International travel can be so daunting, but oh so amazing! If you have never been out of the country before, here is a comprehensive list of everything you need to know.

Hiya guys! Todays post is a long one, so get your coffee and get cozy. Grab a blanket (& probably a snack too). This is a lot of information to digest, but it is all so important. To make things a little easier, I have broken it up into categories of three months prior, one month prior, week of and day of. So right now, before you start reading, go grab your planner. This way you can schedule tasks for yourself while you read. If you leave in less than three months, that’s okay too! This timeline can be condensed, if need be. Okay so without further ado, lets get into it…

Three Months Prior:

Book flights: Three months in advance is an ideal time to start looking & booking your flights. It gives you time to search around, compare prices, and make a decision. If you can use points to book your flights, that is even better! When booking your flight, don’t always go for the cheapest option without looking into all the details.
- If the ‘cheapest’ flight doesn’t include a free checked bag or carry on, make sure you know how much extra that is. Often it adds up quickly, which is how they make up for cheap fares.
- If your flight is very early in the morning or very late at night, make sure you know how you are getting to the airport. Many forms of public transportation are not running at that hour. Hiring private transport can get quite expensive very quickly.
- If you can remain loyal to one airline, it is easier to accumulate points and perks.
- Booking with airlines that do not have change fees always decreases stress levels.

Start saving money: If you do not have an endless fund of travel money (which would be amazing, but is not likely) then you need to budget and save. Before you book your trip, you need to make sure you will really be able to afford going.
- You can do this in fun ways, like challenging yourself to not spend any money on Mondays, or decorate a travel fund jar where you put your cash at the end of every day/week, etc.
- It is also important to cut out all unnecessary spending. Easy ways to save money are to make coffee at home, drink before you go out, bring a packed lunch to work, etc. It is these small changes that really add up.
- There are so many other ways that you can save/budget for trips, but that will be it’s own post sometime.

Research Tours: Make sure that you are checking availability and prices for the dates that you will be there. When you start your research, there may be some activities that you can/want to do on your own. There will be some you may want to or have to do with a tour company. If you are going during high season, tours may sell out well in advance.
- To save money, check discount site like groupon to see if you can get better prices, but be careful of scams.
- If you look at online itineraries of travel companies, you may find that you can easily recreate this tour using public transportation for much less. As a backpacker we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do, right!?

Make a priority list: When you are in a new place, there is so much to do and see. Sometimes it is so hard to choose what you want to do, but it is very hard to do it all, so make sure you prioritize.
- There is never enough time. You will always find yourself wishing for ‘just one more day.’
- Don’t jam pack your schedule so tight that you don’t have time to stop and enjoy the amazing things you are doing. I struggle with this, because I always want to make sure that I see everything and do everything. But it is impossible.
- Plus, extras can get expensive depending on what you’re doing. If you are doing things like sky diving, scuba, zip-lining, boat tours, etc. make sure that they are planned for in your budget. Sometimes you need to pick and choose.

Travel insurance: This can be an expensive, complicated process so you want to start looking into it early. Travel insurance is so important. You never know if you will get injured abroad, lose your luggage, get mugged, etc. It is better to be safe than sorry.
- These plans and processes vary drastically depending on location, but some recommendations I have for US citizens are… AAA, your current insurance provider or the airline/tour group that you booked your travels with.

Get your passport: If you do not have a passport, apply for it early. It can take a while to come, unless you expedite it.
- When you leave the country, make sure your passport is going to be good for 6 months after your travels.
- For all complete and current info on passports, check your government website.

Vaccines: Some countries require that you receive certain vaccines before you enter. There are also recommended shots that can be administered before you leave. It is important to do this to protect yourself. Plus no one wants to get sick while traveling!

Visas: Make sure that you check the visa requirements for each country you plan on visiting.
- Also beware that some countries require exit flights from the country upon arrival. This varies greatly, so do your research on your specific circumstances.

Learn basic phrases in the language: It is extremely helpful to learn the basic phrases that you will need to navigate each country. Although most countries will have English speakers, that is not always the case. I recommend learning at least the following words: hello & goodbye, please & thank you, how much, where is the restroom, and help. Not only will the locals appreciate it, but this will also help you immerse yourself in the culture.
- If you do not want to learn basic phrases or do not have time..
  - that’s okay! We have all been there! Here’s what else you can do:
    - buy a phrase book
    - use google translate
    - or just hope for the best! (just kidding, you’ll be great!)

One Month Prior:

Make doctors appt: If you need any vaccines for your trip, make an appointment.

Buy your travel insurance: Now that you have had time to research, you have to make a decision! What company and level of insurance do you want/can you afford? No matter what, buy travel insurance. (This is in bold because I cannot emphasize enough how important this is. I was young and naive once.. let’s just say not having travel insurance did not do good things for me.)

Convert your currency: Though many people wait till the very last minute for this, it is important to convert your currency earlier rather than later. Some banks do not carry foreign currency on hand, and they will need to order it. (Some places can take up to 7 days) Doing this a month in advance assures you will have enough time. If you go into the bank you have an account with, they usually give you the best conversion rates as well as buy back rates.
- If it can be avoided, never convert your currency in the airport.
- When you are in a foreign country, the best place you can get more currency is through an ATM. There will be a foreign transaction fee, so try to minimize your withdrawals.)

Phone Plan: Figure out your phone plan. Your basic three options are to buy a sim in the country, buy an out of country data plan with your current provider, or strictly use wifi. Some phone carriers include Mexico and Canada (or a variation of the two) in their phone plans. For example, I can use my regular data plan in Mexico, but not in Canada. Be sure you check into it beforehand to avoid expensive and unexpected charges. Having access to a working phone is non negotiable.
- While you are traveling, especially if you are alone, you need to be able to contact the police, your family and your GPS.
- SIM cards are sold many places in other countries. Always at airports, malls and most of the time in souvenir shops.

Be aware of current scams: Tourist destinations all have their fair share of scams and shady people. Many of them are well known, so do your research before to see what’s been happening. Know what you should look for, so you know what you should avoid.

*Although phone plans and travel insurance are not the sexy, fun parts of travel, they are imperative. Do not skip out on either.*

Week of:

Pack: I try to pack in just a carry on as often as possible. This avoids lost luggage along with extra fees. On longer trips I know this is not always possible.
- Checked bag or carry on? Be sure your bags abide all airline policies to avoid an airport disaster, or crazy expensive baggage fees. Different countries and airlines have different standard sizes for bags. Make sure you know what your limits are.

Confirm bookings: Make sure to reach out and confirm any bookings you have already made. Print out confirmation emails, or at the very least screenshot them incase you do not have access to the internet once you arrive in country.

Leave a copy of all important information at home: Give a loved one a copy of your flight info, passport, and rough travel itinerary along with any other important information. This way, if anything should happen to you, they know who they should contact and where you were supposed to be. Also, if your passport gets stolen, this makes it easier for government officials to get you home sooner.

Take pictures of your luggage: Take a picture of all your luggage in case it gets lost. This way you can show TSA the photo and make the search a little easier for everyone.

Make physical copies of your passport: In addition to leaving a copy with a loved one at home, make a second to take with you. This is just in case the original is lost or stolen. Make sure you keep your passport and the copy in two different places.

US embassy: Make sure that you know where a US Embassy is located incase of emergency or natural disaster. Also make sure that you also have all the emergency phone numbers written down for the countries you will be visiting (it is not 911 everywhere).

Day of:

Arrive at the airport a minimum of 3 hours early for an international flight.
Double check your passport and currency.
Double check luggage meets airline standards in height/weight.
Know that you have done everything you can to prepare for your trip, so all that's left is to enjoy it!

Other important notes:

Staying safe should ALWAYS be the priority. So make sure that you are using good judgment while exploring these awesome new places. Don’t wander around late at night, don’t drink too much, don’t put yourself in harms way for a photo, don’t go places alone with people you don’t know.. you catch my drift. Take care of yourself. People at home love you and want you to come back to them.
Make sure you have an emergency fund. (missed flights, doctors visits, etc…stuff happens!!)
Keep all your receipts in case you need them for customs, or travel insurance claims.
Expect the unexpected. Travel is wonderful, life changing, and notoriously unpredictable.