Getting Ready for an International Trip
I depart for Italy in just under four hours, and I’m still taking care of last minute errands. While these “to do’s” are fresh on my mind, I thought I’d share them. Here’s a list of things to remember whenever you’re planning a trip abroad:
- Alert your credit and debit card companies of your travel date and destinations. Otherwise, you may arrive and realize there’s a hold on your card for security purposes!
- While you’re on the phone with the credit card company, ask about international fees. Credit cards typically tack on a three percent charge to any purchases you make abroad. If you’re lucky, your card might charge as low as one percent for foreign transactions. Make sure to check before you leave!
- You guessed it – there are also ATM withdrawal fees. It seems that the average is a one percent fee for all ATM withdrawals. Most companies also charge an average of five dollars per transaction if you use an ATM that’s not considered a partner or network bank. Ask about ATM fees when you call your debit card company.
- You might need an international driving permit if you plan to rent a car in another country. Surprisingly, your rental car company may not let you know about this. Check the US embassy site to see what’s required in the country you’re visiting.
- Consider making reservations for tourist attractions before you go. Highly visited sites like the Louvre or Vatican may have extremely long lines. Your vacation will be much more pleasant if you purchase your tickets online in advance. Some sites require an advance purchase of several weeks, so plan accordingly.
- Ask for discounts and deals! If you have to email hoteliers or tour operators to make a reservation, go ahead and ask for a deal. You could get one if you explain that you’re trying to find the best deal in a particular neighborhood in the city. Discounts also might be available if you travel during the off-season. However, you never know what offer you might get, so it’s always best to ask no matter when you’re going.
My final tip is to compile your entire trip itinerary at tripit.com. This is the first time I’ve used the site, and I think it’s awesome! You can forward TripIt your travel itineraries from quite a few popular travel sites, and TripIt will aggregate everything for you in an easy to read (and print) format. I had to manually enter a lot of hotels because I booked them over e-mail, but my flight, car rental, and rail reservations updated instantly after I forwarded TripIt my confirmation e-mails. This saved me a ton of time! I also added notes about restaurant recommendations I’ve received and the sights that I don’t want to miss.
Let me know if you have any other international travel tips! Ciao...
