Travel Like a PRO

Check the CDC website (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel) at least 3 months in advance of your travel to see if you need any immunizations for the country you are visiting.

Phone provider to find out what international coverage you have

Call your credit card companies to let them know where you’ll be

Check with your health insurance company to understand overseas coverage; Purchasing travel insurance is highly recommended

Taking into account your individual trip needs, it is worth it to purchase a high quality backpack. As a supplement to a checked bag I didn’t find the 15 liter backpack large enough. If you’re traveling with just a backpack, you’ll need something bigger, secure and with good back support. You may also need a small pack for day trips

Packing cubes keep you organized. Air tight packing bags create a mess as you unpack, although allow more room.

Challenge yourself to reduce what you bring – you’ll be hauling that bag around a lot. Mix and match outfits.

Bring your phone, laptop, iPad chargers.

Look up the country’s voltage requirements (a simple google search) to ensure you have the appropriate converters and/or adapters. Otherwise you may blow out your electronics.

Bring a portable charger and carry it with you during the day. It can save your phone battery mid-day. Remember if it dies, you’re likely without a camera too!

Bring copies of your passport and credit cards with you and give copies to someone back home in case you need it.

Carry a letter from your doctor for any medications you’re taking while traveling. Some countries will require this as you enter or leave.

Drink lots of water while on the plane and consider taking an over-the-counter jet lag pill. We recommend that you bring a collapsible water bottle with you. On a 12 hour flight we were unable to bring water bottles on board and they only served small cups of water.

No napping the first few days! Instead go to bed a little early the first few nights.

Wear comfortable clothes for overnight travel. We recommend that you bring an eye mask and earplugs.

Bring an extra set of clothes with you in your carry on bag, along with toothbrush, brush, etc so you can refresh if needed.

Bring snacks in your carry-on bag. In-flight food policies and quality varies greatly.

Check into faster ways to get through security lines at the airport via TSA pre-check (https://www.tsa.gov/precheck) or CLEAR (https://www.clearme.com/how-it-works).

Get through Customs faster via an app called Mobile Passport or Global Entry (https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry). To decide what’s best for you, this is a good article describing both. While everyone is rushing into the customs area, you can go directly to the Mobile Passport lane which is significantly faster.

Look into a free money conversion app so you know what you’re spending in US dollars. (e.g. Units Plus)

Go to an ATM or bank for currency exchange in the country you’re visiting. The banks in the US and in the airports can be a more expensive when it comes to fees.

Carry some local currency as not all places in other countries take credit cards, especially off the beaten path.

Check into whether tipping is acceptable, in what circumstances, and the standard gratuity amount.

Look into the tourist industry. In Israel we took a full bus tour. We learned that the tour guide, who directed us to places where we’d “get the best deals” were actually places that had more expensive items where he had arranged a kick back.

Google the best things to see in the country you’re going to visit. Make a list of bucket list items – must haves and nice-to-haves. This will help you be flexible and make sure you hit the important sights. Look for a few non-touristy ideas as those are often where the magic happens.

If you need some rest after a busy day of travel take a nap that is no more than 15-20 minutes. This worked great in Israel after full days of sightseeing. We experimented with more time – and it was tempting – but found that we ended up too groggy and it affected our sleep at night.

If you’re like us, you’ll want to see everything you possibly can while traveling. When we were in Bali we were active from morning until night. What we missed was taking time to be present – to breathe in the beauty around us, meditate, and reflect on the experiences. Taking time to do this should be as important as the next sightseeing adventure.

Take a look at our blog post “What is Ethical Tourism” for more information.