is something small that won't take up baggage space, look for something used on places like Ebay. Most of us need the security of easy access for family back home, so buying a cell phone specifically for the area you're visiting is often the wisest thing to do. Even if your current cell phone provider offers coverage outside of the US, you'll probably be horrified to find how much it actually costs to use. Of the big cell phone providers, they all generally charge anywhere between .60 cents to $1.60 per minute when using their foreign roaming. If they also offer the option of unlocking your phone in order to use a foreign sim card, you'll still be left on your own to choose a provider in the area you're visiting. Let me tell you, foreign cell phone providers are confusing, indeed. You may find a really great deal on a rented sim card only to discover that it cannot be used outside of the city limits. But, if you look up the UK version of Ebay, for instance, you'll find cell phones already set up and ready to have minutes added. No fuss, no muss. It may seem odd to buy a used cell phone, but using what the locals use will ensure that you won't be left in the country with no service. You'll also find that travelers like yourself have already discovered this route and you can easily re-sell the phone after your trip is complete. And, whatever you do, do NOT buy an unlocked cell phone from a retailer before leaving. This is almost always a scam. Most cell phone providers require that you have service with them for a minimum of 3 months before allowing you the unlock code. So, it would not be in their best interest to offer a way around that, would it?

All in all, it takes only a bit of effort to make sure that you're as prepared as you can be. You've had this dream for years, so make sure the dream lives up to the reality!