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Whether you’re going to your 200th country or your 2nd, this checklist doesn’t change. These 7 things will make sure that your trip goes as smooth and comfortable as possible, and that you don’t get turned back at customs.
Stay safe while traveling the world. Here are my 21 basic travel safety guidelines.
1. Visa Requirements
If you’re totally clueless about this, a visa is essentially a permit to be in the country. Generally speaking, visas grant you entry for up to 30-90 days. This is going to differ depending on where you’re going and what passport you’re holding. You can typically extend visas for a fee, but it depends on the country. And you usually can’t extend a visa until it’s close to expiry.
Visas are stamped or glued onto one of your passport pages. If you come from a country that has good international relations, you will usually obtain your visas when you arrive and often they will be free. Sometimes a visa will come with a fee, but it usually isn’t much. They want you there after all.
If you are only transiting through a country’s airport you should not need a visa.
Sometimes you won’t be able to get a visa on arrival and you’ll have to get it from an embassy before you depart. This process can range anywhere from a few days to a few months. It’s best to check your destination country’s immigration or tourism website to confirm their visa process.
Some countries are strict with their visas and some are very relaxed. Often you will see posted that you need to provide proof of funds to support the duration of your stay as well as an onward or return flight out of the country. I think it depends on the customs official that you get. More often than not, I haven’t needed to show this.
Here are a couple of my own experiences with visas.
Being a Canadian arriving in Mexico, I was given a free visa on arrival for 180 days. About one week before this was set to expire, I went to an immigration office in Guadalajara to ask about an extension. They told me not to worry about it and that I could stay as long as I liked. Super easy.
On the flip side, near the end of March 2020 I was in Timor-Leste. This was around the start of when borders and airports were closing in Asia due to the pandemic. I was trying to return to Canada and needed to transit in Indonesia – this was the only way out. Indonesia was very strict at the time, and I had to visit their embassy in Timor-Leste four or five different times to apply for and eventually receive my visa. I needed to provide a written letter of my intentions in the country, a copy of my bank statement, a picture of myself with a red background, a medical clearance form, $50 USD, copies of my flight itinerary and a couple other documents. Not super easy.
2. How to Get From the Airport/Bus Station/Port to Your Lodging
The visa gets you into the country. Great, now what? Well, you probably need to get from your point of entry to your hotel or wherever you’re staying. I’m just gonna use airport in my examples but the same holds true if you arrive by land or sea. If you are staying in a hotel they might have an airport shuttle that can pick you up. Otherwise, you’ll have to find your own way.
Taxis will almost certainly be lined up outside the airport, but they’ll also probably be the most expensive ride you’ll take in the city. Fares are usually trumped up at the airport. That being said this is probably your easiest option. Additionally, you could walk a few minutes away from the airport and likely find a taxi for a fraction of the price of the ones lined up at the airport.
Taxi service apps like Uber are a good option. You know you aren’t being ripped off. Sometimes Uber won’t be allowed to enter the airport and you’ll have to meet your driver outside the airport grounds. You might have to walk a few minutes with your luggage but you’ll save a few bucks.
Some airports will have communal taxis, usually large vans, that you can take with other new arrivals and it’ll be cheaper than taking a taxi on your own. They may have a central drop off point or they may take you right to your final destination. It’s best to ask an airport information desk if this is available and how it works.
Your last option, aside from walking, would be to take public transport. Most cities will have public transport options that go to/from the airport. If you travel lightly this could be an option, but if you have multiple bags and/or suitcases it might be too much hassle for the money you’ll save.
I’ve used all of these options in the past. Apps like Uber are my favourite way to get from an airport in a new country to my lodging. It’s low-hassle and you know you’re getting a fair price, even if you do have to walk five minutes to get off of airport property.
3. Local Language Basics
If you’re going to a country and you don’t speak the local language, you gotta learn the basics. You don’t have to become conversational, though the more you learn the more your experience will be enhanced. You can survive without knowing a word of the local language but learning the essentials doesn’t take much time. Here’s my list of the absolute minimum I learn before going to any country:
Hello – You don’t have to learn good morning or even goodbye, but a local language “hello” with a smile goes a long way, especially when you are noticeably not local.
Please – This also goes a long way.
Thank you – Again, basic manners and being polite.
Excuse me – Some form of getting a shopkeeper or street food vendor’s attention instead of making random noises or waiting for eye contact.
How much? – Learn some form of asking for the price. How much is it? How much does it cost? What’s the price? Keeping it simple with “how much” works just fine as well.
Numbers (1 to 1,000,000) – You’ll need to understand the response you get when you ask the question above. It might look outrageous learning numbers up to one million, but really it’s only 30 numbers to learn. If you learn 1-20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 1,000, and 1,000,000, you’ve learned the numbers from 1 to 999,999,999. Pretty impressive.
Yes/No – Simple enough. Pair either with thank you from above and you’re starting to sound like a local.
That’s it. It helps knowing more but the above will get you by and improve your experience. You’ll still run into situations where you can’t communicate properly but at least this will allow you to have a few easy exchanges as opposed to constantly struggling with buying food or negotiating cab fare.
4. Weather Conditions
Don’t get caught booking your flight to a sunspot destination and just assume it’s going to be hot and sunny during the day and warm during the evening. You might’ve booked during rainy season, or your destination might get cool at night. Maybe your destination straddles the equator but the city you arrive in has a high elevation – making it pretty cool compared to the rest of the country.
Whatever your case may be, research the weather of your destination for the first few days at least. You can always buy clothing or gear once you arrive but being prepared on arrival will help ease things as you adjust to your temporary home.
5. Bring Local Currency
If possible, bring some local currency with you. If you’re going for 2 weeks or less, I’d just bring enough to last the entirety of my trip to avoid paying foreign exchange fees or cash withdrawal fees. If you go for longer you might not want to have that much cash on you in the event you lose your wallet or it gets stolen.
If you’re travelling often or for longer stints, I’d recommend getting a bank card that doesn’t charge foreign exchange or cash withdrawal fees. The best travel card I’ve come across is the Stack Mastercard. It’s a pre-loaded credit card and it’s accepted anywhere Mastercard is accepted. The only difference is that you pre-load the card instead of using credit that needs to be paid back. No foreign exchange fees, no cash withdrawal fees, and the exchange rate you get is the best you’ll find anywhere. This isn’t a paid sponsorship – it’s just my tried and tested opinion.
Unfortunately, I think Stack is only available to Canadians but take a look around. Your home country may have a prepaid card option similar to this.
6. Vaccines and Medical Requirements
I’m not talking exclusively about Covid-19 and the vaccine requirements regarding this virus, although those are entry barriers you’ll definitely want to be aware of before departing. Depending on where you’re going AND where you’re coming from, the country you want to enter may require you to have certain vaccines.
As I’m writing this, I’m a week away from going to Ecuador. Because I’m coming from Canada, I don’t need any vaccines to enter. However, if you want to enter Ecuador and are coming from the Dominican Republic, Brazil, or Uganda, you need to have a yellow fever vaccine. Yellow fever vaccines are compulsory to enter many African countries as well.
Different countries have different medical requirements so make sure you are aware of this and can prove your vaccination against a specific virus if they require you to do so.
7. Cultural Faux Pas or Differences
Things you wouldn’t think twice about at home might be taboo, offensive, or looked down on in your new country. Hitchhiking with your thumb in Iran, passing someone something with your left hand in Indonesia, or pointing with your middle finger in the USA are things best avoided.
People will understand that you aren’t from the country and don’t intend to be offensive or rude, but if you can avoid these missteps you’ll look like less of a foreigner.
This works in reverse as well. In North America it might be seen as a threat to bend your elbow and show someone the back of your hand. Go to Mexico though, and this is a way of showing thanks.
The world is a funny place. Be mindful of your actions when you’re away form home. If you’re not sure if something is taboo or rude, just ask. People worldwide are generally friendly and want to help.
Conclusion
And there you have it. Those are the 7 things you need to be aware of before going to a new country. Numbers 1 & 6 are absolutely essential, while the other five will bring you peace of mind while abroad. When you’re ready, get back out there and explore the wonderful world and its people. Safe travels!
Photo by Igor Fedoriv from Pexels
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